3d printer for rc parts

[JSterrett]

I went with the Prusa I3 MK3 and I've been extremely pleased with it. Its really dialed in if you just want to get started quick and avoid having to troubleshoot. I feel like the extra cost is worth it for the support from the company, being able to cope with power outages, running out of filament, bump detection, it also can detect skipped steps and layer shifting.

I just got it setup early January and I've printed something almost everyday since. The only Issue I had was getting a Z axis motor that was bad but Prusa sent me a replacement after I contacted them (they did ask for a short video)

I just noticed they're calling it the MK3S now I'm not sure exactly what the difference is. EDIT: I found an article that goes over the difference https://www.prusaprinters.org/origi...-release-sl1-and-powder-coated-sheets-update/

Thanks, that's pretty much what I was hoping to hear.

My Monoprice Maker Select was a "refurb" and while I have gotten it to the point of outputting usable prints, I've never really gotten it nailed down. I have over/under-extrusion issues and I can't get the extruder temp steady no matter how many times I try a PID tune...

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[Jordo]

What filament material would be closest to the plastic used on our rc’s, like for axle housings and skid frames? I have no printing experience, but I plan on ordering a Prusa printer to start making some stuff. From what I’m reading so far PLA sounds brittle, but PET or ABS might be good?

 

[MasteroFlego]

What filament material would be closest to the plastic used on our rc’s, like for axle housings and skid frames? I have no printing experience, but I plan on ordering a Prusa printer to start making some stuff. From what I’m reading so far PLA sounds brittle, but PET or ABS might be good?

Most of the big brands use nylon, I think Tamiya uses ABS. I'm pretty sure a Prusa can print nylon but it presents a multitude more problems such as storage

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[Jordo]

Yeah, after some reading nylon looks like a bit of hassle. I’ll look into abs more and other materials that aren’t as difficult to work with.

 

[mikemcE]

ABS is awful to work with. You’ll need an enclosure and venting


Hang up and Drive

 

[svt923]

Yeah, after some reading nylon looks like a bit of hassle. I’ll look into abs more and other materials that aren’t as difficult to work with.

Nylon isn't terrible to print according to my buddy that prints a lot of it. A garolite print surface would be the only addition to a Prusa that should be needed since it can reach the required temps out of the box. The big thing is keeping the filament dry because absorbed moisture will destroy the print quality quicker than bad settings.

For functional parts of similar material to molded RC parts, you would be looking at glass or carbon filled nylon filaments. Straight nylon would likely have too much flex, the glass or carbon adds rigidity without making the nylon too brittle. The downside is those filaments are about $60 for a .5 kg roll.

 

[Jim85IROC]

ABS also has the issue of shrinking. It's tough to work with if you want to make precise parts.

PETG is almost as strong as ABS, but is supposed to print as well as PLA, and only requires print temps that are moderately higher than PLA, so most printers can either do it out of the box, or can be easily adapted to do it.

Also keep in mind that although none of these 3D printed parts are likely to be as strong as an injection molded equivalent, if you design it properly, you can make most parts as strong as you need. The main exception is with parts like A-arms, where you really have no choice but to make it thin around the hinge pin, which will leave 3D printed parts at a disadvantage.

 

[JatoTheRipper]

I went with the Prusa I3 MK3 and I've been extremely pleased with it. Its really dialed in if you just want to get started quick and avoid having to troubleshoot. I feel like the extra cost is worth it for the support from the company, being able to cope with power outages, running out of filament, bump detection, it also can detect skipped steps and layer shifting.

I didn't realize it had all those features. How does it cope with power outages?

Can it reliably pause and resume print without issues?

 

[JSterrett]

I didn't realize it had all those features. How does it cope with power outages?



Can it reliably pause and resume print without issues?

From what I was reading it works pretty well. The people writing the review I read intentionally unplugged it a couple of times and had no issues resuming the print. Layer shift detection also seemed to work pretty well. Earlier MK3 had issues with filament detection while using clear filaments, but they've made a slight modification for the MK3S that seems to have resolved that also...

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[svt923]

I just noticed they're calling it the MK3S now I'm not sure exactly what the difference is. EDIT: I found an article that goes over the difference https://www.prusaprinters.org/origi...-release-sl1-and-powder-coated-sheets-update/

You inspired me to go look up the differences and I found out the MK3S has a special reduced shipping price for it's introduction and guess what is on the way. :mrgreen:

To be fair, I have been eyeballing a Prusa for a while and was planning on picking up one later in the year. My CR10 mini has some shortcomings and by the time I fix them and add a few features that I really like on the newer printers, it would be beyond the cost of the Prusa.

 

[HumboldtEF]

I didn't realize it had all those features. How does it cope with power outages?

Can it reliably pause and resume print without issues?

I have tested the power outage by switching it off (which they dont recommend, it should be unplugged) and it picked back up where it left off.

I've used the pause print about a dozen times so far to remove clumps or clean up the nozzle and prints have not suffered at all. I paused one overnight and had no issues either, it just had to preheat for a bit then continued.

 

[JatoTheRipper]

You inspired me to go look up the differences and I found out the MK3S has a special reduced shipping price for it's introduction and guess what is on the way. :mrgreen:

To be fair, I have been eyeballing a Prusa for a while and was planning on picking up one later in the year. My CR10 mini has some shortcomings and by the time I fix them and add a few features that I really like on the newer printers, it would be beyond the cost of the Prusa.

Don't tempt me! I'm saving my pennies for another street bike. :mrgreen:

Does it come with the ability to print two different filament prints?

I have tested the power outage by switching it off (which they dont recommend, it should be unplugged) and it picked back up where it left off.

I've used the pause print about a dozen times so far to remove clumps or clean up the nozzle and prints have not suffered at all. I paused one overnight and had no issues either, it just had to preheat for a bit then continued.

That's awesome. I haven't had much luck doing that with my Select Mini.

 

[svt923]

Don't tempt me! I'm saving my pennies for another street bike. :mrgreen:

Does it come with the ability to print two different filament prints?

The multi material upgrade is a $300 add on but it lets you print in 5 different filaments.

 

[JatoTheRipper]

The multi material upgrade is a $300 add on but it lets you print in 5 different filaments.

Thanks for the info! "thumbsup"

That printer quickly escalates in price. $200 for assembly + $300 for multi-filaments - ouch! :shock: Not saying it's not worth it, but for that price I think I would want a bigger print volume. I think I'll hold off for now.

 

[HumboldtEF]

You inspired me to go look up the differences and I found out the MK3S has a special reduced shipping price for it's introduction and guess what is on the way. :mrgreen:

To be fair, I have been eyeballing a Prusa for a while and was planning on picking up one later in the year. My CR10 mini has some shortcomings and by the time I fix them and add a few features that I really like on the newer printers, it would be beyond the cost of the Prusa.

Sweet! I'm curious to hear your take on it since you've already had experience with other printers. I have nothing to compare it to so maybe my impressions are a bit off.

I missed the free upgrade by a month or so, they're sending free upgrade kits to folks who had printers shipped 2 week before the change over. I think the kit to upgrade from MK3 to MK3S is around $20 which is very reasonable, but I'll probably wait a while to upgrade.

Here's a link to the upgrade kit
https://shop.prusa3d.com/en/printer-upgrades/898-original-prusa-i3-mk3-to-mk3s-upgrade-kit.html

 

[JSterrett]

Taxes came in.... the MK3S is calling to me... lol. I wouldn't even be hesitating if I knew I could sell off some of my other printers... I have no idea what the used 3D printer market is like, or if there even really is one.....

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[CRAZYACE63]

Thanks for the info! "thumbsup"

That printer quickly escalates in price. $200 for assembly + $300 for multi-filaments - ouch! :shock: Not saying it's not worth it, but for that price I think I would want a bigger print volume. I think I'll hold off for now.

The print volume on the Prusa is plenty big enough for parts we would print off. I have the MK2 and it works great for the pieces I want to print. I am looking into upgrading mine to the MK2.5S that has the removable bed to get the parts off easier. I use anywhere from PLA mostly, PETG, as well as Carbon PLA. They all print well on this printer. I haven't tried Nylon yet. I will be getting some in the near future to print up. If anyone is thinking about the Prusa in any form, don't hesitate. I have had mine for 3 years now and am doing a TRX4 Jeep body for me and my friend.

 

[JatoTheRipper]

The print volume on the Prusa is plenty big enough for parts we would print off. I have the MK2 and it works great for the pieces I want to print. I am looking into upgrading mine to the MK2.5S that has the removable bed to get the parts off easier. I use anywhere from PLA mostly, PETG, as well as Carbon PLA. They all print well on this printer. I haven't tried Nylon yet. I will be getting some in the near future to print up. If anyone is thinking about the Prusa in any form, don't hesitate. I have had mine for 3 years now and am doing a TRX4 Jeep body for me and my friend.

Not a one-piece hard body for a 1/10th RC. :lmao: How many pieces is the Jeep body that you're making?

But, yes, it is plenty large for most everything else RC-related.

 

[svt923]

Not a one-piece hard body for a 1/10th RC. :lmao:

One piece bodies printed vertically is for amateurs, you need one of these. :lmao:

No idea if they are any good but holy build area, Batman. :shock:

 

[Heckler]

I mainly print with Nylons, PC, and some ABS, rarely will I print anything in PLA or PETG, but it really depends on what it is you are printing and it's intended use, for bumpers and things that take abuse It's Nylon 1st for me, the flexibility and natural slick surface is great for crawler bumpers, skids, etc. I think PLA and PETG is good for small scale parts, interior parts like seats and dashboards etc., things that don't necessarily get beat on the rocks.

I really love the look of the CF filled Nylons, I have tried many different brands and one of my favorites is Matter Hackers NylonX, it prints well and the color is nice and black, most of the others come out a more grey color, I believe this is due to the ratio of carbon fiber in the filament, It is also more flexible than the others so this leads me to believe there is more actual nylon and less CF than the others, and this is good for things like bumpers and skids. The cost may deter many from using these materials though, for some materials I can go through half a spool material before I get my settings perfected to my (high) standards so I toss a good amount of $$ into the recycle bin to get things to where I want them, but some work from the start using a one of my base profiles with minor tweaks.

The strongest CF Nylon I have used to this day is this stuff: XSTRAND™ GF30-PA6 It's expensive! (500g = $89) and the finish is a bit rough but it is strong!

My tips for printing Nylon.

-Use a Garolite bed material, I actually use garolite for printing on with just about everything (with glue stick).
- I do not print any type of nylon at less than 260c, bed usually at 90c.
- Use a Brim, especially necessary for larger parts where there are large flat areas on the bed.
- Use glue stick, not the purple stuff, i have the best success using Elmer's Craft Bond glue stick, I use the purple stuff for everything else.