3d printed figures

[usmchono]

I found a cool website that you can purchase 1/24 figures and weapons. And If you have a design you can upload it I believe to have someone print it for you. The figures are around $20. and has anybody used them? how does paint adhere to them?  The website is called www.shapeway.com. Its gold mine of cool stuff.

[High octane]

I found a cool website that you can purchase 1/24 figures and weapons. And If you have a design you can upload it I believe to have someone print it for you. The figures are around $20. and has anybody used them? how does paint adhere to them?  The website is called www.shapeway.com. Its gold mine of cool stuff.

While a 3-D Printer is a wave in the future, I think that it's gonna be awhile before it takes a good hold on the model kit industry. I've been building plastic model kits since the mid-50's without 3-D printed parts and I'm sure that I can do without them today.

[peteski]

That is Shapeways, not Shapeway. There are zillions of 3D printed items available there and if you know how-to, you can design your own items and they'll print for you.  As far as how those take paint, it depends on the material they are printed with.  Some materials are very porous, others (like FUD or FXD) have a waxy coating which has to be washed off before painting.

[Davoski]

Or you can print them yourself. 3D printers are now becoming cost effective and are a worthwhile adjunct to our hobby. For example, google prices on the Anet A8 from Gearbest, eBay, Amazon etc. or direct from Anet. They are now AUD$240 so maybe under USD$200?

Think of them like any other piece of equipment, maybe like a hobby lathe (or Dremel or airbrush). There is a financial investment, a research task to find the best make/model for your needs, a tedious set-up and calibration process, a steep learning curve in its operation, trying of new methods and materials, the learning of new swear words, etc. Only after this process should you expect decent results.

As Peteski says, there are many websites with free downloadable files which you can print yourself. The most well known is probably thingiverse.com but there are many others. Google is your friend.

I am not familiar with the materials that Peteski mentioned from Shapeways who use very high end laser machines. The el cheapo printers use PLA or ABS which paint up fine.

Then there is a whole other aspect to printing which is the design of the initial CAD file but that requires a whole new investment - time and brain power in this case :-) Also, there are programs like Sculptris which allow you to download and then pose figures as you choose.

Here are my first test prints of 1:24 figures while I am still tweaking the various printer settings. These are unmodified files straight off the printer without any clean-up:

Here is a link to my printer project 3D Printer Pics and to my diorama of an Aussie Pub using many 3D printed components  Aussie Pub WIP   

I consider having this printer to be a hobby in itself in that you need to make a certain commitment to get the best from it. And, for High Octane, yes it is a wave in the future (and present) and while you have a few years on me I am 56yo and am loving the challenge of this. Age is no barrier, mate, have a crack!!!

Cheers

Davoski

[High octane]

Or you can print them yourself. 3D printers are now becoming cost effective and are a worthwhile adjunct to our hobby. For example, google prices on the Anet A8 from Gearbest, eBay, Amazon etc. or direct from Anet. They are now AUD$240 so maybe under USD$200?

Think of them like any other piece of equipment, maybe like a hobby lathe (or Dremel or airbrush). There is a financial investment, a research task to find the best make/model for your needs, a tedious set-up and calibration process, a steep learning curve in its operation, trying of new methods and materials, the learning of new swear words, etc. Only after this process should you expect decent results.

As Peteski says, there are many websites with free downloadable files which you can print yourself. The most well known is probably thingiverse.com but there are many others. Google is your friend.

I am not familiar with the materials that Peteski mentioned from Shapeways who use very high end laser machines. The el cheapo printers use PLA or ABS which paint up fine.

Then there is a whole other aspect to printing which is the design of the initial CAD file but that requires a whole new investment - time and brain power in this case :-) Also, there are programs like Sculptris which allow you to download and then pose figures as you choose.

Here are my first test prints of 1:24 figures while I am still tweaking the various printer settings. These are unmodified files straight off the printer without any clean-up:

Here is a link to my printer project 3D Printer Pics and to my diorama of an Aussie Pub using many 3D printed components  Aussie Pub WIP   

I consider having this printer to be a hobby in itself in that you need to make a certain commitment to get the best from it. And, for High Octane, yes it is a wave in the future (and present) and while you have a few years on me I am 56yo and am loving the challenge of this. Age is no barrier, mate, have a crack!!!

Cheers

Davoski

As long as you enjoy it, that's all that counts. Me, I'm pretty well set-in-my-ways and can do without a 3-D printer, as I also have other interest besides model cars.

[vwdave92]

If you don't want to spring for a printer check your local library.  I can take them a file on a USB and they'll print it for just the cost of the fiber.