Landships II

Arie Dijkhuis · General

Mk4 Tank Track

CharlieC · Legend

May I have your permission to put this .stl file on Landships II please?

Did you post the .stl files for the Stahlmorser?

Regards,

Charlie

Arie Dijkhuis · General

Hi Charlie,

Yes, please do. Enclosed you will also find a set of 8 links, 10 links and 12 links.

I haven't quite finished the 21cm Stahlmörser, but as soon as I have, I will upload the printfiles.

With kind regards,

-Arie.

CharlieC · Legend

The track link .stl files are on Landships II now.

(http://landships.info/landships/3dprint.html)

Regards,

Charlie

Ironsides · Legend

Great job! wink

MK1 Nut · Hero

Hi Arie,

Is that a resin printer you are using to make your track? The detail looks very fine.

Can I suggest that if someone has a standard filament printer then they stand the track on edge to get the best chance of preserving the detail when scaling down.

Maybe two lengths alongside each other, insides facing with a series of rods standing between them to help it all stand up ok.

Annoyingly I don't have my 3D CAD program running at the moment so I will see if I can draw an idea in sketchup.

Helen x

MK1 Nut · Hero

Had a quick sketch with a very old program but shows well enough what I was trying to explain... I hope :)

I tend to put a 0.3mm base with curved edges as a base for my prints to make sure they don't lift of the printing bed. Between the track I have shown some pillers that will hold the track steady but should break away like the base with little problem.

If you have a resin printer then this doesn't really matter as the layers are so tiny as to not be seen.

Arie can you create a file with a layout like this for people to try?

-- Edited by MK1 Nut on Tuesday 29th of October 2019 12:43:10 AM

CharlieC · Legend

I think the technology has moved on - the new generations of FDM and resin printers come with

their own slicer programs so you don't have to design the build orientation and supports.

From my understanding of layout for resin printers they work better if the part is tilted at an angle

to the layers. Most of the slicer programs do this for resin prints although it is advisable to check the

number and placement of supports the program automatically adds. Adding multiple copies on a resin printer

is just a matter of defining one and allowing the software to fill the build plate area with copies.

I guess it makes .stl files more important because the local printer specific stuff - orientation and support -

is handled by code which is specific to a printer type.

Regards,

Charlie

MK1 Nut · Hero

Hi Charlie,

Oh god yeah has the technology moved on, even I now have a nice newly unboxed resin printer... never could have imagined that only a few years ago.

The resin printers as you say pretty much look after themselves, the changes I was thinking off was just for filament printers as I find the infill they provide can some times be more a hindrance than a help when printing very small and track at say 1/35 is going to be a major challenge.

Always worth a go though as the challenge is where the fun is.

CharlieC · Legend

What sort of resin printer did you acquire? Have you got yourself a jumbo box of nitrile gloves? - the resin is seriously nasty stuff.

Yeah - infill is always an issue with FDM although I'm told the more recent slicer software does a much better job than it used to.

Regards,

Charlie

Arie Dijkhuis · General

Hi Helen,

I have a resin printer, an Anycubic Photon. You indeed get the best result if you tilt the track on it's side. I also have an old filament printer. Both have their own printing software, which automatically place rafts and supports. You can add or delete these with one mouse click.

I have already printed hundreds of track links, so more than enough for a couple of Emhar or Masterbox kits... smile

With kind regards,

-Arie.

MK1 Nut · Hero

Hi Guys,

I've purchased a Anycubic Photon S printer and intend to use their soya based more friendly resin which I have a bottle off to practise with.

My biggest hurdle right now is I didn't think it through enough and realise just how old my computer now is... it won't work the printer.

This is a dilemma for me as I still have my old hard drive from my long since dead IMac which has a really good graphics program and all my MK1 Tank Files on it. so I am torn whether to go back to an Apple computer and the extra cash involved.

I'll work it out and let you know how I get on.

Helen x

PDA · Legend

I use the printer at my local public library, it's an ultimaker3, I believe, which is a filament type. However, it does really tiny slices so all the mechs and robots I've printed lately are really quite well detailed. And I'll never be able to justify buying a printer for myself. Maybe I could talk the library into getting a resin printer (then all my neighbours are paying for it).

Now I'm (rather impatiently) waiting for a Mark V and a Saint Chamond model(s) to appear in the Landships section or Thingiverse. 😁

CharlieC · Legend

Resin might be a bit messy for a library - you need to wash the completed part(s) in isopropyl alcohol to remove excess resin then the part

has to be exposed to UV to finish the polymerisation. The normal resin is fairly toxic and nasty stuff so nitrile gloves are a necessary thing.

The public liability issues with the resin would make most lawyer's bowels quake.

Regards,

Charlie