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I have begun work on a digital imaginary VSF steam-powered land-ship for 3d-printing in 15mm scale — this is the model for which I created the Gatling guns I mentioned in another thread.
I haven't done any preparatory drawings for this thing, and I'm just making it up as I go along, which is proving to be both easier and harder than working from plans. Easier, because I don't have to worry too much about dimensions, except to cater to 3d-printing limitations, and harder, because I have only the vaguest idea of how it will end up looking, so I have to sort out how all the parts inter-relate as I go along. I also have only the sketchiest idea of how steam-engines actually work, so I'll be faking it A LOT.
(https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kS032s0pAv8/VxW5aZ8VWLI/AAAAAAAAGMM/_1UJ-m5xeGIHSBmz46H6WaqZNM489B-pgCLcB/s1600/steampunky7.jpg)
Progress is being made. I have the front wheels and forward gunner's position, the beginnings of a boiler, and a lateral Gatling position, but I still need a bridge and stoker's platform. Also, everything is just floating in the air at the moment, so I shall have to build some nice wrought-iron buttressing and what-have-you.
I suspect this thing is going to cost an arm and a leg to print.
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We have a pilot-house, and the side-sponsons are complete except for their support structures.
I think the pilot-house is going to need a lot of gauges and pipes — just have to leave enough room in there for the actual pilot, and probably a co-pilot as well.
I just realized that I have no idea just how the crew are supposed to get to their positions.....
(https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OTrWEA_VJs8/VxcCXa4TojI/AAAAAAAAGMg/W_ZiJOhFmgU9aot1SPeYfjMSUdheNh0ywCLcB/s1600/steampunky8.jpg)
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Many possibilities: a Tobsen gasbag as taxi. There's a gangplank in the 'barn.' etc.
Are you concerned the 'balconies' and tall boiler might make it look very top-heavy and unstable?
Doug
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Are you concerned the 'balconies' and tall boiler might make it look very top-heavy and unstable?
Not concerned in the least :)
I'm not really trying to design a workable fighting machine here, just something that appeals to me visually. I'd like it to be minimally believable, but I don't really care too much about the realities of steam-engine design as long as it looks like it might have worked.
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As you say it's your design. Purely from a looks standard, the rails on the "gun deck" just seem a bit much to me. But jolly talented of you either way. :)
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As you say it's your design. Purely from a looks standard, the rails on the "gun deck" just seem a bit much to me. But jolly talented of you either way. :)
Just enough, actually. They're there to keep the gatlings from swinging too far and cut the fore gun or boiler. lol
Doug
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Just enough, actually. They're there to keep the gatlings from swinging too far and cut the fore gun or boiler. lol
Well, yes, that was my thinking. I originally just put a single post at each blocking-point, but I thought they looked a bit odd, so expanded them to little railings.
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(https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-msC8zuI55mk/Vx1eXVNYepI/AAAAAAAAGO0/Wns4gDuf-V4DGTrCQH2SNRBa3Z6JWpAugCLcB/s1600/steampunky11.jpg)
Progress has been slow, but I think I now know more or less what's going to be going on down the back.
I've added the drive-belt and its flywheel, and next up will be the stoker's station and coal bins, and the rear gunner's cupola. Having the flywheel where it is meant that I had to extend the rear blocking-rails a bit on the lateral gunners' positions.
I'm not quite sure yet how I'm going to attach the flywheel — I've got to allow for the pistons that would actually turn the thing.
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Fascinating and creative work!
Do you think you'll be able to squeeze the crew into their positions?
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Finished. At last.
It's available from my Shapeways shop at http://shpws.me/M6H1 (http://shpws.me/M6H1) — but as expected, it's going to be frighteningly expensive to get printed. Oh well.
(https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oc7IF64fch0/Vx3CDQt_n1I/AAAAAAAAGPk/I9MetceSPVUeeF_ZxMXZp6pEF-tn3t_-ACLcB/s1600/steampunky13.jpg)
(https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ccKkVz7Hhgc/Vx3CDSqm49I/AAAAAAAAGPo/ZtwCHdCkNnoABpaHov6sW-LI4Ftx6HVfgCLcB/s1600/steampunky13a.jpg)
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NtIghcpigDc/Vx3CDH3qjvI/AAAAAAAAGPs/5YBWo7DUuOM1-nKTHUNAESH2g2dC3aBWQCLcB/s1600/steampunky13b.jpg)
(https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KC4V07p8I1o/Vx3CD5WOVAI/AAAAAAAAGPw/bxyZDfmCrX8_7xoUe4G9SBVcBUPBBqywgCLcB/s1600/steampunky13c.jpg)
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Fascinating and creative work!
Do you think you'll be able to squeeze the crew into their positions?
Thanks :)
There shouldn't be any problem getting 15mm figures in there, though I've scaled everything to 15mm true (i.e. no bases). It's possible (maybe) that it could be used with 20mm figures, but I wouldn't count on it.
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(https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_yCaPr4Ayms/Vx6iWmMrmEI/AAAAAAAAGQE/EmJVNRxsv2Aa-NL-k32K_jXH4dBHscqUgCLcB/s1600/steampunky13_crew.jpg)
I added a full crew of 15mm mannequins. There's plenty of room for them, and it looks to me like it would probably work quite happily with 20mm or possibly even 25mm figures (though they would certainly have to crouch a bit down at the stokers' positions). 28mm figures would certainly be much too large though.
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(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Giqs6oK1Ix0/Vx71qfGmpPI/AAAAAAAAGQo/0idaAi-fK-kviBz3M9P3DViF2ofX31ydQCLcB/s640/steampunky13_crew3.jpg)
No doubt everyone will be getting heartily sick of it by now, but I made a crew of toy soldiers and wanted to see what it would look like bearing down on one in all its iron-clad glory.
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A thing of beauty, nonetheless. Thanks for creating and sharing the progress.
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Well that is just amazing. I'd like to Se more creations!
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i LOVE it! What did you use for the latest renderings, btw?
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Many possibilities: a Tobsen gasbag as taxi. There's a gangplank in the 'barn.' etc.
Are you concerned the 'balconies' and tall boiler might make it look very top-heavy and unstable?
For the first, the supports of the 'balconies' almost look like ladders to nowhere; you might consider continuing the supports in the rear as ladders.
You are absolutely right on the final beast; the side pieces being in line with the rear wheels are makes it appear more stable than I first imagined.
...possibly even 25mm figures (though they would certainly have to crouch a bit down at the stokers' positions).
Now, lad, that's what stokers DO. Do think they're a bit 'exposed', though.
No doubt everyone will be getting heartily sick of it by now...
On THAT, I call an obviously massive fail. :D
T'is GW pricing, I don't care for what I've gotten printed in the past, but STILL a painfully strong temptation. Tell us more. ;)
Or, if anyone DOES try it, PICCIES!!!
Doug
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To be fair, i think you could sensibly reduce the price hollowing it to the limit. Shapeways FUD material has a minimum thickness of 0.3 mm, which is not as fragile as it might seem, expecially if reinforced with some beams. This way i'm certain you could reduce the price to maybe 30-40$ top.
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I can find but one minor "flaw." It is 15mm instead of 28mm. ;)
Seriously, this is an incredible piece and if I didn't already have so much $$$$$$ already invested in 28mm, I'd want to have one in my collection.
Incredible job! o_o
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i LOVE it! What did you use for the latest renderings, btw?
It's Blender's internal renderer, using a broad spotlight with ambient occlusion turned on.
To be fair, i think you could sensibly reduce the price hollowing it to the limit. Shapeways FUD material has a minimum thickness of 0.3 mm, which is not as fragile as it might seem, expecially if reinforced with some beams. This way i'm certain you could reduce the price to maybe 30-40$ top.
It's already hollowed out pretty much as far as it can be, and still be printable in WSF.
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Thanks for the tip, i just have to set blender properly next time then! ^_^
It's already hollowed out pretty much as far as it can be, and still be printable in WSF.
That's the problem then: hollowing for WSF right now is not that worthy, considering that the biggest part of the cost is on the "machine volume". If from .7 mm you reach .3 or .35, you can instead halve the price for the FUD!
But, more importanly, you could find a buyer for the production rights, a thing like this is too weird not to draw attention! :)
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That's the problem then: hollowing for WSF right now is not that worthy, considering that the biggest part of the cost is on the "machine volume". If from .7 mm you reach .3 or .35, you can instead halve the price for the FUD!
It would reduce the cost somewhat, but nowhere near half. There's a lot of places where any hollowing is impractical, and even in FUD the minimum unsupported wall thickness (i.e. not attached at three edges) is 0.6mm. Warping is an issue where you have large or long areas at the minimum wall thickness, so that has to be taken into account as well on a model this large. Then there's the issue of the fragility of the FUD resin: it's not so delicate that you can't touch it, but thin rods and walls do break easily if you're not careful, which makes it problematic for gaming pieces.
The high-detail acrylate currently being trialled by Shapeways could be a useful material — its minimum wall thickness is 0.5mm across the board, and it's considerably tougher than FUD. However, because it requires printing supports, the whole model would have to be redesigned, and would probably have to be printed in multiple parts — with the consequent increase in handling costs. Also, the material cost isn't much cheaper than FUD.
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I want a unit of those in case the Mob attacks my palace to overthrow me
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Lovely design - the wheels are fantastic - unsure of the flared funnels - but a mighty beast - in 28mm it would be even mightier :o
Blodwin
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That thing is awesome!!!
You need to get that thing into production somewhere, its too beautyfull to languish in shapeways.
Any idea what the cost would be to print it in 6mm scale?
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Hi Fitz
That is stunning. Can't wait to see a production version painted and on a table somewhere.
Cheers
Brian
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That thing is awesome!!!
You need to get that thing into production somewhere, its too beautyfull to languish in shapeways.
Any idea what the cost would be to print it in 6mm scale?
Thanks :)
I have no idea what it would cost in 6mm, but it would certainly need a lot of redesigning to be printable. It would be pointless in WSF, but it might work in FUD.
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Any idea what the cost would be to print it in 6mm scale?
I did a quick test re-scale, and it looks like it would end up about $20-ish in FUD at 6mm scale.
Edit:
It needed less work than I'd expected, which was a pleasant surprise, and I've put it up at http://shpws.me/M8Xl (http://shpws.me/M8Xl). It's in beta at the moment, for $18.00 in FUD. For some reason, Shapeways' render doesn't resolve the rivets everywhere, for no reason I can think of — though I don't know how likely they'd be to be particularly visible in the finished print in any case.
I've resolved all the issues that showed up in their automated pre-production checks. That's no guarantee that they won't find any problems in the manual checks, but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it :)