I got a 3D printer a few months back, it's a game changer for sure.....thats comes at the cost of a pricy learning curve. I've gone through a whole bottle of resin and managed to get a couple sets of wheels, a 4-link suspension setup and a few needy video game things, as well as a ton of failed prints.
I just got into 3D printed builds. I started with adding printed add Ons such as powertrain components and even engines to plastic kits. Now I'm working on printed kits and its a whole different monster, surely enjoyable but a lot of work. I'm happy to see your channel covering this topic. Awesome stuff friend!
Thanks for watching Seasoda, I’m planning to do another tutorial about how I sand out all of the support marks from my resin bodies. I’m no expert but I’ve cut down on my dust issues quite a bit.
Thanks for watching Antithesis, I’m finding more and more cool stuff to print out. Next step is learning to create my own files and modify existing files.
Great to see you’ve started the 3D printing journey. I’m positive you’ll get the hang of it in no time. Lots of test prints are important as you’ve found. And thank you for the shoutout. Appreciate you. 😎
Absolutely Joel, thanks for the Morgan and the other car (I haven’t told anyone yet about it). I have a bunch of questions for you. I know you’ve printed MANY parts and I need some help positioning them.
Your the reason why I jusy bought my printer and curing/washing station!! Your work is amazing!!! You motivated me to learn and do it. I'm doing as much research as I can, I know it's not gonna be a walk in the park but I have to start somewhere right.
Hi James! Thanks for the shout out! On the TVR….it sounds like he might not have had the rockers fully sealed…..that makes for a very thin wall to print, and led to the failure. When he originally printed it, he may have lucked out (or fixed the slight issue), but open areas are asking for trouble. Yes, time is a major factor with 3D printing. In creating a file such as I do in making .obj files printable, 90% of your time will be behind the keyboard. One body alone can take anywhere from 3 days, to an entire week. The major plus side is that you’ll have something that the major kit manufacturers will NEVER produce, and more than likely if you build the model and go to a show, your model will be one of one. Thanks again for the great video…..I’d like to at some point demonstrate on video on my channel how to do wall thickness for car bodies. It’s waaaaay too much to explain in text…..must be done on screen where folks can hear me speaking. 👌🏾
Great job getting into the 3D printing world James. It was great watching you talk about the cons and pros as sometimes I also consider buying my own printer. So far I didn't, so it was great knowing exactly what I needed to know. Nice work with the Sagaris and BMW.. clear parts are always something that worries me so it was good hearing you also speak about those. Keep up the good work.
Hi Karl, one thing I didn’t mention is the time it takes away from building. Positioning the parts in the slicer program and ensuring they are properly angled and supported takes lots of time and planning. Is it worth it? Today it is, next year it may not be so much. I’m not going into business doing printing so after the novelty wears off I’ll get back to building more. Thanks for watching my friend👍
Welcome to the world of 3D printing. I got a printer at the start of the year and have enjoyed the process. Yup, I have had my learning hiccups but I have also gotten some really cool stuff from it. There are so many variables to factor in but you do find a rhythm and even get a little addicted with the parts stash of files. Failed prints happen, but it is not unlike working on that stubborn model with fit issues. Throw in that I am working on making a few things of my own and it is nearly a new hobby and not just an addition to the one we already enjoy. Still learning supports and print staging/ positioning but I do have a full kit printed and will eventually have my first model where I printed and built it myself - that’s just a cool feeling.
I totally understand Scott. I think that each print gets a little better. I forgot to mention that I learned to remove the supports before curing and smooth out the attachment spots as much as possible before curing. The frog in the video was post cure and was a mess of spots! Thanks for watching and commenting👍
@@ScaleModelExperiment agreed, it is much easier to get supports off before curing though I have learned that some more delicate pieces may fair better being cured first. I will then break the bases off and snip each support individually kind of the way you would remove a scale antenna from a sprue. Like you, there are other prints required of me from family, one in particular was a pre-supported file of a dinosaur. When I removed the supports from it there was nothing left behind on the model, that is the goal I am working toward for my prints. If you wanna go down another rabbit trail look up Scale Speed Garage, it is a monthly subscription with each month providing a new file pack of car related 3D files. There is a wide array of scale model car parts and accessories and there is a good community of model builder/ 3D printers along with some helpful videos and tips for resin printing.
Very informative video James. I am so interested in the 3D stuff, but not yet ready to take the plunge. On the windows, I bought a large book at Michaels a few years back that was all clear acetate sheets. I believe it was for making cards (birthday etc) and it is .008 thick, I use it for my window glass in all my resin cabs I have built, and it works really well. I do not recall what I payed for it but it was not much . Seeing how many sheets it had (25) I've used it for years. Good luck.
Like you, I do believe that 3D printing is the future of our hobby in about 20 years. As you know, you can print many amazing parts and bodies with a 3D printer. I am sure I will have one someday. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Michael, I believe that the cost will come down a lot and the machines will become more simplified in the future. In the mean time, I’ll keep printing stuff for future projects and collecting files 🤓. Thanks for watching bud👍
Great video and some good insights on the process. From some of the comments I see in model car groups it seems like a lot of people expect 3D printing to be push-button easy like the replicators in Star Trek. It takes a lot of skill to design a 3D object like a car body and printing the design is not trivial.
I wish it was Paul 😁 I really do appreciate those designers that make full kits ready to prints it helps the newbies like me get started. Thanks for watching bud.
I got caught up in the wanting to 3d print and ordered the elegoo saturn printer with curing and wash station and all stuff needed for it. Started watching and learning from tutorials and after getting overloaded and seeing many others struggles, i sent it all back. 😆 I'll be content for now ordering from people who know what they're doing.😊
In my opinion 3D printing bodies is really better suited to make a “MASTER” to then prep and make a mold of. Not sure if Alpha Model does that but, their kits are very nice with the exception to the no engine, plain chassis and the windows. That car looks very NICE! Maybe someone will cast mold it 🙏
I understand your point. Resin casting is way quicker than printing them one by one. I do think that Alpha uses a 3d printer to make the master then casts it. They have a lot of work into the PE and decals as well with their kits. Thanks for watching👍
Congrats on the printer. I'm addicted to mine. Unfortunately I cracked my screen replacing the screen protector and have to wait like a month for a replacement... I'm going through withdrawls. Highly recommend Uncle Jessy's channel s a learning resource. Acetate sheet might be another good alternative for cheap windows.
Thanks Justin for watching, sorry to hear about your screen. That sucks! Who are your favorite designers? I like Andrey, Blackbox and Olivizzle so far.
@@ScaleModelExperiment Yup pretty much got my list. Oh and for engines you can't beat Motabas. absolutely stunning. Very complex and most of the file names are in italian, but easily corrected with google translate. I think his hellcat e3ngine has something like 36 parts, with the transmission being a separate purchase an like 8 or 10 parts as well. but absolutely beautiful. There's some slacker called jhart modelworks on there too. he's kinda alright.
I found and bought on Amazon a “hobby” vacuformer. It’s “We R memory keepers” mold press. At my writing this, it’s priced at $81.35. Forty plastic sheets for it are priced at $39.99. The sheets measure 6.75 inches by 6.75 inches, which match the vacuum area of the press. Cheapest “professional” one I found, around the same size, cost around $500! Doesn’t include the vacuum (available for purchase), but I have a shop vac that I plan on using. Hopefully it’ll work for my hobby. Maybe it can be used for the model car’s “glass?” Seems the perfect size for it. Sorry I didn’t see your video until a year later. Hope you’ve gotten your prints settled.
Hi, I did get my prints sorted out but the glass is still an issue. I borrowed a vacuum forming machine from a friend but haven’t tried it yet. Soon… I’ll do a video when I perfect it.
I am a 3d modeler and i have a Prusa Mini and a Elegoo Saturn 4K resin printer and Mercury X wash and cure bundle. At first i thought resin printing was a expensive and messy job mostly to clean every part and i was super carefull to not spill resin on the skin, that discouraged me to make more resin parts, but, now i see that resin printing is very handy to make cool custom build parts or pieces that otherwise you wouldn´t be able to get them in a conventional store. You can make everything you want and the printer will make your idea come to life in just a couple of hours with great detail, which is a big thing. The cleaning process becomes easier over time. You can use just gloves, cleaning wipes and protective glasses to not spill resin to your eyes and thats it, its now a faster process than before. Also i have a Prusa mini that has its own advantages in PLA printing over resin printing, like make more solid stronger parts and save filament in the process, so each printer have its own advantages (PLA or Resin), poeple just need to find whats more usefull and suitable for the final project. My advice is not be discouraged and keep practicing because 3d printing is very useful in life.
Didn't notice when this vid released.the future is now. I order a 1 liter of standered resin for $16.00. Files cost some money and it's worth it for the designer's time. I mostly use free files online. The time for prints is counted for what? You don't stand at the printer and pump it or something. Go work on another model or better yet, learn to design. Also when you buy a file, you can print as many copies as you like. Share with friends. Yes there are failures but more experience printing equals less failures.
You've had better luck than me. I have an Elegoo Saturn and have never had a successful print except the test prints. 2 LCD screens later I'm walking away from it. I hope to purchase a Anycubic just not sure when. Everyone I know has Anycubic. Hope to have better results. Nice video James. I could even see the manufactures selling files vrs. a boxed kit???? Thanks for sharing
That’s awful Mike, sorry to hear of your failures with the printer. I bought the Anycubic because A. It was a good sale and B everyone I know uses them. If anything I could ask for help by asking around. Don’t scrap your machine, reset it back to factory settings and start over.
After years of saving and searching, I finally bought my 3d printer, an anycubic photon mono x 6ks. I love model cars and want to print some too. I also have made my own model in fusion, a 1977 Puma GTE. It has lots and lots of details and just by this video I realized I'll face a lot of frustration for printing it (and maybe will have to make it simpler)
Thanks for watching Bob, that was a year ago and I’ve learned a few tricks since then. If you are designing your own, I recommend thinking realistically what can and cannot be printed. Tiny tiny stuff just won’t print and it’ll just frustrate you. Combine pieces that are painted the same color. No sense in making them seperate parts.
Hey for your FEP sheet I would suggest using machinist oil like you would get at the parts store rub it on and let it sit for a little while then rub the excess clean. It will also help keep the prints from sticking to the sheet.
Thanks so much for the tip. I’ve seen others use some kind of oil. I’ll certainly give it a try. I seem to have at least one part stick to the FEP every batch I run.
Very cool. You'll get the bugs worked out and be printing some cool stuff in no time. I'd like to someday, but it seems intimidating. Until then, I'll buy from the pros. Cool froggy and elephant.
Thanks for watching Rob, it just takes time trial and error to get it right. I’m waist deep into this investment so I’m not giving up. Makiko loves her frog and elephant 👍
Vary cool good to see your trying your hand at 3D printing but I think I will do as you said and buy from another source as I don't think I would want to get into 3D printing ,but I do thank you for your honest opinion thanks enjoyed 👍
Hi Deen, thanks for watching. It isn’t for everyone for sure. There are many businesses printing very cool stuff for sale. It’s really worth it to buy sometimes instead of doing it yourself.
If someone plans to get into 3d printing to make parts for their hobby. Its best that 3d printing is also one of their hobbies. Luckily model railroading and 3d printingare both my favorite hobbies.
Right, it can be a 4th hobby if you get into it. Especially if you have the ability to make your own designs. I just buy other people’s files and print them.
Hi Tom, I really don’t want to get into the business of printing for sale. This new toy is already soaking up my building time 👍. Thanks for watching, I appreciate your support.
Hey James, thanks for this video. Always learn something new from them! I was thinking about getting a 3D printer for some of my stuff. Mostly was thinking about printing 1/25 & 1/24 scale driver figures for my race cars? What are your thoughts about that?
Hi Jeff, I’m on the fence about advising anyone to buy a resin printer. I’ve had mine for just over a month now. I’ve spent more than I originally anticipated in resin bottles and files and and and and… I’ve noticed my bench productivity slowed down quite a bit as well. I think as a supplement to your existing model cars it’s great. If you are thinking you’ll be printing Fujimi Enthusiast series quality kits, resin printing kits are very basic for the most part. Body interior wheels and a flat chassis. All that being said, I’m glad I bought it and look forward to manipulating car game files to print WHATEVER car I want. Just takes time.
@@ScaleModelExperiment, Thanks James. Very appreciated, and I'm only wanting to print out driver figures for my circle track race cars. Not really interested in doing a lot of other printing(complete kits). Just would like to save a little bit of money on driver figures? Already have the files to do it, should be a learning experience? And that's just fine. Thanks again James, REALLY appreciate the reply man!
I think $20 for an engine kit is a bargan. I can't imagine the time it takes to research and design those kits so that they'll end up how they're supposed to. When I was at the IPMS show yesterday, there was a beutiful figure of 2B from Nier:Automata. I'm guessing it might have been a 3D kit. That would be my problem...going down the anime character rabbit hole! lol
Thank you Mac, I appreciate you watching and leaving a comment. I’d like to do a follow up video to this one now that I’ve been doing it for almost a year now.
The car that I had to print 3 times was a TVR Sagaris. It’s a pre-production version not available for sale yet. Thanks for watching and leaving me a comment.
Over all, What are Your thoughts on having taken the leap into the future of model cars? Was it worth it to You? Is it worth the time and energy? How difficult is it to learn, the 3D programing that is? I thought about it, once. I am just not to sure of the value of it all, money(cost) and time(aggravation)?? Thank You so very much for sharing this with Us all here on the tube. I for one am very interested in what You think on all of this NEW AGE tech for the hobby.
Thank you for watching Russell. I’m still in the new toy phase of ownership right now. I have bought a lot of files already and have spent more than I originally planned to on this new toy. 3D printing is cool for the people who don’t care about curbside vs having an engine and detailed chassis. The modern car kits are $10-$20 and a couple evenings worth of time to print. We can’t depend on the kit manufacturers to give us what we want so this fills a niche in the hobby. Ask me again in 6 months… the computer work is pretty self intuitive and I’m learning every time I print the best way to place items. Take care and hit me up on FB messenger if you have any questions.
@@ScaleModelExperiment I forgot to mention this before, but I was thinking awhile back, it would be a good idea to keep the flat clear plastic packaging that a lot of things are enclosed in when you buy them, that usually get thrown out. I can't think of an example really off the top of my head, other then an action figure packaging with that large clear plastic rectangle window... LOL So many things get bought like this, and we are so used to blindly chucking them out. I also finally successfully 3D PLA printed a 1/32 scale Camaro Nascar slot car body without windows that looks incredible. I did it in 2 halves starting the prints from the middle of the car up and out to the ends, and then filed/sanded them, then Krazy glue'd the 2 halves together, and I'm absolutely blown away at how well it worked out!
@@slakjawnotsayin5451 wow, that was quite a response 😁. I’m glad you found something you could print and you’re right, the plastic packaging would be a good start for windows. I borrowed a vacuum former from a friend but haven’t tried it yet. Stay tuned.
Oh, I just realized you only have an SLA Resin type printer, so this Nascar wouldn't be something you would want, and I don't think you even really car about Slot Cars lol. Sorry man... I also have an SLA printer, but have only used it once, as I realized I need to make a well vented station for it, and haven't done that yet. Awesome video though, and thanks again!
@@ScaleModelExperiment Yup, WOW, the Vacuum Forming is the way to go. The 20 stacks of clear "Dental Vacuum Forming" sheets are cheap too on amazon. Also some cool vids on how to make the former yourself using a heat gun and a simple frame you drop down on a wooden vacuum box. This is what I'll also do now, thanks again man! I'll remove the other cluttered comments to do with windows, cuz this is the best and easiest IMO as well.
Next time consider an Elegoo printer. As for your spreading body panels at the bottom, you don’t need extra support, just hold the body in position overnight and it will stay that shape afterwards.
thats awsome james yeah i got my 2nd printer couple weeks back i went with creality HALOT ONE but I should went for another creality with bigger build plate for car bodys but it's perfect for bodykits wheels figures parts im actually starting the 400z this week I'm just printing out the bodykit i got sponsored by you mentioned him on cults he's known as black box awsome files I baught some in past and I reached out to do build if he was interested in sponsor my build and luckily he had no problem just 1 catch not to give file to anyone so ill respect his rules for been a good guy helping me and I'll shout him out and link him in videos on 400Z build i just finished bodykit so little cleaning and mocking up so that's next on the bench this week but you prints look awsome and ur new to it so your actually very good bmw looked awsome so did the first car you got someone to try but you sorted it in end looks awsome but yeah I just taut id mention it cause you asked any of us printing to let you know what we think of printing they are the future your rite,👍Keith
Thanks for watching Horton, we are a long way from not having kits in boxes though or resin casters but it is a quick way for creators to make a part or kit and sell it without a trip to the post office.
Hi! May I ask something? The 3D files that you use, are they just from the internet of special made for model cars? And how do you know if something is printable?
That’s a good question. I only buy from a few sellers on Cults 3d that I have seen printed by others. Usually in the sample photos if you see a printed model you know it’s safe to buy. Buyer beware, there are a lot of people selling stuff that can’t be printed easily.
If you have a 3d file in STL format you have to put it into a slicer program like Lychee to “slice “ the art into layers. The slicer program will save the file into a format your printer will recognize and it will print the art one layer at a time.
When printing something this thin .... U need to support the shit out of the edges facing the plate... You can also print windows with clear resin .... I print body's for rc cars a lot
I recently talked with Mike North on the latest podcast episode. He suggests printing bodies level to the build plate with heavy supports at the edges and lots of light supports in the middle. There will be lines on the top surfaces but the body creases will be sharper.
Hi Lori, yes resin is some nasty stuff. I recommend being extra cautious when handling it. Gloves, safety glasses, respirator and adequate ventilation are a must. I only use water wash resin because I don’t care for the smell of IPA nor can I afford it. Keep yourself and family safe being diligent with being clean.
You know what would be cool: print yourself to display with your models!🤔 then a bunch in the driving position to put in the builds ! Interesting and way over my head! Good looking print for the first try! You will have it mastered in no time! 😎✌️🫡🇺🇸
Literally just bought my printer my curing/washing station iceman collection is the reason I wanted to start at least trying his stuff is so amazing and I agree the pricing isn't bad at all 😊
I got a 3D printer a few months back, it's a game changer for sure.....thats comes at the cost of a pricy learning curve. I've gone through a whole bottle of resin and managed to get a couple sets of wheels, a 4-link suspension setup and a few needy video game things, as well as a ton of failed prints.
Thanks for watching Insomnia, I’m on my 3rd bottle already 😁. It’s fun and exciting for sure but I’m not getting much building done since I got it.
Can one recycle the resin plastic?
I just got into 3D printed builds. I started with adding printed add Ons such as powertrain components and even engines to plastic kits. Now I'm working on printed kits and its a whole different monster, surely enjoyable but a lot of work. I'm happy to see your channel covering this topic. Awesome stuff friend!
Thanks for watching Seasoda, I’m planning to do another tutorial about how I sand out all of the support marks from my resin bodies. I’m no expert but I’ve cut down on my dust issues quite a bit.
3D printing is fascinating stuff. I agree that this is definitely the future but I’m not ready to give up box kits just yet.
Thanks for watching Antithesis, I’m finding more and more cool stuff to print out. Next step is learning to create my own files and modify existing files.
Great to see you’ve started the 3D printing journey. I’m positive you’ll get the hang of it in no time.
Lots of test prints are important as you’ve found.
And thank you for the shoutout. Appreciate you. 😎
Absolutely Joel, thanks for the Morgan and the other car (I haven’t told anyone yet about it). I have a bunch of questions for you. I know you’ve printed MANY parts and I need some help positioning them.
Hey Joel! I'm fairly certain I've purchased every engine you guys print lol.. love the stuff!
Your the reason why I jusy bought my printer and curing/washing station!! Your work is amazing!!! You motivated me to learn and do it. I'm doing as much research as I can, I know it's not gonna be a walk in the park but I have to start somewhere right.
Hi James! Thanks for the shout out!
On the TVR….it sounds like he might not have had the rockers fully sealed…..that makes for a very thin wall to print, and led to the failure. When he originally printed it, he may have lucked out (or fixed the slight issue), but open areas are asking for trouble.
Yes, time is a major factor with 3D printing. In creating a file such as I do in making .obj files printable, 90% of your time will be behind the keyboard. One body alone can take anywhere from 3 days, to an entire week.
The major plus side is that you’ll have something that the major kit manufacturers will NEVER produce, and more than likely if you build the model and go to a show, your model will be one of one.
Thanks again for the great video…..I’d like to at some point demonstrate on video on my channel how to do wall thickness for car bodies. It’s waaaaay too much to explain in text…..must be done on screen where folks can hear me speaking. 👌🏾
I would watch a video like that! Thanks for watching Bill, I appreciate all of your support👍
@@ScaleModelExperiment 👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾
Great job getting into the 3D printing world James. It was great watching you talk about the cons and pros as sometimes I also consider buying my own printer. So far I didn't, so it was great knowing exactly what I needed to know. Nice work with the Sagaris and BMW.. clear parts are always something that worries me so it was good hearing you also speak about those. Keep up the good work.
Hi Karl, one thing I didn’t mention is the time it takes away from building. Positioning the parts in the slicer program and ensuring they are properly angled and supported takes lots of time and planning. Is it worth it? Today it is, next year it may not be so much. I’m not going into business doing printing so after the novelty wears off I’ll get back to building more. Thanks for watching my friend👍
Welcome to the world of 3D printing. I got a printer at the start of the year and have enjoyed the process. Yup, I have had my learning hiccups but I have also gotten some really cool stuff from it. There are so many variables to factor in but you do find a rhythm and even get a little addicted with the parts stash of files. Failed prints happen, but it is not unlike working on that stubborn model with fit issues.
Throw in that I am working on making a few things of my own and it is nearly a new hobby and not just an addition to the one we already enjoy. Still learning supports and print staging/ positioning but I do have a full kit printed and will eventually have my first model where I printed and built it myself - that’s just a cool feeling.
I totally understand Scott. I think that each print gets a little better. I forgot to mention that I learned to remove the supports before curing and smooth out the attachment spots as much as possible before curing. The frog in the video was post cure and was a mess of spots! Thanks for watching and commenting👍
@@ScaleModelExperiment agreed, it is much easier to get supports off before curing though I have learned that some more delicate pieces may fair better being cured first. I will then break the bases off and snip each support individually kind of the way you would remove a scale antenna from a sprue.
Like you, there are other prints required of me from family, one in particular was a pre-supported file of a dinosaur. When I removed the supports from it there was nothing left behind on the model, that is the goal I am working toward for my prints.
If you wanna go down another rabbit trail look up Scale Speed Garage, it is a monthly subscription with each month providing a new file pack of car related 3D files. There is a wide array of scale model car parts and accessories and there is a good community of model builder/ 3D printers along with some helpful videos and tips for resin printing.
I’m not into the 3D printing yet, just worried about the cost of prints, especially with the failed prints. Thanks for sharing! 😎🇨🇦
Thanks for watching Peter. Yep it’s a total waste of time and resin when they fail. So disappointing, but when it works it’s awesome.
Very informative video James. I am so interested in the 3D stuff, but not yet ready to take the plunge. On the windows, I bought a large book at Michaels a few years back that was all clear acetate sheets. I believe it was for making cards (birthday etc) and it is .008 thick, I use it for my window glass in all my resin cabs I have built, and it works really well. I do not recall what I payed for it but it was not much . Seeing how many sheets it had (25) I've used it for years. Good luck.
I’ll have to make a trip to Michael’s to find some. The stuff I have may be too thin. Thanks for watching bud👍
Like you, I do believe that 3D printing is the future of our hobby in about 20 years. As you know, you can print many amazing parts and bodies with a 3D printer. I am sure I will have one someday. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Michael, I believe that the cost will come down a lot and the machines will become more simplified in the future. In the mean time, I’ll keep printing stuff for future projects and collecting files 🤓. Thanks for watching bud👍
Thanks for sharing your experience and good luck with printing James 👍
Thanks for watching Ronny. I may do more videos like this in the future.
@@ScaleModelExperiment great 👍 I don’t have any 3D printer yet so I’m up for tips and tricks 👍
I watched so much TH-cam for reviews before I bought mine. Amazon was having a good sale so I jumped at it. The printer was $300 when I got it.
Great video and some good insights on the process. From some of the comments I see in model car groups it seems like a lot of people expect 3D printing to be push-button easy like the replicators in Star Trek. It takes a lot of skill to design a 3D object like a car body and printing the design is not trivial.
I wish it was Paul 😁 I really do appreciate those designers that make full kits ready to prints it helps the newbies like me get started. Thanks for watching bud.
Looks like you are doing a great job on the 3d printing James ❤
Thanks Shawn, I’m learning slowly how to do it right. I appreciate you man!
I got caught up in the wanting to 3d print and ordered the elegoo saturn printer with curing and wash station and all stuff needed for it. Started watching and learning from tutorials and after getting overloaded and seeing many others struggles, i sent it all back. 😆 I'll be content for now ordering from people who know what they're doing.😊
I totally understand Dean. When I started getting failures it was so frustrating!
Only problem is that people with Saturns don’t have “struggles”. At least I didn’t.
It's good you found a solution. You will also never learn anything more than buying and be limited to what's for sale.
In my opinion 3D printing bodies is really better suited to make a “MASTER” to then prep and make a mold of.
Not sure if Alpha Model does that but, their kits are very nice with the exception to the no engine, plain chassis and the windows.
That car looks very NICE! Maybe someone will cast mold it 🙏
I understand your point. Resin casting is way quicker than printing them one by one. I do think that Alpha uses a 3d printer to make the master then casts it. They have a lot of work into the PE and decals as well with their kits. Thanks for watching👍
Congrats on the printer. I'm addicted to mine. Unfortunately I cracked my screen replacing the screen protector and have to wait like a month for a replacement... I'm going through withdrawls. Highly recommend Uncle Jessy's channel s a learning resource. Acetate sheet might be another good alternative for cheap windows.
Thanks Justin for watching, sorry to hear about your screen. That sucks! Who are your favorite designers? I like Andrey, Blackbox and Olivizzle so far.
@@ScaleModelExperiment Yup pretty much got my list. Oh and for engines you can't beat Motabas. absolutely stunning. Very complex and most of the file names are in italian, but easily corrected with google translate. I think his hellcat e3ngine has something like 36 parts, with the transmission being a separate purchase an like 8 or 10 parts as well. but absolutely beautiful.
There's some slacker called jhart modelworks on there too. he's kinda alright.
I’ll check out your stuff Justin. Thanks for the lead on engines.
I found and bought on Amazon a “hobby” vacuformer. It’s “We R memory keepers” mold press. At my writing this, it’s priced at $81.35. Forty plastic sheets for it are priced at $39.99. The sheets measure 6.75 inches by 6.75 inches, which match the vacuum area of the press. Cheapest “professional” one I found, around the same size, cost around $500! Doesn’t include the vacuum (available for purchase), but I have a shop vac that I plan on using. Hopefully it’ll work for my hobby. Maybe it can be used for the model car’s “glass?” Seems the perfect size for it. Sorry I didn’t see your video until a year later. Hope you’ve gotten your prints settled.
Hi, I did get my prints sorted out but the glass is still an issue. I borrowed a vacuum forming machine from a friend but haven’t tried it yet. Soon… I’ll do a video when I perfect it.
I am a 3d modeler and i have a Prusa Mini and a Elegoo Saturn 4K resin printer and Mercury X wash and cure bundle.
At first i thought resin printing was a expensive and messy job mostly to clean every part and i was super carefull to not spill resin on the skin, that discouraged me to make more resin parts, but, now i see that resin printing is very handy to make cool custom build parts or pieces that otherwise you wouldn´t be able to get them in a conventional store. You can make everything you want and the printer will make your idea come to life in just a couple of hours with great detail, which is a big thing.
The cleaning process becomes easier over time. You can use just gloves, cleaning wipes and protective glasses to not spill resin to your eyes and thats it, its now a faster process than before.
Also i have a Prusa mini that has its own advantages in PLA printing over resin printing, like make more solid stronger parts and save filament in the process, so each printer have its own advantages (PLA or Resin), poeple just need to find whats more usefull and suitable for the final project.
My advice is not be discouraged and keep practicing because 3d printing is very useful in life.
Thanks for watching and leaving a comment. I’m getting better prints now that I have some experience with using the slicer tool.
Glad you are getting the hang of it
Thanks Steve, I appreciate the support bud. No worries I’m not going into business 😁
Didn't notice when this vid released.the future is now. I order a 1 liter of standered resin for $16.00. Files cost some money and it's worth it for the designer's time. I mostly use free files online. The time for prints is counted for what? You don't stand at the printer and pump it or something. Go work on another model or better yet, learn to design. Also when you buy a file, you can print as many copies as you like. Share with friends. Yes there are failures but more experience printing equals less failures.
I look forward to the sequel.
Thanks GFI, I’ll post more in the future of stuff I’ve printed and maybe even do a build video using a kit I’ve printed if you are all interested.
You've had better luck than me. I have an Elegoo Saturn and have never had a successful print except the test prints. 2 LCD screens later I'm walking away from it. I hope to purchase a Anycubic just not sure when. Everyone I know has Anycubic. Hope to have better results. Nice video James. I could even see the manufactures selling files vrs. a boxed kit???? Thanks for sharing
That’s awful Mike, sorry to hear of your failures with the printer. I bought the Anycubic because A. It was a good sale and B everyone I know uses them. If anything I could ask for help by asking around. Don’t scrap your machine, reset it back to factory settings and start over.
After years of saving and searching, I finally bought my 3d printer, an anycubic photon mono x 6ks. I love model cars and want to print some too. I also have made my own model in fusion, a 1977 Puma GTE. It has lots and lots of details and just by this video I realized I'll face a lot of frustration for printing it (and maybe will have to make it simpler)
Thanks for watching Bob, that was a year ago and I’ve learned a few tricks since then. If you are designing your own, I recommend thinking realistically what can and cannot be printed. Tiny tiny stuff just won’t print and it’ll just frustrate you. Combine pieces that are painted the same color. No sense in making them seperate parts.
For your windows or headlights u could try printing in clear. There are a few different clears and cost varies greatly.
I don’t have any clear resin yet, but I think I should get some for lenses and possibly for windows. I’ll keep you all posted on how it goes.
Hey for your FEP sheet I would suggest using machinist oil like you would get at the parts store rub it on and let it sit for a little while then rub the excess clean. It will also help keep the prints from sticking to the sheet.
Thanks so much for the tip. I’ve seen others use some kind of oil. I’ll certainly give it a try. I seem to have at least one part stick to the FEP every batch I run.
Very cool. You'll get the bugs worked out and be printing some cool stuff in no time. I'd like to someday, but it seems intimidating. Until then, I'll buy from the pros. Cool froggy and elephant.
Thanks for watching Rob, it just takes time trial and error to get it right. I’m waist deep into this investment so I’m not giving up. Makiko loves her frog and elephant 👍
Vary cool good to see your trying your hand at 3D printing but I think I will do as you said and buy from another source as I don't think I would want to get into 3D printing ,but I do thank you for your honest opinion thanks enjoyed 👍
Hi Deen, thanks for watching. It isn’t for everyone for sure. There are many businesses printing very cool stuff for sale. It’s really worth it to buy sometimes instead of doing it yourself.
If someone plans to get into 3d printing to make parts for their hobby. Its best that 3d printing is also one of their hobbies. Luckily model railroading and 3d printingare both my favorite hobbies.
Right, it can be a 4th hobby if you get into it. Especially if you have the ability to make your own designs. I just buy other people’s files and print them.
So cool thanks for sharing. Wondering if u will take custom orders. 1/24 scale figures. Thank you
Hi Tom, I really don’t want to get into the business of printing for sale. This new toy is already soaking up my building time 👍. Thanks for watching, I appreciate your support.
Hey James, thanks for this video. Always learn something new from them!
I was thinking about getting a 3D printer for some of my stuff. Mostly was
thinking about printing 1/25 & 1/24 scale driver figures for my race cars?
What are your thoughts about that?
Hi Jeff, I’m on the fence about advising anyone to buy a resin printer. I’ve had mine for just over a month now. I’ve spent more than I originally anticipated in resin bottles and files and and and and… I’ve noticed my bench productivity slowed down quite a bit as well. I think as a supplement to your existing model cars it’s great. If you are thinking you’ll be printing Fujimi Enthusiast series quality kits, resin printing kits are very basic for the most part. Body interior wheels and a flat chassis. All that being said, I’m glad I bought it and look forward to manipulating car game files to print WHATEVER car I want. Just takes time.
@@ScaleModelExperiment, Thanks James. Very appreciated, and I'm only wanting to print out driver
figures for my circle track race cars. Not really interested in doing a lot of other printing(complete kits).
Just would like to save a little bit of money on driver figures? Already have the files to do it, should be a
learning experience? And that's just fine. Thanks again James, REALLY appreciate the reply man!
Absolutely Jeff, I appreciate your support of the channel👍
I think $20 for an engine kit is a bargan. I can't imagine the time it takes to research and design those kits so that they'll end up how they're supposed to. When I was at the IPMS show yesterday, there was a beutiful figure of 2B from Nier:Automata. I'm guessing it might have been a 3D kit. That would be my problem...going down the anime character rabbit hole! lol
Rabbit hole is right. There is so much available to buy file wise
Excellent video!
Thank you Mac, I appreciate you watching and leaving a comment. I’d like to do a follow up video to this one now that I’ve been doing it for almost a year now.
Nice video thanks a lot of information can you tell me the name of the car than you printed 3 times Congratulation
The car that I had to print 3 times was a TVR Sagaris. It’s a pre-production version not available for sale yet. Thanks for watching and leaving me a comment.
Gorgeous looking prints. What resin did you use? Just the standard resin ?
Thank you for watching. I use Anycubic water wash resin.
Over all, What are Your thoughts on having taken the leap into the future of model cars? Was it worth it to You? Is it worth the time and energy? How difficult is it to learn, the 3D programing that is? I thought about it, once. I am just not to sure of the value of it all, money(cost) and time(aggravation)?? Thank You so very much for sharing this with Us all here on the tube. I for one am very interested in what You think on all of this NEW AGE tech for the hobby.
Thank you for watching Russell. I’m still in the new toy phase of ownership right now. I have bought a lot of files already and have spent more than I originally planned to on this new toy. 3D printing is cool for the people who don’t care about curbside vs having an engine and detailed chassis. The modern car kits are $10-$20 and a couple evenings worth of time to print. We can’t depend on the kit manufacturers to give us what we want so this fills a niche in the hobby. Ask me again in 6 months… the computer work is pretty self intuitive and I’m learning every time I print the best way to place items. Take care and hit me up on FB messenger if you have any questions.
Awesome video
Thanks Travis!
Those bodies would be perfect for slot cars, and you can use a heat gun to shape that window plastic.
Awesome video, thanks man!
I don’t know if they would work well as slot cars because they are thick and heavy. I appreciate you watching and leaving me a comment.👍
@@ScaleModelExperiment I forgot to mention this before, but I was thinking awhile back, it would be a good idea to keep the flat clear plastic packaging that a lot of things are enclosed in when you buy them, that usually get thrown out. I can't think of an example really off the top of my head, other then an action figure packaging with that large clear plastic rectangle window... LOL So many things get bought like this, and we are so used to blindly chucking them out.
I also finally successfully 3D PLA printed a 1/32 scale Camaro Nascar slot car body without windows that looks incredible. I did it in 2 halves starting the prints from the middle of the car up and out to the ends, and then filed/sanded them, then Krazy glue'd the 2 halves together, and I'm absolutely blown away at how well it worked out!
@@slakjawnotsayin5451 wow, that was quite a response 😁. I’m glad you found something you could print and you’re right, the plastic packaging would be a good start for windows. I borrowed a vacuum former from a friend but haven’t tried it yet. Stay tuned.
Oh, I just realized you only have an SLA Resin type printer, so this Nascar wouldn't be something you would want, and I don't think you even really car about Slot Cars lol.
Sorry man...
I also have an SLA printer, but have only used it once, as I realized I need to make a well vented station for it, and haven't done that yet.
Awesome video though, and thanks again!
@@ScaleModelExperiment Yup, WOW, the Vacuum Forming is the way to go. The 20 stacks of clear "Dental Vacuum Forming" sheets are cheap too on amazon.
Also some cool vids on how to make the former yourself using a heat gun and a simple frame you drop down on a wooden vacuum box. This is what I'll also do now, thanks again man! I'll remove the other cluttered comments to do with windows, cuz this is the best and easiest IMO as well.
Next time consider an Elegoo printer. As for your spreading body panels at the bottom, you don’t need extra support, just hold the body in position overnight and it will stay that shape afterwards.
Thanks for watching John, I’ll try that technique.👍
thats awsome james yeah i got my 2nd printer couple weeks back i went with creality HALOT ONE but I should went for another creality with bigger build plate for car bodys but it's perfect for bodykits wheels figures parts im actually starting the 400z this week I'm just printing out the bodykit i got sponsored by you mentioned him on cults he's known as black box awsome files I baught some in past and I reached out to do build if he was interested in sponsor my build and luckily he had no problem just 1 catch not to give file to anyone so ill respect his rules for been a good guy helping me and I'll shout him out and link him in videos on 400Z build i just finished bodykit so little cleaning and mocking up so that's next on the bench this week but you prints look awsome and ur new to it so your actually very good bmw looked awsome so did the first car you got someone to try but you sorted it in end looks awsome but yeah I just taut id mention it cause you asked any of us printing to let you know what we think of printing they are the future your rite,👍Keith
Wow, thanks Keith and congrats on the brand deal with Blackbox. That’s big news!
Yep it is the path the hobby is going.
Thanks for watching Horton, we are a long way from not having kits in boxes though or resin casters but it is a quick way for creators to make a part or kit and sell it without a trip to the post office.
Hi! May I ask something? The 3D files that you use, are they just from the internet of special made for model cars? And how do you know if something is printable?
That’s a good question. I only buy from a few sellers on Cults 3d that I have seen printed by others. Usually in the sample photos if you see a printed model you know it’s safe to buy. Buyer beware, there are a lot of people selling stuff that can’t be printed easily.
haha that frog 😂
I know I know… so cute!
Give us a link to this TVR file when your friend will post it.
I most certainly will! Thanks for watching👍
What SOFTWARE do you need to even begin printing? 🤔
If you have a 3d file in STL format you have to put it into a slicer program like Lychee to “slice “ the art into layers. The slicer program will save the file into a format your printer will recognize and it will print the art one layer at a time.
I am learning what you can tell us.
Thanks David, I’ll keep making videos👍
where do you get you files from
I buy my files from CG Trader and Cults3D. I’ve only been burned once with unprintable stuff. Stick with Andrey’s kits and you’ll be fine.
When printing something this thin .... U need to support the shit out of the edges facing the plate... You can also print windows with clear resin .... I print body's for rc cars a lot
I recently talked with Mike North on the latest podcast episode. He suggests printing bodies level to the build plate with heavy supports at the edges and lots of light supports in the middle. There will be lines on the top surfaces but the body creases will be sharper.
Is it a resin printer or an fdm printer?
It’s a liquid resin printer.
Any concerns or comments regarding Resin's toxicity levels?
Hi Lori, yes resin is some nasty stuff. I recommend being extra cautious when handling it. Gloves, safety glasses, respirator and adequate ventilation are a must. I only use water wash resin because I don’t care for the smell of IPA nor can I afford it. Keep yourself and family safe being diligent with being clean.
@@ScaleModelExperiment Interested in a low production, Austrailian resin kit? I've decided to not chance things and will ship to you free of charge.
@@lorimcquinn3966 sounds interesting. Email me more info at scalemodelexperiment at gmail dot com
@@ScaleModelExperiment sent.
The audio is too low
Sorry about that
You know what would be cool: print yourself to display with your models!🤔 then a bunch in the driving position to put in the builds ! Interesting and way over my head! Good looking print for the first try! You will have it mastered in no time! 😎✌️🫡🇺🇸
Funny you should mention that. They do 3d scans of people in Tokyo but it cost like $300!!! I actually looked into it🤓
@@ScaleModelExperiment do it 🫡
I just might!
Literally just bought my printer my curing/washing station iceman collection is the reason I wanted to start at least trying his stuff is so amazing and I agree the pricing isn't bad at all 😊
Good luck with your printing journey Milwaukee, be patient and learn from your mistakes and you will be a master like Joel. Thanks for watching 👍