Hole in the ground

With a fair amount of post processing, I've managed to get a couple of good superstructure pieces. More learning to be done I'm sure!

Yes, I'd like to think of myself as reasonably proficient at designing for FDM but SLA is another set of requirements. All good learning though.

Bonhoff, thanks for the response. Im not convinced that the funnel is an issue here. I've had a play with the supports (added about 5 times as many as originally) as well as upping the exposure time per layer by 25%. This seems to have produced a reasonably good tolerance part. But I am not sure that it is really necessary to have a support every mm. So I think there is still some more tweaking to be done.

Greetings all. I am having some issues with my prints and was wondering if I could borrow your combined wisdom and intellect. I am trying to create a model of Beardmore's (yes that one) Aviation Ship. Which should look something like this, when Im done: The part I am having issues with at the moment are the twin superstructures. Which should look like this: But are coming out like this: Has anyone got some hints on what I might be doing wrong and some tips to correct? Cheers

Hello all, I was wondering if anyone has a good source for human figures for crewing their creations. Ideally looking for ways to create the figures but a link to pre-existing ones would be good too. I've found MakeHuman and Poser. The Blender aspect of MakeHuman is a bit off-putting (learning cliff) and Poser is too many pennies (for me) for a niche aspect of the hobby. What are other people's approaches to this? Thanks

Already got one on order

@Seahawk thanks for the heads up on the reference, sounds like one I should have anyway!

Jure thanks, I have found those pages and that drawing already. If I cant find anything more definitive I may try to redraw my own based on the available drawings and photos.

All, Im looking for some drawings of the Vickers Venom. I've done a bit of a scour of t'interwebs but the best drawings that I've found so far are in my copy of Putnam's Vickers. Theres a few profiles about but they dont look to be particularly accurate. Is there a Vickers archive that I could try? Or does anyone have any other good source? Ta

Thanks Nigel, can I bug you again please? What orientation did you print the model and did you print the tracks separately? I keep looking at that picture you posted. The details are very impressive. Have you got a pick of it painted up?

Hello all, I am due delivery of my first FDM printer shortly (ender 5) and I already have a bunch of plans for what I want it to spit out first. Assuming that I get any teething troubles out the way and can get some consistent prints out Ill move onto more interesting prints. To that end I was wondering if anyone has any advice on CADing thing features like trailing edges for printing on an FDM. I think the way to do it will be to draw the trailing edge relatively thick to ensure that it doesnt under print and then sand back to the desired fineness. Does anyone have any other tips/approaches?

Indeed, I've never really managed to get a good looking NMF so will be interested to see how this one goes.

What nozzle size did you use for that? Was it the stock 0.4mm?

This is awesome work Inspired by this thread, I’ve had a quick bash at my own M52 Engine details are just TLAR And will be barely visible. But the rear bypass fan and reheat burners are interesting.

I have a preference for aesthetics of the two seater jags, so I’ll be interested in seeing this one come to life.

So I did look a bit too closely and the horizontal isn't squarely mounted between the fins or horizontal. And I have been humming and hawing about how to make the bullet fairings. So this happened: I don't have a printer but there is a company near me who aren't too extortionate. It is a very simple facsimile but as my first foray into 3d printing, I'm hoping it will suffice. If it goes well I may try to add some surface detail. I'm getting it printed on an SLA so it should be possible to resolve things like control surface gaps (might get the surfaces printed as separate objects), but I'll wait out on the success (or otherwise) of this print first.

Excellent, I do like the aesthetic of the Albatross. I didn’t realise there were any kits in 1/72. Will be following with interest

Tail feathers mounted. This seemed like a simplish step but getting everything to line up was a bit of a faff. I am reasonably happy with the results but I'm trying not to look too closely in case I spot something out of whack. Fit of the booms wasn't too great, one of them has been slightly undershot (shown above). The next challenge will be recreating the bullet fairings. I see more miliput in my future. Thanks for looking. Hopefully Ill have some more impressive* updates at some point. *clearly a relative scale and not a blip on what is achieved by some of the members here.

Yeah! I love the N and this looks like it’ll be some great kitbashing:)

Andre thank you for that, it looks like a very neat solution.

Claim it as intentional! That looks like a pretty good simulation of the very fine talc like sand.

This really is great. I’ll follow this with great interest. And hopefully absorb a fraction of the skills displayed.

Couple of rounds of putty to even the seems. Using miliput superfine. The first round didn't seem to penetrate the cracks very well and came away when I sanded it back (after leaving it to harden over night). So I tried to make a slurry with it by putting a small amount in some water and mashing it up with an old paintbrush. That seems to have worked. Have you lot got any tips for what is a good method for filling small cracks/panel lines? After I sanded it back the second time I decided that I wanted to give it an all over unifying coat to see where I was in general (this is principally a displacement activity). I think its looking ok. Except that the wingtips look a bit rough. I thought I had sorted them but they may need a bit more fettling. I mentioned that this is a bit of displacement activity because I'm supposed to be getting on to the tails. However, trying to get the booms square and true and then mount the horizontal in the right place is proving a bit of a faff. Added to that the booms are the worst moulded parts of the kit and there will be a large crevice on each one that will need to be filled at the boom/wing join. Plus I haven't yet come up with a satisfactory means of fixing the hstab and re-creating the bullet fairings. Putty is going to be my current solution (seems to have been the solution to a lot of this kit) but Im not overly confident. I may try and come up with a back-up solution. Happy to take other options from the forum's general advisory committee. Cheers

We have wings! (note one smooth and one raised detail) Also this phot reminds me I need to sort out the excrescence behind the pilot... And we have wing panel gaps. Hopefully a relatively easy fix. It should also help blend in the hook fairing to the wing upper surface. Interesting to see the light showing through the wing trailing edges. The plastic really isn't that thin.

Fatalbert, plans is a strong word... basically my go to reference is a small book: Vampire LZ551/G. Which has some good photos I’ve not seen elsewhere as well as a reasonable 3 view, which is nearly (but not quite) 1:72.