Welcome back, Ian!
-
SUBSCRIBE TO SHIPS IN SCALE TODAY!
The beloved Ships in Scale Magazine is back and charting a new course for 2026!
Discover new skills, new techniques, and new inspirations in every issue.
NOTE THAT OUR NEXT ISSUE WILL BE July/August 2026 -
Win a Free Custom Engraved Brass Coin!!!
As a way to introduce our brass coins to the community, we will raffle off a free coin during the month of August. Follow link ABOVE for instructions for entering.
HMS Medea (28) (1778) 1/48 scratch build
- Thread starter Masters Mate
- Start date
- Watchers 44
Thanks Paul. It feels like I've been away and come home!
Following on from yesterday's post about 3D printing. I have tried carving but with very little success and certainly nothing to add to my Medea.
However, my discoveries of the wonder of AI imaging are proving extremely profitable.
For instance, this is the best image of Medea's stern (from the 1778 model in Bristol Museum) that I could obtain.
As you can see it shows very sketchy detail.
Tonight, in less than two hours, I cut the the image of the figure leaning on the shelf on the right hand side of the stern,
Then fed it into Makerworld MakerLab and chose 'make 3D from image'.
I wasn't expecting much but the file I received blew my mind. I printed it oversize just to see how much detail it had deduced and then printed the actual size for the model afterwards.
One model and a mirror image printed at the same time.
With all the extra bits cut off, a cleanup and paint and they will do nicely.
At my current age and with ongoing health problems, I am going for broke now to get the job done, whether by my own skill or the help of technology.
More to come tomorrow night.
However, my discoveries of the wonder of AI imaging are proving extremely profitable.
For instance, this is the best image of Medea's stern (from the 1778 model in Bristol Museum) that I could obtain.
As you can see it shows very sketchy detail.
Tonight, in less than two hours, I cut the the image of the figure leaning on the shelf on the right hand side of the stern,
Then fed it into Makerworld MakerLab and chose 'make 3D from image'.
I wasn't expecting much but the file I received blew my mind. I printed it oversize just to see how much detail it had deduced and then printed the actual size for the model afterwards.
One model and a mirror image printed at the same time.
With all the extra bits cut off, a cleanup and paint and they will do nicely.
At my current age and with ongoing health problems, I am going for broke now to get the job done, whether by my own skill or the help of technology.
More to come tomorrow night.
Now entering 'git er done' mode...
Looks very promising!
Looks very promising!
Follow up on the two guys on the quarters. Painted with 14K gold paint and standing proud in place.
The camera is so cruel...They look great in real size, but now I see more work needs doing around that area....
The camera is so cruel...They look great in real size, but now I see more work needs doing around that area....
I searched the Internet for a suitably impressive image for the stern gun port carvings and settled on this one.
Then I printed two of them to size (18mm diameter) and, well, see for yourself.
Once again, they will look okay on the build but the photo shows that it was hardly worth looking for a great master image!
And fitted
Then I printed two of them to size (18mm diameter) and, well, see for yourself.
Once again, they will look okay on the build but the photo shows that it was hardly worth looking for a great master image!
And fitted
Last edited:
The figurehead (Medea) was a challenge and I spent a lot of time trying to carve something reasonable, without success.
Fortunately, I knew from the plans in the Greenwich Maritime Museum that the figurehead was supposed to look something like this.
I then came across the book about Mr Hillhouse, the ship builder and subsequently the model he made of the ship in 1778 (now in the Bristol Museum). I obtained the following image in high resolution and worked from there with my new 3D printer.
![J354[b].jpg](https://shipsofscale.com/sosforums/data/attachments/603/603208-340daded309f0ed14e1c76498c74535b.jpg?hash=yiIAaO_JIn "J354[b].jpg")
I ran a cut just of the figurehead through the AI software and then to my 3D printer and, after a couple of adjustments for exact size, I was able to print a good likeness. I did the same for the scroll work next to the head.
Painted and fitted. The dress is pearl white acrylic and the trim 14K gold acrylic.
I'll probably add a knife to the dreaded hand of Medea later.
The gilt panel below the scroll has proved to be problematic as it is curved and the AI software cannot get the proportions right yet. I'm probably going to have to spend some time learning how the manipulate images once I have the printer files. But that's for another time.
Fortunately, I knew from the plans in the Greenwich Maritime Museum that the figurehead was supposed to look something like this.
I then came across the book about Mr Hillhouse, the ship builder and subsequently the model he made of the ship in 1778 (now in the Bristol Museum). I obtained the following image in high resolution and worked from there with my new 3D printer.
I ran a cut just of the figurehead through the AI software and then to my 3D printer and, after a couple of adjustments for exact size, I was able to print a good likeness. I did the same for the scroll work next to the head.
Painted and fitted. The dress is pearl white acrylic and the trim 14K gold acrylic.
I'll probably add a knife to the dreaded hand of Medea later.
The gilt panel below the scroll has proved to be problematic as it is curved and the AI software cannot get the proportions right yet. I'm probably going to have to spend some time learning how the manipulate images once I have the printer files. But that's for another time.