manuel Posted March 28, 2023 Report Share Posted March 28, 2023 So yeah - I finally bought a 3d printer! I got an Ender3 S1 which seems pretty good, also got an enclosure to do things like ABS for slightly more functional stuff, which so far has all printed great (benchys are perfect 😂) Part of getting a 3d printer is learning some CAD so I've fired up a windows11 section of my ancient MacPro and got fusion360 running. As a proper dorky MAMIL I want to make some storage boxes and other tweaks for the road bike, probably a top box behind the stem for food and something under/behind the saddle for tools so I dont have to have anything in the pockets (which I hate). First issue... Created an airfoil/sketch spline pulled it up into a body then used the same profile (oddly I had to draw a new spline by hand over the original) to split the top section off. Problem now Is I have no idea how to profile that top surface to remove the sharp edges. Anyone with any kind of skill that can give a few pointers? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manuel Posted March 28, 2023 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2023 Managed it with a shonky cut sweep through the top surface but its not great and it would only do parallel not perpendicular for a reason i cant work out 🤣  If anyone has any better ideas.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeyseemonkeydo Posted March 28, 2023 Report Share Posted March 28, 2023 Can you not just add a fillet/radius to the upper edge? Edit: In Solidworks: Â Â 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manuel Posted March 28, 2023 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2023 Unfortunately no. Don't know why though, that's what I was hoping for... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeyseemonkeydo Posted March 28, 2023 Report Share Posted March 28, 2023 ? To be fair, Solidworks can sometimes be a bit picky about what edges can have a radius applied to it and that's sometimes linked to the radius you're trying to use. On a small part it won't let you use a big rad that might remove chunks/features of the model. Try small and then work up towards what you actually want. The S1 looks like a good machine. I got an E3 V2 for home a couple of years and have modifed it a bit to include some of the features that come as standard on the S1. Enjoy playing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manuel Posted March 28, 2023 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2023 Yeah, fusion gives a proper computer says no to any type of fillet on the top. Possibly doesn't like the pointy end?  The printer is ace and Griff really likes printing stuff - just need to order a webcam for the octopi setup, when we are abs-ing. Oh and find a permanent spot on the wall for it, and probably design a better enclosure than the one o got that is the size of a house. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeyseemonkeydo Posted March 28, 2023 Report Share Posted March 28, 2023 Yeah maybe try adding a small radius to the trailing edge first then in a separate operation add the rad to the top edge? Just to prove the theory! I've got an enclosure for the V2 and because the reel's on top it makes it huge- I had to chop down the Ikea unit it sits on so that it would be low enough to go under the wall cabinets in the utility room! We've got an Ultimaker 2+ at work and it's really small and compact (head moves in both x and y on rails so the whole bed just moves up within it's footprint) and the material is just hanging off the back so the height isnt impacted beyond the bowden tube and the depth is only ~80mm deeper because of the reel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forteh Posted March 29, 2023 Report Share Posted March 29, 2023 Solidworks > Fusion I got myself an Ender 2pro at christmas and it's awesome, don't need a big build volume and I've mostly been making flight sim peripherals/mods. 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeyseemonkeydo Posted March 29, 2023 Report Share Posted March 29, 2023 I joined a 3D printing group on Facebook and it really worries me that it's literally full of grown men printing Star Wars and Ironman helmets for them to wear. Virtually none of them are using their printers for anything useful whatsoever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aener Posted March 29, 2023 Report Share Posted March 29, 2023 11 minutes ago, monkeyseemonkeydo said: I joined a 3D printing group on Facebook and it really worries me that it's literally full of grown men printing Star Wars and Ironman helmets for them to wear. Virtually none of them are using their printers for anything useful whatsoever. There is a lot of vanity out there, but I wouldn't worry tooooo much. I think it's largely that the people who make stuff with a purpose typically feel less need to show it off. I've usually only really seen people making practical stuff online in threads like this. "Here's what I'm working on. It's not working. Please help." 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdamR28 Posted March 29, 2023 Report Share Posted March 29, 2023 This is ages ago (like... 20 years), but I remember the program I used refusing to do rads sometimes, unless you added a tiny one first then increased the size. Weird, but might be worth a try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forteh Posted March 31, 2023 Report Share Posted March 31, 2023 I made a cyclic trimmer mechanism to make my joystick behave more like a trimmed helicopter cyclic control - basically I took a 400 quid joystick and stopped it returning to centre until I pulled a lever (old spare HS33 blade was utilised - even had a working TPA!), integrated cam locks so I can set the stick to be free return to centre as normal if desired for flying fixed wing aircraft. Worked something like this VVVVV https://photos.app.goo.gl/8jwYzQ9qtAUx57faA  3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manuel Posted March 31, 2023 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2023 Impressive! That's really cool- did you model the joystick yourself? I'm currently printing upgrades/fixes for the washing up rack 🤣 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forteh Posted April 1, 2023 Report Share Posted April 1, 2023 I'll admit that I didn't model the grip itself, I was going to (to check clearances with the HS33 lever) then I found that one on thingiverse; everything else is me though That's only a tiny little model, we're up to 60k components at work at times 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manuel Posted April 2, 2023 Author Report Share Posted April 2, 2023 Might sound like a stoopid question but… If I’m modelling something to make on the printer, for example a replacement Ashton seat…. My general tactics as an absolute noob is to just create a solid body and slice it up with mirrored cuts to reduce it down to the right shape. Add some fillets and hollow it out. Feels like there must be a better way but drawing/extruding the shape from scratch seems beyond me, due to how all the sections create interesting shapes. Any advice? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forteh Posted April 3, 2023 Report Share Posted April 3, 2023 (edited) In solidworks I would use a loft with multiple profiles and possibly guide curves if needed, I have no idea if fusion has such functionality though. I created two random shaped sketches on two planes and then lofted one to the other, add multiple layers of sketches to better control the shape. Â Can then use the shell command to remove the bottom and two end faces to make a tunnel. Â Edited April 3, 2023 by forteh 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeyseemonkeydo Posted January 5 Report Share Posted January 5 Just to dig this back up I installed Fusion 360 the other day from work to see if I could use it to help make STLs into solid files (not managed that yet) but in the meantime have found it has a funky 'generative design' function which allows you to define basic geometry, loading and let the software organically build a suitable structure for you. I think I may have a new favourite thing... And yes, that was taken in Solidworks after exporting and opening a step file! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manuel Posted January 6 Author Report Share Posted January 6 That is cool! I’ve been using mine to make wahoo and mudguard mounts for the road bikes recently, not quite on the same level 🤣. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forteh Posted January 10 Report Share Posted January 10 My cyclic trimmer transmogrified a few times, it's now an electromagnetic driven mechanism with linear bearings, linkages, bell cranks and gubbins™   https://photos.app.goo.gl/MXFNdrngtVby56GY9 https://photos.app.goo.gl/QwihCYJ2a3Y6hBFv8 Stick is sprung to a centre point on both axis, pull the lever and it disengages the magnet enabling the spring units to slide on the linear bearing. Release the lever to engage the magnet and set a new centre point from which it will spring again. Works really well  4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forteh Posted January 11 Report Share Posted January 11 Other things, following my introduction to cycling through 12" deep clay mud during this CX season I have discovered that my frame clogs up really easily in certain situations. That was after 2.5 laps, I had a DNF because I tore my tricep. Trying to remove such mud by hand during a race simply makes a mess everywhere and takes forever around the BB because the combination of mud, gravel and grass makes a fine analog for reinforced concrete A muc off claw makes such a task a few seconds job though, they're a pig to carry in a jersey pocket though... https://photos.app.goo.gl/zUnpjurPB67uHcqm7 Need to cut a row of bristles off but it works awesome, can scrape the front tyre on the move or completely clear the bottom bracket in about 15 seconds  3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manuel Posted January 12 Author Report Share Posted January 12 Nice! Side question - If I wanted to run some very simple cfd aero analysis of some bike bits and bobs - what would be the go to free solution? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forteh Posted January 12 Report Share Posted January 12 Talk nicely to our resident wind tunnel manager? I'm not sure that such software is free (via legal means) and my experience of FEA/CFD is that the information coming out is very reliant on the information going in being good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeyseemonkeydo Posted January 13 Report Share Posted January 13 OpenFOAM is the free, open source meshing and CFD program of choice but it won't be a 5 minute job to learn how to get something sensible from it I don't think!! I could ask Renan at work to do some cases for you if you wanted though, Rowan. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forteh Posted January 13 Report Share Posted January 13 (edited) I wonder if I can corroborate our empirical fluid head loss testing from the 60s with an openfoam simulation based upon our current solid models?🤔 Obviously far more important things to do with my time at work though Edited January 13 by forteh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manuel Posted January 15 Author Report Share Posted January 15 On 1/13/2024 at 11:19 AM, monkeyseemonkeydo said: OpenFOAM is the free, open source meshing and CFD program of choice but it won't be a 5 minute job to learn how to get something sensible from it I don't think!! I could ask Renan at work to do some cases for you if you wanted though, Rowan. Thanks Dave, no need to drag anyone else into it 🤣, its more a "if I can I will" for my own curiosity and just to get an idea for the amount of difference small changes might make. When you are old and you only average 200watts per ride a 10W saving is pretty big. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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