Print

If you have not picked a model yet, start with Voicings — it links every model page and explains how the shared platform relates to each build. It's a good idea to have the electronics on order so that you have them when you're ready for the next stage.

The Relay body is printed in multiple parts and bonded together. The download bundle below is the released reference body used for Relay Lipstick today.

Getting the print right is the foundation everything else sits on — a warped body or delaminated joint will cause problems that are hard to fix later. Sometimes, it's better to troubleshoot and reprint a piece instead of trying to force it all togehter later, but some parts are more critical than others.

Material

Print with PET-CF (carbon fiber filled) or PET-GF (glass fiber filled). These materials are dimensionally stable under string tension and temperature variation in ways that PLA and PETG are not.

The Body overview lists the filament with a purchase link. Two spools are required for a complete body, but there's no buffer; if any part of the print fails, you won't have enough material to finish.

What you're printing

• K7RHY Relay Flex Body.3mf — the main body structure. The core of the body that goes from the neck through to the bridge must be printed with fiber reinforced materials (PET-CF or PET-GF) for best sound and stability. You can print the rest with any material, but it's much simpler if you keep the material consistent throughout. The choices you make will have some impact on the tone of the guitar, but it's minor enough that you don't need to consider that aspect. The main issue is with shrinkage. Every material prints a little differently and experiences some level of shrinkage. When you use a single material throughout, the parts tend to shrink in ways that still allow them to fit together without modification. When you start mixing materials, you may need to do some sanding to get everything to fit together cleanly.
• K7RHY Relay Flex Cap.3mf — the front face that bonds to the body. Print in PET-CF or PET-GF. The way the model is cut, you should not mix materials here. Also, since the bridge is mounted through this layer, you need to use structural materials.
• K7RHY Relay Flex Accessories.3mf — small parts (pickup rings and similar). Standard PETG is fine here.

Body and Cap bond together into a single structure in the Bonding step. Print both before moving on. You can bond the body before finishing the cap, but you must not bond the cap components together without the body. I've designed the cap to have some room for adjustment so that it will fit the body even if the body has undergone some minor dimensional shifts. If you fuse the cap without the body, then you won't be able to fine tune it to fit the body.

Print time

With one printer, expect the printing to take about a week. Slower speeds improve layer adhesion with filled materials, so do not chase speed at the expense of quality here.

Orientation and layer direction

Orientation matters more than it looks like it should. The neck pocket and bridge mount areas need to be printed so that layer lines run perpendicular to the primary stress direction — this reduces the chance of delamination under string tension. The .3mf files include pre-set orientations; do not rotate the parts unless you are trying to solve a problem with your machine.

Bed adhesion

PET-CF sticks well to textured PEI sheets or smooth high temperature engineering sheets. The print profile in the model files have finely tuned settings to maximize your chances of success. The most likely cause of failure is warping that causes the model to lift at the edges. If they fail in this way, it'll happen 1-2 hours into the print. Wacth for this and abandon the print if the edges start pulling up. Use a clean plate and glue for the best results. A advanced adhesive isn't required. I use a light coat of hairspray.

After printing

Let all parts cool on the bed before removing them. This minimizes warping that will help the parts fit togehter once printed.

Print settings

If you're not able to use the provided print profiles, here's what you need to know to set up your own prints.

Structural Body Component Settings

Cosmetic Body Component Settings

Cap Settings

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