Richard Thornton 2

Thanks Ron

PLA filament, which is a popular material for 3D printing, is not naturally waterproof, and so it requires additional treatment to become waterproof. Ok that is taken from google and some other sources say it is “Compared to the rest of popular materials, PLA has the worst weather-resistance.” As I said, all comments are welcome and as I don’t actually own a printer yet, everyone is an expert. If your saying PLA is ‘adequate’ in our hobby, then that’s the sort of positive input I was hoping for.

Morning Ron, just thinking about the another post earlier in this thread,3D printing does open a can of worms. I have spent the last 2 weeks reading and watching everything related to the subject and it seems the more I learn, the more questions there are to be asked. PLA is cheap and cheerful, can be painted but isn’t waterproof and isn’t UV tolerant, so something like a cockpit seat or dashboard wouldn’t be any good. PETG is also good and easy to print BUT doesn’t take paint very well, if at all, or does it? It’s UV tolerance is good therefore something cockpit wise would be best made in this material but how do you get around painting it, ie to weather it if it’s printed in the appropriate colour to start with. TPU is flexible and used for something like pilots, rubber gaiters that sort of thing. ABS / ASA seem a good choice but I think that due to heat/enclosure/odour/complexity and cost, maybe that’s something to avoid initially until the L plates have been removed. Thoughts? I am thinking of printing off some cockpit details, seat, controls, switches for my 1/4 scale Tigermoth and as this is a totally new area of modelling for me, any help is always welcome.

Really good tutorial, explains the workaround and definitions, many thanks PDB

Thanks for the info, did you resolve the issues with your Ender 3 V2.?

Glad you mentioned that 10 document limit. I don’t fancy upsetting any legal restrictions on the program but 10 doesn’t seem to be worth the faff of buying a 3D printer for. I do however realise that this isn’t the place to discuss ‘work arounds’. Thing with Fusion 360 is the logic is very similar to AutoCAD and the tools are very similar too. It took a while to understand the logic ie Line - Draw, rather than Draw - Line, but once you’ve overcome that, boy it is a seriously powerful tool. Appreciate your response particularly with the other options.

Slight deviation from the original thread but hopefully there is logic to the question. Each printer has its own custom ‘software’ to operate, I realise that this software turns your creation into a sliced object, with multiple options to create the desired effect, to suitably placed on the bed and then, print. My question is, what CAD software do or can you use to create your object in the first place. I realise this is a can of worms much like the choice of printers, each program has its own pro’s and con’s but this is why I am asking here. I use an AutoCAD type package to draw bits to construct for my current projects, but it’s very much a 2D affair. I have drawn some things in 3D but get my knickers in a twist when trying to ‘fill’ the things by giving them depth and tubes and arc’s are as yet ‘issues yet to be resolved’. I notice that a lot of folks seem to use Fusion 360 but the free option seems vague. Hopefully I have provided enough food for thought and room to add to this really interesting and informative post started by Zflyer.

Just back from Vancouver, de Havilland is still alive and well

Many thanks Stu

Many thanks Ace

Will take a look straight away

Excellent job here Nick. You mentioned a ‘dropper bottle’. Can you give more details please. Also very interesting comment about them shrinking back in size. I have tried the toothpick method and found everyone was different both size and shape, I chucked the practice bit away before it had dried as I wasn’t happy. Need more patience

Thats good to know Chris, about the handling. The pilot who owns the full sized aircraft mentioned that it was quite a stable platform but took some turning as the plane ‘weather cocked’ in any breeze. Re the 3 fuselages, I fully agree and it’s only when you’re getting the shiny coats on that all the lumps and bumps appear.

Wow, that’s perfection. More details on how you did it please, that’s JUST the effect I am looking for and mine 1/4 scale. The rivet details are on the floats but using water proof pva glue should overcome that issue as well as getting a few licks of top coat paint to cure and seal them all off. Looks like a plan, thanks Nick

No, I haven’t tried this yet but have read about it……does it work?

Making use of the glorious weather we are having in the UK right now, undersides glassed and partly painted. 1 topside glassed with 1 added coat but oh so much more work still to do.

Well this is very much on its way, both undersides glassed over, topsides to concentrate on now.

Yes I guess there is tiny and then really tiny. But the devil is in the detail and there are a lot of rivets on these floats I am building. Thing is I know nothing about 3D printing or printers. The file that I can get is an SKU file, printing 250 rivets at a time.

Mushroom heads

Hi everyone. I am trying to resolve an issue with regard to rivets. I need quite a few 100 really small rivets and they are aesthetic only not functional. There seems to be several routes to this resolution. 1/ buy 1000 really small re its to BS641 with a shank diameter of 1/32” x 3mm long (don’t you just love this metric/imperial world we work in) with a dome head in brass. issue- cost, weight and fixing issue. 2/ buy a 3D template or file from the ‘tank and military hobbyists’ issue- where can I get this file printed in a quantity that still makes it worth while. issue resolved - plastic bits while be lighter than brass, easier to glue and not tarnish or blemish the paint. Anyone used a 3D printing service for modeller's rather than professional 3D printing services?

This is what I am building

The foot rests on the float struts.

More detail (weight!) added this week now it’s warm enough to paint.

Thanks Nick. That’s what I was really concerned with the original concept with these floats. It’s a large model, it’s has weight. It needs added speed to take off on water and water at this speed is ‘hard’. Hence the backing with polystyrene which gives strength in both longitudinal and compressive areas

Many thanks Yaho