Brodak leadout guide 3D printed?

[Paul Taylor]

Anyone notice the slider is 3D printed?
Wonder if it’s PETG or ABS?
Hmmm


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[Jim Svitko]

How secure is that blind nut?  I never trusted pressing a blind nut into nylon/Teflon materials.  It looked to me like it would eventually loosen.

I make the slider of out 1/8 thick nylon or Teflon but the blind nut is pressed into a small square of 1/8 ply, and then epoxy around the edges of the blind nut to be sure.  That small square of ply with the blind nut is then tightened to sandwich the nylon slider between the ply square and the slotted ply guide.

[Donald R Olson]

It doesn't look like they did this but, you can add 3 pilot holes for the pointed ears on the blind nut to the 3D model. Then print it with the pilot holes. This works very well. Then the blind nut will press in nicely. Add some epoxy and it is very reliable. I would use PETG as PLA is not as strong. 

[Paul Taylor]

Well maybe I didn’t explain it correctly. This part came out of the Brodak kit. I didn’t print it.
I did use my soldering iron to heat the blind nut as I
I pulled it into the plastic.

The ones I have used before have been nylon.

Interesting Brodak’s is now a 3D printed part.

[Brett Buck]

How secure is that blind nut?  I never trusted pressing a blind nut into nylon/Teflon materials.  It looked to me like it would eventually loosen.

   Once installed, the bolt never come out, and in use, stays in tension with vibration and heat-cycling, I don't think it is coming out.
   
   Brett

[Dan McEntee]

   If you were to 3D print something like this, you could design in a standard nut that is put in place and then printed over and around, couldn't you? I worked in a plastic injection molding place for a few years leading up to retirement, and we make lots of parts that had threaded inserts place in the mold, and the part was shot and filled in around it. I'm thinking build up a layer with the hole location, some kind of ledge to locate the nut, stop the process to put the nut in place, then restart and have the material fill in over and around it with the hole in place over it for the bolt?? After it's finished you can just chase the threads with a tap.?? Might be more work than just using the blind nut. I wonder if Brodak makes these themselves or sources out the work? injection molding would be more set up costs, but much faster to produce a finished part, I think.
  Type at you later,
    Dan McEntee

[Rusty]

I just installed one yesterday in my Vector.   I used a 4-40 bolt and washer and tightened it down.  The blind nut seated perfectly with the flat being flush and the teeth fully sunk in.   As Brett said, why are you going to fully loosen the bolt to allow the nut to come off?   It's not a problem. 

[Paul Taylor]

I guess the question here is what material was used?
Looks and feels like PLA with 100% infill printed on a glass bed due to the smooth surface on the bottom. But that is just a S.W.A.G. 😎

[Paul Taylor]

   If you were to 3D print something like this, you could design in a standard nut that is put in place and then printed over and around, couldn't you? I worked in a plastic injection molding place for a few years leading up to retirement, and we make lots of parts that had threaded inserts place in the mold, and the part was shot and filled in around it. I'm thinking build up a layer with the hole location, some kind of ledge to locate the nut, stop the process to put the nut in place, then restart and have the material fill in over and around it with the hole in place over it for the bolt?? After it's finished you can just chase the threads with a tap.?? Might be more work than just using the blind nut. I wonder if Brodak makes these themselves or sources out the work? injection molding would be more set up costs, but much faster to produce a finished part, I think.
  Type at you later,
    Dan McEntee

I think the problem would be the ears. They would be in a different position on each part.
It’s very easy to heat the T nut and melt it in as the screw is tightened.

[Brent Williams]

I would be more concerned about the potential for the leadouts to saw through the printed material, rather than any concerns over retention of the 4-40 blind nut.

[Paul Taylor]

I would be more concerned about the potential for the leadouts to saw through the printed material, rather than any concerns over retention of the 4-40 blind nut.

I would as well. That’s what makes me think it’s ABS.

I have never printed ABS so not sure how long it would last.

[Ken Culbertson]

I would be more concerned about the potential for the leadouts to saw through the printed material, rather than any concerns over retention of the 4-40 blind nut.

 

[Maksim Dubovitsky]

Hmm, I made something similar for my plane, it's a container for the tip weight. I took a standard 3-prong nut and then pressed it with a hot soldering iron. The part is made of ABS plastic and it took the nut well. No problems with durability for several years now.

[Dan McEntee]

I think the problem would be the ears. They would be in a different position on each part.
It’s very easy to heat the T nut and melt it in as the screw is tightened.

   I meant using a standard hex nut that is encapsulated by the plastic layers as the part is printed. In the plastic molding business, the threaded inserts would be knurled on the outside to give the plastic something t grip on to. Occasionally we did some parts that used a standard hex nut and the hex kept the nut from spinning. On some parts they did it by hand using the soldering iron method and knurled inserts, and they had ultrasonic presses that used vibration and friction to cause the insert to heat heat up and then got pressed into the part. Brass eyelets can be installed the same way that will wear better against lead out cables rubbing against them. How you do it depends if you are making one part or 1000 parts.
   Type at you later,
    Dan McEntee

[Geoff Goodworth]

I know it's not the latest high tech but I just use a piece of ⅛" ply about ¼" wide and about 1¼" long.

The line guides are pop rivets with the anvil/nail punched out.

The three pieces are then epoxied in.

I've broken lots of airplanes since I started doing leadouts this way but have not had a guide fail.

[Geoff Goodworth]

First caveat, I'm not familiar with 3D printing.

However, is there a reason why you couldn't just tap the centre hole and run the 4-40 screw in the plastic.

Some years ago, Brian Gardner machined up a strip of nylon to the profile, tapped the screw hole and ran the leadouts in the nylon.

It was neat and I never saw a failure.

[jerry v]

Aluminum leadouts guide. For 1/8 slot. 4-40 tapped hole. 1/16 brass tube inserts for .029 diameter cables.

Jerry

[jerry v]

Or single cable brackets . Same style.

Jerry

[Brett Buck]

First caveat, I'm not familiar with 3D printing.

However, is there a reason why you couldn't just tap the centre hole and run the 4-40 screw in the plastic.

Some years ago, Brian Gardner machined up a strip of nylon to the profile, tapped the screw hole and ran the leadouts in the nylon.

It was neat and I never saw a failure.

   I use delrin, but sure, why wouldn't that work?  There's no load to speak of on the screw, you install it twice total, and it you trim it correctly, the leadouts have next to no load either. It resists getting sawed through much better than brass.

     Brett

[Howard Rush]

My printer’s software has a feature that allows interruptions for inserting nuts.  The next layer didn’t stick to the nuts, resulting in a bit of a mess.  I had better results filling behind the nuts with a preprinted hex cylinder with a bolt hole in the middle.

Igus J is my second-favorite slippery stuff.  Jim Lee made me some leadout bushings from Igus J bar stock. They work dandy. I attempted unsuccessfully to print a more elaborate leadout guide from Igus J filament.  I later read a review of a bunch of 3D printing filaments. Igus J was rated most difficult to print.

[Dick Pacini]

I have a 3D printer that I got 2 or 3 years ago.  I have printed many items from Thingiverse and have FreeCad 0.20.2 installed on my computer.  So far, I have not used that software.  Not sure if is the best to get one's feet wet in cad design.  What say you who have experience in design and implementation of 3D parts.  Is there a better program for design?

[Howard Rush]

I regret that I don’t know FreeCAD, but having CAD enables you to do a bunch more with the printer. I spent the past day designing end caps for a new lithium ion stunt battery. This evening I’ll make a part to repair a candy dish, and I’ll print a soap dish.  Get a 3D program that outputs stl files. I use TurboCAD.  The first few versions I had made poor stl files, but the 2020 version works dandy.

[Paul Taylor]

I have a 3D printer that I got 2 or 3 years ago.  I have printed many items from Thingiverse and have FreeCad 0.20.2 installed on my computer.  So far, I have not used that software.  Not sure if is the best to get one's feet wet in cad design.  What say you who have experience in design and implementation of 3D parts.  Is there a better program for design?

I use OnShape. It’s web based and free. The thing I like about OnShape is there are a TON of tutorials on YouTube.