36" Northern Pike - 3D Printed Cuda Clone (It Flies & STL's are Posted!)

[localfiend]

Wow how long have you been 3d printing you just identifyed just about all the slight problems I have been having even though I did not mention them. Skills.

Ok questions,
A:what would you recommend to stop all the blobs and make the inside better
And B: is the hole fixable?

As for the little balls of filliment on the inside and outside the outside one come off when I sand them. First with regular fine grit and then wet sand with ultrafine grit. The inside bits just stay.

I've been printing a couple years now I think. Just had lots of failed prints of my own. You start to recognize all the potential problems.

In order to help you tune your stuff, I'll need to know more about what settings you're using.

Material Type and Brand
Layer height
Retraction Distance
Retraction Speed
Extra Restart Distance (Prime)
Temperature
Coast Settings
Wipe Settings

As for fixing it, sure, you could probably patch it with something. I'd probably just leave it, it won't hurt the plane, but I may be lazy. If you're trying to sand your whole plane, and you really care about surface finish, you could probably put a piece of tape across the inside and use some sort of filler (just about anything could work) or even glue to fill in the hole. Then cover it up with a dab of white paint or something if the filler you used was a different color.

Oh I almost forgot. I believe my parents will let me tip you. You have been of so much help and your design is wonderful and free. Hats if to you!

No need to tip me man, kids get a pass. Made this design free, cause I wanted people to try out 3D printing planes when they ordinarily might not if payment was a barrier.

 

[DroneRocket Guy]

Ok well here is what I know of the top of my head. It is atomic fillment impact modified white pla. I am printing at at 215*. Layer hight is 0.1. I also believe the other settings are the default pla settings from cura and whatever the 3dlabprint cura profile added. Speaking about paint I was thinking of the x29 paint job and the usaf thunderbird pantjob combined.

 

[DroneRocket Guy]

My printer grows Vines and trees. But there white. LOL

 

[localfiend]

Ok well here is what I know of the top of my head. It is atomic fillment impact modified white pla. I am printing at at 215*. Layer hight is 0.1. I also believe the other settings are the default pla settings from cura and whatever the 3dlabprint cura profile added. Speaking about paint I was thinking of the x29 paint job and the usaf thunderbird pantjob combined.

Ok, since you're using the default profile I'd try bumping retraction up by 0.2mm. It also looks like the temp is a bit too high. From some quick googling, it looks like that PLA may work better at lower temps. And if it is possibly more flexible, you may be able to get away with lowering the temp some. Could also add more cooling.

Are you still printing the 75% version? If so, did you change the nozzle and layer width to match a .3mm nozzle?

 

[localfiend]

After seeing that second pic, you definitely need more retraction. I would double the retraction amount rather than add .2mm. Also check the nozzle width. It's very important.

 

[DroneRocket Guy]

I am printing the 75% version with the 3mm nossel. The wingtips worked well so I don't think it is the nossel. Lowering temp some now. I will try the retraction in the next prints. The settings relevant to wall width are good too. Thanks!

 

[localfiend]

I am printing the 75% version with the 3mm nossel. The wingtips worked well so I don't think it is the nossel. Lowering temp some now. I will try the retraction in the next prints. The settings relevant to wall width are good too. Thanks!

I just wanted to make sure you changed the with in the slicer. It'l print set to .4mm, but the weight would be more than 20% more, which you really don't want. It'll be ok if you have a couple prints like that. Just don't do it to the rest.

Also, for all the wing and fuse sections, try going to .15mm layer heights. It will print faster and be a bit lighter as well. The wingtips and stabs were probably best at .1 since you're using cura and cant change it partway through a print.

 

[DroneRocket Guy]

I just wanted to make sure you changed the with in the slicer. It'l print set to .4mm, but the weight would be more than 20% more, which you really don't want. It'll be ok if you have a couple prints like that. Just don't do it to the rest.

Also, for all the wing and fuse sections, try going to .15mm layer heights. It will print faster and be a bit lighter as well. The wingtips and stabs were probably best at .1 since you're using cura and cant change it partway through a print.

Ok sounds good.Cura is annoying me with these things walls and I can't get s3d right now so I am looking around to see if any slicer maker accepts suggestions. Thin walls!!!!!! Is my only thing. If I can't find any I'll look into making my own, I not sure yet. Thanks have a great night!

 

[localfiend]

Ok sounds good.Cura is annoying me with these things walls and I can't get s3d right now so I am looking around to see if any slicer maker accepts suggestions. Thin walls!!!!!! Is my only thing. If I can't find any I'll look into making my own, I not sure yet. Thanks have a great night!

Are the internal supports not showing up everytime with the profile I made?

Would be nice if there was some kind of standard for CAD generated internal supports. That is something that will be quite important for additive manufacturing in the future. I suppose it's sorta handled already, but not for thin wall single perimeter prints.

 

[JGplanes]

FYI the "36 Inch Pike Tips and Stabs v1.0 PLA.gcode" file still has a skirt turned on for the one of the upper layer profiles. I just happen to notice it when browsing the gcode files. I opened the factory file and removed the skirt, but you may want to update it.

BTW - for all the non-Simplify3D users having issues. I tried for about a year to print planes without it, and never could get thin wall printing to work. Sorry, you're probably going to have to bite the bullet.

JG

 

[localfiend]

FYI the "36 Inch Pike Tips and Stabs v1.0 PLA.gcode" file still has a skirt turned on for the one of the upper layer profiles. I just happen to notice it when browsing the gcode files. I opened the factory file and removed the skirt, but you may want to update it.

BTW - for all the non-Simplify3D users having issues. I tried for about a year to print planes without it, and never could get thin wall printing to work. Sorry, you're probably going to have to bite the bullet.

JG

Thanks, I'll fix it. The skirt thing is an annoying bug. You can have them turned on for upper profiles and 95% of the time they don't show up, and sometimes they randomly do.

 

[JGplanes]

Ran out of orange and can’t really afford to buy more at the moment. It’s gonna be multicolor! Woohoo! Thinking about mixing in some other colors on the other parts to enhance the patchwork quilt effect and use up my smaller spools. LOL

 

[localfiend]

Ran out of orange and can’t really afford to buy more at the moment. It’s gonna be multicolor! Woohoo! Thinking about mixing in some other colors on the other parts to enhance the patchwork quilt effect and use up my smaller spools. LOL
View attachment 112681

Haha, that's a good idea. Was just thinking one of those color changing spools would be interesting. I have a bunch of random ends of PLA spools that need to be gotten rid of. When I get my MK2.5 ugrade that has a filament sensor I'll have to dispose of some stuff that way.

 

[DroneRocket Guy]

Are the internal supports not showing up everytime with the profile I made?

Would be nice if there was some kind of standard for CAD generated internal supports. That is something that will be quite important for additive manufacturing in the future. I suppose it's sorta handled already, but not for thin wall single perimeter prints.

Ya there there. Your advice on doubleing the retraction worked awesome!

FYI the "36 Inch Pike Tips and Stabs v1.0 PLA.gcode" file still has a skirt turned on for the one of the upper layer profiles. I just happen to notice it when browsing the gcode files. I opened the factory file and removed the skirt, but you may want to update it.

BTW - for all the non-Simplify3D users having issues. I tried for about a year to print planes without it, and never could get thin wall printing to work. Sorry, you're probably going to have to bite the bullet.

JG

I got my 27inch pike working well in cura. The 3dlabprint cura profile made cura work for me.

As for progress with my plane I have wingtips vertical stabilizers and need to print the wings and fusaloge. Then it is time for paint!

 

[JGplanes]

Then it is time for paint!

What kind of paint do you use? Are you planning on painting the whole plane?

 

[DroneRocket Guy]

What kind of paint do you use? Are you planning on painting the whole plane?

I have no idea what paint I am using. Probably spray. No I am not painting the whole plane. I am thinking a paint scheme close to that if the usaf thunderbirds or x29.

 

[localfiend]

Painting the whole plane would probably be heavy. An x29 scheme on white prints would be pretty cool and should work well.

I've got some acrylic stuff for painting the mouth. Just need to do it.

Also, I Finally got some 2200 4 cell batteries in. They're shorter and fatter than a 2650, which is great for balancing.

You can balance the plane with the recomended motor on a 2200 4 cell without the need for any lead, and it doesn't even need to be all the way up in the nose. A 2200 3 cell on the other hand needs 40g of lead in the nose.

 

[JGplanes]

I’m on my last print and hope to assemble soon. From the look of the prints I’m not real sure how the elevons are assembled. ?

BTW - I’ve used up most of my old spools of PLA but the plane is now orange (wings), red (fuselage), black (hatch and some misc stripes), yellow (tails and wingtips), and silver (elevons). It’s gonna be ugly!!!

 

[localfiend]

I’m on my last print and hope to assemble soon. From the look of the prints I’m not real sure how the elevons are assembled. ?

BTW - I’ve used up most of my old spools of PLA but the plane is now orange (wings), red (fuselage), black (hatch and some misc stripes), yellow (tails and wingtips), and silver (elevons). It’s gonna be ugly!!!

Hah, at least you won't lose it in the air lol. I will finish the build log tonight. Forgot to post the rest of it.

 

[localfiend]

Ok, my internet was not cooperating last night. Couldn't get pictures to upload, and I'm off to the flying field this morning. I'll give it a quick shot now though.

Elevons are easy to assemble, just don't mix up the left and right pieces. They're pretty easy to match up, just look at the curve they have. Same upward tilt as the wings.

You can match them up for gluing very easily by sticking a piece of wire through the hinge tube. You don't want to glue the wire in place though, so make sure you can pull it back out after gluing each piece.

To install the elevons on the plane, you need 2 - 1" or so pieces of wire around 1/16 size. One piece gets glued into wing section 3 (there's a hole for it). I like to hold the elevon in the hinge line to make sure the wire glues straight.

The second piece pushes in through the hole in the rear of the wingtip to hold the other side of the elevon in place. I use a drop of glue to secure it. Oh, and installing the wingtip is pretty easy, just do the popsicle stick thing, or glue everywhere but a spot in the middle where you can hold it with two fingers and it hold it in place that way.

You can just see a bit of copper colored wire sticking out of the wingtip hole here.