Holding Patterns

    My test print of the 1:1200 Steam Launch arrived in the mail today. I've been anxiously awaiting it so I could compare it to one of the old plastic Aphids for sizing. I was also concerned about the thickness (actually thinness) of some of the elements. Here are a few quick shots I took this evening.

    I had the printer leave the support system in place to help with future designs. It's always good to see how either the machine or the operator decides to position the model.

    One of the details I was worried about was the depth of the portholes. You can see in the last two photos that they are printing quite well.

    The ventilation tubes, fins and the forward gun mount also printed well. I left the gun off of this build to get a feel for the actual printed size of the mount.

    Here's a shot of the Steam Launch and the plastic Aphid from the old boxed set. I have to look up the lengths of the ship and compare them to see if the size ratios are correct. I can tweak the Launch 3D model either way for the final print.

    I'm also left with a lot of decisions about how to bulk up certain parts so they will actually be castable. The fins and sidewalls are less than 1/2 a millimeter thick. I'll need add thickness there and I'm thinking about repositioning the air ducts and thickening them so they cast more easily. The gun mount will probably need some extra bulk with the actual gun just being suggested since it's so small. The last thickness concern is top to bottom along the hull. I'm probably going to need to thicken the whole model in the z axis by 10-20% to end up with the actual thickness I want.

    So... back to the drawing board for me when I get the chance. But for the next week or two I need to focus on commission work and get it out the door.