Well, thanks to the Yardstick mod and the phlatscript multipass feature, I am now cutting things I never thought possible on my MK1.5.

Today I decided to try and cut a set of landing gear for one of my profile planes. In the past I have resorted to cutting a rectangle stock on my table saw and using MDF frames to support the ABS for routing and drilling.

It would be so much easier if only I could do this on my Phlatprinter.

So I set out to do this, drew up a new set of gear and set up a 15 pass multipass cut at 15ipm using a 1/16" Carbide end mill.

In retrospect, I should have cut one gear and let the machine rest awhile to cool the bit, but nawww, I plowed on thru and managed to get er done, although next time, I will pause between the cuts to give my poor ole Dremel and cutting bit a rest.

How did I do it? Well, I taped the 1/8" ABS plastic to a piece of scrap FFF and then taped two sections of 1/8" Balsa, one on each side of the plastic sheeting. This gave the rollers something to grab onto when it traversed the X axis.

I made sure I did baby step cuts so as not to break any bits. It took about half an hour, but the end result was exactly what I wanted.

Once I had the ABS cut, its on the hot wire machine for forming the angles.

A final drilling out of the mounting holes and then affix it to the plane. Done!

Attached is the SU file and a few pictures of the process. Notice the balsa wing in one of the pictures. That too was cut on my MK1.5. Attached files SmallLandingGear.skp (123.3 KB)Â

 

Sorry but I am new to this stuff. What is the ABS? The abs I am thinking of is black pipe. By the way very nice job.

 

It is just a type of sheet plastic. In this case it is 1/8" thick. Comes in different colors. I have some in Black, but this was my last piece of white.

It is a soft plastic. Typically when I have cut it, it melts easily and then cools rapidly forming balls of plastic that gum things up.

In the past I have used a jig saw to cut a rough pattern and then finished it with a high speed router, but it leaves little chips flying everywhere!

As you can see in one of the pictures, the bit got hot and the plastic melted down around it a bit. I think that occured late in the cycle but since we are cutting from underneath, I can't see what is going on till after it is done.

This is where the Phlatprinter will shine!

If you need a stiffer gear, you can glue some flat stock carbon fiber to the back side. Place it there with tape and then apply super glue... it sets instantly and stiffens the ride.

 

Thanks for the info.

I have a Phlatprinter on order and can hardly wait to get it and get going.

I fly a lot of profiles and this looks like a great idea. I would be able to customize as needed.

Thanks
Great job
Ron

 

I have made quite a few of these using the old method. What I like about it most is that the plastic is soft enough that it acts like a shock absorber on a car. When the plane sets down or is taxing down the runway, the wheels bounce around but the plane stays level and stable.

For heavier planes, I add the carbon fiber to keep the plastic from bending in the center. It still has some give at the bend point up close to the fuse which gives it the shock absorber effect.

I have sold quite a few of these for $10 a set, but I always have hated making them because of the mess they made.

This was much cleaner. May have to tweak the feed rates a bit more, or pause more frequently to allow the bit to stay cool, but as is, it looks doable.

I did have to use a good quality end mill for this work. The standard foam cutter you will get with your Phlatprinter will not work on this material.

 

Thanks for the heads up on the bit.

 

As to feed rates, yes, I think I can probably speed it up a bit to reduce the heat buildup. Its a trial and error thing. This was my first time cutting this material so I will experiment some more now that I know it can be done.

As to the hot wire former, I just cut a 30 or 45 degree or whatever angle you want into a scrap piece of MDF with my table saw. Joined it to another piece and glued it in place with a support piece behind it. One of the pictures shows it in the background.

Once the plastic is hot enough to start bending, I remove it from the hot wire, place in on the former and press it into the angle I have made. I use something flat to put pressure on the plastic to kind of give it a nice crease where the angle forms.

I heat up the other end of the landing gear and repeat the same process in the opposite direction.

After the part has cooled, you just need to take a small file or sandpaper and remove the little bulge that forms at the bend areas.

 

I ordered the bits from http://bitsbits.com.

The 1/16 carbide bit was here... http://bitsbits.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_14&products_id=84

They have a huge selection to choose from. I also ordered 1/32 and 1/8 diameter bits in both ball nose and flat end mill types.

The ball nose bits will be used for 3D carving if and when I find time for doing that.

I am into so many things now days, it is getting hard to find time for everything I want to do. Figure I gotta get it in before too many more birthdays pass

 

what yak number its that one

 

ummmm, gosh, I am not real sure. I have had this plane for a long time, but I think it was 54. At least that is how I have the SU file named.

 

i seen you had a black red and blue one with floats and now a blue and yellow with landing gear what else can you add to it. mine had a tree jump in front of it a couple of weeks ago. guess I need to cut another one.

 

We have a rule at our club..... "No Tree Surfing!"

That is the beauty of the Phlatprinter though... A new plane is just a few cuts away.

 

Amazing piece of machining.

GHB