discussion FDM PLA 3D printing - with a model making inclination

[Dave Ward]

Some more unusual vehicles, all in 1/72

Churchill 3" Gun Carrier

Centurion AVRE


Centurion ARV

All modern tanks seem to have really small fittings, which are really difficult to print by FDM - and as soon as I see 'slat armour' - forget it ( in 1/72 at least )
Dave

 

[Dave Ward]

I printed a 1/72 A7V -

I'd had enough of the black PLA - it's gone back into storage with its' companion, the silica gel pouch
and back to a neutral grey & how much better it looks!

CA1 Schneider in 1/72 - The St Chamond is printng now
Dave

 

[Tim Marlow]

Your painting queue must be stretching around the block by now Dave Interesting stuff though.

 

[Dave Ward]

I was thinking of getting a big bucket of primer & dipping them!
Dave

 

[Dave Ward]

a 1/35 Culin Hedgerow cutter for a Sherman

- probably a bit too neat! These things were knocked together in Field Workshops from German beach defences ( or so I read ).
A weird alternative fir the Sherman, instead of the Calliope - the Whizbang - actually saw ( limited ) combat
That's going to take a bit of printing in 1/35
Dave

 

[Dave Ward]

a 1/35 Culin Hedgerow cutter for a Sherman

- probably a bit too neat! These things were knocked together in Field Workshops from German beach defences ( or so I read ).
A weird alternative fir the Sherman, instead of the Calliope - the Whizbang - actually saw ( limited ) combat
That's going to take a bit of printing in 1/35
Dave

I was right - took 12 hours to print - the clean up seems to be impossible! I'll probably have to cut the thing in two to do a succesful print.......................
Dave

 

[Dave Ward]

It'll probaby print as a resin in one piece, but with FDM the space between the turret top & the launcher is just too narrow to allow clean up - I just had to try! Ironically splitting it into two has cut the overall print time down to ten hours, there's less support structure needed
Dave

 

[Dave Ward]

I printed the whizbang turret in two halves & ca'd them together
A little filler needed, here and there
Another Sheman turret oddball - again in 1/35 - the Sherman CDL
What I need now is a M4A1, as both these turrets seem to have been mounted on cast hull versions - I do have an Italeri model in the stash that could be a suitable donor
Dave

 

[Dave Ward]

I have only one Italeri M4A1. so I decided to print one - the hull wasn't too much problem, but the weak point is the tracks - even if they were resin printed, they wouldn't be very good
Still, the hull fitted with the CDL turret

......................and with the whizbang turret

in 1/35.............................
I also printed a 1/72 Beaverette, the original converted car model..............

On the edge of what's useable!
Dave