International Flat Figure Society - British Flat Figure Society
Flat Figures Painters Forum => Techniques => Topic started by: Noddy on March 17, 2013, 06:50:57 AM
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I recently read an article in a Railway Modelling magazine reviewing a kit for a locomotive produced by 3D Printing. This is definately not my field but I have seen several other references to the technique.
Does this,or would this,technique have any application to producing flat figures.?
Would it be worth further investigation as a Society Project?
I know that this is straying from the Flat Metal 30mm fig but but there are excellent flat/demi-ronde resin figures now available and time ,life and science moves on.
Any opinions,ideas?
Martin
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I asked Jon Page this at Crewe as he has done some railway tracks, but firstly he said it was expensive, and secondly the quality is very grainy and not smooth enough.
One day this may come, but not yet-- Hopefully!!! ;D
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Thanks Nick
I will keep an eye on progress as new technology has a nasty habit of creeping up rather fast.
Martin
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3-D Printing is moving quite quickly. Where I used to work we had a machine that printed by impregnating a layer of powder with glue to build up the image. It cost about 30k pounds a few years ago but can now be bought for about 12k. There are a number of different processes - powder, laying down a thin stream of plastic, laying plastic down a layer at a time and so on. There is an open source printer that you can make yourself called Reprap, although you may need a bit of computer savvy to run it. When I last looked at it you needed a Linux computer to drive it. And you probably need some sort of 3-D CAD which can output in STL format. It is interesting, though usually pretty boring to watch. I made some 1/48th scale missiles to hang on an aircraft kit before I retired. They are trying to get people to call it additive printing now for some reason.
Jerry
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This came up in February in Atlanta show ... it was done by a friend ... he did a 54mm figure of a fighter . He sent the pictures to a digital artist who in turn sent them to a 3d printer guy ... 3 different figures and 2 of each cost him around $450 USA but he now has masters of them . So I say this to say flats out of resin can be done ... lardge or small .... it is also done now easily in 2d carving or milling .