3D Printing 1/20th scale 3d Saturn V

[alexzogh]

I recently finished building my new giant printer - a modified bossdelta.



That's my 16 year old daughter helping put the finishing touches on it. For scale, she is 5'4"

This baby prints BIG. I used to purchase 5kg spools from zyltech. Now I've been bulk buying 25kg PETG reels.

So far I've printed the LES, SLA, Fairing, and half of the SIVB.



Using this as a wrap, around an 18" fiberglassed sonotube. Final diameter is around 20" . I suspect I'll be done around the time we can start launching again.

 

[John Cummings]

OMG! More details about that delta printer Alex, please? I need one!

Did you upscale an existing STL for the Saturn or create a new one?

Awesome work!

 

[AeroAggie]

 

[Doug Ringenberg]

Can you give some info on the design process? What program do you use?

 

[Leo]

Neeeedo

 

[alexzogh]

OMG! More details about that delta printer Alex, please? I need one!

Did you upscale an existing STL for the Saturn or create a new one?

Awesome work!

Printer is a seemecnc boss delta. They usually come prebuilt, but I've been running deltas for a long time and wanted to make some specific changes. Company is great, and very customer friendly. Can print 550mm diameter x 1080mm height. Currently have a .5 nozzle, and doing .4mm layers. Moves very quickly - I can reliably print at 400mm/s - 8x the speed I could get out of my c-10.

 

[alexzogh]

Can you give some info on the design process? What program do you use?

I use fusion 360 almost exclusively at this point. This model isn't mine, it's David Carters. I've had to make a bunch of adjustments since I'm basically scaling it up 250%, but he did a fantastic job. Also added some lines to make it easier to add the paint scheme as the black / white and silver sections are not as obvious as it looks.

 

[alexzogh]

One major component left to print - will be a 134 hour print at .4mm layers, using over 10 lbs of filament. I've opted to carbon fiber the sonotube instead of fiberglass. I'm starting to get worried about the weight. Still too cold to bring out the rotisserie, but I'm hoping for next week.

 

[BBowmaster]

Brain just kicked in after watching the thread and going “oh pretty” for a while. 1/20th scale means 18’ tall?!?

 

[alexzogh]

Brain just kicked in after watching the thread and going “oh pretty” for a while. 1/20th scale means 18’ tall?!?

Yup, maybe a few inches above. When the final piece is printed I will stack it up in my driveway for a picture.

 

[CalebJ]

Where is it headed after the driveway?

 

[caveduck]

For some reason I think those printers are about to get popular in the HPR crowd. You can make a *lot* of pretty impressive scale models in that format, no more 3/4FNC. Nice job! Bring it to Airfest, pretty please??

 

[David Schwantz]

I am also doing Dave's Rocket shop Saturn V, but in the 52nd scale. My Ender 5 would no way print that large

 

[alexzogh]

All of the rocket parts are done. I brought them out in the sun for a little photo. For scale, that's an 8 foot ladder. way too tall for me to put interstage and up onto the rocket.


currently printing custom endcaps for the sonotube. We are expecting rain for the rest of the week, so hopefully, I can start laminating over the weekend.

 

[Brent]

If you decide to take print orders for this beast let me know

 

[Cape Byron]

Where is it headed after the driveway?

Tycho crater?

 

[Scrapmaster87]

400mm/sec, I have got to see a video of it at full tilt.

Printer is a seemecnc boss delta. They usually come prebuilt, but I've been running deltas for a long time and wanted to make some specific changes. Company is great, and very customer friendly. Can print 550mm diameter x 1080mm height. Currently have a .5 nozzle, and doing .4mm layers. Moves very quickly - I can reliably print at 400mm/s - 8x the speed I could get out of my c-10.

 

[grandcross]

This is what I get for not having been on TRF for a while. The first I knew of this was when you posted it on Thingiverse. I must say, when I started this project, I had no idea anyone would be this insane... but this build is AWESOME!

This is why I will always put my model files online!

 

[AeroAggie]

Can someone post a link to these thingiverse files?

 

[grandcross]

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3513106

 

[Charles_McG]

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3513106

David, I can't recall if I've asked this before - do you have Saturn 1B components at that scale, too?

 

[grandcross]

The short answer is yes... and no.

Many of the components are shared: the CSM, LES, and so on. The main difference between the S-IVB on both is the APU, with the one on the Saturn V being larger, I suspect primarily because of the increased fuel requirements. There may be some smaller detail differences, but nothing major.

When I built my S-IB I wasn't using a fully printed facade as I did here. The body was made with fiberglass, stringers with sytrene, tanks with mailing tubes, etc. Even the LEM and SIV-B sections were built up, unlike here. If you're attempting a mixed approach like I did, then it's simply a matter of scaling the parts in your slicer. For a full up facade build like this one, there would be a lot of work required. I may take it on someday, but it's not on my current roadmap.

Also, if I had the beast of a printer used here, I would have made some pieces taller to reduce the number of seams.

 

[David Schwantz]

Hi Dave. I am just finishing mine. used the blue tube, but it was hard to keep it all aligned when gluing to the tube. Some of the parts that I printed required me to cut off the shoulder and alignment tab. I am thinking of doing another to use the LOC tube. Since it is smaller OD I could leave the shoulder and tab in place. Do all of the sections have the shoulder and alignment tab in the display version? Great work you did on this design. Thanks.

 

[grandcross]

None of the flight versions (F_ prefix) had a shoulder or alignment tab. I think you printed the wrong parts.

The display versions weren't meant to have a stuffer tube.

 

[grandcross]

The flight parts just have a groove on the inside for alignment.

 

[prfesser]

Alex, you ought to print a rocket garden at 1/20 scale, for your front yard. You know, like the Huntsville Space Museum, where they planted and grew all those rockets. You have the hard part done. Saturn V is virtually complete, and you have the 3rd stage & command & service modules for a Saturn 1B. And there are probably files somewhere on the web for some of the other rockets, just need to upscale them.

You could even concrete the entire front yard, for realism; never have to mow it again. Of course if your SWMBO is anything like mine, she'd have some words to say about it...


Best -- Terry

 

[David Schwantz]

I'm sorry Dave, but your files do not include enough "F" versions for a complete rocket. That is why I had emailed you 2 months ago asking if you had the all the "F" versions complete. I am now just asking if your "display" version is complete as I am wanting to do a second one that has the shoulder and tabs. Thanks.

 

[cerving]

Now all you need to do is to 3D-print a VAB to put it together in the field and a crawler/launcher... you may need it to move that beast around.

 

[grandcross]

I'm sorry Dave, but your files do not include enough "F" versions for a complete rocket. That is why I had emailed you 2 months ago asking if you had the all the "F" versions complete. I am now just asking if your "display" version is complete as I am wanting to do a second one that has the shoulder and tabs. Thanks.

I did respond to that... there have been a couple of updates since. You're seeing them here. I'll DM you rather than continue to hijack this thread.

The display versions are missing a base plate and fins. My flight rocket uses over sized fins for obvious reasons. For F1 engines I use a remix of existing Thingiverse models.

 

[alexzogh]

This is what I get for not having been on TRF for a while. The first I knew of this was when you posted it on Thingiverse. I must say, when I started this project, I had no idea anyone would be this insane... but this build is AWESOME!

This is why I will always put my model files online!

Thanks Dave!

You really did a great job. The detail is fantastic. I was so impressed, I am one of your patreon supporters. When I crashed my 10” Saturn V last year on the 50th anniversary, I never thought I would build another. The amount of time it took to build it to scale using wood was almost a year.