1/32 3D Printed Cessna A-37B Dragonfly

[BloorwestSiR]

1 hour ago, Out2gtcha said:

I am hoping the actual clarity of the 3D printed clear parts is markedly improved from the pics. 

 

I'm currently working on a kit with a 3D printed canopy. I used some Godhand sanding sponges to polish it, starting with 1000 grit up to 8000. I then dipped it in Looks like Glass from Deluxe Materials.

 

Here's the results on the right, the rear part is on the left and has yet to be polished. 

 

 

Carl

[LSP_Kevin]

That's an outstanding result, Carl!

 

Kev

[BloorwestSiR]

Thanks Kev! I too was a bit wary of the frosted clear canopy in the kit (Joycraft F-16 Toon Viper) but decided it was worth trying out polishing it. It definitely worked out and only took about 5 minutes of wet sanding before I dipped it. I did both inside and outside on the canopy. 

 

Carl

[CRAZY IVAN5]

1 hour ago, BloorwestSiR said:

Thanks Kev! I too was a bit wary of the frosted clear canopy in the kit (Joycraft F-16 Toon Viper) but decided it was worth trying out polishing it. It definitely worked out and only took about 5 minutes of wet sanding before I dipped it. I did both inside and outside on the canopy. 

 

Carl

I'm going to have to score some of those sponges. I currently use wet or dry sand paper from 600 to 12,000 which works but I'm thinking the sponges will work better[ conforms to curves better]. Excellent results by the way!

[BloorwestSiR]

3 hours ago, CRAZY IVAN5 said:

I'm going to have to score some of those sponges. I currently use wet or dry sand paper from 600 to 12,000 which works but I'm thinking the sponges will work better[ conforms to curves better]. Excellent results by the way!

Godhand makes a set that comes in 3 different thicknesses so they're easy to handle and the set was fairly inexpensive too.  

 

 

 

Carl

[Hubert Boillot]

11 hours ago, LSP_Kevin said:

The problem with clear UV resins is that they always turn cloudy when you cure them - which is an essential step in the process. They always come off the printer looking magnificent, but when you cure them, it's usually game over. And it's very difficult to get that clarity back, and I'm not sure how dipping the part in uncured clear resin would help, as you still have to cure it again.

 

Kev

The process actually allows to smooth out the « edges » of the voxels, which create the haziness post-curing. So it re-creates a smooth layer, like when it’s coming out of the printer, and keeps the clarity after another post-curing. I tried, and it works …

 

Hubert

Edited February 5 by Hubert Boillot

[John1]

4 hours ago, Hubert Boillot said:

The process actually allows to smooth out the « edges » of the voxels, which create the haziness post-curing. So it re-creates a smooth layer, like when it’s coming out of the printer, and keeps the clarity after another post-curing. I tried, and it works …

 

Hubert

Any info out there on how long the clarity of the part will remain, post-polishing?  Wondering if this material is susceptible to yellowing or reverting back to it's cloudy state over an extended time.

[Out2gtcha]

Don't get me wrong, that was no dig at 3D printing on my part, as if the kit comes to fruition to a point where I can buy one I definitely will be.

 

I just know that modern technology makes new tool kits a bit pricey, and I would hope that one wouldn't have to put in that much effort on a brand new kit.

 

I myself have a couple nice sets of 1,000 - 12,000 grit sanding clothes, as well as the Novus polishing set/system that works awesome on clear IM and resin; I just didn't want to have to invest that kind of effort off the bat on a new kit.

[Out2gtcha]

15 hours ago, BloorwestSiR said:

 

I'm currently working on a kit with a 3D printed canopy. I used some Godhand sanding sponges to polish it, starting with 1000 grit up to 8000. I then dipped it in Looks like Glass from Deluxe Materials.

 

Here's the results on the right, the rear part is on the left and has yet to be polished. 

 

 

Carl

 

Bout time there was something specifically for dipping canopies and windscreens!

 

While Johnsons does work OK, I always thought there should be a product that was made for that purpose.

 

Just bought myself a jar....thanks Carl!

[Landrotten Highlander]

I contacted the company via their website.  Came back within hours with an answer.

Kit will be produced in an on-demand manner (i.e. place the order, kit will be produced.)

They ave me a quote for $200.00 including shipping to the UK ($144 without shipping). If you live elswhere best to contact them directly.

Edited February 5 by Landrotten Highlander

[Hubert Boillot]

5 hours ago, John1 said:

Any info out there on how long the clarity of the part will remain, post-polishing?  Wondering if this material is susceptible to yellowing or reverting back to it's cloudy state over an extended time.

Yellowing is an issue of UV resistance of the resin. You have to choose carefully which clear resin you use, as some will yellow more than others, including in the curing process. This said, I have seen some yellowing of clear resin, after a long curing time (operator’s error), which « cleared up » after a few days (read, « not as yellow »).

 

As for the cloudiness, it’s an optical issue, which appears after the washing, and before the curing (even if the part appears clear after washing, this is due to the thin alcool layer sticking the the parts). In fact, the successive layers, with the rectangular pixel shape, creates a volume made of a multitude of small cubes. Imagine a giant part of Lego bricks, staggered in 3 axes. When washed and cured, the light is diffracted among these many cubes, and this produces the « hazy » appearance. The extra layer of clear resin smoothes out the surface, and the light diffraction is altered, restoring the apparent transparency. In fact, you would probably keep the transparency if you cured the clear parts without washing them …

All this to say, a transparent part should stay transparent, with the caveat that, depending on the resin, you may get some yellowing over time.

 

HTH

 

Hubert

Edited February 5 by Hubert Boillot

[Stefano]

4 hours ago, Landrotten Highlander said:

I contacted the company via their website.  Came back within hours with an answer.

Kit will be produced in an on-demand manner (i.e. place the order, kit will be produced.)

They ave me a quote for $200.00 including shipping to the UK ($144 without shipping). If you live elswhere best to contact them directly.

Could you please share the company website contact?

Thx in advance!

 

Stefano

[Out2gtcha]

That would be nice....

Ive had a hell of a time trying to find thir website.

 

TIA!

[Kagemusha]

Just now, Out2gtcha said:

That would be nice....

Ive had a hell of a time trying to find thir website.

 

TIA!

 

Me too, found their Bird Dog listing on Scalemates, but unusually no link to the manufacturer, and trying to find the website for models USA, proved impossible...

[Out2gtcha]

1 hour ago, Kagemusha said:

 trying to find the website for models USA, proved impossible...

 

Exactly