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100 mm Space Marine


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About a year ago, I backed a crowd-funded 3D printer/laser cutter/CNC mill on a crowdfunding website. Mine arrived on Saturday and I’ve been learning how to make the 3D printer work. 

 

The test print? A Space Marine! Thanks to Thingiverse, I was able to find a suitable candidate & scale it.

 

Progress so far:

 

TsOhKkx.jpg

 

Only a 30-hour print! 

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1 hour ago, LotusArenco said:

That’s a shame. Can’t the arms be printed separately and added later?

 

Mart

I’m seeing what I can to to improve the model. Will probably start from scratch. 

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That's the real problem with 3-D printing - making certain you have the under support for every part in a print. That's something I've learned the hard way with my printer. I'm still trying to think of ways to use it to print out simple objects like radomes, for conversions. That's something even I could do (I think). Best of luck with this rather more complex project.

 

Best Regards,

 

Jason

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Well, if that’s your first go it can only get better. I guess like anything, there’s a learning curve.

Crack on mate, crack on.:yes:

 

Oh and keep that print, file off the Dark Angels bit and convert it to a Nurgle Plague Marine.:D

 

Mart

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  • 1 month later...

So, one of the more talented folks simplified the design by breaking it into pieces - and enlarged it in the process!!

 

DDtimns.jpg

 

that’s the chest piece! It’s 60mm tall so far, so this guy won’t be little. 

 

More parts simplifies the print, and makes post-production cleanup easier. 

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Smaller parts = quicker prints. Nine parts to this figure in total. Three down.

 

Torso with the groin:

 

VMstBxn.jpg 

 

and in comparison to the failed one-piece 100mm original. 

 

mU2RlW9.jpg 

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Thanks @Hunter Rose - seeing as though this is my first 3D printer, the learning curve has been steep! This doesn’t require anything like the skill of your Spacebase 2000 figure, though!

 

Additive manufacturing is just a different way of obtaining a kit. The only thing I’ve done to the CAD files from thingiverse is too scale & orient them. Time to print the parts so far is anywhere between three and thirteen hours. The hardest bit has been scheduling prints to ensure maximum productivity. 

 

 

 

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Upper right arm printed overnight. Cleaned up the support structure and rough-fit it to the torso. 

 

4EL6fkj.jpg 

 

Still lots to clean up, though this part (5 of 9) means I’m over half way! The left leg is printing now, and should be done by bedtime 12-13 hours from now. That’ll enable a start to be made on the right forearm overnight. 

 

There’s some research required on how to glue PLA plastic together as opinions seem to vary. Everything is currently held together by 4mm styrene pins. 

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14 hours later...

 

2jQL7pH.jpg

 

Left leg done - the lattice on the inner leg is support material. 

 

BqUBN09.jpg

 

Starting to get a sense of height - the CAD was for a 45cm/18” tall model!

 

XhV20ZO.jpg

 

Next to his little unintentional amputee brother. 

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Quick print this time: the right forearm. 

 

09qO8Af.jpg

 

Will clean it up better when the printing is finished, but in the meantime, put the left forearm & bolter into print. That just leaves it and the right leg to go.  

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So, this guy will be about 185mm/7.2” tall standing on his feet (the plural will be accurate in about seven hours). 

 

I’m considering making an in-scale base (thanks @LotusArenco for the dimensions!), which will add ~25mm/1” to the height.  

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Okay, fifteen hours & four minutes later...big success!

 

TeeI7Yk.jpg

 

Compared with #fail

 

ObX4L4X.jpg 

 

Finally together.

 

w3oIgW3.jpg

 

And with the first fail:

 

wubrEpc.jpg

 

Lots of cleanup to come, then paint time. 

 

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5 hours ago, Mike said:

Ok, if you start mine now, it should be ready for me when? :Tasty:

 If only. Thingiverse CAD is strictly for personal use....but it’s a great excuse to buy a 3D printer!

 

There’s probably 75-80 hours printing, all up, and maybe $3 of material (0.5kg of filament costs $15). Looking to try wood filament next, once I figure out how to change it out!

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That's a LOT of time, isn't it?  I'm guessing that the likes of Shapeways and so forth have some seriously heavy-duty, faster printers to make it worth their while :)

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1 hour ago, Mike said:

That's a LOT of time, isn't it?  I'm guessing that the likes of Shapeways and so forth have some seriously heavy-duty, faster printers to make it worth their while :)

There are a number factors at play; the size of the printer bed: mine is only 125mm x 125mm x 125mm. As I wanted a big model, I had to play around with the orientation of the part in the printer bed. Due to the conversion software (.stl CAD file into .gcode manufacturing pathways file), and inexperience, I was also limited to one part per print. 

 

As a rule of thumb, the greater the resolution required, the slower the print. Also, part quality (% of in-fill) comes into play. I used 25%, but I’ll likely go 10% in future. 

 

Shapeways would have larger printers, and lots of them, so its production volume needs could be met via simultaneity. Also, customers are choosing the quality (i.e. time required) based on time, cost, and material, so there’s some efficiencies there. 

 

So, from a learning experience, this achieved all that I wanted to achieve.  Plus, I’ve got a huge Space Marine to paint!

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