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Hi All,

I've had a bit of time to muck around with my 3D printer. I thought I'd post up a few of the successful prints!

10AN Spanner

I'm going to put an oil cooler on my car, and thought I'd try printing a plastic spanner to tighten the fittings so I don't damage the anodizing. It took around 1 hour to print and is solid plastic, here is the result (and in pretty orange)



Cold Air Intake

This one is not my design and is available for download on Thingiverse. Its design by someone on Miataturbo.net and is still in development. I did this as a test print to see how well I could print large thin wall tubes. It's printed in 4 parts and then glued together. All up print time was around 20 hours and there is a honeycomb inner structure with about a 1mm wall thickness on each side. It's very sturdy.



Next on the list is an endplate cap that will mount onto the tombstone base for when I remove the center console. I plan to make it clip into the existing structure and have a slope for mounting the electric window switches. Other ideas I have is to make up a 3D airbox that will mount a cone filter. Does anyone else have any ideas on what I can make?

Rick

Custom ITB trumpets

That is brilliant! I'd be interested in a shorty console for NB!

Also, how durable is the spanner?

Apu wrote:That is brilliant! I'd be interested in a shorty console for NB!

Also, how durable is the spanner?

I won't really know till I do up a few fittings. It seems pretty strong but might only work for a certain number of times before it deforms. A 10AN is 1inch so 25.4mm which is the width of my desk. Fitting it to the desk, I can really lean on it and get the desk to bend without much flex in the spanner itself so I think we should be right. The AN fittings shouldn't be overtightened anyway.

The prints are fine for once off things, however in case of the shorty console, the part would need some manual finishing even painting before it would look integrated, unless you like the look of bright orange in your car!

Magpie wrote:Custom ITB trumpets

Once I get the ABS printing working, yes! I can do some PLA trumpets for test fittings though. They are actually a little tricky to print as the ends fold back on themselves. Might have to print them in two parts and join.

I'm fine with having to finish the item and paint it - the same has to be done with the equivalent Garage Vary / Jetstream products anyway!

I like the an spanner.

What printer are you using?

How hard is 3d printing? Can you do something like replacing the ashtray with a 3d printed phone holder?

Makerbot Replicator 2

The printing is a bit tricky. You have to start with a flat base and basically print upwards at a maximum angle of around 45deg. Overhangs are hard as you have to support them. Really the printers aren't at a consumer level yet. I've had a lot of problems getting prints to complete.

Extrusions are easy... like the spanner. Draw a profile, extrude it up and print. Curves and overhangs need to be thought about and support structures built.

I think a phone holder in the ashtray is actually not that hard. Making a 3d model that will fit well may take a few rounds and it can be quite time consuming waiting for prints and then discovering it doesn't quite fit.

I did up a 10AN fitting tonight. Cant quite tighten it up on the hose all the way. It actually takes a lot more force than I was expecting. The ends flex when I put lots of force on it. The plastic takes more load than I thought too. Looks like a plastic ring spanner is required!... ill print one tomorrow.

This is going to be the future because it is too exciting for people not to make the process work.

Is ABS considered a thermoplastic? Apart from structural engineering issues there could be heat issues for underbonnet parts.

Basically any shape that is topographically difficult is a contender for 3d printing.

Definitely interested in the tombstone cap if you wind up making them as more than a one off.

Do you have an engineering or design background? or are you self taught, this stuff really interests me but it all looks a bit overwhelming to self teach...
What are the material costs like for this?

Luke.

I'm exploring designing on my PC/MAC and then sending the plans to one of the many online 3D printing to have it created.

Not sure if that's gonna be successful, but I've created what I wanted out of cheap balsa wood (fairly flexible building material to shape and glue etc), and I can measure that and create in a 3D design tool. Double check the measurements and assuming it is all correct, I can't see it going too wrong.

Any advice on the best free 3D design tool? Going to start with SketchUpMake.

I do 3D modelling and animation but come from an engineering background. I'm self taught on the 3D side... I haven't done much recently but I used to do a lot of prototype and construction modelling.

In terms of software I would highly recommend a package like Rhino3D for prototype modelling. Its based on AutoCAD and has a very friendly help on all commands. Its also very good at creating curved complex surfaces. You can get a 30 save trial.

Gslender, send me some photos and a sketch with some dimensions and I can have a quick look for you.

Pretty cool stuff Madjak!

I like solidworks for modelling, but rhino is super awesome with surface models, point clouds etc. Using NX at work at the moment... NX and I hate each other.... so very much