Warthog / Cougar stick - 3D print an extension for a better VR experience

[Terry Dactil]

In VR it feels weird if you leave your throttle and stick sitting on the desk where you had them when using TrackIR and a screen. You have your hands up near shoulder level operating controls that are not visible anywhere near there in the VR cockpit.

I want my throttle and stick exactly where I see them in VR, so I feel that I can reach out and touch them.

I moved my Warthog controls so they were attached to my chair and printed a 100mm extension for the stick and everything was in the right place.

This was great, but it had one minor problem.

The increased travel meant that I could not maintain my grip on the stick at full up elevator as I could not rotate my wrist backward enough . Not a big problem as a couple of fingers an a thumb was all that was needed to fly the aircraft. However, it makes it awkward to operate the various HOTAS switches if your palm was not in contact with the stick.

I did some sums and determined that rotating the handle 20° forward would be a good solution.

I tried tilting the whole assembly 20°, but that did not work. The Warthog handle weighs just over 1kg and its center of gravity is where your middle finger wraps around the front of the handle. The tilt moved the CG forward of the pivot point and produced about 1/3 kg nose down torque. Not good at all. Completely stuffed the pitch force linearity. Probably could be fixed by packing shims under the forward side of the centering spring inside the base, but that’s starting to get a bit too serious for me.

The easiest solution was to get my trusty 3D printer to make another 100mm extension with a 20° bend but keeping the handle CG directly over the pivot point.

Like this

I could have printed the whole thing as one unit with the lower nut captured within the extension tube (3D printing can be magic!), but decided to be more conventional with 3 pieces that can be disassembled if required.

I am very happy with the result.

The controls now where they are in VR. With the latest update enabling full use of the Rift touch controllers I feel that I am sitting in a real cockpit now!

 

If you wish to make your own extension, here are the filles:

Curved extension – 100mm

3D (AMF) files.zip

Gcode files.zip

Layer depth 0.2mm, support to base used when printing the curved tube.

 

Straight extension - 100mm

Straight - 100mm.zip

 

 

***** STL files are now attached to message #6 *********

 

I could not find a source of panel mount Mini DIN 5 pin plugs and sockets as used by Thrustmaster.

It was easy to just make a short cable using the standard cable plug and sockets available on eBay.

e.g. https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/222965347128

Edited May 27, 2018 by Terry Dactil
added pointer to stl format files

[BusterBust]

Thanks much for the these. Looks like goods stuff, im going to print these out.

[Mr_Burns]

Can you put these on a shapeways shop so those without 3D printers can buy them?

[Terry Dactil]

Thanks for the idea.

I was not aware of Shapeways before, and I am not trying to make money from this.

I am just trying to give something back to this forum that has been so helpful to me in many ways.

 

A quick look at that site shows that I can upload my design files to them and they will print and dispatch the objects to anyone who orders it from their website..

I guess it depends on what their costs markup is whether it is worthwhile or not. I'll set up an account and see how it goes.

 

As I have put the files int the public domain, the best way is to download the files then find a friend with a 3D printer. That will cut out all the middlemen. :)

 

 

Update:

I had a look at Shapeways and opened an account with them.

Lots of setting up a shop with shipping addresses and billing accounts etc.

No thanks. I'm not interested in starting a business.

 

The killer was they quoted around 66USD just to print the curved extension.

To make mine took me about 3 hours to design, 5 hours to print and about $2 worth of plastic filament.

I would suggest that as the files are all available here, there must be better and cheaper ways to get the prints made without using Shapeways.

Edited May 27, 2018 by Terry Dactil
Update - looked at a Shapeways account

[Sokol1_br]

Your 3D software don't save the drawings in .STL?

 

This file extension make more easy get quotations in http://www.3dhubs.com

[Terry Dactil]

Your 3D software don't save the drawings in .STL?

Errr. No. But.....

I am using Fusion360 and it saves its stuff in.amf format.

Its output normally defaults straight to a 3d printing program.

However, I found that can be changed so it outputs a .stl file.

Her you go..

3D files STL format

HOTAS extension curved 100mm.zip

HOTAS straight 100mm.zip

Edited May 27, 2018 by Terry Dactil

[Sokol1_br]

Thanks. :)

 

Through 3dhubs I get quotations from $35-40 using ABS in FDM process for the 3 parts.

[Terry Dactil]

That's seems more like a reasonable price for outsourcing the job.

I printed mine in PLA which is not quite as strong or high temperature resistant as ABS, but is still perfectly adequate.

Can you specify using PLA? It might be a bit cheaper still.

[Sokol1_br]

Practically no difference in price, some places less than an dollar in PLA.

 

BTW - Prices I look are in an very inconvenient "corner of world", for reference looking in USA printers prices start in ~$20.00 (3 pieces).

[TWC_Alamo]

Terry,

 

 

Great work! I am printing one now. Have you thought of posting your files over at Thingiverse.com, where they would be exposed to a much wider audience?

[Terry Dactil]

Ooops.... :(

 

I have managed to break the lower nut retainer.

If you hit the gimbals stops the leverage on that part is pretty fierce.

It is also acting along the layers which is the weakest direction.

Here is a modification to strengthen the retainer by increasing its thickness.

I would also suggest printing it with 100% infill.

 

 

Revised STL file:

Retainer - strengthened.zip

Retainer - strengthened.zip

[TWC_Alamo]

Terry,

 

 

Me too. At one time or another, I have broken every piece of the extension at least once!!!! I re-printed the retainer by rotating it 90 degrees on it's edge so the layers are not radial and that proved adequate. I also broke the nut while tightening it down, so reprinted it on it edge. I also increased the thickness of the walls. However, I then put too much force on the extension and broke the tube!

 

 

I will try reprinting it by rotating it 90 degrees on the bed. PLA may not be strong enough. However, it may be me, my printer or the cheap MicroCenter PLA filament though. I also bought some PETG and nylon to try for increased strength, but haven't reprinted it.

 

 

Would you mind sharing your CAD files? I would like to modify your angled design to accept an aluminum tube to create a very long (18" to 24") extension.

 

 

 

Again thanks for all your effort in creating the design.

[Terry Dactil]

TWC_Alamo:

Sorry to see you are having problems.

I have only managed to break the one part, which is understandable considering how much force can be applied to it.

I have had no trouble with the other bits using PLA filiament at 0.2 layers and printing at 210°C. Never tried using 0.1 layers but maybe that could help.

No problem with sharing the CAD files

I see my Fusion360 can export in many formats; IGES, SAT, SMT, STEP being the most common. Which would you prefer?

 

I now using a version2 which is only 50mm extension, but retains the tilted handle.

I think the control forces are a bit too light with the 100mm extension. Great for helicopters, but too easy to rip the wings off the others.

Are you considering stiffening the centering spring in the base unit?

[TWC_Alamo]

TWC_Alamo:

Sorry to see you are having problems.

I have only managed to break the one part, which is understandable considering how much force can be applied to it.

I have had no trouble with the other bits using PLA filiament at 0.2 layers and printing at 210°C. Never tried using 0.1 layers but maybe that could help.

 

 

Terry,

 

 

I printed the first parts at 0.15mm layer height and 200°C on my CR-10, so may need to step up the temperature. However, rotating the parts by 90° on the bed seems to have done the trick, since that orientation keeps the major forcefrom trying to pull the layers apart.

 

No problem with sharing the CAD files

I see my Fusion360 can export in many formats; IGES, SAT, SMT, STEP being the most common. Which would you prefer?

 

I am using FUSION360 too, so any of those file types should work. I don't have a lot of experience exchanging files in F360, but we can try IGES, unless you know a better format.

 

I think the control forces are a bit too light with the 100mm extension. Great for helicopters, but too easy to rip the wings off the others.

Are you considering stiffening the centering spring in the base unit?

 

 

I want to play with a longer extension ~250mm and see if it will improve the ergonomics of my setup and if the longer stick throw will improve my flying:(. However, it may well result, as you have suggested, in too weak of a centering force, so I may need extra springs.

 

I want to try splitting the "tube" of your version 1 design and glue a aluminum tube in the middle. I plan to run the AL tubing up into the handle to take most of the load off the PLA. I want the TM base on the floor.

 

Thanks for your reply and offering to post files CAD files. Did you ever post your design on Thingiverse?

[Terry Dactil]

TWC_Alamo:

As we are both using Fusion360 the native format should work:

F3D: Archive file for a single design. One file type for what we would traditionally call a part or assembly file.

Try this then:

Hotas extension - curved 100mm f3d.zip

(I had to zip it to get this accepted as an attachment).

I want to try splitting the "tube" of your version 1 design and glue a aluminum tube in the middle. I plan to run the AL tubing up into the handle to take most of the load off the PLA. I want the TM base on the floor.

I see that the latest pro (paid) version of Fusion360 has built-in stress analysis where it overlays colors on the components according to how they are stressed by a load that you specify. That would be handy to have. However, I think that it is pretty obvious that the greatest load would be down at a gimbal stop when we use our new longer lever on it! The lower nut and connection is not far away from that and would get a similar high loading. You could almost call it a desirable design feature to have the failure point there at the connector instead of something inside the base unit! :thumbup:

Did you ever post your design on Thingiverse?

No. As you see, it requires more development and testing first.

 

 

******** Continues as part 2 of this project at https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=216183 *******

Edited July 27, 2018 by Terry Dactil
added follow on link

[Ala12Rv-watermanpc]

I just printed your models (I think they are great) but Im having issues making the thread to work with my warthoug...even with the thread looking very good and accurate, they won't fit into the base and stick threads....any help is welcome. I saw a few odd straight lines of filamente at some points but the thread wont even start. very odd.

 

 

EDIT: Looks like the files in the first post are inverted so they won't work in the warthog. The stl ones are fine.

Edited August 26, 2019 by watermanpc

[TEMPEST.114]

I've just had this printed and I need to warn everyone; in both types of files (so the problem was there from creation) there is an area around the first bend where several layers aren't joined / touching.

 

This needs to be fixed before you print, otherwise the best you can do is infill it with superglue.

 

 

https://imgur.com/a/MCtxacv

Edited May 28, 2020 by Elphaba

[TEMPEST.114]

I just printed your models (I think they are great) but Im having issues making the thread to work with my warthoug...even with the thread looking very good and accurate, they won't fit into the base and stick threads....any help is welcome. I saw a few odd straight lines of filamente at some points but the thread wont even start. very odd.

 

 

EDIT: Looks like the files in the first post are inverted so they won't work in the warthog. The stl ones are fine.

 

Not true. Printed and screws on perfectly for me (with the exception of a gap in the layers as mentioned in my recent post.

 

Did you somehow invert the model in your 3d software?

[td_klondike]

I just want to say a heartfelt thank you for this. I was using the VIrpil extensions for this stick, and while they work great, I was really missing that 20 degree tilt. Thanks to you, I can continue to use this joystick in the "correct" position without straining my wrist into some kind of repetitive stress disaster.

 

I bypassed the .amf and .stl and went straight for the .gcode, and it worked great the first time. Printed on eSun white PLA because that's what I had. I have some regrets about my color choice, but like you, I fly in VR so who cares.

 

Again, very grateful for your contribution to the community.

[Muskoka]

On 5/27/2020 at 8:21 PM, TEMPEST.114 said:

I've just had this printed and I need to warn everyone; in both types of files (so the problem was there from creation) there is an area around the first bend where several layers aren't joined / touching.

 

This needs to be fixed before you print, otherwise the best you can do is infill it with superglue.

 

 

https://imgur.com/a/MCtxacv

 

I'm 50% through printing this and just noticed it as well. Wish I'd seen your post before printing, I could have edited the file. Just hope some glue will fix it up. Did a quick import into Tinkercad, can easily see what the problem is.

 

Edited June 12, 2024 by Muskoka

[_Hoss]

I got a curved 10cm extension on eBay for like USD 20.00 at the time, they are a couple of dollars more now.

Extension link

 

You can also find stick anti-break collars for the stick too.

Collar link

 

 

 

Edited June 12, 2024 by _Hoss

[Muskoka]

37 minutes ago, _Hoss said:

I got a curved 10cm extension on eBay for like USD 20.00 at the time, they are a couple of dollars more now.

Extension link

 

You can also find stick anti-break collars for the stick too.

Collar link

 

 

 

 

I do have a 115mm curved I got from Ebay like your first pic. I like messing around with different setups for heli flying, so 3d printing is the way to go to test stuff out.