CANVAS EAGLES???

[Dubar]

Fitz,

I picked up an Elegoo Neptune 4 Pro a couple of days ago, along with a roll of white and a roll of gray PLA filament that should arrive today.  There was a length of white in with the printer and it printed the mini buddha file that came with the package just fine, so I decided to try the rest of the filament out on a 1/144 Halberstadt DII (I think).

Didn't come out so fine, underneath the wings was real "stringy" (?) but the undercarriage and fuselage were good.  I'm hoping it is nothing more than using a "free" file I found on the internet, which didn't have any supports under the wings or anywhere else.  I purchased some files from Wargame3D this morning, hopefully they'll be more "refined" and they include supports.

[Fitz]

What orientation to the print bed are you using? If the undersides of the wings are "stringy" as you say, then it sounds like the model is pretty much flat on to it.

I get best results with one-piece aircraft models by tilting them up steeply on their tails so that all the supports form along the trailing edges. But I also usually add critical supports in Blender and create a new STL from there.

I demonstrate the method here: https://mojobob.blogspot.com/2023/08/printing-petite-planes.html
It'd a WWII monoplane (Thunderbolt) but the principle is the same for biplanes. The supports are just a little more complex.

Alternately, I sometimes split the model longitudinally using 3d Builder (comes with Win10) and print each half with the split flat on the platen. It takes a bit of care to glue them back together again, but it's doable. That's how I printed the Fiat Falco:
https://mojobob.blogspot.com/2019/01/fiat-cr-42-falco.html

[Dubar]

I've got an Albatros printing now, I added supports but I'm not sure of the outcome yet.  May be too much support.  More later!

[Dubar]

After 5 tries I finally got a decent print of an Albatros DIII, still have some cleaning out of the cobwebs to do but it's useable.

Thanks Fitz for the "enlightenment".  I played around with the Cora Slicer program and found that, on this model, a 45 degree nose up angle gave me an acceptable print.  I'm still playing with it though so maybe I can get one to come out perfect.

[Dubar]

Been printing my brains out trying to learn this 3D printing, they need to offer an apprenticeship!!!  Here's several of the "keepers" I've printed so far, just starting to apply paint.  There's that many again at the bottom of the trashcan!!!  Long view (from the observation aircraft!!!) so I'll try to get some better shots later in the week.  Right now I'm fighting...THE COVID!!!  Had this mess for 10 days now but I think the worst part is done.

Sorry for the sideways photo.

Starting with the top row (with the 2 linen colored aircraft).  I'm thinking they need a coat of PC10 late, but I need more research.  I also have PC12 and Reflective Green just in case:

(2) Sopwith 1-1/2 Strutter
(3) Fokker DVIII
(3) Hansa-Brandenburg CI

Bottom row:

(2) RAF RE8, 1 painted in PC10 late
(2) Ansaldo SVA5
(1) Albatros DVa
(2) Halberstadt DII
(1) Fokker DVII

If anyone can turn the photo for proper viewing, please feel free!

[Dubar]

You guys that use Canvas Eagles rules or variations of them...Do you find it to be more exciting to use only a few airplanes or the more the better?  How about when you solo?

I find solo goes as quick or quicker when I use 4-5 planes on each side.  I don't "pair off" when the shooting starts, meaning if 1 plane initially fires on another that's the only plane he shoots at.  While maneuvering, if another opportunity presents itself, I'll break off contact with 1 and go for the other unless the first plane is still in my sights.  If I can't maneuver to get a shot at #1 and #2 presents itself, then let the lead fly!

I've had times where 2 or even 3 planes end up shooting at the same aircraft, I'm sure it happened in real life.

[Basementboy]

The prints looks fabulous! I need to get me a 3D printer, they seem extremely useful.

[Dubar]

The prints looks fabulous! I need to get me a 3D printer, they seem extremely useful.

I Have been printing my brains out!!!  Making stuff mainly for the grandkids but I call it "In-house Training".

I was talked out of getting a resin printer, the son of a friend of mine said it's too messy.  Not having seen one at work I can't say, but so are the filament printers.

Also, I don't know for sure, but I believe the resin printers would do a better job on 1/144 scale aircraft, I haven't had nearly the issues printing larger scale pieces, like 28mm and up.  I just printed a French bakery in 28mm and it came out fine, but I did enlarge it so a 25mm based figure could go thru the doorway.  The doorway was 18mm and now it's 25mm.  So far I've printed the 4 flat sides.  Roof is next.

I've been wanting a 3D printer for years, now at 72yrs old (not a typo!) I figured why not, gives me another hobby to do!!!

[Fitz]

Resin printing will certainly  give you smoother surfaces and cleaner details, but PLA+ filament will give you much stronger models (unless you get into the black magic of mixing resin types). Even then, if you get into TPU filament printing, you'll get models that can literally be run over by a car and still spring back into shape.

This Polikarpov id printed in resin:

This Gladiator is FDM printed in PLA+ filament:

I chose these two because they're both fabric-winged biplanes, so have similar printing issues. The Polikarpov has no undercarriage though, so is a simpler print in either medium.

In my view, the quality difference between the two printing methods isn't really noticeable at gaming distances. When printing single models, there's not much difference in printing speed between my Mars Pro (resin) and Ender 3 (filament), but more modern FDM printers have really sped up printing lately.

[Dubar]

Fitz,
I may have to try the PLA+ filament, also think I need to slow down the speed of this Neptune 4 Pro.

The main issues I have on WW1 aircraft are around the struts and landing gear, depending on what angle I start the process the wings can be good or bad.  I'm sure that tweaking the settings will give me what I want, just gonna take time finding what they should be.

[Dubar]

I may go up to 1/72 scale aircraft.

The 1/144 planes are alright, but there's a lot more to see in twice the size.  I've printed out a half dozen various fighters to see if I'll like the scale or go back to the smaller size.

Also...I've been having trouble with my printer knocking parts off the bed.  Elegoo instructions say to adjust the bed to a thickness of A4 paper.

I "assumed" the regular printer paper I have was A4 but after fighting with the printer I pulled out my caliper and measured the thickness.

Seems like my Walmart brand of printer paper is only .003" (.08mm) thick!  That isn't close to the .20mm thickness between nozzle and bed they recommend.  Fortunately, I have some cardstock laying around and measured that at .008" (.203mm).  I'm giving that a try and see what goes.

[Fitz]

I started getting much better results with my Mars Pro when I leveled the bed with a double thickness of printer paper. I still use a single sheet to level my Ender 3. The paper I use with my laser printer is about 105-110gsm I think.

It would have been a lot more useful if the instructions had given me an absolute measurement rather than the rather vague "thickness of a piece of printer paper". There's a big difference between 90gsm and 105gsm and 120gsm printer paper, and all of those weights are in common use.

[Dubar]

The instructions that came with the printer aren't instructions at all as far as how to use the Neptune 4 Pro, they're fair as assembly instructions.

All of the large things I've printed out have come out good, but I bought it for 1/144 aircraft and 28mm figures and vehicles and my results have been mixed.  I feel I need to slow the print speed down to 50 or 60mm per second.

I've been cleaning the magnetic bed plate using soap and water but after yesterday's dismal results, now I'm cleaning it with soap and water followed by isopropyl alcohol.

Yesterday I attempted to print a Fokker DVII 3 or 4 times and the piece kept moving on the plate within an hour or so.  Not sure if it's that the plate isn't getting clean or my glue stick is trash.  I'll find out today!!!

[Dubar]

Well that didn't work, now I'm thinking the glue sticks I have are the culprit.

The sticks I have are PVP type glue, but I've read that PVA type is preferred.  I just ordered a 3-pack of Elmer's purple glue sticks off Amazon.

[Dubar]

I think I got it!!!

I changed to an Elmer's Purple glue stick plus I modified a couple of parameters when slicing the object.  I switched from a Brim build plate to a Raft build plate, because I was having issues with the print staying put on the bed plate.

I also changed the angle of the build with the tail up from a 30 degree to a 45 degree angle.

Also started using a feeler gauge instead of a sheet of paper to level the bed.

I'm still not 100% satisfied but I'm getting very close.  Here's a SPAD XIII I printed in 1/72 scale.  There's still some nastiness on the nose and wheels of the aircraft (I'm wondering if lifting the piece off the bed by 1mm would help) but overall it came out good.  I might try another SPAD printed with the tail down/nose up and see what I get: