How do you feel about 3D modeling?

Thanks for your feedback Dave and everyone!
I have also used online 3D production services and found them good. But the cost can be high and then you may have shipping costs. I have used SLS plastic (Selective Laser Sintering Nylon 12 white) which is durable and has no supports required and much cheeper than a Resin which is basically almost unaffordable thru a print service. The SLS process does have a slight grainy surface which is ok for larger scales. I used it on my 1:12 scale outboard motor. See Video. The cost was acceptable. See Photos of the outboard motor cost and with Free shipping and tax the total cost is $20.24 So basically you could purchase a 3D STL file online and use a print service rather than buying a 3D printer is some cases. You can also use your 3D slicer program to reduce the item to the scale you want within reason. As when the grain kills the details or falls below the 3D print guidelines for the 3D material chosen. Here an example of my Steam Punk Kayaks one with the girl is Resin Printed and the man is Printed SLS. Both are acceptable. See the grain difference up close on the man and man's Kayak. Kayak scale 3/4 inch to the Foot.

Dave, your Steam engine would be a real challenge to design in 3D but impressive.

Good morning

1. Potentially down the road as a plastic kit, but no plans for anything like that right now.
2. No
3. Yes, thought about buying one for years, moreso recently.
4. Yes
5. No, but my work does and also my local library.
6. Mainly figures, fishermen, sailors, navy, commercial and casual. Some small items would be fun to fill semi dioramas, eg. Lobsters, fish, traps, fishing rods, barrels, buckets, etc.

Questions:
1. Would you buy The Rum Chaser Patrol Boat as a Kit if it was available rather than printing it yourself on your 3D printer? Plastic Kit? Wood Kit with some metal or plastic parts?
No
2. Do you currently own a 3D printer? If so what kind of Printer Resin or String?
Yes, a resin printer. Also I have access to a string printer (Son-in-law)
3. Are you thinking about buying 3D printer for model building?
I may buy a string printer as well. My resin printer is for fine details, but it's in my unheated/uncooled shop, so it has good ventilation but is temperature-sensitive.
4. Are you aware there are model parts available for Free or purchase on 3D websites?
Yes
5. Do you belong to a model group that has a 3D printer?
No
6. What kinds of model parts or figures would you most interested in?
Fine detail parts - cannons, etc.
7. Any comments you have will be helpful.
I am new to this, having only done free or relatively inexpensive models. I got into this to do ships and submarines that are hard to get or nonexistent as kits (like early submarines or Civil War ironclads). Generally, free requires a lot of smoothing, filling, and other processing for larger parts. Otherwise, even at higher resolution, you can still make out the layer lines (though it is also a nice effect sometimes). Attached is my first model (I know, not up to the standards for many on this forum, but good for teaching purposes).

Carl W said:

My Name is Carl Whitten, a 3D model designer that has created figures and parts for the African Queen and most recently The Rum Chaser Guard Prohibition Patrol Boat.
I would be grateful for your feedback about 3D printing interest you have in model building. I share my 3D model creations I have made for my own models on Cults3D and what little I make goes toward my 3D subscriptions. I focus on model things I can't find already available and I want to build. I am wondering if I should continue spending so much time on 3D. Any comments you have will be helpful.

Questions:
1. Would you buy The Rum Chaser Patrol Boat as a Kit if it was available rather than printing it yourself on your 3D printer? Plastic Kit? Wood Kit with some metal or plastic parts?
2. Do you currently own a 3D printer? If so what kind of Printer Resin or String?
3. Are you thinking about buying 3D printer for model building?
4. Are you aware there are model parts available for Free or purchase on 3D websites?
5. Do you belong to a model group that has a 3D printer?
6. What kinds of model parts or figures would you most interested in?
7. Any comments you have will be helpful.

You may answer simply: 1. Yes, Wood, 2. No 3. Yes, etc.

Thank you
Carl Whitten

Click to expand...

1. No. I really don't do plastic model ships, as I prefer the wood kits. A personal choice.
2. Yes. Bambu Lab A1 w/AMS Lite. That's an FDM (fused deposition modeling) filament printer... I've never heard the term "string" used before. Seems a bit demeaning, but maybe I'm just reading more into it than I should. It would appear you use a steriolithography (resin) printer. Messier, but far better with small details.
3. I print all kinds of models, and have put over 5,000 hours of production on my A1. It pretty much never stops. I print what I need or find interesting and design what I can't find using Tinkercad and AutoDesk Fusion 360. I've also created a few models using A1 model generating tools, as well as MakerWorld's own set of model generating tools in the MakerLab part of the site. Since most of what I design are functional tools, AI generation doesn't really come into play other than for entertainment value.
4. Yes. Being a Bambu Lab owner, the website I participate in is www.makerworld.com That's where I source 99% of the models I print, but I occasionally also source them from Cults3D, Thingiverse, and Printables, I seldom purchase 3D model files, as I'm more into sharing what I make for free. I also enjoy models that integrate electronics into the model (ESP32 boards, light strips, motors, etc.) I'm crappy with soldering, but getting better. lol
5. No
6. The parts that I have the most interest in printing as it pertains to ship modeling are small bits like unique blocks, anchors, and various other fittings. As you can tell from my autosig, I'm working on a Corel kit of the Victory, and the pressed wood fiber content they provide with the kit is kind of crappy, so I've scanned some of those items using a Creality Ferret, and cleaned them up for printing using wood infused filament. I've considered figures, but so far having pursued any for any of my completed models. Certainly if that's what a person is interested in, a resin printer is the way to go because of the far greater fine details that can be accomplished. Supports for overhangs and bridges are your enemy with small, finely detailed items... and that's where resin shines.
7. The only advice I can offer is to what you do that makes you happy. Personally, I would never want to turn something I enjoy into a business, because then I'm focused on the money as much if not more than what I'm actually producing. Again, a personal choice, and nothing better or worse if people choose to pursue it as a business opportunity. I'm not sure if there's such a thing as vendor accounts here on this forum, but if you're pursuing selling your product, I know that on some forums, vendor accounts offer more advantages than regular user accounts.

Thank you for posting your query, as I'm sure it's sparked a fair bit of thought from many forum members.

Carl W said:

My Name is Carl Whitten, a 3D model designer that has created figures and parts for the African Queen and most recently The Rum Chaser Guard Prohibition Patrol Boat.
I would be grateful for your feedback about 3D printing interest you have in model building. I share my 3D model creations I have made for my own models on Cults3D and what little I make goes toward my 3D subscriptions. I focus on model things I can't find already available and I want to build. I am wondering if I should continue spending so much time on 3D. Any comments you have will be helpful.

Questions:
1. Would you buy The Rum Chaser Patrol Boat as a Kit if it was available rather than printing it yourself on your 3D printer? Plastic Kit? Wood Kit with some metal or plastic parts?
2. Do you currently own a 3D printer? If so what kind of Printer Resin or String?
3. Are you thinking about buying 3D printer for model building?
4. Are you aware there are model parts available for Free or purchase on 3D websites?
5. Do you belong to a model group that has a 3D printer?
6. What kinds of model parts or figures would you most interested in?
7. Any comments you have will be helpful.

You may answer simply: 1. Yes, Wood, 2. No 3. Yes, etc.

Thank you
Carl Whitten

Click to expand...

I have been thinking about a 3D printer to make up model parts
Mostly concerned about the software if it's similar to CAD

I have been thinking about a 3D printer to make up model parts
Mostly concerned about the software if it's similar to CAD

Hi Carl,
1. No, I don't care for kits, although I've built a few plastic model kits over the years
2. I sort of acquired a resin printer from my son recently. I am a total newby!
3. N/A
4. I am just becoming aware. I purchased your dory man file recently, and love it.
5. No
6. I see the printer as another tool. I also cast parts from a scratch built master. I am learning to draw my own parts for 3D printing
7. I am a scratch builder at heart. I jump between ships/boats and model railroading. I am using your 3D dory man on my new model railroad layout under construction.
Pete

Unfortunately, one aspect of 3D printing wasn’t mentioned. Yet it’s a real headache in some areas.
I collect German Wiking ship models and repair them, etc., run the world's most comprehensive free website, With metal models that are nearly 100 years old, damage and missing parts are naturally a problem. The lead used back then is long gone, which is obviously evident. For example, missing cannons can be quickly and inaccurately 3D-printed, and the repaired model can then be sold as an “original.” It would be fair to point that out. But what’s left that’s fair in our time? Fairness takes place in the human spirit....
I read that the first AI programs are now offering files for printing complete (!) models based solely on a photo. Let´s have fun
I’m off to buy some wood—no hard feelings.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

I have been using several different 3D printers. All of these use resin. Two are owned by the company I work for, and I own another. The company uses these printers for manufacturing parts for the aircraft they build (CL-415's, DHC-8's etc.) The resin used in aircraft builds is very expensive but also impressive in strength and function. I use my printer mostly for hobby purposes. Being of Scottish heritage, I searched for the best deal when I purchased mine. The price didn't break the bank. I also downloaded a free 3D modelling app called Blender.

The Blender app has many YouTube videos that can teach anyone how to make 3D models. There are some tutorials on that website that take you from scratch thru an entire build in very simple steps.

Resin is expensive but for the small things that I print, a 1kg bottle goes a long way. For example, the 1:48 scale figurehead that I made for my Surprise cost about 15 cents worth of resin.

The printer I own is an Anycubic model, and is excellent resolution for the money.

As far as resin odour, there are several types of "water wash" resins available now. Clean-up with these is easy and there is almost no odour. When I'm printing items with the Ultra Tough resins, I have an airfliter system built-in to the printer case.... ergo no smell.

Carl W said:

My Name is Carl Whitten, a 3D model designer that has created figures and parts for the African Queen and most recently The Rum Chaser Guard Prohibition Patrol Boat.
I would be grateful for your feedback about 3D printing interest you have in model building. I share my 3D model creations I have made for my own models on Cults3D and what little I make goes toward my 3D subscriptions. I focus on model things I can't find already available and I want to build. I am wondering if I should continue spending so much time on 3D. Any comments you have will be helpful.

Questions:
1. Would you buy The Rum Chaser Patrol Boat as a Kit if it was available rather than printing it yourself on your 3D printer? Plastic Kit? Wood Kit with some metal or plastic parts?
2. Do you currently own a 3D printer? If so what kind of Printer Resin or String?
3. Are you thinking about buying 3D printer for model building?
4. Are you aware there are model parts available for Free or purchase on 3D websites?
5. Do you belong to a model group that has a 3D printer?
6. What kinds of model parts or figures would you most interested in?
7. Any comments you have will be helpful.

You may answer simply: 1. Yes, Wood, 2. No 3. Yes, etc.

Thank you
Carl Whitten

Click to expand...

1. yes, wood kit
2. No
3. No
4. Yes
5. No
6. No.
7. Thanks for your interest

Magic Mike

Airdale said:

I have been thinking about a 3D printer to make up model parts
Mostly concerned about the software if it's similar to CAD

Click to expand...

It really depends upon what you're thinking of when you refer to CADD, because then I could more directly respond to it compares. My history with CADD goes way back to building 3D models using some pretty primitive software back in the early 1980's... Intergraph Interview workstations tied to DEC (Digital Equipment Corp) midframes. Trust me when I say things have seriously improved since then. lol

TinkerCad is, IMHO, dead simple to start with... and free. IMHO, it wouldn't be a good fit for what you are doing, as though its fast, the way you build models with it is somewhat primitive. Basically adding positive and negative shapes... like if you wanted to make a plate with a hole in it, you'd first create positive plate by dragging the shape onto the build area and resizing it to whatever dimensions you're looking for. Then you'd drag over a negative cylinder shape, resize it, place it where you want the hole to be and then select both shapes and merge them. The negative eats the hole out of the positive and voila... a plate with a hole in it. But working with ship model shapes would be too difficult in that software. It does have the ability to sketch shapes, but it just doesn't have the level of control I think you'd be looking for.

Next up would be AutoDesk Fusion 360. If you're familiar with CADD, you know AutoDesk... as well as Bentley/Intergraph and Microstation. Since you know CADD you're very familiar with the concept of X Y axis, and if you've done any 3D CADD, you know how Z axis fits into the mix. So Fusion 360 is a full blown parametric modeling tool, and the basics are pretty easy to pick up on. Basically draw an outline in two dimensions and then extrude it in the third to give it thickness. There are quite a few good books that walk you through the basics pretty quickly. The plus side is that if it's for non-commerical use, it's free. If you use it for business purposes, you need to purchase a license... and as you know with other CADD applications, you're now talking serious coin. That said, there are some other alternatives with a lot of the same capability, but more targeted to the 3D modeling process. Unfortunately, I can only speak to the two AutoDesk products... Tinkercad and Fusion 360, and they're the only two I've personallly worked with.

Here's a link to a YouTube video where a modeler compares a group of five or six common applications and rates them. By watching it, I think it will give you a good idea of which you might prefer to try. I hope this helps...

An interesting discussion. I feel that the overriding issue is that we are talking about a hobby. A hobby is for fun. I can understand the fun in creating objects with 3D printing. I can also understand the fun in assembling an object from parts made by someone else by 3D printing (I have assembled a large number of plastic models from kits starting when I was a tad). But now I most like creating things in wood with my hands. Why? Who knows? Fair winds!

I have been 3D printing for quite a few years, scratch built the first one and currently using a Creality Ender 3V3SE. It is inexpensive and does a pretty good job. It is self leveling and has dual z-axis support. I added a high temperature print head but have yet to print a filament that needed it. So far I printed a tug boat, several modern frigates, a coast guard boat. I have printed several flying models and all of the boats are meant for the water. Currently I am working on something that looks similar to a Baltimore Clipper. As I don't know enough about rigging it, I bought a Harvey 1847 1/50 kit, and while I intended to use a lot of the small parts, I decided to 3D print them instead. I use PETG as my primary filament as I find it odorless and resistant to higher temperatures and tougher than PLA and easier to print than ABS. I pick up most of my 3D models from sites on the internet, and use Blender, Autodesk Fusion 360, and 3D Builder for modifications. I need to chop up a model to get it to fit on the printer. Below is a screenshot, but the jibs are not shaped right yet. In the foreground is a dual sail control, one for the mainsails and one for the jibs. I intend to use the sail templates from the kit, and the model is printed about the same size as the kit. The hull I downloaded and shrunk in the width a couple of inches. I copied much of the parts like the bilge pump and printed them. Carbon fiber is used for the masts and boom. The deadeyes took a few iterations before they were workable. They are 5.5mm in diameter.

The level of quality is not great, but for a boat that is destined to be seen no closer than about three feet it works. Here is a bilge pump done with 3D Builder which is free from Microsoft. A little more clean up and sanding would improve it, but it will never be great unless I move to resin (which I could) for the smaller pieces.

I'm old enough to remember during my early, formative schooldays, when ball point pens were becoming affordable.

These were Verboten!

Only an ink pen or lead pencil was acceptable.

There are kids leaving school today who have never learned handwriting!

1. Would you buy The Rum Chaser Patrol Boat as a Kit if it was available rather than printing it yourself on your 3D printer? Plastic Kit? Wood Kit with some metal or plastic parts?
No, probably not. Even though the Coast Guard experience during Prohibition was fascinating!

2. Do you currently own a 3D printer? If so what kind of Printer Resin or String?
No.

3. Are you thinking about buying 3D printer for model building?
Yes, though I think I've decided against it due to recently downsizing and losing a lot of space to do such activities. That, and I just don't need yet another hobby!

4. Are you aware there are model parts available for Free or purchase on 3D websites?
Yes.

5. Do you belong to a model group that has a 3D printer?
No. Though the local library offers limited free 3d printing on an FDM machine. Frankly, the quality does not meet expectations.

6. What kinds of model parts or figures would you most interested in?
Small parts too tiny for my clumsy sausage-fingered hands to make.

7. Any comments you have will be helpful.
I do enjoy designing custom parts and models in 3d modeling programs. I did quite a few parts for my card model of U.S.S. Baltimore: ventilators, guns and gun barrels, boats, anchors, bollards, etc. I would certainly be open to finding a printing service for my custom designed parts and other hobby related printing. I find that typical printing services don't really consider the high quality needed for this hobby or they're simply too expensive.

Carl W said:

My Name is Carl Whitten, a 3D model designer that has created figures and parts for the African Queen and most recently The Rum Chaser Guard Prohibition Patrol Boat.
I would be grateful for your feedback about 3D printing interest you have in model building. I share my 3D model creations I have made for my own models on Cults3D and what little I make goes toward my 3D subscriptions. I focus on model things I can't find already available and I want to build. I am wondering if I should continue spending so much time on 3D. Any comments you have will be helpful.

Questions:
1. Would you buy The Rum Chaser Patrol Boat as a Kit if it was available rather than printing it yourself on your 3D printer? Plastic Kit? Wood Kit with some metal or plastic parts?
2. Do you currently own a 3D printer? If so what kind of Printer Resin or String?
3. Are you thinking about buying 3D printer for model building?
4. Are you aware there are model parts available for Free or purchase on 3D websites?
5. Do you belong to a model group that has a 3D printer?
6. What kinds of model parts or figures would you most interested in?
7. Any comments you have will be helpful.

You may answer simply: 1. Yes, Wood, 2. No 3. Yes, etc.

Thank you
Carl Whitten

Click to expand...

Hi Carl...John Wayne here, new member (yes real name ;-)

I just finished 3D printing a 1:48 scale flower class corvette, HMCS Baddeck. I bought the base files for 3D printing but made significant modifications and over 100 of my own bespoke files. As someone who has just entered the RC ship world with the Baddeck, I have many years of modelling behind me. Mostly cars and spacecraft. I find that 3D printing enables more creativity and the ability to fix broken bits easily while making bespoke parts. As a result, I find myself more bound to the model than if it was a straight kit.

1. Would you buy The Rum Chaser Patrol Boat as a Kit
- probably not, but would buy STL files to make the African Queen
2. Do you currently own a 3D printer? If so what kind of Printer Resin or String?
- Bambu Labs A1; FDM printer; print most in PLA
3. Are you thinking about buying 3D printer for model building?
- already bought one
4. Are you aware there are model parts available for Free or purchase on 3D websites?
- yes as well as some excellent engineering resources for 3D printing mechanical gubbins and whatnots
5. Do you belong to a model group that has a 3D printer?
- no. I bought my 3D printer so that I could print miniatures to paint. This was part of my "rehab" after cardiac surgery that left one hand with numbness. I'll say, it has been very helpful in that regard.
6. What kinds of model parts or figures would you most interested in?
- pretty much anything. I am willing to make all of my bespoke files available - for free - I have yet to upload them but they include, about 40 different 1:48 scale sailors, life rings, stanchions, life raft mounts, depth charges, hatchways, shells & 'holders' as well as ship parts 3D rendered from museum artifacts (binacle, depth charge launcher, gun turret, direction finder). In fact, as I type this I am 3D printing a mount that will "hold" my ship when I am transporting it to our local pond.
- I would be interested in anything related to the Royal Canadian Navy in WWII
7. Any comments you have will be helpful.
- I think that one cool thing about 3D printing is that one can go to the website of many museums, view hi-res images of artifacts related to what one is building, use AI to render the images into 3D images, then render those into stl, 3MF, or obj files for 3D printing. I think it opens the door to some amazing historical context on our ships.

No to 1 thru 6
But I am not your target market. I am for all intents the exact opposite. I see this as a challenge with rigid rules and limits on acceptable materials. My focus is 1650 to 1860 in general and 1719 to 1776 in particular now. Except for PVA - if those guys did not access to it, then I can't either. I do not have an army of wage slaves to help with a build so I feel free to substitute an electric tool army for their human one. I can even switch PVA to hide now thanks to Lee Valley but learning to use that still intimidates me. Luckily for me, productivity is of little importance. I do not advocate this code for anyone else.

7. I left 4 mm PE vapor barrier mounted on a Star Plate greenhouse from early Spring until a mid Winter night when the temp dropped to twenty degrees F and it was accompanied by a serious wind storm. The PE contracted taut and the wind shattered it into small needle-like shards.
I have had more than one plastic encased power tool become useless because the housing cracked or pieces broke off. The same with hand tools,

Plastic is the result of a polymerization reaction. When the desired poly product is produced, although the cross linking may be seriously slower, it does not stop completely. For some plastics this shows as flaking fine powder on the surface. For some polymers it is going from flexible to rigid to brittle.
If Terra's biosphere could wish, I am sure that one wish would be that the plastics making up the vast floating islands of death in the eddies of the major ocean currents would hurry up and polymerize to a fine powder.

It seems that a logical guess is that the properties of plastics that can be melted to a liquid and squirted thru a fine nozzle to quickly solidify on the receiving surface would also make it prone to have a short half-life for a continuing polymerization to embrittlement. Is the material being used for 3D printing going to prove to be evanescent - turning to powder - in years' time span rather than the decades for most plastics?

For drugs - the rule is that the rate an organic chemical reaction doubles with every 10 degree C. temp increase. Put the drug product in an oven and assay its concentration at time intervals. Otherwise there are no expiration dates. Is anything like this done with plastics? And unlike drugs - which are packaged to be protected from UV, is this done with UV light also present for plastics?