Modelling bits for 3d printing

[mangozac]

Yeah, I like it too!

[Fleafa]

Come on a long way. Looking really good

[Malika]

Finally got some test prints in! One thing I can say is that I'm kinda digging Shapeways' FXD material, it really handles the detail rather well. The only downside is that there are still printlines and the material would need extensive cleaning. .

Another 'downside' of the material is that it's see-through, making it rather tricky to photograph.

But yeah, enough talk!

Weapons:






Scrapbot components:

[mangozac]

Great to see you're getting some printing done! The new FXD material certainly sounds interesting - I might have to give it a try some time.

What material is that blue gun though? I really like the design too!

[Fleafa]

Some nice bits there.
Blue is probably Shapeways wax. A little soft and fuzzy for my liking, though the detail is crisp. FXD has the same problems as FUD, in my experience. No substitute for perfactory, but good enough for most uses.

[Malika]

The blue material is indeed Shapeways' wax. And whilst the details come out nicely, it is rather fragile. Even the protective cotton layer around it has 'damaged' the texture of the model a bit.

The FXD material is rather interesting, it holds the details well. However, it does need extensive cleaning to get rid of the print lines and thin layer of frosting. Subtle Discord (who runs ) also has his experiences with it, check the link to the Dakka thread I posted previously. It's interesting to see how he manages to pull it off.

[mangozac]

Sorry, I missed the original link. Subtle Discord is doing some awesome stuff, but the "sandstone" effect of the FXD material is sadly quite prominent

[Malika]

I know what you mean, it's quite frustrating. However, I am curious to see how prominent that sandstone effect is after a layer of paint.

On the other hand, Troll Forged Miniatures was experimenting with cleaning up sandstone textures from printed models with quite some success, should look up some pictures.

But yeah, this does seem to be a problem still, which is a shame since it means getting the prototypes will still be a rather expensive endeavor.

[mangozac]

I'm sure with the right amount of sanding and priming it could be corrected, but ultimately how much is one's time worth? I have very little time available so for me it's better to just pay for the high quality prints.

[Subtle Discord]

I hope to be doing a new round of Rapid Prototyping with a local company next month. I will be specifically avoiding the PolyJet process; through some research I've learned that is what Shapeways FUD and FXD is. I was able to choose a technology for a college paper I had to write, so I chose Additive Manufacturing (Read: Rapid Prototyping) so I could get better acquainted with the technology. The PolyJet process is powerful (It can actually print multiple materials into the same object, which is it's real strength for making concept models) but the frosted surface where the support wax meets the print is just too much of a problem when you're making RTV rubber moulds of the part; the porous surface does no favors to the surface quality of the mould, and it's far too much labour to remove when I'm moving to this process to save on labour.

I'm going to start working with Stereolithograph (SLA) which should provide an amazingly high quality surface straight from the machine; the catch is that objects will have 'supports' of thin resin for overhangs and on the bottom of objects and they need to be removed and cleaned. However, the supports are so small and should be low enough in number that the work involved will be more reasonable. A bit of filing and sanding a tiny point is nothing beside carefully treating the entire surface of a complex object.

While paint does do an ok job of masking most of the issues, it's still not quite good enough for my standards; top quality is one of the cornerstones of my small studio. From what I've seen, SLA of the right quality should provide a finish on par with a mass produced toy. The company I'm going to work with has done work for Matell to produce near-production quality prototypes for their products, so I've got very high hopes.

I'll be sure to update with some good quality pictures and my opinion and insights once I have some samples in my eager little hands.

[Fleafa]

Envisiontec Perfactory technology is pretty much the industry standard. Give Clockwork Goblin Printing (Guild Ball, Bushido printer) a call if you are in the UK, VisionProto in the US. Timo in EU (Kingdom Death Printer, I believe).

[Subtle Discord]

Thanks either way for the information, but I'm in the suburbs of Toronto Canada. Thanks to the size of the city I have several options, and I met with a few in person at a manufacturing expo I attended a few months back. I think I have someone locally who is up to the challenge, but any extra insight I can have before I start getting any prints done is always welcome.

[Fleafa]

I know Canadians who use VisionProto, but there must be someone in Canada with a perfactory tech machine.

[mangozac]

We use VisionProto for our Battlegroup Helios prints, but I wouldn't mind finding someone a little cheaper.

[Malika]

Hmm, which reminds me I'd probably be best off working with Timo Lauman right? Since I'm based in the Netherlands. Which reminds me, anyone got experience working with him?