"Advice needed on 3d printing a wagon stl" Topic

I posted this on the 3d printing board but I'm putting it here too in the hope that someone spots it and can give me an answer:

Years (sadly, but better late than never) since this info request [about finding a wagon stl] I am finally preparing to print some of the wagons I posted the image of to start this thread.

My collection is mostly Old Glory 15s (with a few other compatible figures mixed in. The kickstarter website says this:

The initial modelling scale is 20/22mm.
But the files are optimized to downscale them to 15mm or upscale them to 28mm.
15mm = 73% (0.73 in Cura)
28mm = 127% (1.27 in Cura)

I feel like about 80% would be right but I'm not sure. Does anyone have any experience of this, or is there somewhere I can be pointed to that shows other conversion scales?

Thanks,
John

The problem is that 15mm/20mm etc are not scales as such. If you convert them to 1/100 and 1/76 I guess you'd come up with those conversion numbers. But 1/100 is a fairly small 15mm figure (because scale creep) so nudging up to 80% seems reasonable. If you have your own printer I'd say try it and see; if you have to pay someone to print it then I'd get someone who can do the maths properly to advise.

Thanks. That's all the info the website gave unfortunately. We have a filament printer at the library where I work so I'll print it there. That isn't really a problem – filament cost only. And there is the fact that wagons and boats wouldn't all be identical so if the scale isn't perfect it won't matter too much. I just don't want to be way out.

Cheers,
John

Scales are all over the place so I would look at your figures and any other wagons or conveyances you have and size to what looks right.

Unlike a Sherman tank wagons were built in all kinds of sizes, and might even change size over their working life as people modified them. So you're not aiming for a specific size.

Along with that, we all know there is a lot of variation among miniatures supposedly of the same scale.

Since this is a small item and print time is not really significant, I would calculate a size, perhaps cut it out of paper and put it next to one of the minis it will play alongside, and once you have that guess print that, along with one 10% smaller and 10% larger all in one go. Then compare, see what you like, do another trial run if you like, then print two dozen. Trial and error is *so* cheap and you want something that feels right to you.

The one thing to watch out for in scaling minis is how parts fit together. I generally leave 0.2mm gap if want a wheel to slide onto an axle, etc. If you shrink wheel and axle down by 50% that gap just became 0.1mm and it may be tough to get the wheel on. That's easy to fix with a round hole, but if you have more complex ways pieces fit together you'll want to think about that and test specifically for that.

Good luck!

Andrew's method works.

I am doing similar project with some Wargames Atlantic figures. While their scale is not listed, it looks to be 32mm. Way to big for 28mm. I have printed full scale and 85% and leaning toward 90%.

Thanks very much for the advice Andrew, and the endorsement Micman. I'll give that idea a go. I did think I'd have some wiggle room with the wagon for the reason you gave. You've given me more confidence to go ahead.

Cheers,
John

Universally scale the items so no issues. Measure or enter the dimensions of how big you want it to be. If the wagon is say 25mm long to proper scale you can just enter that length in SCALE setting. As long as you have used the default setting each other axis will scale to that setting. No math involved. If you want to do a % scale just divide the scale you want into the scale the file actually is and that will give you the percent you need to scale it to. So 22mm / 28mm=78.57%. I usually round it off.

Hth,

John

Thanks John Leahy.

Cheers,
John