Newb info please. What software is best for a 100'+ X 20'+ boat design.

[Darconio]

I'm wanting to 3D print my retirement boat as opposed to alternatives. I'm thinking the 3D printer itself can be rented when the time comes or built.

First: Is this idea too insane? I'm looking at a 15 year timeline with a large budget that can grow depending on feasibility.

I'd like to have a triple hull with much more structural support than most craft, and have most of the interior done at the same time. Wood finishing will be applied in the interior with fiberglass on the exterior. Normal finishing's, etc.

Questions?

Does anybody know of anybody currently doing this?
What software is required? User friendly is not such an issue as we are willing to learn.

I will pay to finish design, but I'd like to construct a rough model myself in as good a manner as possible.



Thanks for any responses to this, but it seems like the correct direction to go in this day and age and would be amazing if feasible..

[Marm]

You're asking for a boat to be printed that is a 100' foot long, 20' wide trimaran? Or a triple layer hull?

I may be wrong, but I don't think there's a printer out there that can do that right now. Not in a single print.

I don't think it's very cost effective either. Boat builders and shipyards have the process pretty well perfected for hull construction. I'm not sure why you'd want a triple hull for a printed boat. The advantage of a triple hull is you can use thinner skin material for each layer of hull, but minimizing weight by leaving gaps in between layers. If we're printing the Hull, a single layer with the appropriate infill will act as that triple hull. This is a photo of various levels of infill. You can see how higher infill %'s add structural strength to the solid object while saving weight.

I think I'm not understanding exactly what you want to be printed, specifically. The whole boat or just specific parts of it that will be assembled?

[Darconio]

I'm after preferred software at moment.

No matter what method I use for building it will not take place for another 8 years at which point 3D print tech should be improving.

Ideally this vessel would be printed in two pieces (deck up and hull/interior walls) with supports to keep it upright to be removed prior to fibreglass.

I'd like the printed shell to have a double hull with an infill amount to be decided later, with a third hull being the fiberglass finish. That is the reason why it would be triple hull as opposed to double or single.

I shall inherit a canal frontage field where I'd like to build this no matter the technique.

Boat builders and shipyards have the process pretty well perfected for hull construction

I would prefer not to use a shipyard, but if you watch any youtube video or have been around vessels these size you will see their science is mostly a lot of elbow grease.

For now I'd just like to get the design done while my kids are still teens. I'd like to know what a 3D printer can use as a template. A normal CAD design is a design, but how do 3D printers know what to print and whatnot.

I've watched 3D house construction and feel if yachts are not yet already being built using this method, they will be within the next decade.

My yacht design is already on paper in 2D with hull type/chines, etc. already selected. I was going to build a double keel steel hull, but recently have given thought to printing. Many smaller ships are built in two parts (Hull and deck up) and fitted together with a crane.

I've given many considerations to design, and have a long list of preferred and cost effective features.

Mainly I want to learn the software at this point and am after recommendations. If 3D tech is not capable, then I will at least have a highly detailed digital drawing come time to build, although I would hire a professional designer to approve and repair design prior to any work.


Thanks for input

[old man emu]

OK, let's forget the size thing and get back to the original questions

Is anyone printing this big at the moment?
Probably not. The physical restraints are a limiting factor at the moment.

Software required?
You will need a good CAD program. If your budget is large, purchase a professional program like Rhino, Solidworks or Autocad. These have a learning curve, but if you have been able to design in 2D, then the step up to 3D is not too hard to do. The other software relates to creating the Gcode a printer needs create the object. These is called a slicer program. Happily, slicer software falls into the category of Open Source, which means, in the long run, it is free. Don't baulk at the fact that it is free. It is highly sophisticated software that the creators release because they think it is for the good of the community to do so. The majority of memebers of this forum would be using Open Source programs such as Slic3r or Cura to create their Gcode. You will use other Open Source software to interface between your PC and printer, but that usually comes with the printer itself.

You will need a printer to test your designs. At the moment, the biggest commonly available print bed size is 10" x 10" (250mm x 250mm), so you will have to scale your drawings to enable them to be printed on a bed this size. Don't be fooled into thinking that the more money you throw at the purchase of a printer, the better it will be. I suggest that you budget up to $US1000 for your printer. Have a look at the various sub-forums for the various printers to see what's what. I'll give you my biased opinion - buy a MakerFarm Prusa i3v 10 x 10. It will be more than suitable for your prototyping and design testing.

In 15 years will there be a 3D printer big enough to do the job you want to do? Who knows. Who knew in in July 1954 that in 15 years time there would be human footprints on the Lunar surface?

Good luck, and feel free to come back here for advice.

Old Man Emu

[awerby]

Have you thought about CNC milling for your boat hulls? In contrast to 3D printing on that scale, which is still a pipe dream, people have been milling foam for boat plugs for some time now. It's not going to be cheap, still, but at least the machines exist, the process has been worked out and there are people who know how to use them, like these folks: http://marinetooling.com/fiberglassproducts.html

Andrew Werby
www.computersculpture.com

[Darconio]

Excellent. I have copied that into my computer and had been advised to go Rhino as well. The entire idea of scaling a model up or down for testing is something I had not considered much, but yes it is a good idea.

I will create my design and hope that it can be printed in another decade. If not I will at least have somewhat of a blueprint for other building methods. The machine would not be mine for long. If i did buy one it would likely be sold after my project(s) (why build just one).

@ awerby,

Yes.. CNC is not fit for my concept, but I would like to have one of those also. They look like great fun if you get some good patterns, or are artistic.

[old man emu]

I don't think that you have grasped the concept of 3D printing as it stands today.

What I was suggesting was that you go ahead and design your 100 x 20 Dreamboat now using a currently available CAD program.

Having got the designs done, then you take your CAD drawing and scale it down to 1:100. You save this scaled down object as an stl file, then run that file through a slicer, using settings that suit your printer. Then you can print out these scaled down objects to see if they fit.

In the overview of things, a purchase of a sub $1000 printer will not cut into the budget you must have made for a major project like this, but access to a 3D printer in your drawing office while you are preparing the project would be invaluable.

The files that you create today won't spoil like a bottle of milk. Once you have the file it stays as fresh as the day it was made.

The CNC route is quite established. I have a client who uses an industrial CNC machine to make plugs from massive blocks of styrofoam for all sorts of large objects that he finishes with fibreglass. The Gcode for the CNC machine is generated from the same sort of files that are used for 3D printing.

At the moment, 3D printing in projects you envision is used for prototyping and proof of concept.

Old Mna Emu

[Darconio]

@ old man emu,

I don't think that you have grasped the concept of 3D printing as it stands today.

Yes. I am an Engineer (soil) even though I do not build things. I understood you were suggesting design only with moderate hope in a decade the printers will be up to snuff for large sizes.

I would not purchase a 3D printer to print one or several test files, and would just pay the fees. That would also help if I screw up the Gcode to have someone experienced on hand to whack me upside the head and point me in better direction.

However purchasing printers both small and hopefully very large if tech improves would be offset by selling them upon completion.

Your previous answer - solved my questions. ty

I must say though that if I'm already running CAD then a smallish 3D printer does sound like a lot of fun.

I understood your suggestions perfectly, and would still build a boat without the use of 3D printing if the tech is still not ready in a decade.

It was understanding Gcode and slicing that were the things I was wanting to learn from this thread and you suggested they are CAD compatible. I was unsure if they used a separate design system.

your previous post solved my questions. ty

[old man emu]

Don't think that just because a printer is supplied in kit form, and is under $1000 that it is not a useful learning tool. You don't race an F1 Grand Prix car without first having started out in a pedal car!

There is so much to learn about printers, printer material, CAD and CAM (Gcode). Just this evening I've been doing some maintenance on my printer and have been learning about the first Gcode operative (G1) which translates as "go to". I've also used M114 which asks the printer to tell you where it is on the print bed. Using a desk top 3D printer will let you "screw up Gcode" so you can hit yourself around the head (called 'giving yourself an uppercut" in Australia

You've got 15 years to play with 3D Printing. Make a hobby of it at this stage and have some fun whilst fighting off "Old Timer's Disease". I suspect that you are of an age that there are grandchildren around. Use your printer to make toys for them. Explore Thingiverse.com for ideas.

Old Man Emu

[3dkarma]

One of the things you could consider is to prototype the fabrication process by designing and printing a small section of the hull (the two skins with partial infill you mentioned higher up) that you could print at full scale on a hobby-level printer, then finish with fiberglass. You would then be able to test the section for rigidity / resistance to UV over time / other esoteric maritime things. There are lots of steps between completing the design and the finished product. Prototyping some of the fabrication steps is something you'll need to do, unless you're hoping someone else will work it out over the next 15 years.