"An experiment in print quality" Topic

With some time off for the holiday I decided to try to get the best quality print and the fastest print on a 1/56 Panther G. Using my Prusa Mk3 I set up a print at Ultradetail, .05 layering, with supports where it overhangs the build plate. I then took the same file and printed it at Fast mode, .20 layering with the same print parameters. The ultradetail took 49.25 hours to print, the fast model 10.5. I did no smoothing or sanding. Both where finished with a spray of white primer then a couple of coats of Tamiya Dark Yellow spray.

Below are the results:

The one on the left is the Ultradetail. The hull mounted MG broke off on both when I was removing the supports. If you look carefully you will see more pronounced layering on the curved pieces of the fast model. But overall I was impressed by the lower quality piece given the difference in print times. Given my relatively low level of painting skill, by the time I put on a camo pattern the differences will be negligible. I am currently printing a PzIV at 1/56 in fast mode to see if a different model shows more differences.

I will probably still print smaller models at a finer quality but it is good to know I can crank out some big 'uns in a quick time.

Those both look pretty good.

Your main gun barrels turned out nicely too, which seems to be difficult for some to do.

For the MG, I'd just stick a bit of appropriately sized brush bristle there, or a MG barrel, depending upon the scale.

The glacis plates and mantlets look nice too.

I can see a little of the concern on the front fenders, but it looks tolerable, especially if you do a little sanding, and spray priming before painting.

If you applied zimmerit on the Panthers and other vehicles, I suspect you wouldn't notice any striations at all, or that could be chalked up to the rough paste being applied to the exterior.

The trick on barrels I have learned is to print them on end with the barrel straight up. Just needs a sufficient brim to ensure it does not come off ghe build plate

They look much better than the models I see advertised here nearly every day.

Well done.

What "D A" said. Very nice.

Looks great. Where do you get your files?

49 hours, eh?
Let me get my checkbook.

The files are on Thingiverse. Mostly Bergman's but also some Tiger Ace.

Yes I am not going to be doing any ultradetail prints of large vehicles. Fast is good enough. I will be saving the detail runs for small pieces.

I have to agree 0,2 mm layer thickness seems OK for 1/72 models. What few we have done at this size and it's very few, have been at this thickness. I have not done any big models using Simplify 3D but would expect the quality would improve over our baseline standard which was pretty good. It would also help as it's supports are much better implemented.