"Oh hey, I have a new notification!" *Opens Notifications* Back to the discussion... Hey so for doing turrets, has anyone considered chasing down that termite resin? Now go with me on this, it has two directions. One, if the current 3dP materials aren't working you could either A: use 3dP to make a model for silicone casting and cast termite resin turrets or B: cast like a backing material for the 3dP turret. so, similar to chobham laminates, just make like an outer shell for the turret using 3dP and then back it with a stronger material? If you use something durable, yet flexible as a backing material, I think the 3dP would *crack*, but not shatter. If the damage could be minimized as such, maybe that's an alternative? I just cast my first resin turrets, and it took a whole weekend to hand carve the prototype, so if at all possible I'd certainly love to have a viable alternative
Plan to start working on tuning the extruder as well as setting up linear advance this weekend. May need to order some more filament as I only have one roll at the moment to mess with. I have Hatchbox ABS in Red. Probably should stick with same brand for the duration of my parts run at least right?
why are we super worried about minimizing damage on 3dp printed parts? its plastic. Plastic with a neat way to put it in place, but just plastics all the same. plan to replace bits and sections instead of thinking of it as a one-and-done solution. Quit thinking about it like a highly detailed, super time invested monolithic superstructure d'Art and start treating it as consumable and you'll be a lot happier watching people shoot it instead of your hull. so what if a chunk of your super or a turret cover gets a bunch of holes blasted in it? when its bad enough- print a new piece, rattle-can it grey, and install! It is fun to sink ships it is fun to watch bits get blasted off ships it is fun to throw a bunch of cooling looking stuff on your ship and let it get blown off, because you know you have a box full of replacement bits that only cost you a few dollars and a little effort hitting 'print'
Exactly. Nick has it exactly rite. However Nick, by making it last longer if we can, we can get more battle time and less repair time. Just my .02 cents.
The only place it really matters is if your component is structural or part of the cannon system. There it is important to get it right and plenty have.
This is very true. Really, unless you're seeing damages like this ↓↓ you shouldn't worry too much about it. Like I said, my ABS SS is holding up fine. Nothing fancy.
proven alternatives: 1) make fiberglass mold of prototype turret. Maybe 1 hour total for mold, about 15 min for each turret. Strong and thin for plenty of elbow clearance/down angle 2) print in abs and then cover sides/faces with one layer of fiberglass cloth. That method has worked well for me on a couple ships, effective at preventing any damage (loss of paint is only damage)
Oh hey, that'll do, Kevin. I may have to do that on the next build. I've seen you use that method before in your threads. So if I follow what ya did, the mold is FB, you put on a releasing agent, glass in your turret from there, then pop it out and trim the edges? What do you do past that to get it on the hull? I'm with you, Nick. I'm really digging these molds just for that reason. my only asterisk being that I view the turrets as armor plating for the cannons. I'm trying to leave my resin molds (future boats will hopefully be 3dP turrets) with just enough thickness to protect the cannon from a close range direct hit. *Somebody at Saranac* has a monster of a Graf Spee with the capability of blowing through three sheet thick fiberglass and, at close range, has nearly penetrated my 1/8" Lexan armor on several occasions. I'm totally fine with them breaking, looking like hell, etc. but it'd be nice if the mechanisms behind them stayed operational. Replacing my current turrets would cost about a dollar in resin and twenty minutes of time. that includes slapping on the rattlecan grey.
I've started printing all damage prone stuff from TPU filament. Works great on a Prusa Mk3 provided: 1. Any supports have to be cut out by hand as they will not simply break off. The contact surface with the support will probably never be perfect 2. In order to bond, you have to sand the surfaces to be bonded. The roughness created is compatible with CA and probably most adhesives For superstructures, I like to split the models into a large number of Decks in order to minimize use of supports. Consider designing in dowels or masts to keep everything aligned. Once printed the parts are completely indestructible. Better than anything I have ever seen. So good in fact that you will likely spall off the paint, but the parts will be undamaged. This is what I have been using: View: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TI3JUUQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I wonder if the 3d Solutech flexible is similar. Stuff is super tough once printed. Will have to try printing some secondaries for Scharnhorst and see how they turn out.
Probably works the same... Just remember to slow down the print speed on most printers or the flexible filaments will bird'snest in the print head.
Really wish I could have learned that fact from you, alas I already found out the hard way haha. Had a 3+ meter bird's-nest all in the extruder. Not a bit came out anywhere lol. Was a fun disassembly job to clear it.
I agree 100%. We get a lot of laughs cataloging the damage and trying to retrieve floating parts. Seeing how long an aircraft will last has become one of my favorite games.
i know right? I have plenty that I'd like printed up. I figured for bigger things though I'd use the service, wouldn't want to impose on others. Eventually I want to get myself a printer.
Two routes to getting one. Cheap junk you modify and upgrade untill it works properly and cost about the same in time and money, or just spend more money. How valuable time is to you should make that decision hahaha. I went the former. Still learning and modifying. Started with a usable Anet A8 kit. Bit it was not printing dimensionally accurate parts. Took a lot to get it to do even close to accurate lol. I could have got a better machine for what I spent. However, I now know how it goes together and how it works.
