"New option to produce Minis-3D Priniting" Topic

Many of you are already familiar with 3D printing and the possibilities it presents for gamers.

For those not I did a write up on my blog:

link

So far I have only experimented with Naval minis and some planes, but I know they also have many other options out there for games such as Wings of Glory, War at Sea, X-wing and many more.

From what I can tell this technology is only limited by the designers imagination, time and abilities with the software. I suspect costs will come down over time as the technology is perfected.

Enjoy!

I got a pair of Galactica spaceships about a year ago. Shapeways uses fairly expensive machines but their output isn't the best possible, probably a good compromise between quality and cost. I think traditional methods still yield better results and are more cost effective for large numbers at this point in time.

I think it all really depends on the designer and the material the item is printed in. I certainly would not judge it based on one model. So far all of mine have been very acceptable, but some have been exceptional and others OK. By no means do I think this will replace traditional manufacturing, but it does provide a means to obtain models that are not produced elsewhere in limited quantities.

Here is a video that I just fond that better explains the 3D printing process and how shapeways works.

The capability of printers is highly variable. An open-source, scratchbuilt RepRap produces a product with extremely obvious layer lines.

The various shapeways materials are better, but the cheaper materials tend to show print lines. The most expensive "Frosted Ultra Detail" material seems to be best suited to using as a master, and then resin or whatever casting from there.

I'd love to see what could be done with a Form1 stereolithography printer, since that uses an exotic resin that catalyzes when hit with a certain type of light. The printer uses two small beams of light (I think they're lasers), and the material only solidifies where the beams cross. Sadly, a Form1 is $3,500. USD Out of my pricerange right now.

Even software makes a huge difference, saw parts that were made by the same printer and the quality was all up to the variances of the software.

I guess that over time we will get better 3D printing that is good enough for even the most exacting standards, but price might be up there as well.

But Shapeways remains a great source of unusual models and more variety in my book is a good thing.

An update on 3d printing for gaming. The quality of the output is dictated by the materials used and the level of the printer. The higher the printer level the better the material and the output. At present the university of Exeter has been able to print chocolate and Edinburgh uni has managed bronze ( two completely different melting and cooling points – stunning stuff).

There is a designer in adelaide using pewter and straight metal alloy on a grade 4 printer. He's done buildings in plastic and some metal figures fir local gaming groups as an experiment. Shape ways have older printers but I'm sure they will upgrade. Basically if you know somewhere doing industrial printing go and ask if they will do some for you. All you need is a design file – you can do one yourself or get one from the internet.

The next stage will be combining the 3d scanner with the 3d printer – so you can make exact copies of stuff that already exists. How scary is that ? After that they want to try coloured printing. So they can reproduce an exact copy down to the exact colour scheme of an object in the scanner. There's potential here fir making and painting a single figure then just reproducing it. The scariness just gets better.

There's no 'try' involved with either the scanner or colored printing.

Jay Leno's garage has a mid-to-high-end printer (that can make working bicycle chains in a single print!) with a 3d scanner. He said that it had already paid for itself when he was restoring a Stanley Steamer (steam-powered) car. The steam manifold was horribly corroded on the inside, so he carefully assembled the pieces of the manifold, scanned that, then told the CAD software in the computer that the part was hollow with a specified wall thickness. Printer made the part, Jay test-fitted it to the engine, and he sent the prototype to a foundry to get it cast in iron. No multiple castings to correct a problem, one print, one cast and done.

There was a company that was 3d printing AR15 lower receivers in what's called 80% state. The areas you were supposed to drill out were a different color of plastic, so that you could tell exactly how much to remove. BATF poo-poo'd that idea, declaring it to be a completed receiver (and therefore required a whole lot more paperwork and restrictions on shipping).

Again, the limit is the resolution of the printer. Sadly, a Form1 is insufficiently accurate. 300 microns is 0.3mm, and that is too large for most sculpted details in 28mm (at least if you're talking Infinity mini quality.)

Fabulous discussion! I feel like I'm reading stuff from a scifi novel….

Lion, I've come across all-up AR lowers for free download. If printed at home, no transfers are involved and they're treated no differently from any other homemade firearm. If I had a printer, I'd be tempted…

guys just asking
given that a lot of guys are getting into 3d printing making and buying across the various boards ,kinda hard to keep track of all that's happening in this area
is there a 3d printing board here, that I am not aware of

Back in April I went on a tour of Exhibit Central which is the main exhibit building department for the Smithsonian Museums.

They have two 3-D printers one of which prints in color. In a nearby room designers using special software can design anything that can fit in the machines. Reminded me of using a CnC machine. They can also scan a 3-D object and the printer will reproduce it.

They were able to reproduce a fossil that looked exactly like the original. They showed examples of figurines from about 28mm to 54mm and they looked amazing.

The prices are still high but are coming down very quickly and the quality is getting better. It won't be long before you can afford to have one of these in your home. I wonder what the implications are for figure manufacturers.

It also made me think of those replicator machines you see on Star Trek.

The printed AR lowers are a bit soft. A friend of mine has one, he's since replaced it. His was just soft enough that the various pins and spring-loaded parts really needed to have bushings or other metal parts installed, and that's just an epic pain in the butt to do.

Might be adequate for general shooting, but not for competition or life-depends-on-it applications.

@Wardog: Not sure if there's a 3d Printing board…

Queen, I agree with you. If I was starting a pre-dread or WW1 collection now, I'd be going with this new line of WTJ plastic prints. As it is, I'll be buying some WTJ plastics to fill gaps in my 1:2400 scale WW1 collection when the specific models that I need are added to the WTJ line.

True that the Hindenberg looks nice. Note however, that the image is of a 1/2400 model which is no better looking than the GHQ or CinC metal versions, has fixed-in-place turrets, and is presumably (if same material as Shapeways FUD) made of less durable and less bend-able material. The latter would be important if (like FUD) they warp.

Mark

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My experience with FUD is that, yes, they can be bent (I heated mine a bit first). However, you have to "over-bend", because they partially return to their original warped state after a few days. Thus it requires a bit of guesswork as to how much "over-bending" is needed.

However, given that you seem to be more the gamer type rather than the model-making type, perhaps a minor degree of hull warp won't bother you.

MH

I'm not impressed with the ability of 3-D printers to cope with undercuts, yet.

I'm not impressed with the ability of 3-D printers to cope with undercuts, yet.

How so? They handle undercuts quite well, to the point where you can print one shape inside another. Look at this 1/4800 French carrier:

Mark

Note that War Times Journal has a full guarantee against warpage. Jim at WTJ wrote the following to me on July 6:

BTW, I've noticed some discussion of warpage and RP models on TMP, and I wanted to make sure you know that WTJ has a full guarantee against warpage (amongst other things). Basically, if you get any ships that are warped, let me know and I'll refund/replace them – free. Given our shipping volume it is possible that something like that might happen (Warpage is to RP models what parting lines and voids are to pewter castings). But I'm very confident of our process and have no problems replacing anything someone is not comfortable with (which has not happened since I started selling these – and that's a lot of ships sold).