After pondering about it for a while I decided it was time to build a new quadcopter. My last scratchbuild was damaged in a crash and the other servicable quadcopter, a Hobbyking frame kit, just refused to start up when the weather just begged for some props.

This is my next build log of my WoodQuad.

Goals and requirements:
1. H-frame setup
2. 1.25 x 1.25 cm square wooden dowels as the frame base
3. Easy to replace parts
4. All other frame parts 3D printed
5. All 3 mm bolts and nuts or tie wraps
6. Room for 1 or 2 battery set-up, 3S or 4S

Materials
As stated, I wanted to use little different base materials. The wood is cheap and always on stock on my local DIY store.

For the bolts I standardised on 3 mm. Recently I ordered a bundle of them so I won't be out of stock. I use self-locking nuts as a precaution (and because I learned the hard way).

For the 3D print I already have some experience with different materials. PLA is just too brittle for use in a quadcopter. ABS is brilliant because it has just a little flex in it and it is strong; however printing larger parts in ABS is gruesome because of the tendency to warp. Recently I experimented with different kinds of materials and finally found PETG. This prints almost like PLA, is very stiff, does not warp al lot and is very tough.

Now I do most of my 3D printing in PETG and I can recommend it to anyone.

Designing the parts

For the design of the different parts I use Autodesk 123D Design. It is free for hobby...Continue Reading

Today I finished my first scratch build tricopter. I call this wooden contraption the "Cellulose One".

For inspiration I used the design by David Windestål from rcexplorer.se. However for me, there were some inherent problems with the design:

1. Sturdiness: I like to push the limits. The foldable design with two plates just does not seem that sturdy to me.
2. Yaw control: I really don't like complicated yaw mechanisms that look flimsy out of the gate. I wanted something sturdy for this as well.

Because I want it to be sturdy I did away with any kind of foldable design. I designed a very simple but tough and stiff frame.

For the yaw mechanism I designed a simple bolt-and-nut design. Simple but very effective. And although a direct hit would probably take the mechanism out, it is sturdy to begin with.

Please let me know what you think of it..

OPEN THE POST TO SEE ALL PICTURES...Continue Reading

Building a first quadcopter from a kit can be daunting for some. After ripping apart my DJI Phantom and rebuilding it on a DJI frame I now can assemble a quadcopter and even chose my favourite setup (it is the APM/Pixhawk setup).

For people just beginning I found a thread with all the answers a beginner could ask. Please head over to this thread and find what you need! Thanks to bobepine for the effort he put in his thread.