3D printing the parts you need

by johninoz2 | March 11, 2014 | (5) Posted in How To

Here's a technique for using 3D printing to create parts for your RC aircraft.

To quote Wikipedia: "3D printing is the process of making a three-dimensional solid object of virtually any shape from a digital model. 3D printing is achieved using an additive process, where successive layers of material (plastic) are laid down in different shapes."

Creating 3D objects using an appropriate printer is becoming increasingly common and price of printers is coming down. If you don't want to go all-out and buy your own 3D printer, there are plenty of companies who will do the job for a modest fee.

I recently discovered that clever designers of 3D objects often upload their digital designs so that anyone can download and use the pattern to print the objects, or modify them to suit their own needs. The most commonly used site for such designs is the Thingiverse. A link is provided below. Spend some time checking out the objects that are possible with 3D printing; you'll be amazed!

There is a whole section for RC objects, everything from helicopter parts to battery cases. Among the RC objects I found a version of the Flitetest firewall that the designer used on his FT Versa Wing. I downloaded the file and sent it to a local company for printing. The resulting object is incredibly light and strong. Be aware, however, that the 3D printing process doesn't produce the lovely smooth finish seen in the digital rendering of the image. The process produces a textured finish, caused by the depositing of successive layers of plastic. The finish can be smoothed using acetone, or simply sanded smooth. Here are some images to illustrate the digital image, the object being prepared for printing, and the finished product.

The firewall object as seen in the Thingiverse online catalogue.

 

Here is the firewall being scaled and prepared for printing.

 

I ordered eight copies, which were printed in a single session.

 

The finished firewalls. On the left you can see the rough texture produced by the printer. On the right is one that has been quickly sanded.

What does it cost? That depends on the deal you make with your local printing company. The eight firewalls I had made, plus an initial prototype, came out at around $5 each. On balance, the costs are reasonable but probably not attractive enough to forgo using ply or other materials, or to stop supporting Flitetest by buying items from the store. That said, it's an interesting idea, don't you think?

Links:
The Thingiverse: www.thingiverse.com
3D Flitetest firewall : www.thingiverse.com/thing:175413

COMMENTS

Balu on March 30, 2014
Is there a weight difference between 3d printed parts and the FT ply versions?

BTW: The rough surface will probably help a lot with gluing it on top of stuff.
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pintokitkat on March 30, 2014
I've never had a ply version of what I made to check against, but as you can set the fill of anything you print from 0 (completely hollow) to 100 (solid) I would guess the plastic versions win out. And yes, the slightly rough surface does grab the glue well, but the glue scrapes/peels off reasonably well if you want to re-use a part.
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pintokitkat on March 29, 2014
Good idea to post this here. As more and more people 'get' 3d printing, new and exciting ideas flow more freely.

I use my Makerbot Replicator to make all my firewalls, control horns, undercarriage, wheels and trim eg. exhausts for the Spitfire and an SE5a, spars for biplanes and spinners for props. They cost pennies to make and the wonderful thing is you can design exactly what you need using Google Sketchup in about five minutes. I've also made gimbals for mounting cameras to my quad, landing gear, battery boxes - all sorts of things.


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tophe75 on March 30, 2014
Just to contribute to the article (as I am blessed with a 3D printer myself) I made a collection of FT parts over at Thingivers: http://www.thingiverse.com/tophe75/collections/ft-parts

The 3D printed parts are a bit heavier then ply but works great.
Gluing is not a problem, hot glue and CA works just fine.

There is also a discussion in the forum: http://forum.flitetest.com/showthread.php?5658-Is-3D-Printing-worthwhile-yet&highlight=3d+printing

Also note that I have only printed in PLA.

Enjoy.
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3D printing the parts you need