Hi i want to make my own 3d printed 1/12 pan car. Would it be possible to print everything in PLA plastic minus the axles, gears,kingpins?
I heard PLA suppose to be brittle but if I model everything bulkier and thicker than a standard rc part would it be able to withstand the stress.
The pan cars run on flat surfaces and have simple suspensions. unlike truggys that needs to withstand jumps and bumps of harsh terrain.
I was even thinking I could re-enforce the PLA part by printing it with tiny holes and inserting metal pins to re-enforce a part similar to rebar in concrete for parts like A-Arms.
I did some 12th scale GTP road course (4 cell, 8 minute) racing back in the early '90s. (Still get the itch.) Even when I got fairly good at it, I walloped the wall pretty hard from time to time. The plastic parts at the time were nylon and glass-filled nylon (or was it Nylatron?). I don’t think PLA would stand a chance. ABS will have a limited life span too. Maybe if you added a big ABS bumper, a PLA car might do OK, but you’ll still break wheels off the front when you get together with another car and tumble. Maybe break the tray sometimes.
Anyhow, I’m looking forward to seeing what you come up with.