3d printing quality and filament material is almost getting good enough to compete with injection molding. The carbon-fiber PETG is really impressive, it is easy to print and very durable. As a proof of concept and after many many hours of trial and error I designed (in CAD) and 3d printed most of the components for a rod build. The color scheme is ridiculous, but I wanted to have a little fun with it for V1.

Components:

Split Grip - Orange PetG
Winding Check - Black CF-PETG
Rod Handle - CF-PETG
Blank - Mudhole SC78L
Guides - FUJI concept

I learned a ton on this first build and am working on some improvements, particularly around aesthetics. In terms of durabilty, it is built like a tank. Will be testing this weekend. If anyone has dabbled in this realm, I'd enjoy hearing about it. I had technical difficulties posting to the photo section of the site so up some images below:

[imgur.com]

Looks good. Any idea about UV stability? How is weight compared to traditional materials?

RodMaker published an article on this very thing in the issue before last. In fact, the author of that article is now a sponsor of this forum - Banana River Rods. Tony offers these and other services for those wishing to try "fast prototyping" or wanting to get more involved in the world of 3D printing of rod components.

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The UV stability on PETG is really good, my understanding is that it is superior to ABS particularly in regards to color oxidation. In terms of weight, the reel seats are equal to that of injection molding. The carbon fiber infused PETG should provide excellent strength. The split grips have a ~2mm shell and then use a honeycomb pattern with 25% in-fill. This makes them extremely light and strong. It seems to be built like a tank.

Thanks for the info about Banana River Rods, i'll check out the article.

I'm currently working on a refined version of this design but will use more traditional color scheme. I'm also working on a casting rod seat. Will post an update when the build is complete.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/08/2021 09:53AM by NIck Maloney.

Nick my follow up question was going to be if you could control the density by incorporating voids. Can this material be worked. A thicker shell would give some material to work with. You could turn the grip as you would cork to add some fine details or and just soften the look. Sometimes a grip looks right but needs some work to feel right.

Michael, you pretty much have infinite control in terms of shell thickness and density. Generally speaking, the slicing software will use infill patterns for thicker pieces which are often stronger than if they were solid due to the honey-comb structures rigidity. In terms of post processing, it is really dependent on the material. The PETG I'm using now could be sanded but it would then needed to be painted as would most plastics. There are now newer materials such as wood infused filament that can be sanded and oiled/stained like you would with cork or other woods. I think your comment just gave me the excuse I need to purchase some for "research purchases".

One piece reel seat and grip? Is it doable?

Looks like you're on to something here from a component standpoint if you can keep the weights down! However, your guide train confuses me. I know that's not the subject here, still...

A one piece seat and grip could be doable but would be tricky. The hardest part so far was getting the threading to reliably work on the reel seat, it took dozens of prints to get the tolerances just right. I would like to do a full length handle vs the split grip especially using a wood based filament.

Re guide train, this post is in regards to an early stage 3D printed handle prototype. I'm not seeking unsolicited advice about guide trains.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/08/2021 09:13PM by NIck Maloney.

The wood filament would be an incredible idea. When it is wet sanded and finished it looks great too.

So, not the subject then...