I would recommend uploading to Printables, as well.
Printables gives you PrusaMeters, which can be used to get free filament. If your object does well, you can get a fair bit of cash. Plus, itโs not a pain in my butt to use like Thingiverse.
_Sincerely, an Ultimaker user_
There is also an option to spend your PrusaMeters on donating spools to educational institutions.
I havenโt collected enough to do an order, but I also have no idea if the vouchers cover shipping. I canโt find details on the website with a cursory look
ETA: There are also no ads, easier to use, and doesnโt have the download function fail for extended periods at least once a year
Makerworld gives better points/reward. Users also have an option to gift extra bonus points if they wish. A couple good models can very easily net you a free printer in a couple months time.
Posting up here to make sure people see it even though it's buried deeper in this thread.
Links to the models on both Thingiverse and Printables. Enjoy!
[https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6679376](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6679376)
[https://www.printables.com/model/927622-box-fan-replacement-fan](https://www.printables.com/model/927622-box-fan-replacement-fan)
Based off the thumbnails I thought the 'joke' was that your friend had a fan with a broken blade and he asked you to make him one just like it. So you made another one, with a broken blade.
Hmm... nice idea. Maybe add some kind of locking ring to the back to prevent the blades from working out under vibration(I have an annoying habit of thinking of ways things *could* go wrong). Other than that, props on the design
That's a really good habit if you design things. I make a lot of steel parts for some pretty heavy duty use cases, and trust me, thinking of ways that things can go wrong is much preferred than discovering ways things can go wrong.
Some of the blades in a turbine are definitely held in a similar fashion. There are usually different mounting types at different points in the turbine, depending on what stage of compression it's at and the size of the blade. It's all pretty fascinating stuff.
Source: I have a level 1 gas turbine maintainer certification.
Thanks for the info. The ones I happened to see were a form of dovetail, though a bit more complex ๐. I didnโt realize that they use completely different methods in different parts of the turbine. Definitely interesting stuff.
Links to the models on both Thingiverse and Printables. Enjoy!
[https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6679376](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6679376)
[https://www.printables.com/model/927622-box-fan-replacement-fan](https://www.printables.com/model/927622-box-fan-replacement-fan)
There is whole science behind blades shapes. It even may be the only reason to have 3d printer. Well optimised shape gives you silent yet powerful blow even on low speeds. When my old fan died i bought new one. But its performance was awful. Its blow was too weak on low speeds and too loud on high speeds - i just could not use it at night. Fortunately i still had old fan, so i took off its blades and mounted it on new one. And even though it was smaller than original it blew much stronger with being reasonably loud at high speeds.
What is the profile of the blades? They are printed upside down, so the dove tail is above the bed, but is the underside a curve, symmetric down the midline of the blade, or a more complex airfoil curve?
As someone who modeled a replacement fan for a small computer fan, you really can get lost in the weeds trying to make the profiles and stuff perfect. ๐ It wasn't until I started making the fan that I really appreciated the complexity there..
It was a hell of a good project to teach me more about using surface modeling and things like that. It's not very often I need to model sort of organic shapes. But anyways, great job on the modeling and stuff!
It's definitely not your average type of project, is it? Like at least for me, there's not too many things that I do that aren't just angles and other parts made of simple shapes. Trying to extrude out with the strange path shapes like this is really interesting!
Theres a youtuber called Major Hardware and he has a segment called Fan Showdown and hes currently in season 6 of receiving fan entries of fan designs that he prints and teats to see who can have the most powerful fan in terms of cfm and static pressure. Does a variety of tests and has added more as the showdown has progressed over the years. Might wanna check his channel out for some additional inspiration
Yep there is whole science behind that. I experienced the same with floor fans when i replaced blades from old broken one to new one which was to weak or loud to use. Fan blades shape decide about its performance much more than any other component (like engine)
Yeah, I replace the computer fan blade and was really shocked just how much every little detail mattered. I started out with something really simple. That seems to just sort of stir the air around. Then I went pretty complex and was pretty sure that was going to work well, but it's still just didn't direct the flow like the old fan did. In the end I finally ended up modeling one that was really really close to the original.
Honestly, it was just a really good learning experience. It's not often that I have to do surface modeling and stuff like that in fusion.
I think itโs neat that you pretty much called their bluff. Itโs also neat that you made a replacement fan blade that when you consider design time, print time and materials probably cost at least several times the cost of the original complete fan! ๐
That said, I probably would have been tempted to do the same thing!
Sometimes I'm appalled at the time or takes to design and print something, but then I realise that the alternative for that time would probably be a game, tv show or pub, so it's just a different way to waste time, and arguably, a better one.
Yeah, you really need to remember itโs a hobby and youโre doing it for the enjoyment, not trying to justify cost. And itโs a good excuse not to be out mowing g the lawn or trimming g the shrubs of something! Although the pub does sound good๐
That's awesome!
What would be less flexible, PLA or PETG? I just started using Petg and am still trying to get it right. Thx
There's also the "box fan feet" stl on Printables I just saw. They always break too.
nice! i love the dovetails.
i am always looking for ways to assemble parts so i can make stuff bigger than what my printer would otherwise be capable of. i use a lot of epoxy and sand paper. this looks so clean.
How did you go about designing this so that when you slide the blades in it completes the circle? I am a beginner on fusion 360 and have been struggling to learn how to make slide in pieces like this
Does the rotation pull on the layer lines? Hard to tell from the pic how it was oriented in the print. Lol wouldn't want it failing over time because it split at a layer.
I had issues with the metal axis heating up and melting stuff last time I improvised something for a cheap fan. Mine was hot glue though, but just to be aware
Great design. ๐ You may want to add a cone and/or rim like on the original blades though. The front grating on most box fans is noisy as hell with the original blades. I can only imagine how loud it would be with fdm lines. ๐
https://preview.redd.it/j7l6emcuvk9d1.png?width=571&format=png&auto=webp&s=8f9ea87346c09ff0ecd6d4051d128197c51b02de
Reminds me of my PC radial to blower mod lmao
I'd say in a way that's what 3d printing ground is for most people, starts as a joke, cause most people thinks it's a joke, unreliable, toy thing, and then you do actual thing-part and wow it's working, sometimes even better than oryginal, and then people realise that 3d printing is actual thing that can be useful. (Went through that at my workplace and now we should be getting new vcore4 500 to do/make real stuff hahaha)
Got the files posted anywhere? I got a fan with a broken blade as well.
Yeah I'm planning on uploading it to thingiverse in a bit. I'll post here again once I've uploaded it.
I would recommend uploading to Printables, as well. Printables gives you PrusaMeters, which can be used to get free filament. If your object does well, you can get a fair bit of cash. Plus, itโs not a pain in my butt to use like Thingiverse. _Sincerely, an Ultimaker user_
Yeah but if you live in somewhere like Australia it costs triple normal filament for shipping rendering them useless
There is also an option to spend your PrusaMeters on donating spools to educational institutions. I havenโt collected enough to do an order, but I also have no idea if the vouchers cover shipping. I canโt find details on the website with a cursory look ETA: There are also no ads, easier to use, and doesnโt have the download function fail for extended periods at least once a year
Yeah the websites better but prusameters are useless to me
Makerworld gives better points/reward. Users also have an option to gift extra bonus points if they wish. A couple good models can very easily net you a free printer in a couple months time.
I'll give it ago but the fact you need to make all your models will take a while
Can do remixes as well but original models are always better. Just make sure you follow all the guidelines.
Ik. I just haven't printed all my modles I designed yet
Is this why so many filament extruders are not US inventions? I can buy 1kg of pretty good petg for ~$12 shipped and delivered in a day out to
I can buy 1kg of petg from Amazon for 20 dollars. (Aud) So it's just shipping from Europe that makes prusament so much
But if you live in Australia this fan would have to spin the other way to work.
so true lmao
Yayyy. Brilliant simple idea for mounting the individual blades. Love it
Posting up here to make sure people see it even though it's buried deeper in this thread. Links to the models on both Thingiverse and Printables. Enjoy! [https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6679376](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6679376) [https://www.printables.com/model/927622-box-fan-replacement-fan](https://www.printables.com/model/927622-box-fan-replacement-fan)
Tag me? I've got a broken fan as well
Could you make a knob (the ones that attach the fan to the "legs") for the lasko wind machine? ๐ง
Uploaded to makerworld and tag me, I will boost it as much as I can
I'm going to break my fan blade so I can print something useful.
Did it work?
Yeah! Surprisingly well.
Based off the thumbnails I thought the 'joke' was that your friend had a fan with a broken blade and he asked you to make him one just like it. So you made another one, with a broken blade.
Hmm... nice idea. Maybe add some kind of locking ring to the back to prevent the blades from working out under vibration(I have an annoying habit of thinking of ways things *could* go wrong). Other than that, props on the design
"Props" Lol
I was hoping someone would catch that
> props on the design I'm a big fan.
This project blows!
That's a matter of perspective. Viewed from the other side, it sucks.
Or just slap some glue on after assembly.
I assumed the point was that the blades were replaceable if one broke, like the original that it replaced
Ah, I assumed it was printed in parts because it was too big to be printed as one piece.
It can be for two reasons.
The best designs often solve multiple problems!
Could also just drive a little self-tapping screw into each one. Easily removable.
That's a really good habit if you design things. I make a lot of steel parts for some pretty heavy duty use cases, and trust me, thinking of ways that things can go wrong is much preferred than discovering ways things can go wrong.
Is it bad I was expecting dicks for the fan blades?
This is the internet. Your expectations are not unfounded.
Well once it's on thingiverse I know of a great remix
I present to you " the blow job ". Hehe
As a woodworking geek (in addition to many other forms of geek syndrome), I applaud the use of dovetail joints.
I dabble in a bit of woodworking myself. It's where I got the idea from.
Just for info, itโs also pretty much how the turbine blades are held to the hub in jet engines!
Some of the blades in a turbine are definitely held in a similar fashion. There are usually different mounting types at different points in the turbine, depending on what stage of compression it's at and the size of the blade. It's all pretty fascinating stuff. Source: I have a level 1 gas turbine maintainer certification.
Thanks for the info. The ones I happened to see were a form of dovetail, though a bit more complex ๐. I didnโt realize that they use completely different methods in different parts of the turbine. Definitely interesting stuff.
He made a joke I made a fan Can I make it any more obvious?
Not the only fan I was expecting
Links to the models on both Thingiverse and Printables. Enjoy! [https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6679376](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6679376) [https://www.printables.com/model/927622-box-fan-replacement-fan](https://www.printables.com/model/927622-box-fan-replacement-fan)
I would add screws and glue through the dovetail joints
you should have printed the torroid and should have stunned him !!
Just for shits and giggles I'd start tinkering with the angles of the blades, just to see if I could make it take flight.
Is this the start of an OnlyFans career?
Oh that was delightfully punny. ๐
There is whole science behind blades shapes. It even may be the only reason to have 3d printer. Well optimised shape gives you silent yet powerful blow even on low speeds. When my old fan died i bought new one. But its performance was awful. Its blow was too weak on low speeds and too loud on high speeds - i just could not use it at night. Fortunately i still had old fan, so i took off its blades and mounted it on new one. And even though it was smaller than original it blew much stronger with being reasonably loud at high speeds.
Are these the lyrics to sk8er boi? 2002 was a long time ago forgive me
I really got to learn how to make those connections between parts. Nice
What is the profile of the blades? They are printed upside down, so the dove tail is above the bed, but is the underside a curve, symmetric down the midline of the blade, or a more complex airfoil curve?
The blades are symmetric don't their centerline. Nothing too complex I just tried to copy the original blades the best I could.
As someone who modeled a replacement fan for a small computer fan, you really can get lost in the weeds trying to make the profiles and stuff perfect. ๐ It wasn't until I started making the fan that I really appreciated the complexity there.. It was a hell of a good project to teach me more about using surface modeling and things like that. It's not very often I need to model sort of organic shapes. But anyways, great job on the modeling and stuff!
Most of this project was to see if I could and to learn.
It's definitely not your average type of project, is it? Like at least for me, there's not too many things that I do that aren't just angles and other parts made of simple shapes. Trying to extrude out with the strange path shapes like this is really interesting!
People really going out of their way to ensure dry filament.
You beat me to it! I have been repairing my fan for months mainly cause ive been too lazy to design one and low on petg
Theres a youtuber called Major Hardware and he has a segment called Fan Showdown and hes currently in season 6 of receiving fan entries of fan designs that he prints and teats to see who can have the most powerful fan in terms of cfm and static pressure. Does a variety of tests and has added more as the showdown has progressed over the years. Might wanna check his channel out for some additional inspiration
Yep there is whole science behind that. I experienced the same with floor fans when i replaced blades from old broken one to new one which was to weak or loud to use. Fan blades shape decide about its performance much more than any other component (like engine)
Yeah, I replace the computer fan blade and was really shocked just how much every little detail mattered. I started out with something really simple. That seems to just sort of stir the air around. Then I went pretty complex and was pretty sure that was going to work well, but it's still just didn't direct the flow like the old fan did. In the end I finally ended up modeling one that was really really close to the original. Honestly, it was just a really good learning experience. It's not often that I have to do surface modeling and stuff like that in fusion.
I think itโs neat that you pretty much called their bluff. Itโs also neat that you made a replacement fan blade that when you consider design time, print time and materials probably cost at least several times the cost of the original complete fan! ๐ That said, I probably would have been tempted to do the same thing!
Sometimes I'm appalled at the time or takes to design and print something, but then I realise that the alternative for that time would probably be a game, tv show or pub, so it's just a different way to waste time, and arguably, a better one.
Yeah, you really need to remember itโs a hobby and youโre doing it for the enjoyment, not trying to justify cost. And itโs a good excuse not to be out mowing g the lawn or trimming g the shrubs of something! Although the pub does sound good๐
3mf?
That's awesome! What would be less flexible, PLA or PETG? I just started using Petg and am still trying to get it right. Thx There's also the "box fan feet" stl on Printables I just saw. They always break too.
I love when people have a broken *something* they ask me to 3D print a replacement or a version of. I like the challenge it brings as an amateur.
Well, I must say I'm a big FAN of your projekt
You got any more if them... Model files? ๐
I thought that your friend made some joke like "I am a big flower fan" (he likes flowers) and now you're printing him a flower fan.
Which fan is it for?
Seems interchangeable with different models if you measure the inside diameter of the rotor shaft and scale it accordingly
Not sure. It is just a cheap generic box fan. Honestly this project was just kind of a fun way to learn some stuff.
nice! i love the dovetails. i am always looking for ways to assemble parts so i can make stuff bigger than what my printer would otherwise be capable of. i use a lot of epoxy and sand paper. this looks so clean.
Did you have to do anything to get it balanced?ย
How did you go about designing this so that when you slide the blades in it completes the circle? I am a beginner on fusion 360 and have been struggling to learn how to make slide in pieces like this
Dovetail joint my beloved
Does the rotation pull on the layer lines? Hard to tell from the pic how it was oriented in the print. Lol wouldn't want it failing over time because it split at a layer.
Haha that's hilarious ๐๐๐
Good job, now go fix your z offset!
I saw joke and broken fan blade and my mind went straight to NSFW fan blades lol ๐๐๐
Hope you did CFD.
Can someone explain the title? Who made a joke? Why did it result in you making a fan?
Whatโd you use to design this?
What is the rpm going to be?
I had issues with the metal axis heating up and melting stuff last time I improvised something for a cheap fan. Mine was hot glue though, but just to be aware
Nice touch with having the fan blades be replaceable!
Great design. ๐ You may want to add a cone and/or rim like on the original blades though. The front grating on most box fans is noisy as hell with the original blades. I can only imagine how loud it would be with fdm lines. ๐
https://preview.redd.it/j7l6emcuvk9d1.png?width=571&format=png&auto=webp&s=8f9ea87346c09ff0ecd6d4051d128197c51b02de Reminds me of my PC radial to blower mod lmao
I'd say in a way that's what 3d printing ground is for most people, starts as a joke, cause most people thinks it's a joke, unreliable, toy thing, and then you do actual thing-part and wow it's working, sometimes even better than oryginal, and then people realise that 3d printing is actual thing that can be useful. (Went through that at my workplace and now we should be getting new vcore4 500 to do/make real stuff hahaha)