3D Printer

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

I treated myself to a 3D printer and it is the most amazing tool that I have ever used.

Ten years ago I struggled to find decent quality deck accessories for a fire boat and now I can produce as many as I like by simply pressing a button, I don't even have to draw the parts as there are hundreds of 3D printer files freely available on the Internet.

It is truly a really versatile piece of equipment and would be a boon to any model builder.

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Ooh! What sort of resolution do you get? Sufficient for smooth bollards and anchors for instance?

Ashley

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Hi Ashley

Very high resolution with a printing tolerance of +/- 0.5mm, printing is slow at this resolution something like a four blade 50mm dia prop for a tug could take 4 hours to produce. A quick rub with wet/dry to smooth the leading edges and its ready for paint.

The nearest like for like material would be nylon.

It a Silhouette Alta that cost just over £300, small printing bed but perfect for my needs

Paul

 

Edited By Paul T on 10/01/2020 20:37:08

[Roger ClarkParticipant @rogerclark]

Hi Paul,

Looks a nice printer, pics of parts made please . I've just bought a resin printer but won't be using it yet until I've made some room and a heated box with extraction to take the fumes outside, having ideas of printing small stuff and then casting in metal such as brass, bronze, ally etc.

Roger

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Well done, Paul, for taking one giant step into the modelling world!

Happy New Year too

I can see the attraction, and I'm very impressed, but is there a danger of creating the Plastic Kit effect?

I'm just asking the question as a subject for debate

We would appreciate a few pictures, please

All the best, my mate……Bob

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi Paul,

Yes as Bob Says well done for mastering the process , but we are surely now talking about home manufacturing?

I'm looking forward to seeing the end products, I'm starting my list as we ………

Regards Ray

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

its Not quite the Star Trek replicator, but almost, for small boat parts, and what a ridiculous price…all that tech for a miserable £300.

Not that I keep up with this sort of thing but I was looking ages ago at a printer in Maplin for just under 1000 and thinking that was good.

I collect plastic soldiers and this sort of thing would be a fab tool for broken and missing parts, or even replicating rare figures.

Ashley

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

The technology has come on by leaps and bounds and prices have dropped too. I can see the attraction for making common items, especially if you can print at different sizes, I'm thinking cowl vents, bollards, fairleads etc. but for one off complex items where there isn't a a file available , a ship's steam windlass for example, then you have to produce th file yourself or get somebody else to.

I have heard that if you need multiple non standard items such as a particular type of davit for example then it is possible to fabricate a master and have it 3D scanned although I don't know what that costs or what limitations there are (in producing hollow areas for example).

Colin

Edited By Colin Bishop on 11/01/2020 10:09:19

[Gary Hill 1Participant @garyhill1]

Hi Paul,

I too bought a 3D printer recently, a s/h one from a fellow aero club member in my case. They are a truly remarkable tools. Although mine does not have a heated bed so I’m limited to PLA, which is fine for most things, TPU for items needing to be flexible and PETG which is similar to using ABS without the awful smell.
I've printed quite a few pilots for friends at the club (most recently for the RCME JP) and myself, fpv camera mounts, receiver mounts for aircraft. For my in progress TID I’ve done some sample hatches, nav lights, my in progress Neptune has some seat cushions, and other ideas not yet designed. Nothing much for the model railway, I think for N gauge a resin printer would be better. The surprising thing is the household items, Velux window/blind hook, replacement link for a floor mop, end cap on extendable pole as well as some useful clip on parts to fit my telescope tripod. The guy I bought the printer from had used it to print an adapter to allow his disabled wife to be able to use the shower taps without assistance, there seems no limit to what is possible.

Gary

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

I use it to print blades for test flying my drones, just in case I have a senior moment as they are a lot cheaper to replace than the carbon fibre units.

Colin you wanted a steam winch link

Or maybe a model of HMS Victory link

Just for Ashley link

There are hundreds of sites devoted to 3D printer files and once downloaded these files can be easily manipulated to change its finished size.

As Gary said there are many different types and sizes of machine but I did my research and found the Alta the best for my needs.

Bob has raised a very pertinent point about plastic kits that I can't answer, does it remove the skill from model building or is it just a useful means to an end.

Ray, Yes it is home manufacturing that is specifically tuned to your needs.

Paul

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Thanks for the link Paul, very interesting.

Re Bob's point, you could argue the goalposts have been moved.

Scratchbuilding used to be all about crafting all the individual detail yourself with hand tools and that served me very well for many years.

Now, my priority is to build models which are to all intents and purposes unique such as my long suffering Blue Star Liner. I am now willing to embrace new technology if it will deliver the model I want on the basis that the finished result will still be pretty unique as nobody else is likely to build one.

Times change and we must adapt accordingly.

Colin

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi all,

We have all bought fittings to save time, this just cuts out the supply chain 😀

Paul have you registered with the CAA and completed the test for your drone flying? I'm waiting for my operators number via the BMFA to arrive to fly my aeroplanes 😮

Regards Ray.

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Hello Colin

When all is said and done its just another tool and simply a better way to achieve the desired goal.

Hi Ray

All of my drones are heavy lift units and were registered with the CAA on the day the law came into being, this law has been a boon to me as acquired an extra five machines for next to nothing from people who didn't like the idea of being registered. The smallest in my collection has a 6.8kg load capability and a 1m span so being unregistered would also mean being uninsured, neither of which has any appeal.

Paul

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi Paul,

They sound like serious bits of kit 😀 can't see the registration scheme making any difference to the incidents like the ones which were alleged to have happened near Gatwick 😮

Regards Ray

[Gary Hill 1Participant @garyhill1]

Hi Ray,

I think as a BMFA member you are allowed to fly without the number until the end of January. That said I decided to just do the simple CAA test on line and get my number rather than wait as the club field is quite waterlogged at the moment and I’m flying smaller planes at home.

Gary

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi Gary,

Yes I know I could be out flying, but over the years I've become a fair weather flyer 😀 flew with a club for 25 years through wind, snow, blizzards etc, but now prefer to build in the winter, I have nearly finished the TN JP for the spring 😀

Let's have an update on your TID tug it's looking good

Regards Ray

[Gary Hill 1Participant @garyhill1]

Hi Ray,

Embarrassingly I’ve not made much progress, the hull is glassed/epoxied and looking tatty with its high build primer coats rubbed down. I got distracted when I started using the printer and couldn’t find the wood I’d cut to finish the hull. I want to get the hull finished before I start the superstructure, but I need to sort out the steering gear first.

Gary

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hi Paul

Will you show the members, examples of your work please?

How about making turrets and chimneys etc for the GG HMS Cossack and any other popular builds?

Could be a nice little earner?

Bob

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Hello Captain Bob

It could be a nice little earner until people start asking for non-scale obscure items then it becomes a nightmare as they would need drawing which increases the cost beyond what people will be willing to pay.

My present nice little earner is doing commercial building surveys with my pet drones.

All the best

Paul

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