Posts: 3,533 Threads: 265 Likes Received: 2,610 in 1,545 posts Likes Given: 3,893 Joined: Feb 2018 Reputation: 78 I'm not very familiar with printing, so I come here to where the gurus hang out.  I have been using standard GoPro mounts on my quads, but they need to be velcro strapped on. I'm considering having a GoPro mount printed for my current build so it can be mounted directly to the frame. I don't like TPU for HD cam mounts so I want a material that is hard. I don't want it brittle, not for crashing sake but for durability over time. So a hard plastic that has a slight amount of elasticity. DroneofPrey made me some items made of PLA (I believe) for a different purpose. It seems like that material is brittle and unyielding. But I like it is very stiff. Is there something like PLA that is less brittle?
![[-]](https://intofpv.com/images/collapse.png) • Posts: 12,099 Threads: 125 Likes Received: 3,739 in 2,836 posts Likes Given: 99 Joined: Feb 2017 Reputation: 388 PETG might be the material for you. PETG is stronger and more elastic than PLA. • Posts: 1,197 Threads: 59 Likes Received: 592 in 395 posts Likes Given: 210 Joined: Mar 2019 Reputation: 42 +1 on PETG.
Can you elaborate why you don't like TPU? There are many different shore hardness levels of TPU, if you want something harder you could go to 98A or 99A hardness • Posts: 21,181 Threads: 582 Likes Received: 8,926 in 6,602 posts Likes Given: 1,425 Joined: Jun 2018 Reputation: 786 I would just go with a harder compound of TPU like Dave said and/or make sure whoever does the print uses 100% infill to maximise the stiffness. I know you've had some bad experiences with TPU in the past (maybe with TPU that was too soft or not enough infill) but it's by far the best material to use for quad parts if you select the correct shore hardness and infill for your application. • Posts: 3,533 Threads: 265 Likes Received: 2,610 in 1,545 posts Likes Given: 3,893 Joined: Feb 2018 Reputation: 78 (09-Jan-2021, 06:43 AM)voodoo614 Wrote: PETG might be the material for you. PETG is stronger and more elastic than PLA. (09-Jan-2021, 10:40 AM)bffigjam Wrote: +1 on PETG.
Can you elaborate why you don't like TPU? There are many different shore hardness levels of TPU, if you want something harder you could go to 98A or 99A hardness (09-Jan-2021, 11:47 AM)SnowLeopardFPV Wrote: I would just go with a harder compound of TPU like Dave said and/or make sure whoever does the print uses 100% infill to maximise the stiffness. I know you've had some bad experiences with TPU in the past (maybe with TPU that was too soft or not enough infill) but it's by far the best material to use for quad parts if you select the correct shore hardness and infill for your application. Thanks for the info guys. If PETG gets me where I want to be without a lot of trial and error, that may be best. But with that said I know very little about this stuff. So if I went with TPU, and I wanted the harder end of things, I would ask for 99A and max infill?
• Posts: 21,181 Threads: 582 Likes Received: 8,926 in 6,602 posts Likes Given: 1,425 Joined: Jun 2018 Reputation: 786 I've not seen any readily available filament on the spool for DIY FDM printing that is higher than 98A but Dave might know better. But yes, the highest hardness TPU you can get your item printed in with 100% infill is the way to go IMO.
For a non-flexi print material that is durable, nylon would be another possible option but it's notoriously difficult to print with so you might struggle to find someone who will do you prints in nylon. Posts: 3,533 Threads: 265 Likes Received: 2,610 in 1,545 posts Likes Given: 3,893 Joined: Feb 2018 Reputation: 78 Thanks Snowman! 
• Posts: 6,092 Threads: 172 Likes Received: 2,283 in 1,830 posts Likes Given: 4,721 Joined: Feb 2019 Reputation: 100 09-Jan-2021, 07:42 PM (This post was last modified: 09-Jan-2021, 08:21 PM by hugnosed_bat.) +1 for nylon xD but i dont know someone around me does provide them  abs would be less difficult than nylon and more rigid than petg as i know, but not every printer can heat up enough for nylon or abs.. i beleive tpu can be more rigid than the gopro by itself, more than enough. softmounted a bit aswell, for the footage itself and to provide less vibrations directly to the frame. Posts: 1,197 Threads: 59 Likes Received: 592 in 395 posts Likes Given: 210 Joined: Mar 2019 Reputation: 42 (09-Jan-2021, 03:45 PM)SnowLeopardFPV Wrote: I've not seen any readily available filament on the spool for DIY FDM printing that is higher than 98A but Dave might know better. But yes, the highest hardness TPU you can get your item printed in with 100% infill is the way to go IMO.
For a non-flexi print material that is durable, nylon would be another possible option but it's notoriously difficult to print with so you might struggle to find someone who will do you prints in nylon. Honestly SainSmart TPU95A is pretty firm as it is, 98 is quite hard. The real advantage of TPU is it is extremely tough as a material, you can fold it in half (with great force) and it will still return to original shape no problem. It really is a great material • Posts: 21,181 Threads: 582 Likes Received: 8,926 in 6,602 posts Likes Given: 1,425 Joined: Jun 2018 Reputation: 786 Maybe whoever did TPU prints for Krohsis previously used an 85A shore harness TPU (i.e. NinjaFlex) and/or a low percentage of infill. I would be tempted to try some prints again using 95A TPU (with an infill of 100%) which seems to be the most commonly available and used shore hardness for most TPU filaments. • Posts: 3,533 Threads: 265 Likes Received: 2,610 in 1,545 posts Likes Given: 3,893 Joined: Feb 2018 Reputation: 78 Yes, the TPU mounts I got were soft and were 2 different designs for a HD cam. One was a couch mount and the other was a cage mount both for a Session 4/5. The mounts were both the source of jello for me. Once I went to my current system, the jello issue went away.
I'm not the only one with jello issues from TPU mounts, it is a common discussion on the LR sites.
With all that said, my mounting system is very functional, but doesn't look all that professional/clean. That is the reason for taking another look at printed mounts. But I don't want to be chasing jello issues again. I also don't want to go through numerous reprints to get where I want to be with the mounts. So that is the reason I came here for guidance. Also, I will need someone who is good at design from the ground up as no one is making a mount design I like for the FR10-G. Basic measurements, so it should be pretty simple....?
Thanks again for the suggestions, if I go forward I will share the results here.
Posts: 5,319 Threads: 673 Likes Received: 3,155 in 1,743 posts Likes Given: 2,031 Joined: Jan 2016 Reputation: 139 The only two material I used these days: PETG for stiff stuff TPU for flexible stuff Posts: 13 Threads: 0 Likes Received: 1 in 1 posts Likes Given: 0 Joined: Aug 2020 Reputation: 2 98A TPU is probably what you want for an hd cam mount. More than enough rigidity when printed with more infill 25% and up.
PETG likes to break with and across layer lines on even light impacts. so long term and even short term durability is questionable.
Polycarbonate could be another option, for a mount base, but I personally wouldn't use it to hold the actual camera.
Nylon could be an option, but I think you would still be better served with 98A TPU
do you have a specific camera mount in mind? • Posts: 668 Threads: 31 Likes Received: 208 in 158 posts Likes Given: 95 Joined: Feb 2019 Reputation: 14 +1 on nylon. It's just the best non rubbery feel that has the right proportions of stiffness and flexibility. It is not brittle and it's flexible enough. • Posts: 1,197 Threads: 59 Likes Received: 592 in 395 posts Likes Given: 210 Joined: Mar 2019 Reputation: 42 (14-Jan-2021, 06:37 PM)Maiden Flight Wrote: +1 on nylon. It's just the best non rubbery feel that has the right proportions of stiffness and flexibility. It is not brittle and it's flexible enough. Nylon is a wonderful material, but without an all-metal-hotend on your printer, printing nylon at 260C won't last long. Also you will likely need a heated enclosure and it attracts moisture so quickly that if you dried it, within 3 hours it would need drying again so you need to print it from a filament dryer. Considering high shore hardness blends of TPU have similar material properties to nylon aside from melting temperature it's perfect for this job. I print all my mounts of TPU-95A and it is more than hard enough, but if you had a flimsy mount design you may need harder. • |
