3D printing Widgets

Thanks Tony.

A suggested pattern for submissions might be:
a) a brief description
b) photo of the item in context of its use as well as a CAD view of the item
c) notes about printing
d) at a minimum the STL file
e) hopefully the CAD file (note these will likely need to be 'zip' files) and optionally notes about the CAD design
f) if contributor might answer questions or be amenable to tweak the CAD file for others.

Here is a device to secure motor cables - in a rough landing ESC, batteries, receivers can shift and drag wiring and disconnect motor wires. To save the faffing around out in the field I created a small device to secure the bayonet connections. It uses a rubber O ring to hold the bayonets in place.

In freeCAD I started with a main block and then cut away unneeded sections (hence the many 'cut' entities). I then added 4 separator blocks in the centre.

Typical printing settings are 2 perimeters, 10% infil, 2 layers top and bottom. Adapting the axis scaling would likely be all you would need to tweak it for different connector sizes.

Below is a photo of the device (normally Velcro'd to the fuselage wall) , what it looks like in freeCAD and the STL and CAD file (compressed).









Enjoy... I will await comments/suggestions prior to uploading more items.....

All very clever but if the running gear is installed correctly in the first place then wires etc shouldn't chaff, tie wraps have always worked for me.

The thing I forgot to mention about the motor wire keeper is that it keeps the bayonet(s) from touching. Where the heat-shrink might have gaps or the bayonets not fully seated I imagined that a short could cause damage to the ESC or a loss of motor control.

Here is another collection of useful bits. I got tired of messing up foam wings gluing on popsicle sticks to limit damage from rubber bands. Trailing edges are generally simple shapes but leading edges not so much. The foam ARMIN wings I wanted to protect have a complex leading edge so I had to learn some new CAD skills to replicate the actual section. It would be a similar process to create on for a Clarke-Y and probably easier because I know now how to trace a poly line over the ribs I have been working on.

Rather than lots of separate images pasted into the chat I created a couple of montages. Less space, words closer to images. The freeCAD and STL files follow the montages. Enjoy. -Jon

I did the same sort of printed protection for the rear of the Big Dragon wing with an included angle of 6 degree for the dihedral.

The front protection was a bit more complex as it could not be printed the same way in one piece so the halves were printed individually and angled by 3 degrees to the printer bed and then super glued together.

The front protection covered the top surface back 50 mm but also supported the leading edge profile. The rear covered 30 mm top and bottom. I judged the Depron surface in between would not suffer from the retaining bands.

Both covers matched the printed rib section but were adjusted for the thickness of the Depron skin.
More describing the principles involved but the stl files are available. Just give us a shout.

Like it, what a good idea.

Just in case anybody is puzzled by the front wing cover being narrower than the rear it is simply the wing has a 3 point hold down with a single hook at the front.

Such a narrow hold down is not ideal but was deemed acceptable in this case as the wing mount on the top of the wing pylon is quite narrow anyway.

I see several of us have co-evolved similar devices - the trailing edge designs being quite similar while the leading edge involving different printing paths to a similar end. It was fun designing these widgets and even more fun to have a 'library' of bits so as to pick up and run with good ideas within the community.

Getting the files together for submission also encouraged me to tidy up the naming of the CAD entities as well as tweaking the thickness in the sketch for the leading edge so as to generate a more robust part. -Jon

Sometimes not having the tool-for-the-job is so frustrating. I had what might have been a good flying session with my straight wing Franken pod and a test of my new head-mount rig. Clear and not-so-much-wind but the grass was quite muddy in places. The beastie is rather twitchy and I had not used it in some time so I had not yet gotten it tuned in and my initial landing happened to coincide with more mud than grass.

Yuck, no way it is going to clean up in the field. Take it back, clean and dry. And when re-mounting the motor I fumbled over and over with getting the nuts and bolts in place. Argh! What I need is something better than my finger and better suited to the task than long pliers.

So here is my latest widget - there are two variants within the freeCAD and STLs. Should be adaptable if you get out your callipers and tweak the radius of the regular polygon and the shaft. -Jon