3D Printing Estes PNC-50SP Nose Cone

[Jack Hydrazine]

I have designed a 3D model of the Estes PNC-50SP nose cone that will fit Estes BT-50 airframe tubing.

There are two files to download. One is the nose cone itself and the other is the end cap which has a 3mm hole in it to allow you to add a screw eye or eye bolt.

Estes kits that use this nose cone:

Kit# 1341 World Federation Space Probe
Kit #1361 Skytracer
Kit #1364 Falcon Commander
Kit #1373 Soaring Eagle
Kit #1909 USSF Fireflash
Kit #1933 X-16
Kit #1946 Starhawk
Kit #1988 Argosy
Kit #2140 Venom

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4620461

 

[Michael L]

I've never printed for a rocket or anything for that matter. I literally just finished building my Prusa MK3s. What were your slicer settings? What material is typically used on rocket parts?

 

[Jack Hydrazine]

I haven't printed this design out. You can use PLA, but a much better filament is PETG.

 

[Michael L]

Thank you. I have both and some other types that I won't mess with until I have the illusion that I know what I am doing

 

[Jack Hydrazine]

Let me know how it prints out for you. I'd certainly like to see a pic when it's done. If you run into any problems with it, let me know.

 

[Michael L]

Let me know how it prints out for you. I'd certainly like to see a pic when it's done. If you run into any problems with it, let me know.

I've printed 3 things since I finished building the printer yesterday. Two PLA "demo" things that are of not much use but were good starter things and one PETG nozzle box. It took me a little while to set right nozzle height for PETG but it seems to be working now. Both nosecones and two end caps are printing as I type this. 6 hours from now I should have two black nosecones and end caps printed with Prusment PETG or a big wad of black plastic fur

 

[Jack Hydrazine]

Kewl!

 

[Michael L]

Notes so far:

I have a partial print of the nose cone and end cap in PLA and the end cap fit in with a small amount of pressure and can be removed. I printed it 1 notch above Quality (Quality is normal).

The nose cones printed fine but I printed them "normal" rather than add more time by printing them with a little better quality. I don't know if it's a PETG vs PLA thing or the 1 notch difference in quality but the parts aren't as smooth in PETG as they were in PLA. However, they look great and they are definitely useable. I'll mic them when I get home but I think the PETG expanded? The end cap doesn't fit. I might be able to press it in but I think something will break if I do. Humidity in the house was 25%. Temp around 70-72 degrees. I can turn the end cap down on the mini-lathe or just sand it so it's still useable.

There are two identical "anomalies" near the base of each rocket. I'm 99.99999% it's because I bumped the bed early in the printing. I'll post pics but since they are identical I'm pretty sure I caused it. Nothing shows up in the slicer.

I'd be curious what others think about quality, PLA vs PETG, etc

I'll post pics when I can. Probably this afternoon

 

[Michael L]

Leave it to me to drop one of them. The tip snapped off. PETG is very brittle! The dropped cone was the better of the two... It's hard to see it in this photo but the right side cone has a spiral at the small end. Looking at them under good light neither of them suite me. I'll reprint one with higher settings. There are other things in the que so it might be later this week. The white lines are just reflections btw.

 

[Jack Hydrazine]

Those look great!

 

[Michael L]

Ok, so finish is good then? I'll stick with PETG and not be a doofus and drop them on a tile floor.

You did a nice job on the model. I haven't re-printed yet. I've got some glow in the dark grandkid halloween things that I need to finish, then I'll reprint. I think I'll do one black and one red. I'm planning to build the rocket once I get my Graduator built and start my LOC IV (after the Graduator launch).