3D Printing

Was chatting with the boss earlier today and she was telling me how a friends teenage son has set up a mini business making model figures and scenery using a 3D printer. Just googled the cost and Maplins now have one for £700. I'm a technophobe so would be worried it would be beyond my skills to use but I'd hazard a guess it won't be long till one of the model firms starts going this route given the cost of metal these days.

Interesting post!

I'm expecting that in the next few years, and certainly before 2020, we'll be using 3D printers to create our models from scratch, or perhaps by scanning an existing model and playing about with computer aided design programs, to adjust and amend them to the specific look of a rally car at a particular event!  

I'm not sure how the clour schemes would be worked out, whether the 3D printers wil be able to take care of that of if we'll still be spraying and decalling!?  

Whatever happens, I'm expecting the current way of glueing prefabricated pieces of plastic or resin to form a model from a kit will be a little 'last-century'!   Who knows where it will end, but given the way prices for technology keep going down, I'd expect a domestic 3D printer will be in many homes before long!

Scary stuff, but with all sorts of amazing opportunities! Cheers, Steve

3D printing will explode in the next few years, not just for modeling. I did some 3d modeling in college and while its difficult at the stage, once you get your head around the co-ordinates its not too bad.

If anyone has any very rare model, i would hold off building/selling them as 3d scanner will be available as well which will allow you to scan your model and reprint it.

Definitely exciting times ahead

I too can't wait for the Domestic 3D printer
I was reading up about the Manufacturer of the printer that maplin have and they sold a load of Printers
To China!! Well we all know what will happen to them so keep an eye on ebay over the months ahead.

The roof vent of the Bogie 6R4 that i done was printed with a 3D printer but it was just very expensive at the time
To get anything else done but was a great job.
Think we all need a crash course in CAD files.. 

Hmmm! So a 3D printer and a 3D scanner will be required by the discerning model-maker/ collector in the future. Better start saving!   Should be fab! Cheers, Steve

143models.com wrote:...and they sold a load of printers to China!! Well we all know what will happen to them so keep an eye on ebay over the months ahead.

They would only need to buy one, scan it, print it out in their millions, and 'Hey Presto!' a half price fake Maplins 3D printer!  

David, we've missed you!   Cheers, Steve

143models.com wrote:Think we all need a crash course in CAD files.. 

The 6R4 boys should take the lead in this... After all, half our or models have FIRST IN CAD written on them.

I like your 'computer vision', Juha!  Very good. Cheers, Steve

That would be the Austin/BL no expense spared CAD tool which could only draw straight lines - as used to design the 6r4?

Cant wait, clubman air intake & dashboards for 6R4

Hampton Caught wrote:David, we've missed you!     Cheers, Steve

Gosh thanks Steve....  

reeft1 wrote:That would be the Austin/BL no expense spared CAD tool which could only draw straight lines - as used to design the 6r4?

The Princess... The Rover 800... The Maestro... The Montego...  

...however, I think it was playing for the half hour they took to design the Allegro, Paul!  (Before you say anything!)

 

Lol

Are you saying that thing was designed??

Of course my friend... ...in half an hour whilst the CAD system was playing up!  

 

this has been an interesting topic and thanks for opening it in here!

as Brian mentioned, recently the 3D printing is becoming popular starting from couple of hundred USD to 100.000 usd. there are so many of them in the market with so many futures.
last year I made a quick research about this technology as I believe it's very useful for many different fields and manufacturers. as it is very easy to create their prototypes instead of using big and expensive molds.

so, as mentioned earlier, modeling will be one of the fields that will be effected by this new technology. I am sure that Resin companies such as Otto and others already using this technology.

who knows, maybe in the future we will be able to purchase the CAD drawings of the models we like and just print home
so no more high postages hahahaha

as many of you might aware that I am trying to build the Mini WRC. one of the most important and unique part of this car is the rear wing. I have been thinking and consulting with a guy from Germany to build this wing.
I am trying on my own to see how far I can go while the German guy will be custom building one for me.
but, actually to be more precise and accurate, I have been thinking of the 3D printing. unfortunately, until now I couldn't find any CAD drawings....
do you guys think Prodrive may share with me or even more would they 3D print it in 1/18 scale )))

if you guys know any way to find the CAD of the Mini WRC wing, I would highly appreciate

my lamp pod for the 205 was my own CAD drawing and then 3D printed  

Clever chap! Full marks sir!

jusali wrote:my lamp pod for the 205 was my own CAD drawing and then 3D printed  

Excellent! How long did it take you to draw up the design in 3D? How difficult was it and what experience/ training have you had to work the software and hardware? Did you have a full size one to scan and reduce in scale?

I can imagine that in a short while there will be 3D scanning, drawing and printing for Beginners/ Idiots books for us to refer to.  

Cheers, Steve

I drew it up in CAD using photographs for reference (I'm a CAD Technician).
It took a day to draw up to my satisfaction.
You then have to import your 3d cad model into software that slices it up and codes it to the resolution you want to print it up to, laborious and time consuming but once it's encoded you can then use that file again and again.
The print takes about 1hr and a half.

The nature of the 3d printer is that it lays up levels using a glue gun and builds up to the top.
So I had to make it modular as it can't span distances between 2 points.
I had to make the cups seperately and glue the parts together. Then paint the components using tamiya acrylics.

I use our work 3D printer so had to be a bit stealthy

You can make 3D scanners using a laser pen and a kinnect type camera already.........

You can already get 3D models already to print, I found a peugeot 205 T16 costs 75Euros

jusali wrote:I drew it up in CAD using photographs for reference (I'm a CAD Technician).
It took a day to draw up to my satisfaction.
You then have to import your 3d cad model into software that slices it up and codes it to the resolution you want to print it up to, laborious and time consuming but once it's encoded you can then use that file again and again.
The print takes about 1hr and a half.

The nature of the 3d printer is that it lays up levels using a glue gun and builds up to the top.
So I had to make it modular as it can't span distances between 2 points.
I had to make the cups seperately and glue the parts together. Then paint the components using tamiya acrylics.

I use our work 3D printer so had to be a bit stealthy

You can make 3D scanners using a laser pen and a kinnect type camera already.........

You can already get 3D models already to print, I found  a peugeot 205 T16 costs 75Euros

Great post jusali, especially the part i bolded.  Im really looking forward to the time when 3d printing is common place. This place will change a lot then haha

There was an report on 3d printers on the Ray D'Arcy radio show (Irish radio) Last week. They scanned Ray and produced a 3d figure of him.

See http://www.mcortechnologies.com/the-creation-of-a-ray-darcy-3d-action-figure-scan-to-full-colour-printin-paper/

The printer uses reams of ordinary priner paper, sliced and glued to build up the model. The consumables cost of producing the models seems reasonable.

Very interesting and exciting subject.

jusali wrote:I drew it up in CAD using photographs for reference (I'm a CAD Technician).
It took a day to draw up to my satisfaction.
You then have to import your 3d cad model into software that slices it up and codes it to the resolution you want to print it up to, laborious and time consuming but once it's encoded you can then use that file again and again.
The print takes about 1hr and a half.

The nature of the 3d printer is that it lays up levels using a glue gun and builds up to the top.
So I had to make it modular as it can't span distances between 2 points.
I had to make the cups seperately and glue the parts together. Then paint the components using tamiya acrylics.

I use our work 3D printer so had to be a bit stealthy

You can make 3D scanners using a laser pen and a kinnect type camera already.........

You can already get 3D models already to print, I found  a peugeot 205 T16 costs 75Euros

I like the bold part as well
so, do you think the Mini WRC wing is workable? Can it be done in 3D printing?

It could be done in 3D printing but would need to be done in sections.
However you would be better off buying one of these 1/18 Mini WRC and making a mould.