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After seeing how cool Gerry Hamilton’s 3D printed jet engine is, we at 3dprinterplans decided we would have a go at building one ourselves. We’ll be updating this page with our progress on the printing, building and testing of the engine. We will also be doing a time lapse video of the construction and giving you instructions on how to build one yourself. All parts will be printed on a Solidoodle 3 3D printer

Update #1 20/10/2013

First day of printing and we managed to print the top and bottom outer cowling’s, the two cones and the low pressure housing. The two cowling’s were printed at 0.4mm in black with support. We printed the two cones and the low pressure housing at a slightly higher resolution of 0.3mm in black again with support.

Jet Engine Parts

 

Update #2 24/10/2013

Since our first update we’ve printed the combustion chamber, the rear housing and three of the high pressure compressors. The combustion chamber and the rear housing were printed at 0.3mm in black and the compressors were printed at 0.2mm in green.

Rear Housing:

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Rear Housing and Combustion Chamber:
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When we tried printing all four of the high pressure compressors at once, the file didn’t slice correctly and without realizing we started the print. Strangely three compressors at once sliced fine.

Failed Compressors:
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Three Successful Compressors:DSC03099

 

Update #3 31/10/13 

Since our last update we’ve managed to print the two low pressure turbines, the front fan and the two low pressure compressors. All parts were printed at 0.2mm and the front fan was printed in a blue, white, red twist filament (Doesn’t really look that multicoloured). The low pressure turbines were printed in orange and the low pressure compressors were printed in blue. The total time for printing was about Four to five hours.

We had a bit of trouble printing the low pressure compressors on the first try. This was because we tried printing straight onto the glass plate without any sort of product to make it stick.

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Low Pressure Turbines

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Front Fan

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Low Pressure Compressors

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All the parts we’ve printed so far.

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 Update #4 10/11/2013

I haven’t had much time to do printing lately, but we’ve managed to finish all the printed parts and we’re now looking for the bearings (there seem to be some strange sizes). The printed parts were the smallest compressor fan, which was printed in green at 0.2mm, the two bearing caps and the shaft (couldn’t seem to find an aluminium one so I just printed it). The shaft and the bearing caps were printed in black at 0.2mm.

Bearing Caps

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All the printed parts

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Warning; 3D printers should never be left unattended. They can pose a firesafety hazard.