USS Maine by Haze Gray - 1/72 scale - RADIO - 3D printed

[shipmodel]

Hi again - 

 

I forgot to add my two cents to the discussion of the big gun tactics for the Maine - 

 

She was the first "ship of the line" the United States designed after the Civil War, almost 30 years earlier.

(The USS Texas was designed later but launched earlier)  However, it is not a line of battle if there is only one ship in it.

The design of the ship changed radically over several years as the ideas for its proposed use evolved.

The final design of the Maine, with its two turrets overhanging the beam of the ship, reflect the final tactical doctrine.

If the Maine ever came up against an enemy line of battle, the plan was for her to turn towards the largest of the enemy ships.

All four turret guns would fire forwards, ignoring any self-inflicted damage, until the Maine could ram the enemy with her reinforced bow.

Fortunately, she was never called on to do so. 

 

Here is what the enemy might have seen.

 

[Haze Gray]

On 9/9/2021 at 7:00 AM, shipmodel said:

Hi HG - 

 

...........................Looking forward to seeing how the gatling guns will print out 

 

yeah those are not going to be easy - there were 37mm Hotchkiss revolving cannons  (very similar to this) and then there's the .45cal Gatling guns (which I don't think were actually mounted on the ship but on limber but can't be sure).  I do have photos that show both 1lbr QF guns and the 37mm Hotchkiss revolving cannons mounted on the 4 points of the center island - and one of the drawings in the national archive calls out "gatling gun or 1lbr" in those 4 locations.    "gatling gun" is is sometimes a generic term used for revolving multi-barreled guns - but I'm going to go with what I have photographic evidence of.   I'm going to attempt to make the 37mm Hotchkiss revolving cannons but they are probably at the limit of what I can print so I might fall back on mounting 1lbr QF guns..... 

[shipmodel]

Hi HG - 

 

Those small guns moved around a lot.  You can put them in several places.  It's your choice as Captain.

As just an idea, I chose to mount gatling guns near the base of the boat cranes.

Here are some images that I relied on, although you probably already have them, and the final result.

I hope that helps a little

 

Dan

 

The design of the gun

 

 

The gatling mounted on a ship's rail

 

The gun on the finished model

 

[Haze Gray]

Hi Dan yes have that or a version of it - one think I might try is printing without the barrels and then use small pipe or rod for the barrels - but I'm going to try to print one later today. 

Edited September 11, 2021 by Haze Gray

[Haze Gray]

So on the topic of can a 37mm Hotchkiss cannon be printed at 1/72 scale - the answer is yes - I think....

small one is actually too small (at 12mm) for 1/72, and the large one is too large (19mm) 

 

- so I've adjusted to the proportions (though it's still about 1mm longer than it technically would be at scale but) and added the shoulder brace and magazine and printing another one and hope it turns out!

Edited September 12, 2021 by Haze Gray

[CDW]

Is that from a resin printer, Haze? Nice work!

[Haze Gray]

Hi CDW,  yes it’s from a resin printer

[CDW]

Just now, Haze Gray said:

Hi CDW,  yes it’s from a resin printer

May I ask which printer you are using? 

[Haze Gray]

I use an Anycubic Photon  S

[Haze Gray]

Hotchkiss cannon turned out well, sure are small, had to use a loupe to be able to paint!

 

[CDW]

That resin printer is magic. I have no understanding at all of the technology behind it, just that it's as different as night and day between it and the type of printer that produces the hull. Was it as challenging to learn? Does it use the same shape files?

Edited September 13, 2021 by CDW

[yvesvidal]

Incredible work Neil. Yes, there is no substitute currently, for a resin printer.

 

Yves

[Haze Gray]

3 hours ago, CDW said:

That resin printer is magic. I have no understanding at all of the technology behind it, just that it's as different as night and day between it and the type of printer that produces the hull. Was it as challenging to learn? Does it use the same shape files?

It was a bit of a challenge but not any more than learning how to use a regular filament printer. Similar to a typical filament deposition 3D printer, resin printers use .STL files that are sliced through a specific program  - for resin printers they are converted to a format for 'stereo lithography' printing.  I got the resin printer because I knew I would need it for some parts on the USS Maine that my regular filament printer would be challenged to successfully print.  With a smaller nozzle (0.3mm) you can print  small parts with decent detail but the resin printer takes it to the next level.  

 

you do have to learn a bit about how to position the parts for the resin printer and then there's the whole issue of having resin and a wash station and curing box (or use the sun). I go through 2 pairs of rubber gloves every time I use the resin printer for something.  One big advantage with the resin printer is is that you can print multiples of the same part in the same time it takes to print just one.  So when I printed that last Hotchkiss revolving cannon I didn't do just one, I did 12 since I knew I have other ships in work that will need them.   

[shipmodel]

Truly excellent results.  Congratulations.

I am a little old to work my way up the learning curve, but I am blown away by what can be accomplished.

I wonder what may be around the next technological curve.

I just hope that we will never get to the point of duplicating a fine old wooden model of the Constitution with the push of a button,

 

If you continue as you are going, this will be an amazing model of the Maine.

Looking forward to following your progress,.

 

Dan

[lmagna]

I continue to be both amazed and frightened when I watch and see what you are able to accomplish HG. Amazed with the results and frightened on how little I know about creating the files that make it all possible. I want to be able to do that same thing at some point in my life but fear that I never will get even close to that level.

7 hours ago, shipmodel said:

I just hope that we will never get to the point of duplicating a fine old wooden model of the Constitution with the push of a button,

I don't think it will ever get to that stage Dan. The pushing of the button part is just one of the more minor steps in creating these models. For wood we have already accepted the use of a laser cutter instead of a saw and for that matter the use of power tools in general both manually and computer operated to make models of all kinds including wood. 

[Haze Gray]

I agree with Lou.   I believe there wouldn't be much reason to print a ship that could be reasonably modeled in the material of the original, especially wooden ships where the detailed construction is so much part of the beauty and fascination -  unless it was for some kind of board game.    

 

I'm having a lot of fun printing and assembling an RC version of the Maine,  I always enjoyed plastic model kits and so I'm kind of getting to relive my childhood passion. 

[Egilman]

On 9/12/2021 at 4:46 PM, Haze Gray said:

I use an Anycubic Photon  S

I just picked up an Anycubic Mono X at a decent sale price, delivery Thursday... (I hope)

 

From what I'm seeing here looks like the right machine....

[Haze Gray]

My first attempt at the helm…. Not quite there but closing in on it…

 

 

 

Egilman, that monoX is a very tempting machine - probably big enough to do a ship in 1/350th scale !    The DLP machines we’ll see in the next year or two will be a step change for sure but likely not as large as the mono X

[CDW]

On 9/14/2021 at 11:01 PM, Egilman said:

I just picked up an Anycubic Mono X at a decent sale price, delivery Thursday... (I hope)

 

From what I'm seeing here looks like the right machine....

I definitely want to hear about your progress with that machine once you get underway, EG.

[Egilman]

10 hours ago, Haze Gray said:

Egilman, that monoX is a very tempting machine - probably big enough to do a ship in 1/350th scale !    The DLP machines we’ll see in the next year or two will be a step change for sure but likely not as large as the mono X

It was a combo deal direct from Anycubic... got the Mono X and the Wash n Cure 2 as well... The build cube is 7.5"w x 4.5"d x 9.5"t ... The Elegoo Saturn has the same build cube volume...

 

DLP is the coming thing, FormLabs is already out there with it for commercial use... (at a commercial price tag as well, well north of $4,000) but it will eventually get here...

 

Mine hasn't arrived yet, It shipped from Chino CA, the Anycubic warehouse, shipped by FedEx, after almost 1K miles and a weeks time it arrived at Lodi CA ..... (20 miles down the freeway) {chuckle}  Currently is is in Happy Valley OR, and two days late.... I hope it gets here before the next millennium passes....

 

Your work is impressive my friend, that wheel looks nice, and you printed it in clear, probably gonna be asking questions eventually... I'm a complete 100% newbie to 3D printing....

 

It's gonna be a trip....

[Egilman]

1 hour ago, CDW said:

I definitely want to hear about your progress with that machine once you get underway, EG.

I'll be talking about it Craig, once it gets here and I've had a chance to set it up.... Still need to finish my Solidworks courses... (as life allows) But I think I'm making progress.....

For example....

A Sunseeker Predator 108 in Solidworks..... I think I'm learning something.....

 

I'll keep everyone informed... (and stop hijacking the thread)

[Haze Gray]

3 hours ago, Egilman said:

I'll be talking about it Craig, once it gets here and I've had a chance to set it up.... Still need to finish my Solidworks courses... (as life allows) But I think I'm making progress.....

 

 

Egilman - what version of solidworks are you using?   

[Egilman]

2021 SP3

 

There's a newer version out there now...

[dancooper]

Hello Haze, I just stumbled upon your torpedoboat on Thingiverse (well, I do suppose it's the one you designed), and it's printing as we speak... or rather as I type, all parts at once, exept for the deck of course.  Do you plan on selling the STL's for the Maine herself as well by any chance ?

Edited July 23, 2022 by dancooper

[Haze Gray]

6 hours ago, dancooper said:

Hello Haze, I just stumbled upon your torpedoboat on Thingiverse (well, I do suppose it's the one you designed), and it's printing as we speak... or rather as I type, all parts at once, exept for the deck of course.  Do you plan on selling the STL's for the Maine herself as well by any chance ?

Hello Dancooper - at some point in the near future I'll make the STL's available - the USS Maine was the first ship I modeled and it could use some cleaning up + a build guide.  I'll try to work on it over the next few months and will reach out to if/when I am able to release it.    in 1/72 scale the hull parts are fairly big - a 3d printer bed size of at least 280mm X 280mm Y and 250mm Z is recommended.  what kind of printer do you have?

[dancooper]

Hello Haze, thanks for your reply.  I have an Ender 3 V2 with at the moment a volume of 230*230*250, so I would scale down the model to 1/96 an upgrade to increase the buildvolume is a possibility in the future as well (after investing in a resin printer).

Meanwhile the hull of the boat has received it's first coat of colour :

 

[Jonny50]

I love your work. I Think your designs and build are just absolutely incredible. I just stumbled upon your builds recently. I have downloaded one of your designs from. I have some questions. Do you plan on making the USS Maine or the Charles Martel designs available for download by modelers such as myself? I just would like to have incredible ships like this in my collection. 

[EMTP7217]

I'm with Jonny50. I've wanted to do a build of the USS Maine ever since I found Captain Sigsbee's book in my local library as a kid. This design is amazing and I'd love to get a hold of the STL's, but I'd print it at 50% to make a more shelf-friendly static model instead. Can we impose upon you to make them available, Haze Grey ? 

[That_1Nathan_Guy]

I just started getting into radio controlled boats and wanted to make something a little different than what everyone else runs, and after some looking around, decided to try building an RC model of the USS Maine. I haven't decided on the scale yet, but once I get the model done in Fusion, I can deal with that part pretty easily.

 

I came across this thread and your fabulous model after I started modelling the hull and some of the various assemblies used on the USS Maine.  I found and downloaded all of the the scanned original drawings from the National Archives and a couple of other places, so have been working through those making parts here and there.

 

I was quite happy to find the lofting table for the hull, and created a spreadsheet to convert the feet - inches - eighths into decimal feet, which I then export to a comma separated list, and then import into Fusion using the ImportSplineCSV in the utilities.  Most of the frames are pretty easy to do, the bow and the lofts have required some extra work, because the data is coming from a couple of different tables and the loft table stops short of the keel and stern, but I almost have the data cleaned up enough to do a pretty nice hull model. The way I have the data set up, I can save both frames and lofts, them import them and loft the hull surface pretty much perfectly.  Still a few data points to refine around the bow and stern to get everything to connect properly for a proper looking 3d hull model.

 

My plan is to print the hull and large details out on my beefed up Voron 2.4 that has a 350 x 350 x 400 build area using ABS, and the fine details will be done on my Anycubic resin printers.

 

Any chance you have gotten to the point where you are ready to share the files in some form? I haven't started the superstructure yet and that part is a little bit daunting at the moment.