Propeller

thingiverse

You'll be thrilled with your new UP! 3D printer from 3dprintingsystems.com, which I recently acquired myself. To design a propeller for it using SolidWorks, I broke the components down into individual pieces to ensure a proper fit for my printer's size limitations. The blades of my propeller feature rims on both the top and bottom of their mounting, fitting snugly into the channels/recesses in the nose cone and base. To enhance alignment and provide positive drive, I added a spline to the bottom of the nose cone shaft. However, this design choice resulted in a smaller keyed hole for the drive shaft. In case the blades encounter an obstacle, they can still slip into a housing for protection. Nonetheless, excessive torque might also cause them to slip out of place. For future projects, I suggest running the spline along the entire shaft and having the blades mount on it as well. When printing the blades, remember that you'll need three of them. To ensure proper alignment and easy removal of support material, print them horizontally with the mount shaft axis vertical. Although this method increases support material requirements, I found it to be more effective in maintaining blade positioning on the shaft. Give it a try for your next project, and good luck!