How I got into 3D printing and what do I use.

Crash
Yes it is perfectly possible to simply load another someone else's design as shown by the enormous range available to down load in Thingiverse site.

To convert a CAD file into something a 3D printer can use directly it has to go through 2 stages. The first is a conversion into an STL file format and is done by the CAD package.
This process removes the CAD specific features and leaves a file with just the basic size details so is a 'universal' format. It is not normally editable which tends to suit the original designer as his design cannot then be changed.
The STL file is then input into a 'slicer' programme that creates a 'gcode' file that gives the printer specific X,Y & Z head instruction and the details of what to print when it gets there. There are several different dialects of gcode so the slicer programme has to be set up to match the printer. Most 3D printers will include a suitable slicer programme to place on your PC.
When that is done you can down load an STL file from anywhere and create a print from it, however the STL does only contain the basic size data so you do have to set up the actual print parameters in the slicer programme. The slicer is likely to have a basic default setting to get you started.

For example in Thingiverse it is quite common for the designer to detail the model of 3D printer and the basic parameters he used to create the object.

As and when you get a printer you are most welcome to the files of anything I have created.

That's a lovely gesture Simon, I spent 30 odd years using g code if anyone ever needs help with editing it give me a shout.

"As and when you get a printer you are most welcome to the files of anything I have created."

Thank you Simon, I will certainly be taking you up on that in the future !

I just joined aero modellers and looked for folk chatting about 3D printing and scratch builds. I am a bit unsure about where to jump in so if there is a better part of the forum please let me know.

I have a suite of wings that I shift from fuselage to fuselage as I try out new construction techniques. Popsicle sticks are ok to protect wings from bands but need to be glued on. And gluing and sanding to hold a polyhedral to a foam fuselage also causes damage when I want to swap over to a straight wing. I have a Prusa Mini and surely one could design small carriages and transitions. I made a series of these (see the image) and gradually making them smaller and stronger. An interesting challenge was an ARMIN polyhedral to get freeCAD to describe the same leading and trailing profile. To make it stronger I printed it in two parts - one printed vertically and one horizontally and then glued together so the cross-lamination might get around the print-is-stronger-in-one-axis problem.

Hopefully the images show the context of the ideas I have been working with. I am happy to share the files if anyone one wants to take the ideas further. It would be interesting to see what 'wee bits' others have created. -Jon

Great stuff Jon, is that material fuel proof? There's a good market for replacement fuel tanks for vintage diesels..need a couple myself.

Interesting thought about 'fuel proof'... certainly it takes a lot of bother to make a 3D print liquid-tight. I am printing with PLA. I suspect it will not dissolve in diesel. I did find a liquid air trap for Klippy to print and that would need to be air and liquid tight. The trick is how to design openings to get the diesel in and out without those leaking. -Jon

Thanks. The thing about this site is knowing where to jump in... or whether to start a new topic. There are so many existing topics. Any suggestions?

jon
If you are printing a specific type of part then my suggestion would be start a new post under Construction Techniques and Aeromodelling Materials topic on the home page and giving it a descriptive title like "3D printed wing saddle designs".

Posts do serve two purposes, a) Allowing you to keep a record of the what you have done and b) So that others can use the site Search facility to find out if others have already done something similar. .