Richard Forder-Denham

It’s a Seagull Arising Star, it’s had a going over and is a bit of a patchwork. The engine was gummed up freed it up with a soak in WD40 and ran it up on my test bed - worked just fine. all ready to go - just need a virus free world 😃 fingers crossed that my repairs don’t all peel off 1st time out and that it doesn’t plummet to the ground!🤬

To be honest I didn’t start out with printing it in mind, I was going to use 20x20 T slot frame again, but everywhere I looked the frame would have cost a fortune. it looked like buying a Prusa or some such would be cheaper than building it myself, and that goes against the grain. As usual I looked around my workshop, I didn’t have enough threaded rod to hand (yes I could have bought some!), but I recently bought some reels of filament.......... there you go, would have been far less bother to use threaded rod, but I had started down the printed frame road🤡 now it’s done and up and running I am quite pleased with it, though I haven’t used it for a few weeks now since I got the RC bug again.

My 1st build was a Maricado, I picked up an RCME in smiths whilst waiting for wife & no.1 child and there was this free plan, got the bug there and then. I needed something to fill the void after doing a full nut and bolt restoration of a Triumph Spitfire! I never got to flying stage as an unfortunate incident in the garage whilst having a house extension turned my Maricado in to a part built model & when looking for more wood for repairs I came across the Tony Nijhuis 62.5” spit, I bought a laser cut wood kit, cowl & pilot and knocked it up off plan - almost I also bought a damaged seagull trainer on eBay along the way, which I repaired and is ready to go, so I just need to not do anything stupid!

My own designed (inspired by others out there), printable from any 200x200 printer, I bought all of the non printed parts from Amazon! And B&Q 😁 I have tweaked it since this photo to give it a little more rigidity and height so that I could add a wades extruder. This was the 1st prototype.

My 1st home brew 3D printer - works a treat !

It will never fly, but this is what has been keeping my from my spit! I built a home brew mendelmax alike printer, great fun but I kept looking up at my 3 part built planes hanging above me in the workshop. my new friend kept me busy, I wanted to up production so designed my own printer that I could print, then printed that, so now have two printers. whilst looking at servos for my 3D printed robot, I remembered my Spitfire - Now my printers will be printing Spitfire cannons and arials and air scoops - the fun never ends!!