12 replies to this topic

[MrMoneybags]

I was bored this afternoon, so I drew an Elite Clip in Solidworks:



Being new here, I'm not sure how interested you all are in CAD drawings, particularly for homemades. Having a model of a magazine on hand may be helpful for other folks designing homemades. Am I safe to share these models here, considering they're of a product copyrighted by Hasbro? I was considering leaving a comment in the "3D designs thread," but this isn't my design, per se.

If any of you are interested, and if I'm okay to share them, I'd be happy to zip up these files and post them below!

[azrael]

If it's like schematics, you drew the model, so I'm pretty sure you're okay. I think it's only bad to show the design files if they were originally created by another company.

I think this is pretty cool, a lot of people are doing 3D printed stuff now, so this may come in handy for the next generation of homemades.

[roboman]

If you're not selling exact replicas of things copyrighted by a company, you're fine. How accurate are your models?

[MrMoneybags]

Here you go!

http://www.mediafire...ks9vrj65j9t7blx

I included .sldprt and .stl file types. I got the measurements for this using a digital dial caliper; the printed tolerance is to .005 inches. This is probably true for only the easy to reach external measurements. I had to reach the caliper in funny directions or approximate through the clear shell to get the internal ones.

The accuracy of the parts of the magazine that interface with the blaster are close enough to suffice for a DIY garage project.

EDIT (Because I can't exceed 2 posts a day quite yet): Yes, the main body of the magazine is off by about .06" The angles are in fact a tiny bit steeper compared to the body, because the body is too thin. The internal cavity (the portion that actually holds the darts) and the part that interfaces with the blaster (the round clip at the top) should be okay, but I'm going to edit these and re-post them eventually.

I'll likely do the whole thing ground-up another time, or design a magazine that's a little more home 3D-printer friendly. A lot of the features of the Hasbro Magazine are because its injection-molded, such as the cavity spaces, etc. A printed piece could be a simple box with the interface for the receiver and be totally usable.

Edited by MrMoneybags, 11 June 2013 - 01:31 PM.

[roboman]

Interesting. Are you sure the angles on the sides of the magazine are correct? They look a little steep to me, but I could be wrong. In any case, it looks nice, and you obviously put a lot of work into it. What version of SolidWorks are you using? I'm on 2012, and it's telling me these files are from a previous version.

Incidentally, STEP AP203 files may be more useful to a majority of the community. I vastly prefer .sldprt, because I'm SW certified and that's what I usually use for CAD, but most people here use free software. STEP is a universal format, and should be open-able by most major CAD packages.

[kunkmiester]

My experience with digital calipers has been poor. I have a small one I need to return, it holds a zero so poorly, but I needed to do some metric measurements. I plan on getting a metric dial eventually. You can see this when you open and close them repeatedly, and they loose their zero. Even higher end ones do this, I've yet to see one that didn't, but I've limited exposure and probably haven't seen anyone spend enough money for a really reliable one.

STL files are the ones generally used by 3D printers. Also, most CAD programs don't do a whole lost with them without reprocessing them into their native format.

Another thing to note, but in passing, is that Nerf stuff is made overseas, and made to metric specs, 12mm instead of .5 inches, for example. The two don't match exactly, so if you're measuring in inches, you'll get odd numbers. If you try to round them, you'll be off by varying margins. Something to keep in mind, nice thing about Solidworks is it'll convert the two, so you can put a metric into an inch model and get the right dimension.

[Kronos Nerf Mods]

This is really cool. Having CAD designs of stock parts means that we could print or machine replacement parts easily.
I will try and print these, and if they work, I will add them to the designs directory.
Thanks by the way, this kinda made my week.

[Meaker VI]

I'd prefer to have files in a more generalized format; .dwg, .obj - something that will open in a wide array of 3d modelers. Or failing that, the .stl 3d printers use.

Anyway, yes, I think there is interest in 3d modeled parts. If they can be opened by something people can get for free (Sketchup) they can be used as reference for making mods/replacement parts (I'm thinking broken bolt sleds) by anyone, and not just those of us who have access to CAD programs.

[azrael]

Most 3D printers that people have at home can't do replacement boltsleds, no way that it's strong enough, or a high enough resolution. But it might allow for stuff to be submitted to a service like Shapeways, so we can get something like stainless steel printed parts from them.

[roboman]

My experience with digital calipers has been poor. I have a small one I need to return, it holds a zero so poorly, but I needed to do some metric measurements. I plan on getting a metric dial eventually. You can see this when you open and close them repeatedly, and they loose their zero. Even higher end ones do this, I've yet to see one that didn't, but I've limited exposure and probably haven't seen anyone spend enough money for a really reliable one.

STL files are the ones generally used by 3D printers. Also, most CAD programs don't do a whole lost with them without reprocessing them into their native format.

Another thing to note, but in passing, is that Nerf stuff is made overseas, and made to metric specs, 12mm instead of .5 inches, for example. The two don't match exactly, so if you're measuring in inches, you'll get odd numbers. If you try to round them, you'll be off by varying margins. Something to keep in mind, nice thing about Solidworks is it'll convert the two, so you can put a metric into an inch model and get the right dimension.

I've never had any issues with digital calipers of any brand - I've used both Starret and Harbor Freight (essentially the best of the best and the worst of the worst, respectively). Littlemachineshop.com has some nice intermediate models that work quite well and are priced reasonably.

True, but there are still relatively few printers in the community. I have access to a couple very high-end ones through school, as do a couple others, and 3 or 4 people have RepRap variants or Makerbots. Many, many more people have access to CAD, and .stl files import as triangle meshes into SolidWorks, which are a pain to edit or mate to. Most other CAD packages won't even let you open them (Inventor, for example, which is in widespread use because it's free to students). I'm not saying release a STEP instead of a .stl, I'm saying release a STEP in addition to the other formats, so that more people can use your files.

Unit conversions should not be a problem. When you start getting down to 4 places past the decimal, those measurements vary significantly with temperature if you're measuring correctly. A few thousandths is probably better than the tolerances present on the actual molded parts. However, you're not supposed to state a tolerance on the CAD model - it's supposed to be absolute. Drawing sheets state a tolerance because they're inspection tools and are supposed to tell an inspector how far off a part can be from the nominal dimension before it has to be rejected.

[Bchamp22795]

I'd definitely be interested in stampede gears CAD drawings. I definitely want to look at how possible it would be to CNC some metal ones or something.

[Meaker VI]

Most 3D printers that people have at home can't do replacement boltsleds, no way that it's strong enough, or a high enough resolution.

It'd be a terrible idea to try to 3d print a boltsled, but that isn't what I said to do:

...If they can be opened by something people can get for free (Sketchup) they can be used as reference for making mods/replacement parts (I'm thinking broken bolt sleds)...

Using the model as reference, you'd generate drawings to make the parts some other way - CNC, mill, power, or hand tools.

[KaneTheMediocre]

Your model is pretty much worthless to me unless you can put it in a step file. But it is the sort of thing I would be interested in, as it could save me the time to measure a clip when I'm designing a clip-fed blaster.