ScanmanDan

Not to be a trouble maker Murdo but how small ya want to go? The two marker lights on the corner of the 1/48 scale T-55 just above the fender fuel tank are about 2x2mm and I regularly successful print details down to about 0.25-0.3mm square and I'm not a great printer. I think you can do just about as well as most manufactures as far as detail is concerned. And gosh help us when 4K screens get cheaper. Dan

Matt, Self taught is good. I started picking it up in December and while a zillion years ago I trained as a draftsman, when CAD was so expensive the Uni had very strict limits on how much time a student could play/learn the darn stuff, I'm more concerned with forgetting how the program works between drawing sessions. YouTube is a big help as you can jump back online to 'refresh' your memory on how you did it last time. The hard thing is sometimes you know what you want to do. And you're sure that it can be done. But you don't know what the system calls the command or procedure to get it done. Lofting was a real Bugbear as I wanted to do an aircraft nosecone but took ages to stumble upon the concept of 'lofting' It all make some kind of sense now but before is was a lot of stumbling in the dark. Take heart, you will get there.

One chief use of a component is that it allows you to draw a part on a seperate drawing and then import( copy) it into another drawing. That's how I did the open ammo box I showed in the other post. I did a drawing of the 100mm shell then made it into a component. ( Used the shell drawing to export a STL file to print lots of single shells) When I drew up the open box I started with a copy of my closed ammo box. Split the top off ( Made a new plane at the break of the top and body, then used the Split body command) and rotated the top back. Then roughed out the interior of the box, imported two copies of the shell and then added braces. A few other little things to make it print better but pretty easy once you have the box and the shell drawn. I'd also urge you to get into the habit of naming all your bodies and sketches as it makes it a lot easier to find the one you want when it's called Front View rather than sketch 7. And save often! Have fun, Fusion 360 is pretty powerful and I'm learning new stuff all the time

A little more progress on the base. Next weekend I'll get back to finishing the weathering and detail painting of the kit. Very green 😀 Dan

Hi Matt. If you are lofting you have come a long, long way in Fusion 360😀 and well done Sir. Yes, using rails will get you the rest of the way towards having the fuselage looking the way you want. I didn't find them very intuitive to learn but pretty powerful once you get them under control. If you haven't started yet I can advise that you control your 'new bodies' and make components when you can. Isn't the 'time line' a great feature? That ability to go back and change or add/delete a feature is marvellous. I am a big fan of Fusion 360 as a software package, I just wish it ran a bit better on my older computer. Save often and have fun. Dan

I can't help with a suggestion of which type to get as I don't have any experience in UK but I do think you are wise to look into availability of consumables and supply chain for spare parts. I also think anyone thinking of printing should seriously think about where they are going to get their designs from. There are a lot choices but like any machine tool you should save at least half your budget for consumables and spare parts and or designs. I have a SLR/resin printer and besides a quality Resin supply you will want a UV light to cure prints with, lots of gloves/googles, paper towels and IPA to clean up prints with. Some folks use a respirator mask. A back up LCD screen some spare FEP sheets, maybe a spare resin vat. I'd also suggest a silicon pet food mat to set the printer on as it makes cleaning spilt resin/IPA a lot easier. Oh and a nice long apron as resin isn't clothes/carpet friendly. It all adds up. Additional you might need to pay a licence for any design software you might chose to use. Though many have a free non-profit/hobbist licence available. Many of the SLA/Resin printers have good Facebook pages which can be of great help if you can stand Facebook. Both Anycubic and Elegoo Mars Facebook pages are super. IHTH. Dan

Intersting question Colin. I can only say that I have had an Elegoo Mars SLA resin printer since December and have been very happy with both it and the prints I have been able to make. I will say that SLA resin printing is now a mature enough technology and very good results can be obtained by most people straight out of the box. BUT, You are going to have to make a big investment in time, learning to get the best from your machine. If you aren't the patient type that likes to problem solve then 3D printing isn't for you. There will be failed prints, it will be a bit messy and smelly and it certainly isn't a Star Trek like replicator. Even at 0.02mm layer heights there are still visible ridges in prints, tiny, tiny ones but they are there. There are limits to the resolution you can print. I stick to 0.25-0.3mm as about the smallest detail/ thickness I can reliably print. Overhangs can be a bit of a challenge but that can be worked around with support settings. ( Which you can only really learn by doing. So see my patience and problem solving note above) A good quality resin casting is still probably a touch better than a resin 3D printed part but do you know anyone that does a 1/48th scale 100mm HE open Ammo box in cast resin? Because I designed this one in Fusion 360 and printed it out on my Elegoo Mars. I might have been able to scratch built one of these to this level but I know that if I want ten more I can just print them out and Bobs your uncle. Another thing that is often not stressed enough about 3D printers is the time they take to print. The ammo box above was just a touch under two hours on the printer. Factor in a few hours to design in Fusion 360 and you have a fair old investment in effort. ( Now I could print about eight on the printer at one time so you can claw a bit of productivity back) I will also say that once you press print you can pretty much walk away from the SLA resin printers so they are a great thing to just have chuffing away in the background. Now that can be offset some of the design time by finding folks that share designs like the 3D48th Facebook page and others around on the net. I actually like working in CAD and find designing in Fusion 360 a whole lot of fun but I can see that wouldn't be for everyone. So Colin I would suggest that you ask yourself some very hard questions about just how you want to use a 3D printer and maybe more importantly how much of yourself you want to invest in a printer before you buy one. It's not mystic science or magic but they are great and useful tools. IHTH Dan

I hope you will indulge a little for me to ramble. Down here in Melbourne we are all back in lockdown so I've had plenty of time to putter around in the bungalow working on this and that. I've been working hardest on cleaning and organising the forty year collection of 'objects' that make my modelling gear/collection. One thing is sure, I've got too much junk. I've been pretty ruthless in chucking out old and unusable materials. Throwing out dead paints and decals that even the moths and weevils won't touch. Much of my gear is still in pretty good shape but I do question the sanity of 'Past Dan' in some of the choices I have made over the years. ( Just when did I need a full sized bench belt /rotary sander?!!!) I would like to get to the point where I'm not oppressed by the sheer bulk of all this... stuff. While a touch painful in the realisation of the lost 'sunk cost' of all this folly at least this is somewhat fun and liberating in that I'm cleaning and organising as I go. ( Call me weird I actually like doing this kind of thing, I'm just bone lazy and don't do it much.) Finding that even in the vast space I have to call my Man Cave I'm going to end up with some new areas to set up things that have been hidden away for years. No, the real sadness is when I look upon the two orphan twins; the Shelf of Doom and The Kit Stash. Sigh. What to do with these two? I have already gone through much of the SoD and triaged as best I can. The dead were the easiest. Projects way too far gone to salvage. Either through missing/damaged parts or just badly assembled/painted they were swiftly dispatched. The next batch are those that have been abandoned through some malady of build or spirit. There is something intangible but deeply wrong with them that makes continuing to work on them a chore and not a joy. These I will set aside and give them a little more time but truthfully I know they are for the bin someday soon. ( unfortunately I have quite a few that fit into this category. ) The last group are the almost done, almost but just not quite finished. Mercifully there aren't too many in this group. I must make sure this group get some love in the following weeks as getting some of these finished will make this all the more worthwhile. As for the Kit Stash. That's tricky. If you do anything for forty plus years your taste and interests are bound to change. I know mine have. Anyone for HOn3 model railroading? Like most modellers I have more kits than I 'need'. The hard part is breaking the habit of a lifetime of keep thinking, " Someday I'll build X or Y." or "Gee that's a neat new kit, I need to get one before they are all gone." If I'm truthful with myself I build about six to ten kits a year. Setting aside the 1/24th and 1/32rd scale aircraft and the 1/35th scale tanks and assorted sci-fi kits of which I have too many. I have 40 x 1/48 scale armour kits. That sets me up for four to six years in the future IF I don't buy anymore. ( HA!) So I'm putting all my non-1/48th scale kits into off site storage for a time until the lockdowns finish and I can pass them on to my local model clubs or maybe a swap and sell at a model show. ( Whenever it is safe to do that sort of thing again.) I may eBay a few of the 1/48 scale kits I have, though I hate selling things via post/eBay. But whatever the future holds I need to stop this endless cycle of reflexively buy stuff. I already feel like a large weight is lifted off my back from culling the SoD. Heavy of heart but at least a bit more at peace with myself. I know this is a universal but I wonder how other folks handle these kinds of problems. I hope you are all well and safe. Dan

No John, he's a US maintenance guy from Areobouns. I have a few of their figures as they are easy to get here in Australia. A bit on the small side like the older Tamiya figures but most are pretty good and reasonably priced. Next! This guys a monster at almost 40mm tall. Can't put him anywhere near the other figure. I tried a few different things on him. I like the way Kevin Townsend from Track48 paints his leather work so tried a brighter lighter leather colour for the belt them added a darker centre bit which considering I don't know what I'm doing work better than I have done in the past. I'll 'push' it a bit more next time and maybe add in some more highlights as he describes in his folios. So much more I want to do but time to move on to the next thing and not fixate on shoulda, woulda, coulda. Ah, The squirrels call to me, Excelsior!

Thanks Soeren, Oh there is a lot more to do on the tank before it's finished. I just get easily distracted... Such as needing a figure or two for the scene. So I did this guy. I don't that I'm getting any better painting figures but I feel that are getting painted faster and with less stress. More still to do, but no rush, as I'm having fun. I hope you like. Dan

I didn't see this one till just now. Excellent! I love all the little details which will make the build sing when it comes time to paint. I'm going to have to pinch that idea to tie something on with a wrap and twist of wire. 👍👍👍

Progress; Mostly just some boxes and bits to fill the scene and window dress of some figures. I have been a bit distracted with trying to design the turret boxes that hang on the Polish built T-55's. I got some great help with reference from Tim Roberts and came up with this. I added some brass strips so I could test hang the little box. I think it's about the right size and look okay, what do you think? Not for this build but I think I'll use it on my next one I want to do some painting on the tank this week end But I just got some neat figures, so who knows. Dan

I have been inspired and energised by reading the wonderful posts from Dennis about his great little Camel. He encouraged me to reach deep into my shelf of Doom and try and breath life into this old build. I stopped working on this kit almost eight years ago( started it in 2008, yikes! 🤪 ) after struggling with how to get the top wing to look and attach correctly. After cleaning the old girl off I can see I have a bit of work to do to get started. I'm going to overlook some of the dreadful bits and concentrate on the positive. The bones of the kit are straight and true which is a miracle after all this time. I wish I hadn't added such big mounting eyelets for the rigging but what is done is done, I'll use thin brass tube for the turnbuckles even though I now know about the neat flying wires the Camel had. Also a plus is now I have a stencil cutter and experience in painting markings so that part should go easier. But enough prattle here are some base line pictures to show what I'm starting with. That cowl is just setting there it does fit properly, honest. The upper wing is in about the right spot just I need to work out all new struts. And that's the bit that did me in years ago... Yes, I did use a thick black plastic hair comb to do that 'wood grain'. Oh, the carefree days of youth. It's not like I couldn't do a more refined woodgrain when I wanted to. Though it would have been smarter to try and make it look a bit more like a laminated prop, sigh. The motor should be useable. This is one of the oldest bits and has held up pretty well. So that's where I'm at. I've a bit more cleaning to do and then a bit of a stock take to make sure all the bits are still in the box. I more toys now to try and help get this old kit back into shape. Hopefully I have a few more skills and a tiny bit more knowledge. So thanks Dennis for the big kick up the backside. 😃 Thanks for looking in. Dan

The open topped ammo box came out better than I had hoped. I'm pretty pleased with both the design and the printing. Just in primer now but I'll paint it with all the other stowage/gear and the figures.

I'm calling this done till the end when I'll paint up some ammo boxes and maybe a figure or two. My squirrelly friends had me messing about with one of those flying things today and that will never do. Time to get back to the T-55

I thought I'd do a bit of gardening today 😀 Broke out a shrubbery or two then took out the static grass gun for spin. I'm working on adding more bits and bobs and I want to add a puddle in that pot hole. Having fun and just pottering around. Dan

I'm coming to this late but wow, just WOW! I love what you are doing and I'm inspired to take a look at my long neglected efforts which stalled at trying to get the top wing to sit just right. I think my half built example has languished for about 7-8 years maybe more. I am happily following along and look forward to how you handle that tricky step. Meanwhile I'm very much enjoying the build and learning what I can from your wonderful example. Thank you for taking the time and effort to share such fine craftsmanship. Dan

Chipping away at it. The basics blocked in. Now the fun parts, details

I thought I'd start the base by pouring the concrete pad. At least the base is started

I got to play with some mud tonight. Not much of this will been seen again once I put the tracks back on Still it was good practice. I can see heaps to do better next time. Thanks for looking in. Dan

HI John These tracks/roadwheels go together really well. Go Team Tamiya! I would say they are just about foolproof. You will want to sand off the raised nubs off the inside of the tracks but I just used my battery powered sander made from an old electric toothbrush to make short work of them. I would add a little bit of damage to the rubber tyres ( I didn't but wish I had ) I would also suggest pre painting the inside faces of the road wheels before assembly as it is really hard to get paint in there after you assemble the track units. Have fun!

A bit of fun with the tracks. At least it is some progress. Dan

More silly mucking about with the printer. An APFSDS round Open ammo boxes and a WIP on the missing entrenching tools for the fender. I will get back to the weathering but it's too cold and wet in the workshop to day. Much nicer working on the computer today. Dan

Slow progress with the painting because I'm playing with the 3D printer. Did some ammo and some stacked boxes I'll use on the base I have planed. I've working on an open box design too. But I'm struggling with my lack of design skills. Thanks for looking in. Dan

Thank you gentlemen. I have been distracted this week by some information Mr John Tapsell shared on FB re ammo boxes for the T-55. So being easily distracted, squirrel!, I have wondered off to to designing Fusion 360 and then print on my Elegoo Mars some basic ammo boxes for the little scene I plan. These are just off the printer with a spritz of paint and a rough oil wash to give some idea of how they came out. A couple of little tweaks and I think they will look okay. With that out of my system I can go back to fussing with the paint. Thanks for looking in. Dan