Inspired by the Apogee video about making pods on the tip cords of a fin, but knowing that my sanding skills are abysmal, I wrote the attached OpenSCAD script. Enjoy!
3D Printing What Are You Printing Today?
- Thread starter DRAGON64
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Halfway done in PETG
I am printing a 38mm nose cone adaptation. 
I spent most of yesterday wrenching on my printer. The build plate tramming is fixed and it resembled a potato chip with over 1mm variance. After some research, I discovered the standoffs in the corners are too short (a known issue) and cause this issue. Backing off of the screws in the corners to the point where they were minimally effective got the bed to ~.6mm variance. I found a guy who used the silicone standoffs in place of the plastic ones and was able to dial his down to approximately 0.3mm. I began that journey around noon. Around 10 pm last night, I was back to around 0.6mm variance but still had lots of headroom. This morning, I finally got it "flat" with ~ 0.36mm variance and walked away.
I performed all the calibrations and did some test prints. I might be mistaken but I think the printer is printing better than I can remember.
Here's my final test print of the Aphrodite's Arrow fins with modified pods. They came out so nice. Printing is fun again.
Test Print of Aphrodite's Arrow Fins
I performed all the calibrations and did some test prints. I might be mistaken but I think the printer is printing better than I can remember.
Here's my final test print of the Aphrodite's Arrow fins with modified pods. They came out so nice. Printing is fun again.
Test Print of Aphrodite's Arrow Fins
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If the nozzle is otherwise trash, may as well try to drill it out.
Brent
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Printed a couple of drill guides for the Punisher I am building. Shear pin and Vent holes. I need to design a guide for the screw switches that Aleksander is selling. Switches come with a STL for inside the coupler to mount the switch, but I need to come up with a guide to drill holes through the outside. Hopefully I will have time to draw something up in inventor at work this week.
Not today but recently. First rocketry prints, and also first objects I designed myself (using OnShape) for an odd-sized mailing tube that I had stuffed a pair of 24mm motor mounts into several years ago. Relatively new to 3D modeling, though I have used sketchup in the past mostly for woodworking designs. Very new to 3D printing--just got my first printer in November.
Attachments
I just finished designing a 3-in nosecone with AV Sled for my 3-in Menace from last year. Coincidentally, it just so happens to be the perfect size for a 3-in FatBoy. I've attached these to the Menace model on Printables as well. The FatBoy build thread will be coming sometime soon-ish.
3-in Menace/Fatboy Nosecone
NC with AV Sled
Concept Rendering of 3-in Fatboy
3-in Menace/Fatboy Nosecone
NC with AV Sled
Concept Rendering of 3-in Fatboy
Way to go!!! Keep it up. It's looking great.
18mm to 13mm engine adapter/ejection pod... converting this small "A" glider to use a 13mm motor cause I don't want to spit out burning motors.
The pod will have a streamer attached
The pod will have a streamer attached
I would love to print one. Can you upload the STLs?
These are the STLs. If you have a suitable tube, or I'm sure they could be scaled pretty easily, of course.
Thanks. I just printed a @frogglicker nose cone downscaled from 3 inches to 38 mm tubing, and it worked.
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Just got done with a set of fins for a 3"... bit blurry, but oh well.
Last edited:
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Think the blurriness will affect how they fly? [grin]
Finished the design for my 3-in Black Brant II. Doing fitment prints now and will finish off the nosecone tomorrow. Watch for a build thread soon.
Black Brant II Rendering
BB II Build Plates
Aft Cutaway
Nosecone Cutaway
Black Brant II Rendering
BB II Build Plates
Aft Cutaway
Nosecone Cutaway
I'm making progress with the BB II Printing.
The Nosecone AVBay threads into the nosecone shoulder. It has vents through the base on either side of the sled to allow venting and/or e-matches to pass into the body tube. The threads are standard for my 3-in nosecones so the sled is interchangeable.
Nosecone AV Bay
The nosecone is split into 3 parts with shoulders on the aft end of the tip and mid sections. I nested the tip into the mid section for space and it worked out well. The supports on the base failed a bit on the back end (not shown) and I got some support rash on the shoulder. A little touchup with a file, and you'll never know it was there (except, I just told you)
Nosecone Printing Complete
Here's the dry fit of the nosecone. It's pretty tall but amazingly light. I printed it 3mm thick, with 5 walls, and 35% infill. It seems shorter than my Nike Smoke and it feels lighter too.
Nosecone Dryfit Assembly
Here's a test print of the fin I have been working on this week. The thread on how I built this is over here. It was really satisfying to be able to get the geometry finalized on this fin. However, it lifted from the bed and I will have to reprint. I mainly printed this one quicker to check the leading/trailing airfoils widths which I feel are workable, but a little thick. I may make them thinner in the model or just blend the leading edge with a file. I'll make sure to uses more glue and a wider brim on the next run.
Fin Printed - Oops, It's shouldn't look like that!
The Nosecone AVBay threads into the nosecone shoulder. It has vents through the base on either side of the sled to allow venting and/or e-matches to pass into the body tube. The threads are standard for my 3-in nosecones so the sled is interchangeable.
Nosecone AV Bay
The nosecone is split into 3 parts with shoulders on the aft end of the tip and mid sections. I nested the tip into the mid section for space and it worked out well. The supports on the base failed a bit on the back end (not shown) and I got some support rash on the shoulder. A little touchup with a file, and you'll never know it was there (except, I just told you)
Nosecone Printing Complete
Here's the dry fit of the nosecone. It's pretty tall but amazingly light. I printed it 3mm thick, with 5 walls, and 35% infill. It seems shorter than my Nike Smoke and it feels lighter too.
Nosecone Dryfit Assembly
Here's a test print of the fin I have been working on this week. The thread on how I built this is over here. It was really satisfying to be able to get the geometry finalized on this fin. However, it lifted from the bed and I will have to reprint. I mainly printed this one quicker to check the leading/trailing airfoils widths which I feel are workable, but a little thick. I may make them thinner in the model or just blend the leading edge with a file. I'll make sure to uses more glue and a wider brim on the next run.
Fin Printed - Oops, It's shouldn't look like that!
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NICE!
I fixed my fin adhesion issue. My basement is finished with HVAC ducts but it's still pretty cold today, and I have no enclosure, so I got a little creative with my slicer settings. Despite my attempts to flatten and level the bed, edge to edge, it still looks like a potato chip with a 0.46 variance but this little section is better with < 0.3mm. Here's what I did to get it to print successfully:
Black Brant VC Fins - DONE!
This morning, I thought about designing a wall cradle for my bigger rockets -- 3 and 4-in. I included a stand on the arm for mounting smaller rockets or retainer rings, etc. I have no idea if this will work, but I think for my rockets, it will be fine. I designed stands for 18 - 38mm and they are undersized a bit to allow for retainers to remain on the rocket.
Rocket Wall Cradle
18mm Stand
- Flipped the fin orientation 180 degrees. Printing fins with the x-axis doing the work gives the best results (for my rig)
- Lowered the x-offset by 0.1mm
- Changed the brim gap from 0.16mm to 0.08mm
- Raised the bed temp by 5 degrees
Black Brant VC Fins - DONE!
This morning, I thought about designing a wall cradle for my bigger rockets -- 3 and 4-in. I included a stand on the arm for mounting smaller rockets or retainer rings, etc. I have no idea if this will work, but I think for my rockets, it will be fine. I designed stands for 18 - 38mm and they are undersized a bit to allow for retainers to remain on the rocket.
Rocket Wall Cradle
18mm Stand
You can make a simple enclosure with bubble wrap and metal from coathangers as a super low cost enclosure.
I originally used it on a bedslinger to print ABS. Not ideal but it works.
ShadowSpire48
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Is the X1 configured differently than an A1 in terms of how the filament feeds? Reason I ask is that I had a piece of filament break and it was inside the 4 to 1 adapter that sits on top of the nozzle. Too far up for the heater block to melt it but it was an easy fix to take that off and pull it out.
Will this be a 2 stage? What motors are you thinking of using?
That one of the thing I love about 3D printing. It helps you get you holes right every time with less work and $1-2 of plastic.
The nosecone on my Custom Rockets Nomad took a hit and broke. I found an STL file online and printed one out. I just need to paint it gold when the weather allows.
ljwilley
I’m pretty sure it will work…
No 2 stage, sorry.
I plan on using a G motor for the first flight, as I will be building it pretty light weight. Maybe a G75 metal storm?
Try not to set the concrete on fire.....No 2 stage, sorry.
