28mm Early War 3D printed German Pz1 and M/C combo (now finished)

[David H]

Before Christmas I decided to dip my toe into the 3D printing thing and purchased my first 3 items from Paint & Glue online.

The range of vehicles is astounding, with seemingly any obscure variant available from one vendor or another, I chose Paint and Glue because a) they print in resin, and b) because his prices are very reasonable - the Pz1 was £10.80 in resin, only £8.00 in plastic, and the M/C combo just £3.40 in resin.

I have been hesitant about printed vehicles mainly due to the print lines that are evident on even the finest settings but thought it was time to give them a try.

The Pz1 is a lovely little vehicle with plenty of detail, and very few print lines on the chassis, but some quite heavy ones visible on the turret - especially the rear. I could have filed these down, but it would risk losing some of the fine detail so I opted to leave as is and see what it was like after painting. Apart from this the only issue was the number of supports still left around the wheels - it seemed like every time I thought I had got rid of them all another few grew in their place! Still, I got there in the end, and I guess it is no worse than cleaning some of the resin models from Warlord etc, which can be pretty poor.

The M/C combo is absolutely delightful! Its a one piece moulding with loads of detail. Again the number of supports was an issue, and because this is a finely printed model some care is needed to be taken around the wheel spokes. As it is I just left some there, as I am sure you will spot if you look carefully, for a wargaming piece it just not worth worrying about.

One other point to note is that the resin used is fragile. I would not call it brittle, but it is certainly breakable. Having said that, the mg34 snapped almost as soon as I started cleaning it up, but a touch of superglue did its magic and it now seems quite robust, so it does take glue well.

The Pz1 pictured below is now completed, just needing some markings. Painting Grey is not easy so I have done a lot of washes, and dry brushing, to try and get some variety in it. Please let me know if you have a any suggestions for further improvements.

The M/C combo is still a WIP. Its getting there, but the grey of the M/C and the uniforms makes it hard to get it to pop. I'm planning on re-doing the uniforms and I think the bike just needs more washes and highlights. I'm going to add a pannier to the front of the sidecar, and there is a spare wheel for the pack I can mount some bits on too. Suggestions again welcome.

[CapnJim]

Those are 3D prints?  Well done!  They look great!

[David H]

Thanks CapnJim.

Yes, I am very impressed by these prints, they surpassed my expectations, especially the motorcycle.

Although I mentioned some ridge lines on the Pz1 turret, once its painted and on the table, they really are not noticeable.

Also remember that the photos are much larger than the actual items - the M/C is 4cm in length while the Pz1 is only 8cm.

Given the price point and the level of detail I think they are well worth purchasing, I have certainly bought far worse resin models for a lot more money! The beauty of the motorcycle is that for the cost you can have a small fleet if you so wish, and it won't break the bank!

I don't think I'll be buying my own printer though - I have too much to paint to take time out learning this new technology, although it is so very tempting.........

[Digits]

As stated, the prints look very good.  I’m particularly impressed with the bike team.  Good painting too!

[David H]

As stated, the prints look very good.  I’m particularly impressed with the bike team.  Good painting too!

Thanks Digits.

I will definitely be ordering more printed vehicles, there is a Russian M/C with sidecar too. Hopefully it wont be long until French motorcycles are available.

I have reworked the german M/C and am happy with the result. A bit more dirt and a slightly lighter uniform jacket colour:

[Digits]

I take it the passenger is printed with the model or is it a separate piece?   

[David H]

I take it the passenger is printed with the model or is it a separate piece?

Its all a single piece, and I guess because it is 3D printed the interior of the side car is actually hollow.

You can see the range available here: https://www.paintandglue.co.uk/germany-100
It includes cyclists too.

[Rich H]

Look like good prints to me!  The layer lines are very hard to manage on curved surfaces like that, sometimes you have to accept some lines in places to ensure the main surfaces (the roof) are better.

[David H]

Look like good prints to me!  The layer lines are very hard to manage on curved surfaces like that, sometimes you have to accept some lines in places to ensure the main surfaces (the roof) are better.

Its very easy to be critical of the print lines, but to be honest these are wargaming models, not display items, and unless I get up real close they are just not visible from a couple of feet away.
I'm sure that it would be possible to smear a Milliput 'cream' over any lines to remove them if you really wanted to.
From a pricing point of view Rubicon charge about £15, and Warlord £11 for similar items. Printed items are definitely the way to go for smaller vehicles.

[Rich H]

Indeed but I hate them and remove them where I can!
I usually scrape them back with a scalpel.

[tin shed gamer]

David.
They've painted up nicely. I'm not a fan of one piece prints. Personally I think they lack foresight.
It always makes me smile when people talk about the cost of prints.(use my printer mainly for work.) No one ever includes the initial out lay and man hours it takes to print.(including chemical disposal, As it requires a trip to the recycling centre to dispose of the byproducts of printing.)
There's no doubting in long term use they become cost effective otherwise I wouldn't own one. I'm in the lucky position to be able to build just about anything I'd need both digitally and Anolog Sometimes it's literally faster to build than print.So I can see the pros and the cons.


Which is where RichH is coming  from ,he isn't being critical. He's  merely pointing out that some time's print layers are something that you have to live with.

There's not many people on here with as much experience in commercial Armoured vehicle prints,as Rich H. ( Rubicon head hunted him to sculpt for them)
So He's definitely a member who's brains are worth picking when it comes to improving print quality.
99% of my sculpting is Anolog. Rich is someone I'd ask if I'm stuck with the limitations of my own digital knowledge.
I've actually a couple of Rich's sculpts and personal prints in my collection.,and I'm fussy.

[David H]

David.
They've painted up nicely. I'm not a fan of one piece prints. Personally I think they lack foresight.
It always makes me smile when people talk about the cost of prints.(use my printer mainly for work.) No one ever includes the initial out lay and man hours it takes to print.(including chemical disposal, As it requires a trip to the recycling centre to dispose of the byproducts of printing.)
There's no doubting in long term use they become cost effective otherwise I wouldn't own one. I'm in the lucky position to be able to build just about anything I'd need both digitally and Anolog Sometimes it's literally faster to build than print.So I can see the pros and the cons.


Which is where RichH is coming  from ,he isn't being critical. He's  merely pointing out that some time's print layers are something that you have to live with.

There's not many people on here with as much experience in commercial Armoured vehicle prints,as Rich H. ( Rubicon head hunted him to sculpt for them)
So He's definitely a member who's brains are worth picking when it comes to improving print quality.
99% of my sculpting is Anolog. Rich is someone I'd ask if I'm stuck with the limitations of my own digital knowledge.
I've actually a couple of Rich's sculpts and personal prints in my collection.,and I'm fussy.

I wasn't actually suggesting that Rich H was being critical, rather that I know people who are critical of these things. I actually agree with and understand what Rich H is saying. 

I have worked in the plastics, resin, and rubber moulding industries for the past 30 years so I appreciate the costs, issues, and limitations of these materials. 3D printing has its own issues, and one of these is layer lines, although I believe that there are industrial type printers out there that pretty much do away with these? - some of the rapid prototyping we get done is printed and you cannot see any difference between these and a moulded product.

As for cost, yes, totally agree, I was purely referring to the purchase price of like products. Its very easy to forget the setup cost, raw material cost, running cost, and time required to run the printer, let alone the time required to get up to speed with the relevant software!

These items were sample buys to allow me to try out a new technology, and I am impressed, and am happy to acquire more in the future.

I wish I had the time to dive into the world of 3D printing myself, but having been down the rabbit hole when PC's were the new kid on the block, I know the time and cost of investing in new, and constantly improving, technology.   I'm going to leave this one down to the likes of you and Rich H to design great new vehicles and hopefully make them available to the likes of me  (Probably........)   

[David H]

Indeed but I hate them and remove them where I can!
I usually scrape them back with a scalpel.

I think I'm getting lazy in my old age! 

[Redmist1122]

Good looking prints!

[Shahbahraz]

the real beauty of 3d prints for me is that some items are only available as metal castings, and frequently of indifferent quality. I can also do one off prints for odd items for a scenario. And the detail isn't to be sniffed at. Here's a 10mm misprint. I fixed up a later version so the wheels were perfectly round and lifted the rear section off the plate, which is a typical tyro mistake. This was just a test paint sample, but I haven't seen a better model in metal.