gieb8688

In regards to the above comments about 3D machines taking away from the "building" of models then you could say the same of people who use power saws or sanders or a lathe or milling machine as used by so many modelers on  this forum. At one point in time all of the functions were done by hand, now days most modelers would never even consider building ships without these "essential" tools. I look at the modern day laser cutter or 3D printer as just being another "Power tool" that will expedite the builder's abilities.
 
Case in point. This build by Yves is nothing short of fantastic, and I am truly envious of not only his apparent native ability to make use of the machine but the results as well. As an old time RC boater and one that has MANY hours on the water with the old Matchbox model, (That I thought was big back in the day)  Clearly one could do amazing things with a 1/48th scale version. But In order to carry even this ("kit?") to the next level then the hull would have top be smoothed and an attempt made to replicate the hull plates from the real ship. Yves, while I am certain is able to do this extra work has chosen not to. I am certain there are computer enhancements, machine refinements, and old style hands on work that could be used on this depending on what one would expect from the finished product, but the product so far is just been the making of a model much as one would with any other tool. The only "kit" aspect to it so far as I can see has been the using of someone else's developed plans for the print Vs. creating one's own. But even that has parallels in the more traditional modeling world and is still referred to as a scratch built model. 

I agree with you: 3D printing material is very tough and the welding with MEK, may not withstand the impact of a 3 feet high fall. But then again, it is not really designed for that. I have used CA to position the hull sections and then MEK, which takes a long time and lots of liquid to insure a strong bond. So far, I am quite happy and hope to not drop it....
 
So, at this stage, we have finished the hull (still some details to paint) and all decks have been printed and positioned on top of the hull, with numerous strips for shimming and precise positioning.
 

 
I still have to print the propeller and assemble the rudder, to call it completed.
 
Yves

Here are the updated pictures of the Victory:
 

 
It looks like the rigging sprung on a carronade and the figurehead needs some minor work.  Otherwise, the Victory looks like she’s in good shape.

James did an article in the latest Tamiya Model Magazine, for anyone that's interested.

OK, we have released the final 5 Sphinx kits to stock. Once these are gone, that is it for this production run. I will not be able to get more PE until next month at the earliest, as Italy is now on holiday. And I thought I had enough to last a while!
 
I think I have already mentioned this, but the photo etched sheets were changed at the very last minute to include all PE part numbers etched on the sheet, which should make identification easier..

Yves
She is looking spectacular as the paint and details are added. Its an inspiration for me flailing around in the trenches.
Alan

A bird's eye view of the decks system: 
 

 

 

 

 
Yves

From these: 
 

 
To this: 
 

 
It is literally amazing. The hull as you see it, has a total cost of $45 plus $3 for the pedestal. Once the license has been purchased ($50), you could print out as many hulls and parts as you want.
 
A few more picture of this behemoth: 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 
This last picture gives you an idea of the size of this hull: 
 

 
Next, is the delicate application of acrylic putty and some sanding, before a first coat of primer. Originally, this kit is intended for navigation and Radio Control and as such the designer is suggesting to cut the inside frames to gain access to the RC equipment, batteries and motors. I am going to keep them all, as they will be perfect to support the decks and cabins. Hull is very stiff and would not require them, but they will make my life so much easier for what is to come.
 
Yves
 
Yves

More progress on the decks: 
 

 

 
I still have to raise and position Decks C, D-E (now glued together) in the hull. Deck F is the vertical wall of the engine room. The goal is to have a perfect fit for each of these decks, and be able to work on them as separate module, paint them independently and minimize the masking of such a large model.
 
Then it will be time to pull out the airbrush, with the large nozzle....
 
Yves

Mike, 
 
You will find most answers to your questions in the previous posts. The license depicts a typical "Generic" Corvette (after retrofitting = long Forecastle). The designer also created another type of Corvette: The Castle Corvette (see picture below). No, I am not planning to show any inside. My goal is just to finish the hull.
 

 
Yves

Steven here is the 1mm deadeye up close. It seems to have come out pretty good with the smaller support. I printed 128 of them. I dont envy you trying to thread them.

Steven, here are the 2mm deadeyes a little more rounded on the corners and some 1mm efforts that are fair but i think we can do better. The deformity on the vase if the supports is due to the build plate coming a little loose. I also think i can try a smaller support on the 1mm deadeye. What do you think about the shape? Are they closer to what you wanted?

Well I guess it's time for an update on my galleries.  As a reminder, this is my first build so I can't give a lot of good suggestions, but perhaps I can point out a few errors to avoid.
 
First, the practicum recommended setting the roof 25/32" higher than the gallery floor.  That really worked well for me and I milled a block of basswood to that size for placement of the roof.  I could also slip that block behind the windows to help support them in place as I was gluing them in place.  Benefit was that for the height I could use the same size wood as the practicum.
 
For both the roof and lower gallery pieces I followed the plans and per the practicum I needed to extend them to align with the gun ports.  Picked up some extra sheets of thicker basswood as the kit didn't supply enough and I had to remake them several times.  Cut them using my scroll saw (had one that I had purchased when I was milling wood with the intention that I would use it for modeling, but it was still in the original box moved from Ohio).  Used my Byrnes disc sander to do fine shaping for the profiles and a Dremel to shape the roof.  Everyone probably does this, but whenever I make a part and have the sizing completed, I always mark off another piece on the raw stock assuming that I may need to create another part.
 
With respect to the windows and the remainder of the gallery build, I had the same issues as everyone else...
 
I was also intimidated by trying to add the styrene strips using CA directly on the model.  So I started out by trying to build the pieces off of the model and then gluing them in place.
Here are some of my early attempts.

 
It was good for some practice.  Found that by placing a drop of CA and anchoring one end of the strips works really well.  Wait a minute and by just taking a toothpick and touching the backside of the strip I could direct and put the other end in place.  Will use this technique for all of the styrene trim.  Before the CA dried I used another toothpick to wipe up any excess glue.  This really worked well.  When you trim the strip always cut it a little long because you can come back and trim it again.  Only took me 4 tries to figure it out that too short really looks nasty!
 
I also wanted to use the kit supplied windows and here is an early attempt to build off of the model.

 
The problem with the windows is that the angle of the windows is wrong and it is not consistent between windows, especially with the forward smallest window.  It has very different slants on fore and aft portion.  So this makes it tough to determine size and shape of the pilasters.  The changing angles also plays havoc with trying to align the simulated column pieces off of the model.  The windows are laser cut from 3/32" stock, which make them a little too thick.  That does help if you want to add some curvature, but they are too fragile for much sanding.
 
Here is an early attempt to make the pieces off model and then adding them.
 

 
In the first pic the brown interior is some support pieces inserted to help with placement and gluing.  It looks pretty rough and what you can't see very well is that there are a number of issues with that forward window.
 
So after several attempts and almost giving up here's what I came up with:
 
1)  If you use the kit supplied windows, make the first 3 pilasters a little smaller.  I used 3/16" and having all of them the same size made the proportions come out a little better.  The 3rd pilaster needed to be trimmed a little at the top...1/64+" starting at the base of the window to the top.  The 4th pilaster just filled the area to the hull.
 
2)  There is a lot of rounding needed for the 4th pilaster so I needed to use my Dremel on the inside top of that piece and just round the edges on the exterior.
 
3)  Wait and place the styrene trim until the after the pilasters and windows are in place.
 
4)  For the columns I didn't try to add the extra pieces at the top.  On my final build, I created a little template and cut all of the column tops and bottoms the same size for symmetry.
 
5)  I picked up one of those AL scrapers for shaping the .060 x .080 styrene trim.  Suggest pre-bending that piece over the edge of your workbench as its a little too stiff for the CA to hold it without some pre-shaping on tight bends.
 
6)  Started to mill some new windows from holly, but the odd angles were going to be an issue for me.  If I had started initially making my own windows it may have about as fast as redoing this multiple times.  Didn't think that I would like building them from styrene, so I never tried.  The white would match better with the styrene.
 
7)  There needs to be some rounding, especially at the top with the horizontal pieces.  In some cases I went with 3/32 stock so that I had more thickness to work with to do the rounding.
 
8) On my last attempt, I added a 1/16 insert on the floor to have something to support from the inside.  Could do the same at the top, but I just used the roof edge and thinned the pilaster tops.
 

 
And some closer pics...really ugly.
 

 
Overall I wouldn't give myself high marks on the galleries, but hopefully my experience will help someone else.
 
While I was waiting for things to dry I started to add port lights and sculpers to one side.  Suggest waiting until you have sealed the hull and at least extend the black paint below them as it makes everything easier to paint.

Moving on with the hull. Insertion of the coupling part between section 8 and section 7: 

 
You can appreciate the finesse of the fit.
 

 
This model is designed for Radio Control but will be assembled as a static model, in our case.
 

 
After a few hours of drying, I am starting to print some deck parts to see how this whole kit is fitting: 
 

 
The little bottle of Ambroid, gives an idea of the size of the hull: it is massive !!
 

 
Yves
 

Starting with the Stern. As mentioned, I am using CA glue to secure the very large coupling part to the hull shells:
 

 

 
Overall, it is not too bad. I will have to put some acrylic putty in some places, sand and I hope that after a couple of primer coats, the hull will be presentable. I will try to be more careful for the other sections.
 
The trick is to lightly sand the inside surface of the hull shells and the contact surface of the coupling part, to make sure that the glue can adhere well. The fit of the coupling piece to the hull shells is amazing.
 
Yves 
 
 

A quick update on the Corvette Hull: 

 
As you can see, all the parts for the hull have been finally printed. We are talking of 2 weeks of non-stop printing. The hull is comprised of 9 vertical sections and one horizontal piece at the stern. They are labelled 1 to 9 from left to right. The section 3, 4 and 5 took between 36 hours and 41 hours each !!! The other sections have been detailed in previous posts.
 
Overall, close to two spools of light gray PLA and 25% of the White PLA went through that process. If we calculate the cost of this massive hull, it comes to close to $45, for a 1.25 meter long hull. This technology, obviously, allows the realization of models at a low cost.
 

 
I have started sanding very lightly the various sections and drilled the portholes. It is a lot easier to work on one section at a time, rather than on the entire hull.
 

 
It is now time to assemble that behemoth. To glue the PLA, I am planning to use the special soldering cement available under the names of Plastruct or more economically the MEK (Methyl Ethyl Ketone), available at certain hardware stores or online for a fraction of the cost of these Hobby Shops little bottles. A Plastruct bottle is about $7 for an ounce, whereas I can get half a litter for less than $20, including shipping. The old Ambroid bottle has been refilled with the pure MEK. Same consistency, same smell, same gluing power.
 

 
Yves

Quick update: printing of the hull couplers (8 of them) is done. Each took between 1:30 and 5:00 hours to go....
 

 
I am currently printing the pedestal (2 x 7 hours) and still have four major pieces of the hull to go through: another week of non-stop printing. With Virtual kit, you either need multiple printers or build two kits at the same time... :-)
 
Yves

Time consuming progress.....
 
28 hours.... Hull_2 section: 

 
Even better....33 hours !! Hull_7 section: 

 
The positive side of these virtual kits, is that while the model is building itself, you can get a life !!!
 
Yves
 

Great project Yves! My best wishes for your success.
A few years ago, I got into the printing of a six foot wingspan F4U Corsair R/C model aircraft kit that I purchased to plans/code for online. After about 25% through completion, I learned that the software I was using needed to be upgraded as the airframe shapes were so complex, my software could not handle it. At that point I became distracted and boxed everything away, never got back around to finishing the project. Amazing technology and lots to learn. It's a steep learning curve really IMHO.
 
Notice with my project, the entire inner airframe is printed inside the outer skin. 
 

 
 

A few pictures of the printed parts, so far.
 
I am using light gray Polylactic Acid (PLA) from Overture to print all these parts. The diameter is the standard 1.75mm which is extruded to 0.4 mm, at 200 Degrees Celsius. The bed (glass plate) is warmed up at 60 Degrees Celsius for adhesion and nice bonding of the filaments. The PLA is sold in spools of 2.2 pounds (1 Kgrs) and my understanding is that it will take about two spools to complete the hull.
 

 
First part printed: Took about 2:00 hours. All the parts displayed are direct from printing and I have not sanded or refined anything, yet. The Fused PLA is very hard, much harder than the polystyrene used in plastic model kits.
 

 
This one took 3:28 hours. The rear of the stern has some waves which are actually very superficial and will be easy to remove with light sanding and priming.
 

 
Hull_8 part took 17 hours. I prayed that the printer would not stop .... and it did not. Very nice and crisp details. The welding traces are actually very nice and will be perfect after some light sanding. Ports have to be drilled.
 

 
The entire stern put together. Very precise assembly and probably little use of putty.
 
For those interested in the printing process, here are a few pictures of the birth of the Corvette: 
 

 

 

 
8 hours done....7 more hours to go!!!
 

 
Done !!!! 
 

 

 
Yves

Got the display case finished!  Once I decided to cut plexiglass myself, it went about as smoothly as any project like this does.   I had test fit everything several times, so it all went together easily.
 
The lights work great, even better than I expected!  Well worth the effort.   The lights I used are battery powered, remote controlled, for closets and shelves.  Amazon has a bunch of them.  I put 4 in the case and it's about right at 100% brightness.  Reviews said batteries don't last long, so I made it so I can quickly remove lights and change batteries.  I figure I won't have to do this too often, because I'll only use lights when showing off to visitors.
 
I have it sitting on a game table for now, so there's background distractions.  When custom table arrives (I've been told about a month), I'll put it against a wall and I think it will look even better.  Photos picked up some reflections, which you don't actually see.
 
 

Just a brief update on my progress. I have fitted the gaff and boom to the mizen mast to try the fit of the driver sail.  Then the sail was made up using my paneling method, the bolt rope, linings, cringles, reef points etc. were  added.  Then the sail was bent to the gaff using two robands per sail panel. The brails will be added at a later time, before hanging the gaff/boom/sail assembly.  Still more to do before then, though.
 

 
I mounted the crojack spar, adding the sling, truss and lifts, Then temporarily set the mizen top yard, which allowed me to get the critical dimension of the mizen topsail height. That number, along with the cleat-to-cleat dimensions of the crojack and top yard, allowed me to make a paper template for the top sail.  This will be used in the next step, which will be the assembly of the topsail from the sail panels and then cutting the sail to the template.
 

 
Here are a few shots of the current state of the build. Excuse the messy background, that is my garage workshop space!
 

 

 

 

 

As I went along with my Victory build, I decided that I wanted to display her as she went into battle, including with her hammock cranes full.  It was common practice, especially in times of war, for His Majesty’s ships to wake all hands an hour before dawn to prepare for a battle with any enemy ship that may appear nearby at dawn’s break.  Hammocks were broken down, rolled and triced up, with the sailors’ bedding and other belongings inside the roll.  The hammock tricing, as per the bosun, was with the regulated 7 circumferential turns of small stuff.  The roll was then folded in half and stowed in a hammock crane at the sailor’s assigned position under the watchful eyes of one of the bosun’s mates.  The reason for doing this was twofold; one to get them out of the way as there was little storage space below decks for personal belongings, and secondly to act as some degree of protection from the wood splinters that were the result of an incoming cannonball’s impact, and also from musket shot from the enemy’s Marines stationed in their fighting tops.  The filled hammock cranes were also an impediment to boarding parties coming over the side. The weather deck of a line-of-battle ship during an engagement was not a nice place to be! The filled cranes were usually covered with tarps to protect them from the weather, but I decided to display them without covers so the individual hammocks could be visible. Hammocks were also lashed to the aft net barriers on the fighting tops to afford the Marines positioned there some protection from enemy musket fire.
 
Victory had a complement of about 850 men, so making individual hammocks of this volume was going to be a challenge. My Vic is the Caldercraft 1:72 version, so the slightly over 6 foot long hammocks are about 1-1/4” in finished length.
My aim was to make them showing the tricing lines, with the fabric a slightly off-white from the natural canvas color, as they would often get a little grimy and gray with use even though they were scrubbed regularly. I didn’t want the tricing to appear too stark, as that would detract from the random look that would have appeared as the hammocks were placed in the cranes. This meant no pure white canvas material, and no dark contrasting lines to simulate the tricing lashings.
 
I tried several types of material, including cloth and paper of all sorts, but none seemed to look right to me or were just too difficult to make in large numbers. I then tried some polymer modelling clay called Fimo, which showed some promise.  Fimo can be manipulated like regular modelling clay, but after taking the desired shape can be oven-baked for several minutes to produce a hard, stable object. As I experimented with the Fimo, I developed a procedure and a simple jig that produced acceptable (to me) hammocks – generally the same, but different enough from each other to present some degree of randomness in their rolling and placement.
 
Fimo comes in a couple of different consistencies, and a limited palette of colors – none of which was exactly what I wanted for the hammocks.  I thought about combining two or more colors of the Fimo into a composite color that approached what I wanted for the finished hammocks, but was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to duplicate it over and over as I needed more material. In the end I decided on the “soft” version of the Fimo in White – I would color them later to the desired hue.
 

 
To simulate the tricing grooves, I glued seven .020” soft iron wires about an inch long at equal distances apart over 1” on a scrap piece of 2” wide, ¼” thick scrap of basswood. 2 more wires were added about 1/8” outside of the first and last tricing lines – these would serve as the guidepoints to trim the finished hammocks to their proper lengths.
 

 
First a chunk of Fimo was torn off the block, about the size of a grape.  It was softened slightly by rolling and warming in the fingers into a rough cylinder.  This was then rolled between two wooden planks about 3” wide to get a long cylinder about .100” in diameter and 4” or 5” long.  The length is not important, and you will soon be able to “eyeball” the proper diameter close enough - some diameter variation is to be desired to simulate randomness. Cut off a chunk of the roll about 1-1/2” to 2” long, place it near the wire strips, and using another flat board press down and roll the Fimo between the boards once to leave the tricing line impressions from the wires on the hammock. Rolling more than once will blur the lines.  If it’s not right, just wad it up again and repeat. I would usually make them up in batches of about 50 to ease the tedium.
 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 
Once the tricing lines have been impressed, carefully fold the hammocks in half, bringing the two outer impressions (the cut-off lines) together.  This will leave a shape like a Greek Omega, with a bulge at the top.  Don’t try to fix this with your fingers, but squeeze the roll together gently between two small chunks of flat wood to make the sides parallel, or they won’t fit right in the hammock cranes. At this point I trimmed them a little longer than the cut-off lines, prior to baking them.  I probably could have trimmed them to the exact length here, but this became my routine.  Now they get placed on a piece of aluminum foil and baked in the oven at 230° F for 30 minutes to harden them. 
 

 

 
 

 

 

 
After they have cooled, trim to the proper length. Now rub the sides on a piece of medium sandpaper, which will make them flat so that they lie properly next to each other in the netting.  Keep a couple of them rounded on one side to use at the ends of the arrays in the netting.
 

 

 
I wanted the finished hammocks to appear a slight grey-tan, so I made up a diluted (abut 60-40 water to paint) batch of acrylic paint in the desired shade in a pill bottle, and soaked the baked batch of hammocks for a few minutes.  Then they were placed on a piece of paper towel and blotted to get most of the paint off the surface, which left the paint darker in the tricing line grooves.
 

 

 
The hammocks were then glued side-by-side in their nettings. I did this in batches of about 5-8 pieces at a time, letting the glue set before adding more hammocks to avoid getting them out of alignment. Foe ease of manipulation, this was all done prior to mounting the hammock crane/cap rail assembly in place on the hull.
 

 

 

 
 
 

Adding the main topyard/sail.  Tyes being rigged.
 

I have now shipped and rigged the two lower main stay sails (the main stay sail- the lower one, and the main topmast stay sail- the upper of the two).  There will ultimately be two more above these - the middle stay sail and the main topgallant stay sail.  These will have to wait until later, when I install the topgallant masts and their respective stays.
 
Next up will be the main top yard/sail assembly. already made and awaiting placement.