1/18 scale Instytucie Szybownictwa IS-A Salamandra 53 3D printed / scratchbuilt model

[ssculptor]

The question of the use of 3d rapid prototyping in making a model is not a problem. It is here and as people learn the software and/or buy low cost machinery for producing the items (as the price goes down) it will become more popular.

If a person makes the three dimensional drawing on the proper software (Inventor, Solidworks, etc.) and then puts it into the 3D printer he has produced a scratch built kit just as in the old days when he drew his own plans on paper and cut all the parts out of balsa wood. I do not see the difference, other than the drawing paper/balsa wood process was a whale of a lot less expensive than buying the computer ($2,000USD) and the software ($4,000 USD) and then the printer with its software (???$ USD).

 

Also there is the time necessary for the learning the software and developing the skills necessary for doing the job. As to the time I'd judge that to be the same (maybe three months if working on it full time up to six months) for both drawing by hand and working with balsa making models VS learning the software and operation of the software and the printer. My judgment is based on my many years teaching board and computer drafting and making balsa models.

 

I do not consider it to be scratch building if he buys the 3D drawing from someone and has a service do the printing for him. Then he has bought a kit, pure and simple.

 

Any way it is done the end result will be a model. So why argue what name to put on it? The end result is the model. The creative and building processes may be a bit different, but so what?

 

This is a hobby meant for the enjoyment of the process by which the model becomes built. If a process yields some pleasure to the modeler it has served its purpose.

 

Stephen

[Nick_Karatzides]

Stephen,

 

I liked the way in which you set the origin of "scale modeling joy". My only objection is that someone could start trying on 3D CAD (for hobby scale modeling purposes), by investing less money than what you mentioned earlier. I started with much less, almost zero. Let me tell you how I did get involved with this "3D printing" situation:

• FIRST STEPS: Since I started building scale models at the age of 7, I always loved to build from zero. Scratchbuilding was so fascinating for me. The last hmmm... many years, I scratch only - OK, maybe not exclusively scratchbuilding, but pretty much. When I first learned about 3D printing technology few years ago, I immediatelly realized that this "tool" was about to become a great change for scale modeling, but never had the right oportunity to start exploring the story behind it. I started my quest on 3D printing world few months before, by studing user's manuals, tutorials & books found through the net or my local book store. I tried my first 3D designing attempts, using the basic CAD software and within a short time evolved, I became better and better every day. Now, I 'm able to operate more sophisticated e-tools & professional CAD software and I can design almost anything. If I was able to do it (with no special CAD studies), anybody can do it! If I managed to learn how to 3D design, improve, reconstruct & print my own models, in only few months period, anybody can also do it - possibly much better than me.
• SOFTWARE: Someone asked me which CAD software I use. Well, I'm not using one specific software only. Sometimes, creating a CAD file, requires cooperation of several programs. If you start using simple software you can usually buy cheap or even get for free, shortly you will surely become able to use more complicated software & create almost anything you like.
• HOW SMALL: Another question may arise is about the minimum size of the objects can be produced with nowdays 3D printers. For example, could this new technology be usefull for 1/48, 1/72 or smaller scale model builders? Well, as far as I know (I m not professional on 3D printing) and I hope I'm not wrong, the smallest size a comercial 3D printer can produce, is about 7/10 of a milimeter. So, if you like for example to build a part in 1/72 scale, calculate how thick / wide / long it is in reality, devide it by 72 and if result is more than 7/10 of a milimeter, I believe that yes, it could be 3D printed. Next step, is to create it virtualy as a CAD file.
• CAD FILES: Someone may wonder, where CAD files can be found, in order to use for printing. As you undertsand, when someone start his "career" as an amateur CAD designer, he may experiment with other people's CAD files, first. There are thousand of CAD files that can be found on internet for free or you can also buy from professional designers. The bad news are that CAD files are not neccessery 3D printable! I've seen some excellent CAD models that really took my breath away, but unfortunately, the vast majority of them were NOT 3D printable! Just because a talented CAD designer has managed to create a wonderfuli life alike CAD file for use in 3D animation, or a computer graphics based game or else, it doesn't actually means that this specific file can be 3D printed and be generated into a real life object! I will not go into technical details that may be tedious and boring, but this is precisely the greatest difficulty for a designer who creates a file to later become printable under the desired scale. To build from scratch a CAD file that can be later printed as an actual object, with accurate on scale volumetric proportions, is not rocket engineer ofcourse, but its not a piece of cake also.
• COPYRIGHT: As you understand, any CAD file is copyright of its own designer. If a designer accepts to provide files for free, go ahead. That, in simple words means that if you need any (printable or not printable) CAD file from other designer, you 'll have to ask his kind permission to use it OR buy it! In case that the original CAD designer accept to provide you free OR sell a CAD file, that means that you can ONLY use it for your own purposes only - NOT earn money from selling it. After all, its result of someone's hard work, isn't it?
• RESOLUTION: The thing is - as previously wrote - that the nowdays 3D printers are not perfect yet and may leave traces that look like finely ridged surface. Its a result from the resolution of the nozzle laying down the plastic, especially when no acrylic based polymers or V-cured acrylic plastics are used. These special matterials can print fine details, give a smooth & slightly shiny result, but for the moment, cost more. A direct analogy would be LASER printing VS offset litho! The early LASER printers did 300 dots per inch and you could see the ridges if you looked closely, but nowadays you would be very hard put to see jagged edges, even with a magnifying glass. I'm sure that in a few years - much earlier than we all think - the 3D products quality will be excellent and perfect mouldings will happen.
• FUTURE: We are in front of a new era for scale modeling. Anyone can have access to this CAD designing & 3D printing tool. But as you know, each tool may become "useful" or "useless", "necessary" or "nonessential", depending on the hand that operates it. What really concerns me, is not so much the introduction of 3D printers as a usefull application into scale modeling, but the possibility that some of the things we take for granted, might never be the same again. For example, it is very likely that the model kits you buy from your local hobby shop, will not continue exist in their present form any more. Have you ever thought, that future shopping will not include visiting your local hobby shop to pick your favorite model kit from the shelves? Have you ever thought, that it is likely to buy the 3D file online and later print it on our home 3D printer, wearing your 3D printed slippers & drinking your coffe into a 3D printed mug same time? Freaky huh?
• CONCLUSION: I don't really know if "...today, the prowess died..." as Spartan king Agesilaus said or if "...today, the scratch building died...". Maybe we could say that "...today, the scratch building was re-born...". Actually, scratch building might never disappear as long as there is someone out there, who prefers to get his fingernails dirty with paint & glue, than hitting a keyboard. And he 'll keep doing that even if the machine product will be much more detailed, perfectly accurate on scale & built within few minutes instead of weeks, months or even years. You know why? For the joy of creation! For the satisfaction to proudly say "...I built this unique piece...".

So, WTF we modelers actually need...?

• Need a part for your model? Print it!
• Need more parts? Print more parts!
• Need all kit parts? Print all parts!

Sky is the limit... 

 

 

As for the last, I believe that this 1/18 scale IS-A Salamandra model build, is the first whole 100% 3D printed model presented on public scale modeling forums, which consisting entirely & solely of 3D printed parts only, designed from the begining for this purpose. I 've read some WIP projects using some 3D printed parts for at least the last 2 years and I also have in mind few professionals who produce 3D printed accessories or even full kits for scale modelers. But, as far as I remember and as long as I read forums, never seen a fully 3D printed model before. Not an add-on, not an after market accessory, not a detail set. I'm talking about the whole 9 yards, from A to Z.

 

Regards,

Nick

Edited January 29, 2016 by Nick_Karatzides

[Nick_Karatzides]

Unlike the regular practice followed in my previous projects, in which I glued static grass & plants directly on ground untill filling the whole area, I decided to change for an easier and more appropriate method, taking into account the increased surface to be covered. To do so, I bought a 50x40 cm size green grass carpet, made by Busch which specializes mostly in train dioramas. The green grass carpet will be glued on the 10 mm thick sheet of balsa wood and will become the main substrate of a dense grass covered ground. Later, I plan to add more static grass & plants, to avoid the monotonous flat football field alike green pattern and make it look closer to reality.
 

 

Using scissors, I cut around the Busch's grass carpet, according to contour of the 10 mm thick balsa wood sheet. The grass carpet was secured in place with steel pins and glued onto balsa using water based white glue for wood, which becomes transparent when it dries. Once the process complete and the glue dried, the steel pins which kept the grass carpet nailed on balsa sheet, were carefully removed.
 

Edited July 18, 2018 by Nick_Karatzides

[Nick_Karatzides]

As previously stated, the scene supposed to takes place in Spring. Next job is to plant an additional static grass layer over the grass carpet. To do so, I used different colours of Heki static grass found at my local hobby shop. Heki, also specializes mostly in train dioramas. Someone might ask, why I had to apply the grass carpet first and then spread additional layer of static grass, rather than just settle for 2nd option only. The reason that I followed this tactic, is to ensure that the density of the grass would be satisfactory, such that the soil underneath, would not be visible. It could be arguable, that this tactic might be double work for nothing. Well, I only hope that the final result will worth the experimentation & risk taken.

 

So, I pick a small quantity of water based white glue, placed it into a small metal container, add just few drops of water with a syringe to make the right mixture and finally I applied on the desired areas to be filled with additional static grass & plants, using a wet brush. Because the mixture is enriched with water based glue, it is easy to correct possible mistakes.
 

No, this is not the final form of grass - be patient for next WIP updates. For the moment, I am watering the base twice a day, hoping the grass to grow soon.

Edited July 18, 2018 by Nick_Karatzides

[LSP_Kevin]

Very nice work as always Nick! Never a dull moment in your thread, and this diorama, simple though it may be, will really set your model off beautifully. Thanks for sharing your approach in such a detailed manner.

 

Kev

[Nick_Karatzides]

CHAPTER VII - Pole dancing

 

The windsock presented earlier, needed a pole to be placed on. I thought it would be a good idea to build the windsock pole to look like it's made of weathered wood, instead of some metal structure. To achieve the wanted effect, I used a 7.5 mm diameter wooden rod, which I managed to scribe with a wire brush, to obtain wood traces and look more realistic. Later, the radomly scribed wooden rod, repeatedly washed with diluted mixture of 5% "Raw Umber" oil colour and 95% White Spirit thinner, until get the desired tonality. Once the result was OK for me, I left it alone to dry for two days and then I tried some drybrushing with "Yellow Ochre" oil colour, to slightly tone up over selected areas that IMHO should look more enlightened. Finally, I sprayed over with hairspray - the cheapest I found at my local supermarket - to prepare the surface for paintscratching.
 

 

To paint the pole, I used the FS37925 "Matt White" and the FS31302 "Matt Red", available by Life Color as LC01 and LC06 acrylics, applied with a soft brush. I would say the pole is drybrushed more, than painted actually.
 

 

I left the red & white acrylic paint on windsock pole to dry for few hours and then I tried some paint scratching with an old toothbrush, previously moistened with water. The hairspray layer onto which the red & while acrylics had been dyed, began to dissolve and to drift along the overlying paintjob, giving the impression of weathering on wood pole. Additional details such as bolts were also placed and painted with the "Dark Rust", available by Vallejo as 302 acrylic. Rust stains and slimy grime streaking, later apllied on selected areas, using the "Light Rust Brown" & "Dark Rust" oil paints by 502 Abteilung & AK Interactive series and the "Slimy Grime Dark" & "Winter Streaking Grime", available by AK Interactive as AK026 and AK014 filters.
 

Edited July 18, 2018 by Nick_Karatzides

[Nick_Karatzides]

CHAPTER VIII - Terse abandonment

 

As previously wrote, my objective is to establish a scene of terse abandonment, without extreme features that could distract viewer's attention, keeping the glider as the main protagonist of the story. The addition of a deflated windsock and a couple of Marsden matting / PSP - Pierced Steel Planking plates, seemed good idea to me. The PSP plates, were used during WWII to lay down airstrips. These mats were large perforated steel sheets each measuring 300x30 cm and weighing around 30 kg. They quickly interlink and with a bulldozer for levelling and enough manpower for the laying, an airstrip could be created overnight. The post WWII years, farmers and home owners used them to build garden fences, pig sties, chicken coops, benches, improvised bridges & ramps or as reinforcing panels in concrete buildings.

 

 

As earlier described in detail. the windsock was built by Milliput putty. On the other hand, the PSP plates construction, would follow the 3D printing way. It took only 15 minutes of CAD work on my laptop and voilà, we have a winner! A new 1/18 scale PSP plate virtual model, is ready to be forwarded to the 3D printer and become an actual object, within few minutes only. As previously described, the file can be scaled up or down to reach the desired dimensions, with few mouse clicks only and later be 3D printed under any scale. Yes, I could scratchbuild some PSP plates with my own hands, using metal foil or by vaccumforming styrene sheet, but I would surely spend much more time. The easier, the better! Actually, I'm not really sure if the handmade result would be so accurate in scale or if I could possibly build it within few minutes only.

 

 

The material used for the 3D printing, is a white plastic (not rubber) that can be handled just like any other styrene part, but its surprisingly durable and incredibly flexible. Additionally, the side hooks on 3D printed PSP plates, can be used to interlink the parts - just like the real one.

 

Edited July 18, 2018 by Nick_Karatzides

[Nick_Karatzides]

The 3D printed PSP plates washed with liquid soap and warm water and sprayed over with Humbrol acrylic primer to spot any mistakes and prepare for painting. At first, I was planning to leave the PSP plates on ground and let the grass grow through the perforated sheet. Considering the dense green grass covering, I thought that it would be better idea to place them as a part of a rusty fence. The fact is that actual PSP plates do rust when left abandoned for long period of time and available photographs proove it. Since I had in mind to build these plates to look abandoned, I had no reason to avoid an overall rusty colour tones & weathered effects painting.
 

Edited July 18, 2018 by Nick_Karatzides

[Nick_Karatzides]

Replicating rusty metal, sounds like the Quest for the Holy Grail for an average scale modeler like me. Of course, the books, the videos and the tutorial seminars provided by famous scale model masters, helps a lot to understand some basic principles. Furthermore, the available tools & materials today, makes our life much easier. However, whenever I attempt to recreate rusty metal, I feel like a rookie and I'm never entirely satisfied with the result. In my attempt to recreate rusty PSP plates, I did use the Life Color's "Dust & Rust diorama" 6-pack set, of 22 ml bottles.

• Life Color UA701 "Rust Dark Shadow" acrylic,
• Life Color UA702 "Rust Base Color" acrylic,
• Life Color UA703 "Rust Light Shadow 1" acrylic,
• Life Color UA704 "Rust Light Shadow 2" acrylic,
• Life Color UA705 "Dust Type 1" acrylic and
• Life Color UA706 "Dust Type 2" acrylic.

The first thing I had to do, was apply a base colour on the PSP plates. For a base colour of steel plate I did use the FS3004 "Matt Burnt Umber" available by Life Color as LC37 acrylic.

 

 

Later, using a fine brush and the Life Color UA702 "Rust Base Color" acrylic, from the previously mentioned "Dust & Rust diorama" 6-pack set, I covered the area with irregular spots. What I noticed while using the Life Color's rust shades, is that although the paints appear to be bright in color, they dry darker and are a perfect match to the real thing.
 

Edited July 18, 2018 by Nick_Karatzides

[Nick_Karatzides]

The next two steps involve the use of the sponge technique to add the small chips, which will give visual interest to the base colour. To get best results, I did use a fine textured sponge like those used for packing of electrical items.
 

For the first colour, I chose the Life Color UA701 "Rust Dark Shadow" acrylic. For the second colour, I chose a rust tone that is brighter and lighter than the previous base colours. First dipped the sponge in the Life Color UA703 "Rust Light Shadow 1" acrylic, then remove the excess on a paper towel - otherwise it would end up with large blobs of paint on surface instead of a chipping effect.
 

Following, a dense oil paint filter should be applied. In this case, I did use "Vandyke Brown" available by Winsor & Newton, thinned with White Spirit thinner to a consistency between a filter and a wash. This would help to unify the previous effects and tones.
 

Edited July 18, 2018 by Nick_Karatzides

[Daywalker]

Nick- I find your work simply breath taking, you have a real talent for pushing the envelope WAAAAAY beyond what most of us would even consider the limit. This, paired with your equally impressive photos, make each post a joy to read. Thank you so much for sharing this with us!

[Nick_Karatzides]

Nick- I find your work simply breath taking, you have a real talent for pushing the envelope WAAAAAY beyond what most of us would even consider the limit. This, paired with your equally impressive photos, make each post a joy to read. Thank you so much for sharing this with us!

 

[non-building discussion ON]

 

In any case, I wouldn't like the following words to be considered as rudeness or ingratitude, but I would prefer if possible and complies with forum regulations, the fellow modelers answers and responses, be limited to matters relating to the construction methodology or any possible questions or recommendations about techniques have followed until now. My personal belief is that the forums are made for contacting each other and to learn & discuss productively on new techniques that could be useful to our hobby. Believe it or not, I don't like hearing compliment comments - what's the reason after all?. Flattery doesn't make me happy, that's why I never answer to any compliment comments. In no way I would consider myself as a highly skilled craftsman - I am just a moderate level scale modeler with same skills as many other person here. In fact, I'm sure there are much better and more talented scale modelers in this forum, than me. If I can build or paint a model, ANYBODY can, possibly much better and in a more realistic result, than me.

 

Having under consideration all of the above, I would kindly ask you therefore not to flatter me, because I could possibly get used to it and start behaving like a star - and that, wouldn’t be proper and nice. So, please from now on, do not say "...bravo...", "...congrats..." etc. Please do say "...this is not good...", "...you did it wrong...", "...it does not look nice...", so I could spot the mistakes that might escaped my attention and fix them ASAP.

 

[non-building discussion OFF]

[Guest Peterpools]

NIck

WOW! Just felt as if I journeyed to a completely new world and just came back to reality. Incredible, simply incredible

Keep 'em coming

:popcorn:

[scvrobeson]

Nick,

 

What did you use to thin the Lifecolor paint with? I can never seem to get it to airbrush properly? Or did you paint the base color right onto the PSP plate?

 

 

 

Matt

[Nick_Karatzides]

What did you use to thin the Lifecolor paint with?  I can never seem to get it to airbrush properly?  Or did you paint the base color right onto the PSP plate?

 

Matt 

 

@ Matt,

 

Many modelers have same difficulties on handling the LifeColor paints, but I am sure its result of not properly use. Once a fellow modeler who was struggling to get them through the airbrush, asked me if I filter the paints before spray or if just mix them directly from the jar.

 

Well, let me say that IMHO, the LifeColor paints could have surprising results, but would also require special handling in their use. After doing many tests, I concluded that LifeColor paints should always be used with LifeColor thinner ONLY, to have nice airbrush results. Anything else (water, alcohol, window cleaning liquid etc.) may cause problems (for example color dries quickly & blocks the airbrush nozzle). Although most modelers prefer spraying LifeColor paints undiluted (or with minimal thinner) I prefer to follow another tactic, adding more thinner such as 70%, 80% (or even 90% for some special purposes) depending what I'm planning to paint. I do this for two reasons:

• The obvious one is that in this way, the airbrush nozzle never blocks - even though I try to accomplish.
• The second and important (for me) reason is that in this way, I repeatedly apply multiple thin layers of paint that allows me to better control the tonality I want to succeed and that the shadows (usefull when apllying weathering effects) of an underlying color can be visible over the next layers of paint.

I know many modelers who hate LifeColor paints and so many others who are fanatic users. Each modeller chooses his tools and the techniques that best suit on his needs and the expected outcome he likes to see on models.

 

So, as for your question about what did I use to thin the Lifecolor paint with, the answer is that I always use the LifeColor thinner and I prefer to add more than enough. For example my first layer may be 40% paint and 60% thinner, which sounds too much for other type of paints. Also, I use low pressure on my aircompressor (could be 0.5 to 0.8) and I usualy spray "point blank" distance that may become even 1 or 2 cm from model. When the airflow pressure is such low, the paint does not create problems on models surface (such as wet effect) even if spray so close. As for paint transfering from jar into airbrush cup, I use an old brush, or a dropper, or a syringe etc.

Edited January 29, 2016 by Nick_Karatzides