Browning M2HB, M2A1, M3 & AN/M2 machine gun 3D printed - Terminator RSB-80?

Starting screwing together the cradle.

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TazMan2000
 
The assembly is mostly held together with screws. It still amazes even me, how you can design something in TinkerCad, print it out and it goes together exactly like you designed it. The swivel mount (not sure what you call it) is reinforced with screws and is surprisingly rigid at the joint. I suppose if I printed it out with 100% fill it would have been more so, but that would have taken up a lot of filament. Currently I'm printing out the piston thingamajigs that go onto those copper pipes.

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TazMan2000
 
joberg

Thanks, Initially I was going to mount this thing to my M3 Tripod, but I I'll make it a separate piece. I designed this bolt-on mount which will be reinforced with a 2" PVC conduit pipe. It may make things more complicated to print, because my assemblies incorporate many parts and are reinforced with screws.

The weakest part of a 3D FDM print is the union between layers so, when possible, I try and think about what stresses this part will have in real life and create something that can reinforce that.

You can heat treat the outside to make it a bit more stronger, but that doesn't transfer well to internal support. If someone wanted to mount this to a vehicle, I believe that it will survive 'some' abuse. It is PLA after all.

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The hinge at the bottom is for an assembly that will keep the cradle (and M2HB) horizontal and prevent sway during transportation when mounted, and the hole in the middle is for a pin to keep the mount pintle locked in place.

TazMan2000
 
Yes, PLA...the only way to see if that prop could survive being mounted on a vehicle would to physically do it and see where cracks and stresses would appear. But that's another story altogether;)
 
joberg said:
Yes, PLA...the only way to see if that prop could survive being mounted on a vehicle would to physically do it and see where cracks and stresses would appear. But that's another story altogether;)
Click to expand...

There is software for stress testing, but whenever I see it testing out a part, I already know where the weak points are going to be. I guess most designs have to be evenly weighted between functionality, strength and style.

TazMan2000
 
The Ammo Box Holder is now finished except for some filler and paint. On the real one, there looks to be a rubber handle that secures the lid to prevent the 50 cal ammo can from bouncing out. I had a bit of a challenge designing that. It's not rubber but PLA and I mounted magnets to the lid and handle so they hold securely.

Damn, I hate sanding.

I also decided to do some post processing on the Surefire Hellfighter Spotlight Mount. I tried the photo resin technique before with luck, but on a smaller item, so I thought I could try it on something bigger. It works well but needs several coats to cover up the large layer lines. Unexpectedly, the resin made the assembly a LOT stiffer. Bonus.

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TazMan2000
 
Still not completely finished but at least enough to show that the shield and other attachments can be supported by PLA if designed, printed and assembled correctly.

That's a real 50 caliber ammo can. While it most likely won't be able to handle a real full load of rounds, the holder has no problem supporting a few rounds, I'm sure. I also designed a screw-on (removable) flash suppressor and a Surefire Hellfighter M88 Lamp (which I still have to finish and insert a lamp, as well as wiring and a remote switch.

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TazMan2000
 
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