Working 3D printed helicopter blades (Ultimaker 3D printer)

[raptor10189]

Well done!

Thus are the blades made of PLA?

I own an Ultimaker too and I am very happy with it...

[facegarden]

@raptor10189 Yup! They are indeed PLA. Not the most durable but they work as long as you don't crash!

[jewishcrimenetwork]

But how did you made the blades? How did you copy the original blades? Thanks.

[facegarden]

@jewishcrimenetwork I have been designing mechanical parts for years, so its easy for me to look at something, take some measurements, and produce a similar part in a 3D design program. I used Solidworks to actually design the part in 3D. Most of the dimensions are just approximations of the actual blades - they're not an exact copy. But I got the basics like thickness and length correct. The rest I made up based on experience and some trial and error.

[upcycle]

i have hear that impregnating with resin helps make them more durable (mentioned on "Known Universe - Construction Zone" during the 3D printing segment).. I am wonder inf using one of theo food vacuum machines might do that. Don't know how to impregnate in other ways.

[facegarden]

@upcycle These blades are solid plastic, so they couldn't really be impregnated with anything. Some 3D printing methods produce parts that are porous, and those parts benefit from being impregnated with some kind of liquid that hardens into something strong, but my printers parts aren't porous. I could print things with cavities on the inside to allow space for a strong filler, but these blades are too small for that.

[karabas3]

What is the weight difference of blades? Do they need balancing?

[facegarden]

@karabas3 Unfortunately I don't have an accurate enough scale to determine the weight difference. They feel about the same though - hard to tell. They don't need balancing though. I want to make a set for my new Blade mSR X and see if the higher RPM and higher blade forces are a problem.

[kram242]

Nice!

[DIYAppGuy]

Cool!

[floush1337]

Great Work!