"I am getting old!" Topic

I am not one for 1/72 scale games, but some in the club will only play 1/172 not 1/144. They are getting better so I wanted a few more Marder IFV's. My current 3 are Revell horrendous kits, far too many pieces for war games use and the cost is stupid £15.00 GBP+ inc postage. I remember not that long ago they were about £7.00 GBP, more expensive than the much more expensive than the Die cast pre-painted tanks available then. So no way I am paying that for a secondary scale.

I have AOTRS Shipyards 1/144 3D printed which are excellent so asked about a re-scale. A re scale involves upping the detail and making things like the guns nearer scale. A 1/144 gun it too big already but at the print limit. Scale it up by a factor of 2 and it's daft. I have seen it by folks who use the same model for different scales, it does not work well. Anyway a re scale is only about £15.00 GBP so then I can print my own. As I need 6 or 7 models this is a FAR cheaper option, probably less than £1.00 GBP each for the material and I will use 0.2mm layer height as opposed to 0.1 for the 1/144 models so won't take much longer to print.

For fun I will try and print one models at 0.1mm resolution on the Prusa and at least 1 on the Cheap Monoprice I3 mini at 0.2mm, like the rest on the Prusa if I can so we can have a comparison.

I would never touch a Revell Level 4 kit for wargaming. Those are display models for sure. It's got 161 parts! Here in the US I can get them for $20. USD Not too keen on spending $150. USD BTW I haven't done 1/72 armor gaming in over 15 years, and that was WWII at a reinforced platoon per side.

Doesn't anyone do stl files in 1/72 for them? I know the modeling world negatively likes to call it braille scale. Maybe a 1:48 or 1:35 to scale down? Scaling up a 1:100 might be better.

They must have giant tables. My mind conjures Team Yankee parking lots but at a larger scale. :-/

I dont think you're getting old if you can handle these new fangled printer thingies.
But yes the cost of a "proper kit" rather than a quick build can be scary.

Butlers Printed Models has a Marder if you want a printed one to look at.

15 pounds for a single tank?!? What are they Games Workshop?
I miss the days of cheap Matchbox and Airfix kits in 1/72, not fine scale but certainly close enough for wargaming. And sturdier than fine scale military models.

The option of having a 3D print rescaled and then printing off as many as you like sounds a much better deal.

You are not old, nor cheap. The words are experienced and thrifty. And I definitely agree with not wanting to spend a lot on side projects or secondary scale.

Dave Crowell, 15 pds is for the cost of an artist upscaling the design, adding details that would be left off the 1/144 scale and then selling that new file. Not bad price for a couple of hours of work for someone. UshCha gets the file for the sale he wants and can print as many as he likes.

Micman That is correct.

79thPA Yes they do but not that much cheaper £13.05 GBP. And they look like they are sintered nylon, like Shapeways. It's an extra £5.66 GBP in Resin, so as expensive as Revell if not more so. Also Resin can be less durable than FDM prints, I have no idea where Butlers are on the spectrum. It's personal preference, but I prefer FDM to sintered Nylon, the edges are crisper with FDM which for me outweighs the lines thing, that has never been an issue for me anyway.

In the end its far cheaper if you have a printer(s) and as now I can buy the STL's from AOTRS Shipyards for own use and print them myself it's the best option.

PS. Butlers are 1/76 models scaled up, but to be fair that will have a negligible effect on the level of detail.

Thingaverse has a 15mm one available or they did. I have a copy of the file. I do game in 1/72 and tend to hollow out the vehicles when possible. Makes them cheaper to print in resin. I will be selling all of Bergman's vehicles in 15mm and 1/72 scale. I have his approval and just need to get it all added to the site. I have printed over a 100 1/72 WWII and modern vehicles. 15mm probably the same amount. I belive my 1/72 vehicles will range from the 7 to 11 dollar range based on everything I have done so far. Resin vehicles are solid like a brick. Even the hollowed ones are good since there are very few fiddily parts on them.

Thanks

John

Check out Early War Miniatures. They 3D print and carry the Armorfast line in 1/72 or 20mm!

link

Shark Six Three Zero – Err forgot WW2 I mean cold war Marders, sorry.

15 pounds for the design work to produce the model you want seems cheap as chips. Artists are undervalued and under paid. And once you have that file you can print as many as you like. Just cost of materials if you have a printer. For me I'd have to send out to a printing service, but still can be a lot cheaper.

Yes, not a full design as the artist already has an accurate model at 1/144 so not too much work to convert it to 1/72 and look good.

The place I use will supply a printed version FDM or Resin. FDM is usually significantly cheaper (and better but that is personal opnion).

The lack of 1/72 STLs is not a big problem. You can take a 1/56 file and scale it 77.78% or take a 1/100 file and scale it 138.89%. You should not have issues with frail details in either direction.

You can find an abundance of free STL files for vehicles in 1/100 scale. Less so, but still a large number in 1/56.