Parametric Rocket Fin Alignment Guide / Jig 3D Printer Model

Author: @
License: CC BY-NC-SA
File formats: stl,scad
Download type: zip
Size:15.8KB

The file 'Parametric Rocket Fin Alignment Guide / Jig 3D Printer Model' is (stl,scad) file type, size is 15.8KB.

Summary

Update 7/2: v2.0 - Now with sleeve option for attaching fins on different places along the tube.

I wanted to make it easy to attach just about any number of fins on just about any size rocket tube, and so I came up with this fully parametric model. You can even print one that supports different numbers of fins at the same time (e.g. 3 and 4 -- see photo).

It's smart about fin alignment, too, providing internal support where the fin is attached, and offsetting the guide block to compensate for the thickness of the fin material itself.

I printed a rather small one here so we could fasten three cardboard fins onto a paper towel tube, but it's very easy to configure it for something different. For example, you can print one to attach five fins to a thick shipping tube -- just tweak the parameters a bit. I've annotated one of the images so you can see many (not all) the parameters that are available, or you can just look at the comments in the OpenSCAD code. There's even a standoff setting to help prevent gluing the jig to the rocket.

It's also smart about filament -- there's not a lot wasted here. The one in the photos required about a meter of 3mm filament, costing about US$0.25.

The STL is useful for gluing fins cut out of beverage container cardboard on to a paper towel tube (as you'll see in the pictures), but you'll probably want to configure it to suit your own specific building materials.

Available parameters define the size of the rocket body (inside and outside diameter of the tube); the number of fins; the fin thickness, height, length elevation, and standoff (from body); the thickness of the fin support material and spine length (for stability); the thickness of the support material for the tube, and the thickness of the base.

RocketFinGuidev1.stl 100.1KB
RocketFinGuidev2.0.scad 4.8KB
RocketFinGuidev2Sleeve.stl 106.1KB