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YOU CAN 3D PRINT A MACHINE THAT WINDS CARBON FIBER TUBES

A 3D-printed machine that winds carbon fibre tubes, layer by epoxy-soaked layer, built by a rocketeer because rocketry needs a lot of tubes.

by Andrew Reilley

FULL CAD BOM FIRMWARE DOCS

WorkshopOpen-hardware

Built with3D printing

difficulty
●●●●○
time
a weekend-plus
license
GPL-3.0
repo
repo ACTIVE61 stars

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

Videos
1
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COMPAREE VERDICT

Contraption is a 3-axis filament winder (carriage, mandrel rotation and a rotating delivery head) built from 3D-printed and off-the-shelf parts. A carbon fibre tow soaked in epoxy is wound around a rotating mandrel while the carriage traverses back and forth, building up a composite tube layer by layer. Andrew Reilley designed it so the only fabrication method needed is 3D printing; everything to print and buy is in a public Onshape document, though there is no step-by-step assembly guide. His Cyclone software (GPL v3) turns a wind definition file into G-code, plots it, and streams it to a Marlin 3D printer board. The catch: the machine CAD carries no licence, so commercial use of the hardware design is undefined. The other catch: epoxy resin and carbon fibre mean gloves, ventilation and a proper workspace. Reilley uses the tubes as solid rocket motor cases and bodies and reports they withstood thousands of PSI in hydrostatic tests, but dialling in tension, resin saturation and curing will take iteration; he recommends dry practice winds without resin first. If you want to make custom composite tubes and are willing to learn the process, this is an accessible path.

GOOD TO KNOW

  • —CAD is public in Onshape, editable and exportable
  • —Parts to print and buy are in the public Onshape CAD; there is no step-by-step assembly guide.
  • —Cyclone software (GitHub reilleya/cyclone) generates winding G-code
  • —The Cyclone software is GPL v3; the machine CAD has no licence file.
  • —No explicit permission for commercial use or derivative works
  • —Documentation is a short project page (overview, results, CAD link, software) plus the Cyclone README and videos of a dry wind, the first wet wind and two rocket motors; curing is not documented.

Parts to buy

9 items

From our check of the build. Exact quantities and part numbers are in the creator’s BOM.

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Can I build this?

PrintFull set of structural parts for the winder frame, carriage, and spool holders. Print time depends on bed size and speed; expect multiple days on a standard printer.
BuyStepper motors, linear rails, belts, pulleys, a 3D printer main board running Marlin, carbon fibre tow, epoxy resin, heat-shrink tape, mandrels. Parts to buy are in the Onshape CAD.
Tools3D printer, basic hand tools, soldering iron for the electronics, a computer with Node.js for Cyclone, a way to heat-cure if your epoxy needs it (the creator does not describe his curing setup; never use a kitchen oven), and PPE: nitrile gloves, respirator and ventilation.
SkillsIntermediate 3D printing, basic electronics and wiring, software setup for G-code generation, and willingness to learn composite layup techniques. No machining required, but you will iterate on resin mix and tension.
TimeA weekend to print and assemble, then another weekend minimum for first wind attempts and tuning. Expect more time dialling in resin saturation and curing schedules.
CostThe creator does not publish a cost. Budget for steppers, a 3D printer main board, off-the-shelf hardware from the Onshape parts list, plus carbon tow, epoxy and heat shrink tape for test winds.
SafetyEpoxy resin and carbon dust require gloves, respirator, and ventilation. Heat-shrink tape and oven curing involve minor burn risk. Carbon fibre is conductive; keep it away from live electronics.

Build at your own risk. Projects involve tools, electronics and sometimes mains voltage — follow the creator’s safety notes.

Videos

The creator's "8/7/22 Contraption Wet Wind" video (embedded on his project page alongside a dry-wind test and two rocket-motor videos) shows the machine winding its first tube.

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Start here

Navigation into the creator’s own docs — we don’t rewrite the guide, we route you to the source.

  1. 1.Read the project site (Overview, link to the Onshape CAD (parts to print and buy), Cyclone software and build videos.)
  2. 2.Open the CAD in Onshape(Public Onshape document linked from the site. You can fork, export STLs, or modify the design.)
  3. 3.Clone Cyclone from GitHub(Repository reilleya/cyclone generates winding G-code. Follow its README for setup.)
  4. 4.Source carbon tow and epoxy(Common composite suppliers: Fibre Glast, DragonPlate, Easy Composites. Match resin to your cure schedule.)

Resources

Documentation, files and community threads for this build — we link straight to the original sources and never rehost the creator’s files.

KNOWN ISSUES

  • The machine CAD has no licence (the Cyclone software is GPL v3). Commercial use or resale of the hardware design is undefined, and the creator could change access at any time.
  • Epoxy and carbon dust are health hazards. If you do not have ventilation, a respirator, and a dedicated workspace, this project is not safe to start.
  • Resin saturation, fibre tension, and cure temperature are all variables you will tune by trial. The first tube may not be structural; expect test winds.
  • Heat-shrink tape is not regular heat-shrink tubing. It is a specialty composite consumable, and some suppliers have minimum orders.
  • The BOM does not list a specific controller or stepper drivers. You will choose your own, and Cyclone's G-code may need tweaking for your setup.
  • This is a hobby machine built for one person's rocketry needs: Cyclone only supports cylindrical mandrels and its axis mapping is hard-coded to the creator's machine, so expect to adapt things rather than get production-grade tubes on day one.

What size tubes can it wind?

Cyclone's example wind file uses a 69.75 mm mandrel and a 940 mm wind length; check carriage travel in the Onshape CAD for your build.

Can I wind pre-preg instead of wet layup?

Pre-preg requires refrigerated storage and an autoclave or heated mould. The design is for wet winding with epoxy; adapting it is possible but not documented.

Is the software Windows/Mac/Linux?

Cyclone is a node.js command-line tool, so it runs anywhere node.js does (Windows, macOS, Linux).

How strong are the tubes?

The creator uses them as solid rocket motor cases: he reports they withstood thousands of PSI in hydrostatic tests, and his GEM2 motor case held 750 PSI of hot gas in a firing. Your results depend on fibre orientation, resin, voids and cure, so test your own tubes.

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Discussion1

FROM THE COMPAREE TEAM

A printer board running Marlin, some printed parts and open-source path software wind tubes that hold thousands of PSI. What would you wind first: a rocket-motor case, a drone arm, or just test coupons to learn the process?

CompareeTEAM7d agoedited

Practical notes from our verification: the project site at reilley.net/winder has an overview, a link to the public Onshape CAD, a link to the Cyclone software and four embedded videos, including the dry and wet winding runs. There is no step-by-step assembly guide: the creator says the CAD contains everything to print and buy, and assembly has to be worked out from it. The controller is a low-cost 3D printer main board running Marlin, driven by Cyclone, a Node.js command-line tool that runs on any system with Node.js. Licensing is split: Cyclone is GPL v3, while the CAD has no stated licence, so commercial use or derivatives of the hardware design are undefined. The creator built it because rocketry needs a lot of tubes, and his tubes have been used as rocket-motor cases and survived hydrostatic tests at thousands of PSI. Budget time for resin chemistry and process tuning, not just the mechanical build. Correction (4 October 2026): we re-checked this page line by line against the project's own repository, documentation and videos, and fixed errors in earlier versions.

Andrew Reilley

Andrew Reilley builds amateur rockets and solid rocket motors, and built Contraption because rocketry needs a lot of tubes. His CAD is public in Onshape, he wrote Cyclone to generate and stream the winding toolpaths, and his tubes have gone into composite-case rocket motors.

Web

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DISCLAIMER

  • Comparee is not the author of the projects featured here. All rights to each project belong to its creator — every page links to the original source, and we never host creators’ files.
  • Information is provided without warranty and may become outdated as projects evolve. Prices are indicative bands only — always check the creator’s parts list for current costs.
  • Building and operating any project is at your own responsibility. Protective equipment, safe workshop practice and compliance with local regulations are the builder’s responsibility.
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