So, if you had access to a 3D printer, what would you print (airgun related)

exsquid · Sep 10, 2020

A great design tool to look at for an inexpensive start would be Alibre Atom 3D. Has an upgrade path if you get into some serious design challenges.

https://www.alibre.com/atom3d/

You can even play with it for free to check it out.

ghoststalker · Sep 10, 2020

First thing I would make, would be filler pieces for the tipan. Between the scope bridges and between the back bridge and action. More like an edgun, look. In fact that is the only thing I would print and why I haven’t bought a printer, I wouldn’t use it enough.

Dingfelder · Sep 10, 2020

I might try to figure out what the best shim or set of shims would be for the PARD N008, as well as for the carbine stock on the Marauder pistol, both of which are routinely noted to fit not quite right. Who knows for how much, but they'd probably be regular sellers since the problems seem more or less universal.

And I might try to come up with the ideal folding AR-15 stock for the Marauder pistol, capable of carrying extra magazines, adjusting height and cant, giving a nice cheek weld, maybe even holding a bore whip for field cleaning and perhaps even a spot to store a hunting license, etc.

Saltlake58 · Sep 10, 2020

lots of good ideas, but I think Dan wins with 4 printers. If I have printing questions, I'll look you up!

Lots of potential with these things. So many good ideas. Love this kind of stuff, but I will need a CAD package. The Atom3D looks interesting. I'll check it out.

thundertaker · Sep 10, 2020

I have both a filament printer and a resin printer.

Made up a lot of baffles for multiple PVC 'lead/dust collectors'.

The resin ones hold up just fine, as do the filament versions. Resin is just cleaner.

Printed a foregrip for my AT44PA that has been the most useful functional print.

Had to add a support spacer (between tank and barrel) to my AT P1 after adding the LD collector. All that extra weight screwed my POI bad.

A few minutes in Tinkercad and a 1/2 hour to print and it restored my POI back to manageable.

Snowtrexxs · Sep 11, 2020

I have a 3D printer. What I dont have is the skill to use 3D software. Not sure what I expected to accomplish with that purchase

Dingfelder · Sep 11, 2020

I have a 3D printer. What I dont have is the skill to use 3D software. Not sure what I expected to accomplish with that purchase

Heh, it does sound like something that might have quite a learning curve. That's one of the main things that kept me from getting into it. Surely there are free or relatively inexpensive tutorials, though? Like with Khan Academy or something?

makaveli · Sep 12, 2020

I have a 3D printer. What I dont have is the skill to use 3D software. Not sure what I expected to accomplish with that purchase

Thats what tinkercad is for, 3d software for dummies. Most people just download what they want to print though

fusion · Sep 12, 2020

Check out Fusion 360. Its a fine program for design. Its free for hobbiests. I use it for airgun and firearms design projects. It does CAD and CAM, as well as output files for 3D printers. There are thousands of tutorials on YouTube and other sources online.

Dingfelder · Sep 12, 2020

How math-y do you have to be for this kind of thing? I can count to almost all of my fingers.

Saltlake58 · Sep 13, 2020

How math-y do you have to be for this kind of thing? I can count to almost all of my fingers.

I've played on Tinkercad a bit. No math, drag and drop. being able to count helps when sizing an object, but other than that, Tinkercad doesn't seem to need any math. There's another thing you have to use called a Slicer. You create it in Tinkercad, then slice it to tell the printer how to work. The only math I've run into in the slicer is when I scale it up or down. It works in Percent (making it 1/2 full size id 50% sort of thing.)

Don't get me wrong, there's lots to learn, just not boatloads of math.

Saltlake58 · Sep 13, 2020

I've looked at fusion360. For now, I'll just play with Tinkercad. Both are Autodesk products, so both are very capable. I think Tinkercad is designed for the person that's never seen a cad package before. Kind of where I am. I have very little time, so mostly downloading files from Yeggi.com to print.

So much to learn, so little time.

Bigragu · Sep 15, 2020

Here’s my dilemma- my wife thinks I should invest in a 3D printer. I’m retired, so I have the time. Math? Excellent at math, especially construction and geometry math. Drawing? All I’ve ever learned is HAD- hand aided drafting. I can hand draw in 3D, section views, mechanical drawings, drawings to build on, and even blue print work, just never learned it electronically.

If I was to invest in one, what do you suggest with what I know?

makaveli · Sep 15, 2020

Here’s my dilemma- my wife thinks I should invest in a 3D printer. I’m retired, so I have the time. Math? Excellent at math, especially construction and geometry math. Drawing? All I’ve ever learned is HAD- hand aided drafting. I can hand draw in 3D, section views, mechanical drawings, drawings to build on, and even blue print work, just never learned it electronically.

If I was to invest in one, what do you suggest with what I know?

The problem with printers is they have so many issues and bugs and crappy aftermarket parts that will ruin days,weeks,months, and years of your time trouble shooting, giving up, ect.

Your best bet is prusa3d, its the largest produced and most well known. Buy that and use tinkercad which is free, when u want a challenge grab fusion3d or whatever its called. Also invest in a cheap pair of $20 calipers for measuring things in mm. A child can use tinkercad. The prusa printer works from factory. You can use tinker right now and try to build things before u get a printer

Edit: keep in mind these are still mostly for prototyping, and making mostly useless trinkets. Once in a blue moon will you find a real use for it and when you do u will spend way more time designing than it would have cost to just buy whatever you were building. Casting, molds, epoxy, and metal working are probably quicker and more useful skills/hobbies to venture into

FredAZ · Sep 15, 2020

Printers seem to get used to print a lot of useless trinkets and crap you need to dust, but they are very useful tools.

The really excel at making special parts, special jigs and one of a kind items that you can't buy.

I made this one-of-a-kind box for a audio crossover I'm building - printed in orange (my favorite color) here is my first version.

Printed on an Ender 3 Pro and designed in Tinkercad - super easy!

I KNOW this isn't airgun related - just showing what you can do - probably spent 6 hours designing the box......but prints with an accuracy and quality that I couldn't repeat in a shop with traditional tools in a reasonable time.

The finished version is even nicer - but it's printed in black ABS and doesn't show well in pictures.

Saltlake58 · Sep 15, 2020

Best printer? I did lots of research and two things convinced me on the Creality Ender 3 V2 instead of the Prusa.

1. The V2 (not the Ender 3 or 3 Pro) had a number of upgrades you can print for the 3 or 3 Pro, or the Prusa, but I didn't have to waste time printing fan covers and the like as the V2 came with everything installed.

2. Assembly. I've seen reports of Prusa's taking 4 to 6 hours to assemble. The Ender 3 V2 was, for me, 2 hours. They include instructions and a video. Beware, the video has portions that are "Sped Up" as it only lasts about 18 minutes. and it took me 2 full hours to assemble. I suspect the Ender 3 and 3 Pro will be more in the 4 to 6 hour range.

Past that, I don't think there's much difference between the printers. Both work, both print, both take the same filament, both produce about the same quality. Both have user communities and can use the Cura slicer. All in all, I think you'll be happy with either brand. Just be ready for frustrations in assembly and while you figure out how to get the print to stick to the (expletive) bed.

so far, great fun

Scotchmo · Sep 15, 2020

Some things I have designed/printed for my airgunning hobby:

Scope wheel for Monstrum scope
Scope wheel for Athlon scope
Pointers for scope wheels
Magnifier holder for scope wheel
Magnification ring lever
Muzzle protectors
Fill probe retainer
Fill probe cap
Magazines and magazine holders
Magazine shuttle
Buttpads/spacers
bipods
Electronic boxes for electronic gun
Air tank holder for range cart
Umbrella holder for range cart

That's only a small portion of what I have designed/printed over the last couple of years. 3D printing becomes a hobby in itself. You are really only limited by your imagination and ability to model those ideas. The major part of the learning curve is the modeling software. I'm fortunate in that I was in the middle of the CAD/solid modeling industry during the early years (starting ariound 1983). I'm still using a year 2000 version of AutoCAD. There are newer modelers that are much more capable, but I'm so familiar with the old AutoCAD, I don't have a strong enough desire to make me change.

I started with a small Monoprice Mini Delta about three years ago. Then quickly graduated to an Anycubic Liner Plus. I just recently got an Anycubic Predator and completed a height extension modification (37" maximum model length). I can now print an entire gun stock in one piece if I so desire.

I like the Delta printers but some of the newer cartesian coreXY printers look attractive (Ender 4, 5, and 6). The coreXY and the Delta printers have a much higher print speed potential. On Delta and coreXY printers, the bed and printed part remains stationary, and only the hotend assembly (print head) moves.

Here are some samples of just a few of the things I have done with my printer:

Sequence for Gauntlet magazine holder. I left out the iteration and trial prints. It usually takes me about three iterations (infrequently fewer but sometimes more) before I'm satisfied:

2D layout: