A pair of Airfix Hawks in 1/72. Finished.

[Fritag]

58 minutes ago, tomprobert said:

This 3D printing malarkey is way beyond me, but it is very impressive indeed. It appears that gone are the days of balsa wood, plastic card and some super glue - unless you're stuck in dark ages like me 

 

 

I won't believe any statement to the effect that it's beyond you Tom  and I'll take that as the witticism it either is or should be  Ditto the remark about dark ages modelling   Either that or I and good portion of the BM hive aspire to those the dark ages skills! 

 

What I would say though, is that it would be sad indeed if the days of "balsa wood, plastic card and some super glue" were gone.  Or to make that list more contemporary it would be sad indeed if the days of plastic card, resin casting, photo-etching and vac-forming were gone (although I expect I'll be doing rather less resin casting than I would otherwise have done). 

 

As it happens I agree with how Ian has just put it:

 

3 minutes ago, Brandy said:

Not at all, the two go together very well!

Old school plastic bashing, plus 3d for those bits that can't be done accurately and repeatedly is the way to go!

 

 

Whilst I'm on the topic (yawn - sorry) I can understand anyone who doesn't feel any aesthetic sympathy to CAD and printing - but another way of looking at it is that it's in many ways an alternative to buying after-market resin parts; there's still the same need to use good old fashioned finishing techniques on the print,  but it has the added pleasure of having produced the part using your own skills, albeit CAD skills rather than craft skills.

 

Anyway.  Enough of all that.

 

4 hours ago, TeeELL said:

I think you will be amazed at what a resin printer is capable of Steve.

 

I think you're right, Tony 

 

So just as I left the house for work this morning I quickly input the 3KG bomblet model into Chitubox and sliced it and set the Mars going.  I didn't have time to bother about orientation of overriding the default supports and so I weren't expecting much.

 

But blow me down:

 

 

Hit the limits of iPhone camerability....

 

 

 

 

I think I'll leave the design just as it is.....

 

4 hours ago, hendie said:

There's no stopping you now is there? 

 

The limit of knowledge, skill and talent is just over the horizon, or maybe even hoving into view as we speak...

 

 

 

[Terry1954]

Well, if I may continue my innuendos referencing certain parts of a canine's anatomy, those 3Kg practice bombs in that CBLs really do look the dogs .............! I can imagine how chuffed you are with those Steve. Miniature delights!

 

And as you and @Brandy have suggested, I'd also like to encourage @tomprobert not to feel the "old ways" are gone. I know many excellent modellers still using these techniques Tom, and I still use them regularly. Despite having worked in technology for most of my life, I am still a bit of a luddite!

 

I agree that 3D tech is simply another neat tool available to us in this fine hobby, for those that enjoy a bit of "techie" fun.. 

 

Terry

[hendie]

46 minutes ago, Fritag said:

but another way of looking at it is that it's in many ways an alternative to buying after-market resin parts; there's still the same need to use good old fashioned finishing techniques on the print,  but it has the added pleasure of having produced the part using your own skills, albeit CAD skills rather than craft skills.

 

Well said that man. That's a great take on the subject.

 

Nice bomblets by the way

 

 

[tomprobert]

@Fritag and @Terry1954 I completely agree! My ‘dark ages’ comment was in specific reference to myself and how 3D design and printing is something I’m yet to explore. The problem is I’m too set in my modelling ways and the ‘old school’ methods are my go to - however seeing what Steve and others on this forum are capable of doing with 3D design and print highlights what can be done when you know your way around this technology. 
 

It’s definitely the future and quite marvellous it is too. Those little bombs are little works of art.
 

And on that note, how about a perfectly formed 3D printed 1/72nd scale Fritag in full flying gear standing beside his mount..? 
 

Tom

[perdu]

Utter wow...

 

 

Any other expressions of "bl==dy hell I am impressed" can be assumed to avoid lost bandwidth possibility.

[Fritag]

And I think that the Fusion/Elegoo combination is enabling me to get a canopy shape that I’ll be happy with.

 

Of course I’ll have to shrink it by about 0.3mm to print a buck for vac-forming; but it’ll be a better shape than the original Airfix canopy and the cast resin bucks I’ve made from them.

 

 

The essential issue with the Airfix canopy is that the windscreen starts a bit too far forward and the slope is therefore a bit shallow; so I’m aiming to correct that thus:

 

 

 

The front section of the windscreen actually prints as a separate piece; and the plan is to fix that in place and do all the messy filling and sanding on that; and then the windscreen section proper will fit behind it with a nice clean join.  Well that’s the plan.

 

 

Oh look - and were did that come from….  Well it is an update of sorts.  It’s been cured…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 14, 2022 by Fritag

[Martian]

I go away for a bit and return to find stuff has been happening! 

 

Martian von Off to Lay Down In A Very Dark Room 👽

[TeeELL]

Super job Steve.  Amazing isn’t it.

[giemme]

Amazing indeed!  

 

Ciao

[81-er]

Excellent work there, Steve! Those practice bombs look great, and absolutely minute. I think I definitely need to be saving for the Mars 3

 

James

[perdu]

I wonder

 

Would  they fit?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[perdu]

No I do not understand all that white space, wasn't intended. 

[phantom61]

Amazing...

Great job Steve... 

👍

 

ciao

Silvano

Edited March 15, 2022 by phantom61

[Navy Bird]

On 14/03/2022 at 14:19, Terry1954 said:

Despite having worked in technology for most of my life, I am still a bit of a luddite!

 

You're still upset about the advent of automated textile machinery? Mate, that was decades ago (Ed. - centuries). Well, say hello to Ned for me.   

 

Cheers,

Bill

 

PS. @Fritag - would you let a fellow modeller buy some of those canopy bits you're printing? I have a major Hawk project in the "docket," but man that Airfix canopy is downright frightening.    😱

[Terry1954]

1 hour ago, Navy Bird said:

I have a major Hawk project in the "docket," but man that Airfix canopy is downright frightening. 

 

I totally agree. The only way is vac forming for that one - says the man who only recently discovered how useful a dental thermoforming machine is for such tasks. But you do need a good buck of course, and I can see merits of your line of enquiry.

 

You need a Shapeway shop Steve!

 

Terry

[TheBaron]

I've fallen behind in progress here (for which deepest apologia) Steve but compelled to say just how thoroughly impressed I am with the printed results which you've been achieving already - both shape and surface detailing are fantastic.

 

Congratulations my friend.

 

I don't know if it helps but one problem  I encountered vacforming directly from printed bucks (using Elegoo grey) was that they clouded the transparencies quite badly. In the end I abandoned the direct route and 3d printed moulds instead which were then used to cold cast a casting resin/aluminium powder mixture to make the bucks. These then vacformed without the clouding problem (scroll past the guff about tomatoes at the beginning...):

 

 

 

[HOUSTON]

Gosh.... Still going strong .

caught up after a long while....  Good job.

 

when do We see the end?

[Brandy]

7 hours ago, HOUSTON said:

when do We see the end?

I estimate about 2 weeks after he denounces cycling and skiing as heretic.

 

Ian

[Fritag]

1 hour ago, Brandy said:

I estimate about 2 weeks after he denounces cycling and skiing as heretic.

ummh.  Did I not say that I’m in Norfolk for a week cycling at the mo’ ? 

 

 

[PLC1966]

1 hour ago, Fritag said:

ummh.  Did I not say that I’m in Norfolk for a week cycling at the mo’ ? 

 

 

You can get on-line in Norfolk, wow, hadn't realised they had got as far as electricity...

 

But that is cracking work on the CBLS, practice bombs and Pylons, there is a market out there for those mate.

[Brandy]

49 minutes ago, Fritag said:

ummh.  Did I not say that I’m in Norfolk for a week cycling at the mo’ ? 

 

 

"One for the ditch, Sir?"

 

Ian

[perdu]

1 hour ago, Fritag said:

ummh.  Did I not say that I’m in Norfolk for a week cycling at the mo’ ? 

We know, oh we know...

[Terry1954]

7 hours ago, perdu said:

We know, oh we know...

 

Its a deja vu thing Bill....  and on top of that, we've heard it all before......

 

🤣

 

Terry

[The Spadgent]

Oooh. Lovely little bombs. It’s amazing the fidelity you can get with these things. Bravo that man. 🙌

 

 Johnny

[Fritag]

On 3/21/2022 at 9:39 PM, TheBaron said:

I don't know if it helps but one problem  I encountered vacforming directly from printed bucks (using Elegoo grey) was that they clouded the transparencies quite badly. In the end I abandoned the direct route and 3d printed moulds instead which were then used to cold cast a casting resin/aluminium powder mixture to make the bucks. These then vacformed without the clouding problem (scroll past the guff about tomatoes at the beginning...):

 

A timely reminder thanks Tony - And I remember the typically ingenious Baronian solution   I’ve seen much discolouration from cast resin bucks in the past so I’ll give the printed ones a go with all due expectation of problems requiring to be solved whether per Baron or t’otherwise…

 

On 3/15/2022 at 6:38 PM, Navy Bird said:

PS. @Fritag - would you let a fellow modeller buy some of those canopy bits you're printing? I have a major Hawk project in the "docket," but man that Airfix canopy is downright frightening

 

Tis i’nt it Bill.  You’d be welcome to anything I might successfully produce (emphasis on might) without exchange of currency; but I’ve bodged the old Airfix kit so much that there’s no way any canopy and bits that might fit my ‘awks would fit the as supplied opening 

 

On 3/22/2022 at 2:45 PM, Brandy said:

2 weeks after he denounces cycling and skiing as heretic.

 

On 3/22/2022 at 5:23 PM, perdu said:

We know, oh we know...

 

On 3/23/2022 at 12:27 AM, Terry1954 said:

Its a deja vu thing Bill....  and on top of that, we've heard it all before......

 

Are you three some sort of triple-act   

 

Had a super week cycling in Norfolk as it ‘appens.

 

Revisited my old home in Her Majesty’s Prison Bure….. or RAF Coltishall as it wos known back in the day…..

 

Revisited another old home at the Norwich Aviation museum:

 

 

TBH I couldn’t remember what half all them switches did   Looks jolly complicated - I must’ve had a smarter brain as a yoof…

 

They had quite a nice photo of me on the wall as well:

 

 

Well alright then…..they had quite a nice photo on the wall of a jaguar driven by someone; and that someone just ‘appens to be me   Not that you can tell that just by looking at the photo…..  I’ve got some other photo’s taken on the same sortie in an album back home - and I think I’ve posted one or two on BM IIRC.

 

Oh; and when we got back from Norfolk we both tested positive for Covid……

 

Anyroad up.

 

I’ve now printed off a definitive couple of bucks to produce a test vac form or two:

 

 

Will have to see if the results  are discoloured…

 

And I printed off a couple of jigs to help neatly trim the canopies.  If I get that far….

 

 

 

 

And I’ve been working on a design for the front cockpit coaming:

 

 

Which I test printed before adding any surface detailing; in case it wasn’t going to be feasible:

 

 

The skin is only 0.25mm thick aft if where the Instrument Panel sits; but the Mars 3 printed it perfectly.

 

 

The resin is translucent at that thickness:

 

 

Even more amazingly it fitted, straight out of the box as it were:

 

 

 

And here it is with a dry fitting of the little insert I’ve printed to make the front of the windscreen a better shape/fit.  You get an idea of what I’m aiming for:

 

 

 

I’ll go on now and add some details to the coaming, such as the compass housing and (for the TWU hawk) the weapons sight.

 

And that’s where matters are at the mo’.  The big imponderable is how successful the vac forming will be……..

 

 

Edited March 29, 2022 by Fritag