3D printer

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jimmyk

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Our school has just bought a 3D printer. Its a cube professional. There must be something boaty I can make. But cannot think what.
What would you make if you had a 3D printer?
 
Plastic C-clips for snapping things onto standard push/pullpit tubing springs to mind!

Oh, and replacement instrument sun-covers as they always seem to go wandering.
 
All kinds of odd-shaped plastic bits, the stuff that usually breaks and you can't replace :)

Or, currently, a couple of mounting brackets for the battery nav lights on our new Supacat. I'm bodging them up out of bits of eBay GoPro stuff at present.

Pete
 
It really depends on the structural ability of the plastic used I suppose.
If I had a printer I'd make bearing sleeve inserts to refurbish winches (old Gibbs) and possibly a rudder tube insert.
 
jimmyk said:
Our school has just bought a 3D printer. Its a cube professional. There must be something boaty I can make. But cannot think what.
What would you make if you had a 3D printer?
Click to expand...

Think no longer! This great website has possibly done the job for you.

After building my 3d printer the first thing I made was this towel holder:

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:261442

Great thing is that all the stl files have been created for you.

edit: some boat related things (although some things would be easier to make from wood in my opinion, such as the thing that holds cups / jars upside down - a draining board thing suppose):

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:131334

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:26082

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:26837

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:33887

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:31703

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:502109

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:363250

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:650427

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:730784

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:384988

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:127767

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:101294

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:144302

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3862

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:32586 anyone know what this is for- I don't understand his description

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:63053

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:82365

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:93132

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:129362

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:129593

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:225606

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:329647

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:650507

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:7973

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:8958/#files

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:10234

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:11102

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:31689

OK enough already - the list goes on... Some things can be better made by not using a printer, but hope that gives you some ideas to start using your printer.
 
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prv said:
I'd have thought a lathe would be more appropriate for such regular shapes. Turn them from acetal (or whatever) bar or tube.

Pete
Click to expand...

I'm currently turning some bushes for an old Gibb winch. I haven't pressed the old bushes out yet, but I was surprised to see that the brass spindle had appreciative wear - so much so that I have had to turn the spindle down (no fun mounting that in a chuck).

So I will be making the bushes from something softer than the original material.

PS anyone know the reason why 2 bushes are used; one at top and one at bottom with gap in between (to hold grease?) rather than one long bush (too much friction?)

Old barton single speed winches have a single plastic sleeve type bush and the friction is so great it does not turn by hand easily. As seen in this thread:
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?421790-No-bearings-in-a-Barlow-16-winch
 
Sailingsaves said:
I'm currently turning some bushes for an old Gibb winch. I haven't pressed the old bushes out yet, but I was surprised to see that the brass spindle had appreciative wear - so much so that I have had to turn the spindle down (no fun mounting that in a chuck).

So I will be making the bushes from something softer than the original material.
Click to expand...

That may make the problem worse. It's common that when a soft and a hard material are in contact, the hard one wears first. For example, a steel gear will wear faster than a nylon gear with which it meshes. It's probably because small particles are easily absorbed into the soft material to make an abrasive which grinds away the harder one.
 
JumbleDuck said:
That may make the problem worse. It's common that when a soft and a hard material are in contact, the hard one wears first. For example, a steel gear will wear faster than a nylon gear with which it meshes. It's probably because small particles are easily absorbed into the soft material to make an abrasive which grinds away the harder one.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that. Very interesting. Will have to re-think.
 
prv said:
It's nothing to do with boats :)

It's some kind of jig to help with preparing tissue samples for looking at through an electron microscope.

Pete
Click to expand...

Doh ! If there was a forehead palm slap smiley icon I'd use it. Just imagine me slapping my forehead :)
 
jimmyk said:
Great stuff. Waiting for it to be delivered from the usa. I might even let the kids use it when it comes
Click to expand...

You'll make some mistakes along the way, but persevere with it and have fun :)

That style of machine have a bit of an issue with material properties through the layers, if you pull a part in tension it will come apart like a slinky spring, so think about how you want a part to work and how you orientate it to build. The easiest way to build it doesn't always give you the best part
 
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