Then reality goes and spoils it...

At first it's really exciting seeing neatly made track links come off a 3D printer.

Once you have glued on the strake (requiring clamping with three pegs) then later fitting it to the next by inserting a length of stainless wire and securing it with a drop of superglue and repeated the exercise 12 times the enormity of repeating the process 400 times starts to sink in...

Neil

That's 2017 accounted for then.

I've no idea what you are making but suspect I would be thinking of a redesign that didn't need so many pieces.

John

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Don't know why you have not machined them from metal, couple of tracked models being made on MEM at the moment and both had the track links done and dusted in a couple of days

I join the 35th scale metal track links(Friul Model) on my tanks with a thin piece of wire and CA glue. Plant myself in front of the TV or Youtube and work away.

With a 3D printer I thought it was posible to print the whole thing in one go, including the joints?

Ed.

Friend of mine is making a tracked vehicle. Making the track links by 3D printing with a FormLabs machine. Takes some little time to print all the links and the assembly takes a long time. In short the machine produces accurate results but it takes a long time to do it. That said, he hasn't any faster way to make such a complex part as a track link.

3D printers are good for one off prototyping but not production. I suspect the way to make his links in the real world would be injection moulding.

IN THEORY it is possible to print mechanisms with moving parts in one go. When my friend got his printer he enthused about all the wonderful possibilities.

However, once you get into it you realise that it isn't quite as simple as all that. There are all kinds of little anomalies that crop up and although his attrition rate is now pretty low, there is still quite a lot of post processing required before the parts are fit for purpose, even on an accurate Form Labs machine.

I think the technology has a way to go yet before machines that are in the price range of the home user are capable of such amazing feats. It will come though.

The point of this is a 'project' for taking the Dremel 3040 3D printer through its paces for review, so not just links but sprockets, suspension links and road wheels as well.

Exactly what I'm doing. An all plastic joint might not be strong enough at 1:6 scale, and you can't print close joints.

An alternative would have been clip-together links, but a challenge to make these robust enough and what clips together can unclip....

> I've no idea what you are making but suspect I would be thinking of a redesign that didn't need so many pieces.

The problem is that the links have no flat surfaces large enough to use as the base of a link. Taking off the 'tread' leaves a flat surface with plenty of adhesion and minimal overhangs. I could use them like this, but gluing on a gull-wing makes them pretty realistic. The problem is that the treads being only 1mm thick and tapered at the ends (to simulate a bit of road-wear) tend to curl a little and need to be held in place while the glue dries. Unworn treads would not have had this problem, but I've started so I'll finish...

I must admit, I have no idea why some people get one then can't think of anything to do with it. I.

Neil

I think I will wait 'till next year and buy a laser sintering printer from China, they should be selling them off cheap by then if Trump gets really protectionist! A nice 12 micron machine with a few free buckets of different media thrown in would be good...

Mark

Prototype, you can just see the treads sticking out underneath. The teeth are hollow on the wrong side and other errors.

Still nice though Neil.

I wonder if I can see a future including custom printed Scalextric bodies?

And why not I suppose, sounds very plausible.

Michael W

Neil - dig the groovy link pins! Can I assume you are planning to have this finished for Xmas then? Which year?

Centipede skeleton model for Science museum? Explains why Bernie Rubble invented WHEELS.

It would be nice to be finished this year, by MEX 2018 at the latest!

Not much progress now until I make my Prusa!

Neil, Did I miss it? The price of chinese made Dremel 3040 3D printer?

KWIL you mean to say you did not read Neil's review in MEW?

About a grand, if you shop around.

Neil