3D printed ships in 6mm to 30mm "scale"

[Colonel Kilgore]

Duncan, you might be interested in this little project:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/eslo/3d-printable-ships-and-accessories-stl-files

For a mere €335, they chuck in the printer itself along with all the files...

[martin goddard]

Wow, the future. Mark has a 3D printer. Very clever stuff. I am going to wait a few years and see the definition increase. I assume 3D will follow a similar "curve" to other technologies. Remember dot matrix printers and microwaves?
3D printing is galloping forwards.

[Colonel Kilgore]

Martin, maybe you will be able to sell us scans of your masters, that we can print at home to save on postage?

Even better if we find a way for the different-coloured fluxes to "pre-paint" the figures.

As you say, probably some way off though, and will probably never have the "heft" of lead nor the character of hand-sculpted models

[martin goddard]

We live in interesting times!

[Duncan]

I did see that there is a 28mm pirate game just out, can't recall its name but the ships are like £100.00 each. I did note though that Old Glory do some in ,15mm that are reasonably priced. Not sure what the quality is like but their stuff usually seems OK to me. I think they are done by Blue Moon and just sold through the OldcGlory UK website?

[Leslie BT]

Amazing what can now be done at home.

The time and effort is in the modelling, Martin's been there and found out how involved it is.

[Duncan]

I am not sure I have the knowledge to do 3d printing. Don't you have to know some sort of super complicated CAD programme to facilitate it? I guess it is a good deal though for those who know how and want lots of ships in various scales.

[Leslie BT]

The printing is really simple and not silly money and the materials for printing are very cheap, cheaper than other printing consumables for ink or lazer printers.
The printers are around £300-£400 come ready assembled, just do all the things you would normal do with a new printer. There is nothing technical.

The production of the *.STL file from a model does need some work.  If you go here https://www.tinkercad.com/ you can start to build your model.

The biggest hurdle to get over is the concept of 3D.  You have to get used to building the model with an input devise, mouse works well.

But the model is complete as you build it and add extra details. And learn how to manipulate the model to allow you work on the bits you want to.  Give it a go if you have time and patience.

You can build the model full size, half size, or any other.  You will set a scale to make the output object.

[Duncan]

Is it expensive? It wants me to create an account but does not seem to have any information about cost etc that I can look at fist?

[Leslie BT]

Tinkercad is free.

[Duncan]

I had a look at tinkercad and tried to work through the examples but I have to say that it is not that intuitive and the controls did not seem to do what I was expecting. It is not the 3d'ness as I am used to music L-draw and similar, just that I could not figure out what did what. I am sure it is simple though once it has been explained by a real person.
Maybe if these printers take off in a big way in a few years the colleges in the area might run courses on similar software? We will no doubt see. Hopefully.

[Leslie BT]

I agree Duncan, having worked for twenty years with 3D computer software it is almost to simple. I spent an evening trying to make some sensible wheels very difficult. In the software I am used to I could make them in an hour.