3d Printing take 2

[bluesteel]

After getting bogged down with constructing a fully homebuilt RepRap Prusa 3d Printer when I found I didn't have the correct number of motors and other electronic mismatches, I thought I'd have another go.

I have now taken delivery of the new Velleman K8200 3d Printer sold via Maplins. This has all the parts required and good assembly instructions. It also supposed to be faster and looks more robust than the RepRap. So hopefully it won't be too long before I can start printing my own model parts as I had originally intended. I will get around to finishing the RepRap, but at least I'll have something to print with in the meantime. Photos to follow

[Stamford]

It had to come! Not sure Uncle Airfix is too happy about these - wonder what the impact on our little world will be?

[Wookie13]

At that price I won't be buying one yet!

[despondman]

Very interesting. Too costly for me too, but not as expensive as I expected. Will be interested to see how you get on with it.

[AndrewR]

It had to come! Not sure Uncle Airfix is too happy about these - wonder what the impact on our little world will be?

Until the price of the printer and the raw materials comes down, then I don't think it will hit the budget end of the market. I can see resin and limited run plastic kits coming under some pressure though. You still have to do the cad drawings and research etc, so that fixed cost will still be there. The printers are pretty slow, so it's much faster to churn out kits from an injection mould machine.

Plus there are advantages - you can modify the model if some bits don't fit properly, so I can see it being much more common to have "editions" of the kit, with the later ones being modified by customer feedback. It will also be easier to make multiple variants too.
Added to that, there will be much more "print on demand", so "Special Editions" can be run off quickly.

I'd be interested to see some photoetch items printed in plastic (instrument panels and the like) - they can be better than etch because of the 3D effect. Tank tracks and zimmerite finish are other obvious aftermarket product. Small bits like wheels and props are other items which I'd expect to appear soon.

Cheers

Andrew

[bluesteel]

I'm starting to think of model related bits to print. Conversion parts seem a good place to start. Extra large wing tanks for the early RAF version of the Neptune for a start, as I had to make those from balsa and I'm sure they would be relatively easy to print.

If anyone has any suggestions and I think viable I'm happy to give them a try once I get it up and running.

[PaulBradley]

Very interesting.

I'd say you should look through your RAF 1977 kits and see if there's anything that might need improving, or additions. An example I can think of is the old Airfix Canberra - the nose was really badly shaped, and the Aeroclub resin correction is no longer available.

[JohnRatzenberger]

My "vision" for these things ....

Once the price comes down, some/many modelers might afford to have one but would not have the requisite skills to actually design their own parts, in particular to the level of detail desired for a replacement part.

So, the "new aftermarket" industry is the selling of patterns/drivers, that is data, for the modelers/printers to generate a part. On the "simplest" level, think an Aeroclub or Quickboost style operation - single part, single small driver file. At a more complex level, think of a CMK, Aires, Eduard and finally look at major conversions such as from Accurate Armor, Resicast, etc .... where you get a large software/data package ... At some point, then look for aftermarket "integration" modules that will enable the mix/match and correction/change of separate packages .... Kits will be a long way off but again the market will be the data to create a kit, not a 3D printed kit itself ....

[AndrewR]

I could see a small aftermarket company running a "print on demand" service. That way there would be no need to keep a large inventory of parts. They could fulfill the role Aeroclub used to - supply alternate propellors, engines, wheels, stores and then move on to more complicated stuff. I'd also love to see if you could print link and length tracks in 1/76 scale to replace dire rubber ones



One thing with the 3D printing is that it's done in layers, so you are likely to get a slightly rough, grainy surface, not as smooth as injection moulded plastic. It's likely that some sanding will be needed.

Cheers

Andrew

[bluesteel]

One of the limitations I want to explore is as Andrew mentioned the layering effect of these current home-brew 3d printers. I got the Velleman K8200 as it's advertised as having a greater fidelity than the basic RepRap, with a 0.5mm and a heated plate which means layers should be finer and might even merge a little, but fine smooth surfaces straight from the printer are out of the question at the moment, parts will need sanding smooth. So I'll have to manufacture everything slightly over-scale to sand down to the right accuracy. Also this means panel lines will be virtually impossible (except if a scriber can somehow be attached alongside the print head).

But for conversion parts I think it may have some promise. The Canberra nose for the Airfix Canberra is a good example as Paul mentioned, also noses for Defiant and Battle (although there are the good Valiant Wings resin parts still available at the moment). So I'll be growing a steady list of things I can try once I get it running and calibrated. I think it'll also be useful for scenery and diorama parts for both modelling and war-gaming which will be useful too.

[AndrewR]

Stowage for AFVs would be good, and might not need sanding - it should have some texture.

Also instrument panels should be okay - basically a layer or two for the base, with the instrument bezels as a layer on top.

[Lyell72planes]

Years ago I had a co-worker make two replacement parts for a vintage
Airfix kit I was building using the company's 3D printer. I was happy
just to have replacement parts but the type of plastic and the layered
moulding took away from the model. Lyell

[SJPONeill]

My "vision" for these things ....

Once the price comes down, some/many modelers might afford to have one but would not have the requisite skills to actually design their own parts, in particular to the level of detail desired for a replacement part.

So, the "new aftermarket" industry is the selling of patterns/drivers, that is data, for the modelers/printers to generate a part. On the "simplest" level, think an Aeroclub or Quickboost style operation - single part, single small driver file. At a more complex level, think of a CMK, Aires, Eduard and finally look at major conversions such as from Accurate Armor, Resicast, etc .... where you get a large software/data package ... At some point, then look for aftermarket "integration" modules that will enable the mix/match and correction/change of separate packages .... Kits will be a long way off but again the market will be the data to create a kit, not a 3D printed kit itself ....

To sustain the business model, this could allow to to purchase a number (one or more) parts and direct print them...once you have printed out as many as you have bought licenses for, your license expires...direct printing i.e. where you can not save the file is becoming more popular to protect the IP of paper models.

The risk will come as 3D scanning technologies start to match those for 3D printing and the challenge will be the deterrence of pirates without the onerousness of Microsoft-like digital rights management...

[PaulBradley]

Here's an interesting article from BBC News today:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-23795303;

[AndrewR]

Here's an interesting article from BBC News today:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-23795303;

Interesting, but don't rush out and buy one - I dread to think what the mark-up on that thing is, but the component cost will be $10 at most...

It would be interesting to see how well it would scan and reproduce some kit parts - propellers, or wheels for instance.

Cheers

Andrew