Modular Snap-Fit Saturn V
Description
thingiverse.com/thing:45295
thingiverse.com/thing:45305
Uploaded an optimized version on 1/21/2013. Version 3 has improved wall thicknesses on the shells for two loop printing on almost every layer. The resulting build is more sturdy and efficent. The individual pieces are now avilable as well.
Instructions
UPDATE: 1/31/2013
Version 3 is now online and it includes some improvements and optimizations. If you are a Replicator or Replicator2 user try slicing in MakerWare's Slice engine with .15mm layers and zero infill (not skeinforge). The latest prototype was sliced in this way and it took less than five minutes and the quality is comporable to a much slower Skinforge slice! I will post a more detailed MakerWare slice profile later.
Sliced in skeinforge it works best with the following settings in print-o-matic:
no support/raft
layer thickness: .15mm (or less)
Number of shells: 2 or 3 (This setting is very important to make the vertical prongs on the two middle sections strong enough to survive repeated snap-fitting)
feed speed: 80mm/s
travel speed: 150mm/s
fill rate: 0 (for shell version)
My actual slice profile is a little more complex but with print-o-matic those are the settings that will get you started.
WARNING! Due to the high detail of the original solid model (B-rep made in autodesk Inventor) the resulting .stl surface mesh is very complex. Slicing can take a while even on high-spec machines.
This shell version was designed to keep the material use to a minimum and works quite well but I am working on a solid version anyway. It might actually print faster at low rates of infill because there is less shell and perimeter to print even though they have been minimized in the shell version.
If you Saturn V comes out a little loose on the top and tail (like my last one did) I uploaded a quick fix so you can print a pair of shims that should tighten it up. They almost must be printed at .15 layers with the bottom layer at 100% thickness to work.
This model also replaces the tail and nose or hull sections of my Modular Snap-Fit Airship converting it into an Saturn V Airship! The included adaptder ring makes for a smooth transition between the airship and the S-IVb (top) section of the Saturn V. The same is true for the Trireme Hull!
Airship: thingiverse.com/thing:45295
Trireme: thingiverse.com/thing:45305
This is a work in progress for an art series I am working on so for the moment I licensed it as no-derivatives but I will open it up soon after I finish a few more parts.
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Could you PLEASE supply a file with the top stage cut in two.
I have tried multiple ways to cut the top stage myself, but cant get a good result.
I have printed the bottom 3 stages at 200%, and it is looking amazing, but I cant finish it.
Would be so much appreciated as I just love this model :)
Sorry folks, I have been very busy with work lately and have not had time to do this.
I have printed it once at 100% and am wishing to double the scale also. The only way I could think of doing it without changing the model is to lay it on its side and generate support. The only problem is it would kill the surface finish on the bottom side, and you could have to remove all of it from the inside. But if you do not mind this, I bet it would work.
I thought the top stage was too large for my TOM but it isn't. The other response was my original one and I tried to delete but the system just changed it to "guest". I'm not sure why it did that.
That's the only thing stopping me from printing it. That one piece is just too tall for my machine. I guess I could import it into Netfabb basic and cut it in half myself.
Printed it at 1:1 and thought this is great, so I'll do a 2.5:1 on my Rostock - fantastic - all the detail came out and it's the best thing I've printed.
Thanks. I printed stages 1-3, however stage 4 is much taller than the other sections and I can't print that high on my printer. Is there any chance you could chop stage 4 into 4a, or 4b? Or point me to the software so I can do this myself? :)
Oh NO! I have printed the first 3 stages at 200% size, but the 4th stage doesnt fit at this scale!!
How do I halve the top section??? I dont mind gluing it - it doesnt need to snap fit...
AMazing model!
Works really well mechanically too, the joints snap together beautifully.
ONe thing: if you scale it up to 2x (like I'm doing) the bottom of Stage 1 (with the nozzles) is quite a large unsupported bridge. Would it be possible to add angled buttresses (like the ones at the top of Stage 2 to make this easier?
Sorry I missed this post, you might have to disable COMB in order to get the full plated version so slice in Skeinforge. It does not affect the print quality.
Hey, awesome model. I am very excited to print this thing. Have you had any trouble with makerware? I've just downloaded the 2.0 after being unimpressed with the first beta. It seems its still not ready for prime time as my slices always fail or get stalled at 33%. I should probably just stop dicking around with makerware and go slice it with RepG :)
I've had the same exact problem trying to slice this in Makerware, stalls at 33%.
I have had pretty good luck with the slice in makerware, using the Makerbot Slicer. It works best with 2 shells, .1 infill, and .15 layer thickness. It is quite fast and shouldn't stall or anything. The only problem I have had with it is that I do not like the surface quality of the smooth cylindrical sections when compared to a skeinforge slice in repG (which takes like 10 times longer).
Lovely, takes me back to kits as a kid! Tell you what though - it cries out for a snap-together bicolour version! The original was mostly recogniseable black/white, and the arse end could be done all silver as a cherry on top.
This is awesome and will become my next print!
But to take it to next level... command module (with service) is separable...
Hi very nice model but cant pint stage 4, its because i have 0.4 mm nozzle and slicer wont slice 0.54, can you check it and thicken.. sorry to ask but cant scale as hight of that section is limit of huxley fold
I could not print the SaturnV_ver3_print.stl file as I posted before, it crashes both ReplicatorG and MW during the "comb" process.
However, I finally did print the individual components. I cannot fathom how you created this model. Even the command module thrusters, in all their tiny glory, are visible.
A superb model. Well worth the effort to print. Excellent work.
Do you know what the scale of the model is? Sorry if I missed it somewhere.
This is a candidate for scaling up on my Rostock.
This is a beautifully crafted, extremely well designed model. It worked perfectly using the simple MW spec provided. Perfect fit. Printed in ABS at 150 microns it was a six hour build on a Rep2. It has the added benefit of the build cooling fan making a nice baritone whistle as it passes over som of the tubes in progress.
Bravo RA
I should probably also mention that version of this with all of the pieces together can push ReplicatorG to its limits and sometimes it does wonky things so double check your Gcode before you print it! I just had it fail to put the default Start/End code in and it made my Rep2 freak out.
This is just plain awesome. All of the sudden you've reminded me of the modular snap together toys of my childhood, and I really want to make this.
You, sir, are magic!
Updated the adapter ring to attach the Saturn V to the Zeppelin after a dodgy print. New version works better.
One other note that was not in the original description: If you print the Saturn V the vertical snap clips attached to the two middle sections can become fragile if your temperature settings are not high enough to get a good bond between layers. It is not an ideal orientation for these features and higher temps help ( at least in the PLA I have tried) as well as upping the loops so the small prong features are virtually solid.
It looks like a few people already downloaded the .stl file. If you did please delete it and download the one posted now. There was a cascade update error in my original inventor files that I didn't notice before I published and once I noticed it was too late and took a few minutes to fix. The old version will print some zeppelin fins in places they don't belong on the Saturn V. My apologies if anybody prints the original, it is a work in progress.
It looks like some folks already downloaded this and if you did you should delete the file you fetched and download the new one. There was a little cascade update in my original inventor models that caused parts of the original airship to show up where they do not belong. My apologies if you print one that comes out weird, I noticed the problem right after I published and it took a few minutes to fix.
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I managed to cut it in two with nettfab. It didn't create a solid base at the cut - just a hole (despite the model looking solid after cutting), but it was probably better that way and has made a nicer join like that than it did as a flat surface.
Thanks. It looks amazing at 200%!
Will get around to doing a photo soon.