3D Printing v. Wood Carving

Philski said:
20231230_123340.jpg20231230_123345.jpg20231230_123357.jpg20231230_123438.jpgI have decided to employ 3D printing on occasion when at scale, I want to achieve the detail I could otherwise not attain. At 77 years, I cannot accurately carve tiny pieces from wood. I can use a lathe and mill too but these are just additional tools, like the 3D printer used to mill pieces for use on ships. My Christmas present, with my better half's agreement, was to get a 3D printer and proceed. ( She does want me to print small, unique flower pots for her ever-growing succulent collection). It'll be interesting and fun. I want my models to be inspiring and fun to look at. There will be a learning curve because 3D printing comes with a lot of variables to overcome and understand. But I do need something to keep me busy!
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First try at printing a ship's cannon. Came out pretty good. I can adjust the scale easily. The barrel on this one is about 3" long.
 
Several years ago I accompanied a group of ship modellers who had a scope used for colonoscopies to carefully ease it into the bowels of a 200 year old model ship. The details slowly emerged which this enterprising builder had created without the use of electrically powered tools. It’s was amazing. If we start eliminating every new technique or tool that comes along just because it is new or different, we are doing a disservice to our hobby. Let’s encourage new technologies to be an important part of our hobby. Who knows what the limits are to 3-D printing? Perhaps someday (long after I’m dead and buried), some enterprising individual will print an entire model ship!
Firery Phil from over the hill.
 
Just to throw my 2 cents in on this.
I use a resin printer as well to create parts that need to be mass produced, things like bollards, anchors, fairleads, cowl vents, winch components, etc but a word of caution about any printed items, they do not last forever and will eventually break down, if exposed to uv like on a working model it will speed up that process.
I recommend doing your prints, cleaning them up and using that to cast the parts with casting resin. its much harder and a lot more durable than printed resin.
Personally I think if something is wood it should be made from wood but that just my personal preference. As far as it being a cheat...I don't agree, anyone who has done it will know that its not as simple to do as many people think, lots of variables to allow for not to mention you still have to model the items in 3d, which is my full time job, I work for a game and film studio and my title is an artist ....
 
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A few years ago, as part of a tour with the Washington Ship Model Society of an ortho lab at the Walter Reed Medical center in Bethesda, MD, we were shown a complete 3-D framed hull of an English Admiralty style model warship hull printed in clear plastic as a test for their then new 3-d printing machine to be employed in the use of creating exact orthopedic joint replacements.
 
Hoss6262 said:
Now, here comes the fascinating thing for me. With the advent of technology, innovation and ingenuity of ambitious business folks, I think the day may come where you will be able to buy every component of a certain ship and assemble the pieces. ROTF Obviously, this would not be scratch building. It would be a 3 dimensional jig saw puzzle.
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Don't they have a name for that? I think it's called De Agostini. ROTF
 
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Don Case said:
I've always thought of 3D printing as kind of cheating but I'm slowly changing my mind. It's not wrong, it's just different. The effort/skill is spent in programming rather than carving/turning. That said, I do think that 3D printing will always have a bit of a stigma against it as it is not "traditional".
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Don, you have a good point that I’ve been making about video and photography generally… “what is the best camera? Answer: the one that you have with you!”
 
Sgt_Bill,

My view, you answered your own question when you said, "I used cad-cam to create the ship's wheel from the Triton drawings."

You did that.

To me, that's scratch building.

The materials employed are... immaterial.
 
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