In the tutorial, the librarian was excited to see the paratrooper model and enjoyed manipulating the file before firing off the printer. In an attempt to optimize the printing, the size was increased to better capture some details and improve the actual printing process. Well, Nancy expected to be bringing her works back after the tutorial but did not know the length of time that these printers take to make a model. After a few days, she returned to the library to pick up these creations.
Pulling the model from the bag, I faced the printing results below:
After painting, the model looks quite good to my eye with good detail and a decent printing quality. Could I repeat this process to build an army? No way! Still, a fun and interesting diversion from normal operations.
Now, there may be a model in there somewhere but cutting it out may take some work. It did! After slicing, clipping, and trimming away everything that was not the model, the vignette emerged.
A few photos from the finished vignette below:
What do you think?
Speaking of The Great Wargaming Survey, data from the 2025 survey plopped into my Dropbox account this week. Preprocessing and recoding will begin soon as I begin the annual dive into the results. Response was down again this year with much of this downtick attributed to failure to complete the survey. Seems only about 78% of respondents managed to click the "Submit" button after answering the survey. Step it up, people!
There are several friends in our circle who have been 3D printing models for some time. At various times they have shown the "raw" figures before they were trimmed. I've never seen as much armature (for lack of a better term) as this model has: might be the STL or the 3D printer (don't know enough to tell). I'm guessing a different model may take less to emerge.
ReplyDeleteArmature is a good word! I think of these bits as a type of scaffolding or infrastructure. I wonder these bits are really termed?
DeleteThe finished painted article look very nice indeed but what a faff! I have purchased a few 3D models, not many but a couple and they have come without supports so that was good, I can see how people like 3D but I don't think I will be fielding armies of them somehow.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Donnie! Indeed, there is no way I could make even a small army out of models with this much supporting scaffolding. What a pain!
DeleteThe end result is excellent and hardly any build lines to see:). However they certainly need to work on those supports, which might be a default setting on the machine. It shows that although 3D printing is easily achievable at home, it still needs a lot of skill and practice, despending upon the machine and programme used.
ReplyDeleteThank you! Yes, the resulting model is smooth with hardly any visible striations. some areas are rougher than others but overall, a good result. I wonder if the supports can be reduced through software? Interesting thought.
Delete1. Sculpt is lovely
ReplyDelete2. Your painting does it full justice.
3. Pre-production adjustments and everything that follows is a faff and just one more step / obstacle to getting games to the table. I.e. 3D printing becomes a sub-hobby necessity, much the same as painting does.
4. Accepting that your supports were far too thick in this instance, waste material and the resin itself strikes me as having environmental impact.
5. As boys toys though ….. the 3D machines are amazing.
Nice list! For (5), I have enough toys already to hold me back from adding 3D printing into the mix.
DeleteOh my! Amazing stuff!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Michal!
DeleteI got quite excited there when I read the title, Jon, and imagined a future of PWJ posts replete with beautiful home printed figures!
ReplyDeleteThe supports are terrible on this model, which as others have said, I assume either indicates the library has a cheaper, less able 3D printer or the library staff are only semi competent at operating it.
The end result is great and nicely painted but unfortunately I agree with other correspondents, 3D printing involves far too much hassle for my liking so not a road I am ever likely to venture down. I will continue to buy the results of other people's efforts with the technology, however!
Thanks, Keith, and I agree. This is too much work to offer as a viable option for fielding armies for gaming. It was an interesting exercise, and I may try other stls from time to time. I still have the Agincourt Herald from the 2024 GWS and a bridge from this year's survey.
DeleteA lovely print after removing the excess blob and very nice paint job to go with it.
ReplyDeleteI have a 3d printer and it was about as much fun to use as banging my head into a wall. If they ever make a press start and stop version I may try again until then whenever I want a 3d print I'll buy it.
Thanks, Christopher! You offer words of wisdom!
DeleteI think 3D printing is great for buildings and vehicles and I have another gaming friend who is busy churning out gaming aids like measuring sticks. Large straight surfaces which don't require much, if any, supports. My conclusions have been the same as yours with regard to figures though. I get annoyed enough at having to clear flash away from metal figures and don't think I would have the patience to sit there and clean up an entire army with hundreds of figures.
ReplyDelete