Pull Cord Helicopter Toy

grabcad

No secondary materials! No glue! Simple five piece assembly! 100% 3D printable! Easy snap-together parts! When I saw the Ultimaker 3D Printer Toy Design Challenge, I knew I had an opportunity to create something new and exciting, something to show the continuing progress of this technology. I set out to design a toy that could be printed in its entirety, would be interactive and fun, and wouldn't require any bolts, glue, rubber bands to assemble. I also designed all parts to fit in a 6x6 build space so that people with smaller build areas could still print this object, and people with large build areas wouldn’t have to fight warping as much. Enter the pull cord helicopter! As a kid, I had one that had a string pull cord. I wanted to design a 3D printable rack-and-pinion for it, but alas! I was limited to 21cm, hardly long enough to get a good pull in. I came up with the idea of coiling the rack into a spiral, with the idea that it would be thin and flexible enough post-print to be uncoiled for use! It took many iterations to design a 3D printable pull cord that wouldn’t break between gear teeth but would still be flexible enough to unbend out of the coil shape. Printing this part in Taulman’s nylon is a perfect application for this material, as it is rugged and durable, and yet has no problem bending out of the coil shape it is printed in. In addition, the slipperiness of the nylon makes for VERY smooth pulling against the gearshaft. Print settings and materials: Handles – Should be printed in nylon if possible, otherwise ABS. Orientation should be with the holes or snaps upward. Gearshaft – Should be printed in nylon if possible, otherwise PLA, otherwise ABS. Orientation should be vertical, with the square hole at the top. Propeller – Should be printed in nylon if possible, otherwise PLA, otherwise ABS. Orientation should be upside down, with the large flat top on the build plate. Pull Cord – Should really be printed in nylon if at all possible, otherwise ABS. Orientation should be such that when looking at it from the top, the spiral moves inward clockwise. ABS parts should be printed at 5-10% infill with 1 extra perimeter. Nylon or PLA parts should be printed at 20-40% infill with 3 extra perimeters. All parts should be printed at layer heights between .2 and .3mm. All parts have been run through Netfabb to eliminate potential printing errors. After printing all parts, insert the Gearshaft with the rectangular hole outward into the cavity in the handles. Gently snap the handles together, and you’re ready to go! Some minor sanding or filing may be necessary. If you have any questions, please let me know!