3D printed accessoires for card models?

[thorst]

Hi,

As some of you might know, I'm working on a highly detailed 3D-model of the German super-heavy tank "Maus" from WWII for some time, with the intention to derive a model from it.
(Here is a thread on it:
Porsche Typ 205 "Maus" in Rhino - planetArmor )

I'd like to have it in 1/16 with full interior. As building it as a card model would be a major task and I'd estimate the parts count without suspension parts to at least 1000, I don't want to make compromises regarding its accuracy and level of detail. This leads me to the question if someone who builds it in kit form would be willing to buy 3D-printed or resin cast parts like the suspension assembly or the gun mantlet which can not be built satisfactorily from paper because of their shape. I found that shapeways has the possibility to sell parts which are printed directly for each customer, which would be ideal for this.

Any opinions?

Best regards,
Thorsten

[SJPONeill]

In that scale especially, I think you would need to consider that overall cost against the potential customer base - the sheer volume (capacity not numbers) of parts in 1/16 might make resin parts for that level of detail prohibitively expensive for all but the keenest and affluent customers. As an example, I have just been checking out prices for resin armour in the 'Dust' series. The same vehicle in 1/48 is less than half the cost than the 1/35 version due to the lesser volume and thus consumption of resin.

However that scale should enable you to design more detail parts in paper than perhaps a smaller scale would practically allow. Taking advantage of this would probably keep the overall cost for either a downloadable or preprinted version more within the means of a larger potential customer pool?

[thorst]

You are right, it would be expensive for multiple copys. However, I see also difficulities in finding customers for a model with one suspension unit built up from 50+ paper parts (which are required for a good level of accuracy, it has very complex shapes), at 24 suspension units in total, you end with over 1000 parts for only the road wheels and their mountings. I don't even think about the tracks.
In contrast, with a bit of extra work, one could order one 3D-printed part and make resin casts on his own. I even could design the prints so that making the mold would be very easy, already split at the seam line. Having done some casting work (and even the whole suspension and tracks for a scratchbuilt 1/35 Maus), I estimate the total costs for molds and casts for the road wheels + suspension + tracks in 1/16 would be between 100-200€.

So these are the options.

[goodduck]

Nice forum, I need to joint that. Thanks Thorsten.

[SJPONeill]

Looking at other emerging technologies, you may be able to strike a balance between cast parts and papers that might be able to be automatically cut to reduce the burden of repetition.

But my impression of many paper modellers is that they are, as a general statement, often $-poor and time-rich, so for a large portion of your target market, you may be solving a problem that doesn't exist? Also, it may be that a reasonable portion of that same market may find the prospect of casting their own parts more intimidating that the repetitive chore (which many of us doing while travelling and other periods when away from the home 40) of cutting put and assembling small parts.

If you did proceed with this - and this may be the intention already and I've just misunderstood - it would probably be more attractive for you to market a 3D-printed mold as opposed to the part itself from which the builder has to first cast a mold then the series of parts...

[thorst]

I understand. Thank you very much for the opinion! The idea came mostly for my own build, I know that I would have problems to build this large number of always the same parts.

I don't know a material whoch can be 3D-printed and used directly as a mold, but what I had in mind would be very close, it would be a mold for the mold, you wouldn't have to prepare anything but pour the silicone into it.

[Alcides]

Hi thorst

A very interesting model are you designing. Really doing a great work. A question: Are the 3d renders from Rhino ?

About your question I'll assume you're talking about model distributed on electronic form on an ideal world I think you would provide:

A complete model with all the parts on paper even if they aren't the best representation.
The possibility to print by some services de 3d parts.
The cad files to generate the parts if someone has a 3d printer.

The complete model o paper is for the people who is a purist , can't afford the printed 3d parts or just live far, far away. I live in Argentina, South America and I buy electronic models mainly because the shipping cost are just outrageous.

That shipping cost prevents me to get 3d printed models too. It's just too expensive.

So, you've the only paper for everyone. The customer who has money can buy the parts from some site like shapeways.

In the end, for the lucky guy who has a 3d printer you give him the cad models. He can print the parts by himself.

This of course is just my opinion. The amount of work involve is a lot!!!

Regards
Alcides

[thorst]

Alcides, thank you for the suggestion, this is probably what I'll do then!

Thorsten

[RichO]

Thorst,

I'd like to add my two cents, Please do not consider the number of parts in your models rendering. I personaly would like to see an accurate model with as much detail as can be rendered. I realise that I might not be your typical paper model builder, after all the very first paper kit I have ever built is the MICRO ARTWORK Crawler kit that I'm working on at this moment (see thread). This crawler kit has 11,289 individual parts.

So my opinion is to just go for it and make the kit design as complex as needed to do an accurate job. Also 1/16 scale size would be just too kool! At that size the detail would be outstanding!

As for the treads and acrylic parts, at 1/16 scale you should have plenty of room to render all the treads and tentioners in paper(a lot more work on your end tho), however I'll admit that resin paerts would hold more detail at that size. The crawler kit I'm building is a 1/96 scale and number almost 4,000 parts just for the four trucks that drive the crawler.

So some of us are just itchin' to tackel a project with a high number of parts (take a look at KOOKLIT's Union Pacific Big Boy), just adding my two cents.

Thanks, RichO 114/499