Hey Joshua,
I have 3D printed many coil forms which was my main reason for buying a
3d printer.
Not sure what software you use, but Tinkercad is free online and has
worked well for simple designs for a complete 3D software beginner like
myself.
I have been using PETG a lot – seems a good all-rounder and works well
even for nested toroidal coil formers which are quite intricate. Not
perfect as the smaller wire guides can snap easily (as I found making
the center of spiral toroidal coils very difficult to complete
correctly…)
I’m now using PA12-CF Nylon filament for high temperature exposure –
has a warping temp of nearly 200C, and really strong. Working out great
so far on this printer (Prusa MK3S+).
Some toroidal coils are just beautiful to look at when finished, whilst
trying to figure out what they can actually be used for!
Cheers,
Ian.
Sent from [1]Mail for Windows
From: [2]Joshua Thomas
Sent: Saturday, February 18, 2023 3:18 PM
To: [3]Tesla Coil Mailing List
Subject: [TCML] 3D printed coil forms
Has anyone experimented with 3D printing coil forms?
I’ve used the pvc pipe on the past, but there are a few issues there:
1)
Limited to particular diameters; 2) While ID is well-regulated, the OD
can
vary and be out-of-round; 3) Cutting to size is necessary.
All of these issues could be solved by 3D printing, limited only to the
dimensions of the printer. Better for SSTCs than big spark-gap coils.
My
main concern is the dielectric strength of common materials in 3D
prints,
like PLA. I can print PLA and PETG on my FDM printer. ABS would require
some upgrades.
Also, you could do some really odd stuff, like coils that changed
diameter
over the length!
Anyone have comments or experience?
Thanks in advance.
--
Joshua Thomas
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