Torpedo X 0.16

[Roberta]

After having limited success carving tiny parts I decided that maybe 3D printing might be practical. I went on Tinkercad to see if I could design what I needed. I was able to design the lifting eyes, chocks, nav lights, vents, and a few other things. I'm considering the Dremel 3D20 printer. Most of the parts are like 1/2 to 3/4 inch in size. Just wondering if small parts will be doable. I can buff small lines out made by the layers.

Put a few coats of epoxy on the decking, made things like the trim tabs and windshield brackets. Here are some pictures of current status.

Roberta

[JimmY]

Looking great, Roberta.

In 3D printing, quality equals time. Printing small parts is doable, and for higher quality and smaller layer lines it just takes time. You can sand PLA after printing and there is a technique to smooth prints out by putting them in a container with solvents for some types of filament.

[Roberta]

Thanks, Jim! I think I will be going the Dremel 3D20 and PLA. I was holding off on the printer until I knew I would be getting close to finishing. Maybe I'll be done in time for the boating season, if we have one. If not, I'll have a new toy to play with.

Roberta

[Gayle Brantuk]

Very impressive, Roberta!

[Roberta]

Thanks, Gayle! Hoping to do sea trials in the pool in June.

Roberta

[TAB]

Find some one that has a 3d printer and pay them for the parts. In my exp it costs very little and even less if its a friend and you feed them.

[Roberta]

I thought about doing that, but I have an interest in 3d printing and would probably have other uses in other hobbies. I'm still unsure of which one just yet. Maybe XYZ DaVinci.

Roberta

[vupilot]

Cool!

[Hercdrvr]

Very nice and not so much dust as the full size construction
Matt B

[JimmY]

For what it is worth, I have a Creality Ender 5. It is about a $400 printer (free with my Amazon points and gift cards) and I've been really happy with it so far. It has a fairly big build volume and has printed everything from stage props and peg board accessories to dust collector adaptors and lawn mower parts. I would recommend to stay away from any printer that requires proprietary filament cartridges. If you have more to spend, the Prusa line of printers are really nice in the $800 range.

If you have played around with TInkerCAD and are able to design your own parts, look into Fusion 360 by Autodesk (AutoCAD). It is free to hobby/enthusiasts and is very powerful. There is a bit of a learning curve, but there are lots of YouTube videos to help learn it (search for Lars Christianson).

If you are still making up your mind, I'm happy to print out your parts in the mean time and mail them to you.

[Roberta]

The little Torpedo is coming along. All the running gear and radio equipment is in. Finished painting the sides and hull. We set it in the pool to verify the water line and check the prop load. Sea trials in the pool soon.

Picked up a 3D printer. I did go with the Creality Ender 3 Pro. Started printing some parts today. The printer is fun and does a good job. I rigged up a filament holder for the huge roll I got.

Roberta

[hoodman]

Awesome, looks just like it's big sister.

[JimmY]

Looks great, Roberta.

I think you'll be happy with the Ender 3.

[Roberta]

Thanks, Jimmy! The printer was easy to assemble. A lot of parts, but the instruction pictures were easy to follow. I printed out the sample dog right out of the box, basically. I downloaded Cura and used that to slice my Tinkercad files. Seems very easy and works well.

Roberta

[DrBryanJ]

Looks cool Roberta. I have to think about a 3D printer. There are parts I would like to make.