3D Printing PLA and Rockets

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I have read the articles. It is not conclusive. I print it in my apartment and have not had a symptom yet. Then again, my printer is in a non-ventilated enclosure.
I live in the "air pollution belt" surrounding Lake Michigan, suspect our air is more hazardous than any styrene fumes I may create...
 
I have two asthmatic kids to consider. My daughter, in particular, seems to react to airborne environmental particles, so I am avoiding these more controversial filaments until I finish my enclosure this winter.
 
My favorite print media is Raptor PLA by a now out of business outfit called MakerGeeks. They made a lot of interesting claims for this material none of which I found to be false...strong, aneallable heat resistant. I used it for many parts on the 1/24th scale Falcon 9, my grandson Juniper Slouber and I built and flew at LDRS 37.

I also used it to print the nose cone coupler on "Thunda Down Unda" my sub-minimum 75mm rocket which flew to 34k'+ at XPRS 2019. Multiple ground tests and no issues of any kind after the XPRS flight and quite a few feet of being dragged through the playa pre-recovery. Will fly again (and hopefully many more times).

I am sparingly using a small stockpile I just happened to have when MakerGeeks suddenly went out of business (and stiffed a lot of folks who had open orders).

If anyone has any of this and i willing to part with it I am interested.

If anyone has knows of an equivalent let me know.

upload_2019-10-13_8-32-40.png upload_2019-10-13_8-42-22.pngupload_2019-10-13_8-48-15.png

The center photo also shows the bizarrely charred nozzle of the CTI M840 post flight. I am sure that whatever caused this impacted motor performance. This flight should have gone significantly higher.
 
Real world results are tough to beat. What was max Q on sub 75? Do you happen to have any specs on this filament? Did you actually anneal it? If, so, how? We should probably know these things..
 
Printed this in PLA+ as a test. HoJo nose cone, 2mm walls and 50% infill. You are right about sanding PLA, it is a pain in the ass to sand properly. I tried PETG and it came off the bed and globbed around the nozzle.
 

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So far at launches I have only seen PET and ABS 3D printed parts. One of our newer fliers (to our club) has been experimenting with fully 3D printed rockets, they are about 2.6" diameter, 36"-ish, and 100% 3D printed PET (or maybe PETG) the rockets kind of remind me of the Astron Sprint XL, and the latest in his Janus series has all parts fully replaceable as needed and have flown on many different motors including 2 flights with I500's this las weekend.
 
Nice. Any pics? Personally I have no interest in fully printing rockets, parts on the other hand...Or molds for making parts.
 
I do not have any pics of Jose's rockets. I don't like 3D printed rockets myself but I see many uses for it in my builds mainly in cosmetic or internal parts.
Nice. Any pics? Personally I have no interest in fully printing rockets, parts on the other hand...Or molds for making parts.
 
I modded and printed a PLA nose for my Mercury-Redstone. (on Thingiverse: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3193792) Its a drop-in replacement just for flying so you dont have to fly (lose?) the pretty capsule that came with the kit.
I had an old motor and a late ejection charge. The MR came down hard, bent the fins off the body and the capsule snapped.
So. PLA - it works, you can use it, but i would never print a whole rocket from it, and I would especially never use it for fins. Seems fine for nosecones, probably ok for 'artistic' parts. Not for structural stuff.

before and after photos.. you can see the MR. the orange busted up rocket was a mostly 3d-printed helicopter. too much stress on the PLA joints, broke the hinges, and it lawn darted.
 

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Ok.. I am now breaking my own rule I just posted. Yesterday I started printing a Tin Tin rocket I found on Thingiverse (https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2688411). I'm going to convert it into a flying model. It's going to have PLA fins, but it's going to fly on a small motor. I'm going to try to keep the weight in the "B" range.
If anybody wants a build thread, just say so.

First batch of parts just came off the printer:IMG_20191017_090605643.jpg
 
My favorite print media is Raptor PLA by a now out of business outfit called MakerGeeks. They made a lot of interesting claims for this material none of which I found to be false...strong, aneallable heat resistant. I used it for many parts on the 1/24th scale Falcon 9, my grandson Juniper Slouber and I built and flew at LDRS 37.

I also used it to print the nose cone coupler on "Thunda Down Unda" my sub-minimum 75mm rocket which flew to 34k'+ at XPRS 2019. Multiple ground tests and no issues of any kind after the XPRS flight and quite a few feet of being dragged through the playa pre-recovery. Will fly again (and hopefully many more times).

I am sparingly using a small stockpile I just happened to have when MakerGeeks suddenly went out of business (and stiffed a lot of folks who had open orders).

If anyone has any of this and i willing to part with it I am interested.

If anyone has knows of an equivalent let me know.

View attachment 395786 View attachment 395791View attachment 395792

The center photo also shows the bizarrely charred nozzle of the CTI M840 post flight. I am sure that whatever caused this impacted motor performance. This flight should have gone significantly higher.

Proto Pasta makes HTPLA that is as tough as the MakerGeeks Raptor. I too used a lot of their Raptor PLA, but only a couple half spools left. Proto Pasta is also a much more responsible company than Maker Geeks ever was.
 
Here is a fully 3D printed Mars Lander I launched a couple of months ago. It was printed with PLA+IMG_6500.jpg
 
My Mars Lander is printed in PLA and has launched successfully several times on an E28. Holds up well in that case.



However my 2x Lander which was originally printed in PLA was redone in ABS over concerns about strength. It has flown well on a CTI H225 although broke a leg upon landing. It will fly again.



IMG_4021.jpg
 
Built these Nike Smokes. Nose cone, fin can and fins all PLA. Bt-55 version and 2x scaled to 2.7" tube. Body/motor mounts std paper tubes. Video is 2.7" version with a H.A.R.D. F67-8 Flown twice, second flight in June with air temp at or above 95 deg. F. No warping of printed parts. Smaller Nike smoke fins printed in vase mode and cast full with Tap Plastics boat epoxy.

https://mega.nz/#!uBIgRKib!wH1RMS_dEKXbdCuTxRNSogXRJaAzmzD4y9FGweLvjeY

IMG_20190624_103840650.jpg
 
My Mars Lander is printed in PLA and has launched successfully several times on an E28. Holds up well in that case.



However my 2x Lander which was originally printed in PLA was redone in ABS over concerns about strength. It has flown well on a CTI H225 although broke a leg upon landing. It will fly again.



View attachment 396428


Love it!
 
Ok.. I am now breaking my own rule I just posted. Yesterday I started printing a Tin Tin rocket I found on Thingiverse (https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2688411). I'm going to convert it into a flying model. It's going to have PLA fins, but it's going to fly on a small motor. I'm going to try to keep the weight in the "B" range.
If anybody wants a build thread, just say so.

First batch of parts just came off the printer:View attachment 396373
Yup, realtime printer in action thread;)
 
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