3D Printing

[MadMan1701A]

Hey guys... It's been a while.

I've been busy with my new FlashForge 3D printer lately... basically, it's a clone of the original Makerbot 3D printer.

After about 2 weeks of messing with it, I was able to figure out how to modify some of my 3D models to print.

I started with my "Prime Alternative" Enterprise model, and I think it came out well.

It's a total of 8 different parts, superglued together.

I just printed a second copy, with a few more refined details that I am going to paint and finish nice.

-Ricky

 

[sojourner]

That's cool! how big a model were you able to create?

Eta: more questions

how much did you have to simplify the detail on the cg models to work with the printer? What file type does it work with? Are you taking requests? How much do you charge?

 

[Q2UnME]

Yes, I'll chime in too.

Looks to be, judging by the poster size, bigger than 1/1000th. scale. Did you manage to get it up to 18" long like the first TOS model? How much fine detail are you able to do on this type of printer?

How much for the parts and peices? I want to build one! Forbin Would like to kitbash - he'll need 12!

Super cool .... so jealous...

Q2UnME

 

[Ryan8bit]

Awesome model. I know that there is tons of Star Wars 3D printed stuff, but I never seem to see any for Star Trek.

I liked the "scrapped" one in the background. I'm assuming you snap all the pieces together then? That would certainly get around the issues of a small printer, although the seams might look a bit odd up close.

 

[MadMan1701A]

That's cool! how big a model were you able to create?

Eta: more questions

how much did you have to simplify the detail on the cg models to work with the printer? What file type does it work with? Are you taking requests? How much do you charge?

This one is about 11 inches long. I was trying to match sizes with the Polar Lights 1:1000 kit. I'm about 1/8th inch shorter that that, but it's close enough.

I didn't really simplify much, the Makerbot Makerware software does most of that. I did have to exaggerate the phaser banks and stuff like that, so that they would show up. The resolution isn't high enough for grid lines and stuff like that, though.

I am planning on taking requests, and I will eventually have some kits available. E-mail or PM me and we'll figure something out.

Yes, I'll chime in too.

Looks to be, judging by the poster size, bigger than 1/1000th. scale. Did you manage to get it up to 18" long like the first TOS model? How much fine detail are you able to do on this type of printer?

How much for the parts and peices? I want to build one! Forbin Would like to kitbash - he'll need 12!

Super cool .... so jealous...

Q2UnME

Hehe. I'll probably work up to something that big, but I was trying to avoid cutting the saucer up too much. That's really my limitation on size. 1/1000 is a pretty popular scale, though.

I don't know about selling this version of the Enterprise as a kit... I'll have to ask my partner Rick if that's OK, since I built it for him.

Awesome model. I know that there is tons of Star Wars 3D printed stuff, but I never seem to see any for Star Trek.

I liked the "scrapped" one in the background. I'm assuming you snap all the pieces together then? That would certainly get around the issues of a small printer, although the seams might look a bit odd up close.

Well, the one in the background is the little Polar Lights model I was using as reference. This one is pretty simple... I've just glued the parts together flush. When I finish one, I'm using joint filler to fill in the gaps, and I'll sand them smooth.

More later guys... If the weather would warm up outside, I could start painting.

-Ricky

 

[Ptrope]

That looks fantastic! I might want to compare notes - I got one of those for my birthday in November, and the biggest question I have is one of scaling - I haven't been able to find documentation that states how I can set up a file so that if I want to print something exactly 1.5" long, for example, my measurement in the file (I design in Lightwave) needs to be a specific dimension (I discovered that I need to enlarge my LW files 40x in order to have them printed the size I want from Shapeways ).

Congrats on the printer - are you using support material as your second 'color?' I just ordered a spool of HIPS that I hope will get here soon .

 

[Patrickivan]

You

Lucky

Wonderful

Man!

I tried to get my insignia designed ship printed at shapeways, but couldn't reduce my dimensions enough to get it to the 1/2500 i wanted.

 

[MadMan1701A]

That looks fantastic! I might want to compare notes - I got one of those for my birthday in November, and the biggest question I have is one of scaling - I haven't been able to find documentation that states how I can set up a file so that if I want to print something exactly 1.5" long, for example, my measurement in the file (I design in Lightwave) needs to be a specific dimension (I discovered that I need to enlarge my LW files 40x in order to have them printed the size I want from Shapeways ).

Congrats on the printer - are you using support material as your second 'color?' I just ordered a spool of HIPS that I hope will get here soon .

Awesome. I did a lot of reading in the Flashforge Google Group before I started doing any printing, and decided my best bet was to use Makerware, and the official Makerbot firmware on it. A lot of people are running custom firmware and stuff, but I didn't want to mess with any of that.

What I've been doing, when I build the object in Blender, is that I use one Blender Unit as an inch. When I import it into Makerware, it converts the units and scales it correctly. If you design it in Millimeters, Makerware fixes it automatically.

I've been just using the single extruder... I found that the second extruder can touch the print sometimes, and mess it up. I ended up putting in a shim to raise it up slightly.

HIPS dissolves in water, right? I wonder how long it has to sit for it to dissolve totally.

You

Lucky

Wonderful

Man!

I tried to get my insignia designed ship printed at shapeways, but couldn't reduce my dimensions enough to get it to the 1/2500 i wanted.

If you want to e-mail me the model, I'll see if it's possible. 1/2500 is pretty small, though.

-Ricky

 

[wildstar]

Wouldn't it be cheaper to use the print as a master (sanded and smoothed), and make a mold from it? Then use the mold to make as many copies as you'd like?

 

[MadMan1701A]

Not sure... these things are only using about $1 worth of plastic, if that.

And, I wouldn't be able to say that the kits are custom 3D printed.

-Ricky

 

[3danim8d]

Awesome!!

 

[Ensign Ro-]

Very, very cool! Great...another toy to add to the wish list. ;-)

 

[1701TPA]

Again Ricky... Awesome Job Partner
...and remember, John did promise me our Prime Alternative SFX Physical 350 scale will be completed before our 4 year Anniversary of the PA design project in May; and will have our Con Exhibition Base and our PA SFX Class-F Shuttle (12") will both be ready for Comic-Con San Diego this summer!!!

PA Exhibition Con-Base with active video screen animations, above, also designed by Ricky "MadMan" Wallace and Rick Carthew

 

[Forbin]

Yes, I'll chime in too.

Looks to be, judging by the poster size, bigger than 1/1000th. scale. Did you manage to get it up to 18" long like the first TOS model? How much fine detail are you able to do on this type of printer?

How much for the parts and peices? I want to build one! Forbin Would like to kitbash - he'll need 12!

Super cool .... so jealous...

Q2UnME

 

[Shawnster]

Are the pieces hollow or solid?

 

[1701TPA]

Hey check this out... someone just posted the complete deleted scenes of Marcus's Office; with the full pan of a TOS style connie, looking like a twelve foot model, hanging from his ceiling !!!
>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnVWUce3FHQ

Check it out before its pulled down by JJ Paramount ... ; )

 

[sojourner]

I can see why they'd cut that. It would confuse quite a few people.

 

[Forbin]

Hey check this out... someone just posted the complete deleted scenes of Marcus's Office; with the full pan of the TOS Enterprise, twelve foot model, hanging from his ceiling !!!
>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnVWUce3FHQ

Check it out before its pulled down by JJ Paramount ... ; )

That's not the 12 foot model (which is actually 11' 2" long, and is in the Smithsonian); it's a CGI model, and there are some detail differences and a different name.

 

[Shat Happens]

This is awesome beyond awesome (on the topic of MadMan1701A's 3d printed Enterprise)

I think that's exactly, EXACTLY the way to do an old project of mine: The Starship in a Bottle.

So far, I have a bottle.

 

[1701TPA]

Hey check this out... someone just posted the complete deleted scenes of Marcus's Office; with the full pan of a TOS style connie, looking like the twelve foot model, hanging from his ceiling !!!
>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnVWUce3FHQ

Check it out before its pulled down by JJ Paramount ... ; )

That's not the 12 foot model (which is actually 11' 2" long, and is in the Smithsonian); it's a CGI model, and there are some detail differences and a different name.

ahhhh... DAAAAHH!! < correction made >

now back to madmans awesome "3d printed prime alternative enterprise" model

>>> http://madshipyard.com/ThePrimeAlternative/ <<<