DaVinci to the rescue

[caheaton]

Having either lost or misplaced the engine lock ring for my Astrovision (as well as the MaxTrax), I contacted Estes only to learn those parts are no longer available. A search online was likewise fruitless. Fortunately, a part design was available on Thingiverse (which saved me having to measure and design my own :-) ).

I printed out the part today using PET on a DaVinci JR 1.0 printer and so far it looks promising. It remains to be seen how well it will hold up the to heat of launch....but if it proves to be only useful once per flight, it's at least cheap and quick to make (takes a little hover half an hour to print). I made 3 units for now. Hopefully can test one tonight.

[5x7]

Having either lost or misplaced the engine lock ring for my Astrovision (as well as the MaxTrax), I contacted Estes only to learn those parts are no longer available. A search online was likewise fruitless. Fortunately, a part design was available on Thingiverse (which saved me having to measure and design my own :-) ).

I printed out the part today using PET on a DaVinci JR 1.0 printer and so far it looks promising. It remains to be seen how well it will hold up the to heat of launch....but if it proves to be only useful once per flight, it's at least cheap and quick to make (takes a little hover half an hour to print). I made 3 units for now. Hopefully can test one tonight.

Please let me know how it works out, I had one printed out from thingaverse when they have vendors linked, and it doesn’t fit.

The 2018 Catalog has the Skytwister which is the last regular kit that uses the retainer, although rockets in some current launch sets still use that.

[caheaton]

It was a very tight fit (nothing a touch of sanding couldn't fix if I wanted to), but it fit and worked well. No melting as I had feared. Here's a link to the file I used.
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:560694

Printers vary in the accuracy of their printing and there's a variation in shrinking among filaments. I got lucky and mine worked on the first try. I've been less lucky using black PLA when fabricating camera and telescope adapters.

[5x7]

It was a very tight fit (nothing a touch of sanding couldn't fix if I wanted to), but it fit and worked well. No melting as I had feared. Here's a link to the file I used.
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:560694

Printers vary in the accuracy of their printing and there's a variation in shrinking among filaments. I got lucky and mine worked on the first try. I've been less lucky using black PLA when fabricating camera and telescope adapters.

That's the one, so it confirms the print I got was bad.