CranialRectosis' Polakium Engineering Super Simple H Quad (v3)

[jhitesma]

But as you can imagine, a plastic that is heated and pressed through an extruder nozzle doesn't like it to get hot again.

One of the main reasons I'm not a fan of 3D printing as a manufacturing solution. It's great for home fabrication but I just can't bring myself to buy things that are 3D printed. Use the 3D printing to prototype and for quick fixes - but if you're going to bring it to market 3D printing just isn't going to cut it in my book. Need to step up to some kind of molding or machining instead.

But then again I live in the desert where 110F in the shade is not uncommon and even at midnight it can still be over 90 outside this time of year.

Makes fixing problems with hot glued airplanes easy - just set them outside for 10 minutes and the hot glue peels right off.

But I'd be worried about a 3D printed frame deforming just from the heat in my truck on the way to and from the field even with the AC on

 

[cranialrectosis]

One of the main reasons I'm not a fan of 3D printing as a manufacturing solution. It's great for home fabrication but I just can't bring myself to buy things that are 3D printed. Use the 3D printing to prototype and for quick fixes - but if you're going to bring it to market 3D printing just isn't going to cut it in my book. Need to step up to some kind of molding or machining instead.

But then again I live in the desert where 110F in the shade is not uncommon and even at midnight it can still be over 90 outside this time of year.

Makes fixing problems with hot glued airplanes easy - just set them outside for 10 minutes and the hot glue peels right off.

But I'd be worried about a 3D printed frame deforming just from the heat in my truck on the way to and from the field even with the AC on

Funny you should mention that.

The new quad frames are in. They are cast polyurethane and are translucent so you can light them with LEDs. http://polakiumengineering.org/?product=super-simple-mini-h-quad-pro-sshquad-pro

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2104768&page=39

 

[cranialrectosis]

Well, some days you are just snake bit.

I need lights to see the little copters at my age. So I got some LEDs and installed them on the edge of the copter. To do so, I have to cut the heat shrink over the ESCs.

I have the LEDs mounted (sweet) but because I trimmed the motor leads on motor 1, I have to de-solder the ESC for motor 1 from the power harness to get the heat shrink over the boom. To get the ESC connected to power again, I have to solder power to the ESC pads UNDER the heat shrink.

The other motors, I did not trim and so have enough wire to slip the heat shrink over the motor and then the boom so I don't have to unsolder anything. I no longer trim motor leads for these reasons.

OK Ok, I now have a 20 minute job turn into an hour but I got it all hooked up and promptly released the magic smoke. I had reversed polarity on the ESC when I re-connected it.

Luckily, I have spares.

So I pulled out a spare and started cleaning it up. I noticed at that time that my spare ESC signal wire pad was not connected to the PCB. Does anyone know if it can be attached with CA maybe?

OK, OK. I'm a big boy and I can take a hit or two.

Luckily, I have spare spares!

So I cleaned up a spare, spare ESC and got it all wired in with the power connected under the heat shrink and powered it up and no power to the Naze 32.

At that point, I noticed the tiny hole in the processor. I had fried my Naze 32 when I reversed polarity on the ESC that I use to power the Naze. That explains why the smoke smell was lingering so long.

At this point I swore to NEVER EVER EVER TRIM MY MOTOR LEADS AGAIN. Frickin, never!

OK OK, I'm pretty thick skulled and hey, I like soldering!

Luckily, I have spares.

I am now re-mounting the pins on the Naze 32 spare and hopefully will have my LEDs installed in a day or two.

 

[Cyberdactyl]

One of the main reasons I'm not a fan of 3D printing as a manufacturing solution. It's great for home fabrication but I just can't bring myself to buy things that are 3D printed. Use the 3D printing to prototype and for quick fixes - but if you're going to bring it to market 3D printing just isn't going to cut it in my book. Need to step up to some kind of molding or machining instead.

But then again I live in the desert where 110F in the shade is not uncommon and even at midnight it can still be over 90 outside this time of year.

Makes fixing problems with hot glued airplanes easy - just set them outside for 10 minutes and the hot glue peels right off.

But I'd be worried about a 3D printed frame deforming just from the heat in my truck on the way to and from the field even with the AC on

Late last summer I had this weird idea of building quad booms out of Instamorph.

Under ~90F it behaves a lot like tough nylon. I even made a shallow mold out of foam board.

I finally came to my senses.

 

[jhitesma]

Funny you should mention that.

The new quad frames are in. They are cast polyurethane and are translucent so you can light them with LEDs. http://polakiumengineering.org/?product=super-simple-mini-h-quad-pro-sshquad-pro

Now we're talking! <$30 for a cast frame is sounding pretty darn reasonable. Pop some of my RGB Led's in there....hmmm.....

 

[Twitchity]

Sounds like you had a pretty rough night, cranialrectosis. Glad to hear you had spares of spares of spares to to get the quad flying again.

 

[cranialrectosis]

Now we're talking! <$30 for a cast frame is sounding pretty darn reasonable. Pop some of my RGB Led's in there....hmmm.....

I figure I can CA it back together for a few crashes and replace the frame when one breaks to the point that the CA will no longer do the job.

It's not like I don't have a spare frame.

I do have a question on an ESC. The solder pad on the ESC board for the signal wire is not stuck to the PCB. It is connected to the circuit but it is not flat next to the other two pads. Do you know if this is something I can CA glue back into position or is this ESC lost?

 

[cranialrectosis]

Sounds like you had a pretty rough night, cranialrectosis. Glad to hear you had spares of spares of spares to to get the quad flying again.

I look at it as an opportunity to re-build. I love the build as much as I love the fly.

When this copter is flying again, it will be even cooler and I am shooting for tonight or tomorrow morning.

I do need to restock my spares though...