CNC Just not the traditional view ....3D Printing

Rob Keeble

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Location
GTA Ontario Canada
I dont doubt most of you know of 3D printing by now. What the technology can do just blows me away having been involved in product development of one sort or another for a good 20 years.

But i have been hankering to buy a Quad Copter for some time now and I am getting very close to pulling the trigger on this baby http://www.amazon.com/DJI-Phantom-Quadcopter-H3-2D-Photography/dp/B00H297Z4G/ref=cm_cr_pr_sims_t

if you want an idea of just what can be done with this kit take a look at this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bo_f8mV5khg


Its the second generation of the original and with the bells and whistles and new batteries etc its just amazing.

But back to the point of my post, in investigating this Quad i came across a guy that has set up a small niche shop and using his 3D printing and design skills to make custom parts for custom accessories to be able to attach them to the Quad copter and at a very reasonable price all things consider that you do not have to hack your quad.

I think it demonstrates a perfect use for the tech if you have the skill to do the design and run the machine. Have no clue how many parts he sells but i guess its a really cool hobby.

http://www.shapeways.com/shops/d3wey

The item that specifically intrigued me was the way he re-engineered the battery door "cover" and allowed it to fully integrate an additional "housing" for an available remote control accessory available in the radio controlled device market.

http://www.shapeways.com/model/1719...-v2-led-hol.html?li=shop-results&materialId=6

enjoy this is a vortex way worse than a spinny device and i am trying to be strong and hold off on dabbling. :)
 
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Rob, I have a friend who recently purchased a quad copter with a gimbal mount for his GoPro camera. He's in the process of starting his own aerial photo/video company. I'll send him a link to the d3wey site. :thumb:

It is indeed a vortex, but properly done, there's money to be made.
 
Back in the day of my RC airplane adventures, I had friends that had cameras on their models. It really made things fun, very far from the level here, but I can understand the intrigue. Then there is my doctor that flies model drones with a computer. I always try to get him talking about that when I visit so he will forget about all the poking and prodding of my body. I'll have to bring this up to him next visit.

I sure hope you let us follow along here on the forum. Getting pretty techie here with this and the CNC stuff.
 
I would love a quad, but am afraid the FAA will suck all the fun out of flying them.

As long as you maintain line-of-sight control, the FAA treats a quad as a hobby RC aircraft, so the regs are minimal. If you fly using only the camera, you're stepping into "drone" territory and the rules are a bit more stringent. My friend intends to stay in the line-of-sight realm, although his quad can fly high enough to lose sight of. (If it goes over 2 kilometers high, it automatically comes back down and lands.)
 
Ted what i have read in this regard is the height to stay below is 400 ft. Thats plenty of height for my liking. Not sure i would manage tracking a quad at higher than 100 feet given its size and my eye sensitivity to glare from sky. Only thing stopping me right now is winter, Linda and my own desire to be super focused on what i am doing. BUt soon those gates will fall away and open then......:rofl:
 
Rob, I have a friend who recently purchased a quad copter with a gimbal mount for his GoPro camera. He's in the process of starting his own aerial photo/video company. I'll send him a link to the d3wey site. :thumb:

It is indeed a vortex, but properly done, there's money to be made.

I think there is loads of money to be made with one of these, but my desire is for a toy. I spoilt my hobby when i was young doing it for a living. Never again.

One thing that came to mind for me is the guys who do roofing. THis would allow for inspections of a roof without risk of climbing up and yet being able to have images to be able to show homeowner of just where issues are. Also guy like Jeff for home inspections again of the roof.

I have seen marketing videos being made to add to websites for things like car sales lots. All makes for another view of things.

But think of things like California and the fire control and monitoring for forests brush and breaks It could be a really useful tool for the price. The economics of payback would be so easy to justify and even if its lost its not big money by comparison to doing some of what this could do via the alternative means. Power line insulator inspections as well. Oh the list could be almost endless. The go pro makes the image quality unbelievable.

I still tend to think i am dreaming when i see this level of kit at this kind of price. Its nothing short of amazing. We take it so for granted to have a high definition video image never mind being able to stream it back for viewing live wirelessly.

If i were in the military and expected to do patrols in a Afghan village i would by my own and take it with. Seems like small money to pay for knowing whats around or over the wall before you pounce and find an ambush. There is a beefier version with metal arms and more powerful motors and a aluminum case that it all folds up into.

Now Ted if this was available when i was growing up in the place i came from the regime there would never have allowed the sale of something like this at all never mind the FAA. :rofl: One of our most commonly used words were BANNED. :rofl: or CENSORED. Oh boy how they got away with things i dunno.
 
You might want to check out the below 400' idea that only applys to uncontrolled airspace if you are in a control zone (most large cities) the FAA controls it from the ground up. There have been some that have had some very large fines from the FAA. They are fighting is and it looks like the rules are going to change but just be aware.

And with all of that I WANT ONE BAD :D
 
Lol Jay what they gonna do scramble fighter jets to get me. :) i can understand something like a hangglider or such that has to take off and land. But Jonny reb here will be packed up and gone before any Faa comes around to get me. :) Only joking lol. Yeah i think one would have to think about where and what height you fly especially if you normally live near flight paths for any kind of plane especially the private planes that around here seem to fly pretty low.


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They would make great game and fish spotters, real estate sales would benefit, farmers would benefit looking for pests or other problems in crops. There was a guy in town with a small dirigible type balloon that used to take overhead shots of weddings. One of these would be great for wedding pics. How about police use to spot fugitives. Lots of opportunities.
 
Lol Jay what they gonna do scramble fighter jets to get me. :) i can understand something like a hangglider or such that has to take off and land. But Jonny reb here will be packed up and gone before any Faa comes around to get me. :) Only joking lol. Yeah i think one would have to think about where and what height you fly especially if you normally live near flight paths for any kind of plane especially the private planes that around here seem to fly pretty low.


sent from s4

Yer in Canada Rob you dont have to worry about FAA :D so go for it Buddy :wave:
 
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