Low budget 3D-printing again ...

I had this issue with flaws too. "Open geometry", "bad triangles", "double triangles" and what more. Now I use the software from my 3D-printer. That's a bad ass. It sucks everything and all. No grumble. Never. That's very relaxing!

 

Hehe ...
First of all as Alien said: It's hard to make errorfree models from such a software like DAZ, if not impossible. Second: Guess what - it's my hobby ;-)
Third: Well, I asked around to print my Imperium Spec Lancer (130 mm long). -------> 300 or 600 Euro! ... can't remember. (Got my printer for 800 Euro - LOL!)

 

Ooops, sorry.
Yep, I know Shapeways. They printed some parts for me already. To expensive, not good enough. But thank you.

 

Well, that's it!



I am soooo happy! I have to admit she doesn't look very good so far at the pictures. More like a zombie ;-) She looks way better irl. That's because I was sanding her one time. Just to remove all the unwanted remains of the printing process. And we still have all the areas were I cutted the original 3D-model to resize the parts to fit to my small printer. I used standard Revell glue to put all parts together ... running around in my small cabin holding her in vertical way until the glue was drying up. Okay, standing she would be a really tall modell: 340 mm. Really impressive at my keybord. It's kinda 1:5.
Well, the main question was: Can I print serious 3D-models with my low-budget-printer?
The answers are: YES, if ...

• the model is big enough
• I'm ready to put in a lot of work after the model was printed (glueing, sanding, filling, sanding again, priming and painting)

... or NO, if ...

• I want a quick good model
• small, accurate models
• accurate models at all
• models from grabbing online-stuff like Entropia Universe

There is still a long way to go for me. But for now I've learned that my shitty little printer is worth the money I paid for it (800 Euro). Made in China ... btw ;-) It is the first choice for hobby modelers. Especially because of the omnivore-software. This seems to become one of the major parts of the story. No errors, minor problems while printing ... crazy!

 

What does it cost?
DAZ Studio: 0.00 Euro
DAZ 3D-model: 0.00 Euro
DAZ pose: 0.00 Euro
Cut and convert to STL with Rhino3D: 900 Euro (probably it's possible with Blender too = 0.00 Euro ... dunno)
FreeSculpt 3D-printer EX1-Basic (http://www.pearl.de/a-PV8600-1122.shtml;jsessionid=qaaFQuLAkVi-86j07iRRu) 700 Euro atm
ABS print-material 4.43 Euro (25 Euro print-material included when you buy the printer at PEARL ... so 0.00 Euro if you go from scratch)
Additional: sandpaper, glue, priming, color ... all optional ... ~20 Euro.

That's fair. I love it!

 

I won't put too much effort into this print. It was just a test if bigger models will work. Again I've learned a lot ... at a new level if you want. Next steps:

• learn how to make the right poses
• learn to add items
• learn to add clothing
• get/build clothes/items
• try to make kinda final model
• feed community with infos ;-)

 

No worries. I am one of the fighters for considering copyright issues. IF I ever want to sell a model made with DAZ's content I will pay for it and ask them about details to handle it. Sooner or later I'll need clothes and items too. And I don't want to make them by myself. I think I'll buy this stuff and read the conditions for selling my own products using them. Probably you remember: I did this with MA too few years ago.

 

Meanwhile she looks a bit better although she lost her arms and head :-(
I did a lot of sanding today, will print another head (at the photos is an old head wich doesn't fit in size 100%) and glue her together again. Tomorrow I will treat her with basic color. I have an old can of Revell's Basic Color left. Let's see how she looks in plain white ;-)

 

OMG! I chosed 0.2 mm layer thickness for the print of the head. It is out of the original specifications (0,24 mm) ... but works. And looks pretty good! The new specifications at PEARL's webside say: 0,15 as minimum. Oha! If this is true, we have to rethink everything!
Sure, every print would take way more time. But does it matter against high quality? No.
I will make a test soon with 0.15 mm layer thickness.

So never ever pay money for a 3D-printer with a minimum layer-thickness >0.15 mm! As I said above: The layer thickness is the main criteria.

 

Hehe ... got a can with 1 litre Aceton already (see picture above). Today I coloured her with basic colour and filled some gaps in the surface and at the glue places and sanded her again.





Still a lot of work to do. Especially the face is a desaster! The details are still to small. Next time I will go to a 1:4 model (~420 mm). At least it's really fun to be able to make such models. But as stated above: I won't put too much work into this one. Since I know now, that I can make good models I should continue with the model I really want. The horror: Hair! Let's see.

... got two more kilogramms of printing wire today ;-)

 

I won't. I will experiment with the acetone later for welding parts and treat the surface. Additional I collected some of the abrasive dust already to use it as my own filling material. Probably combined with the Revell glue or acetone.
Hey, are you all hobby modelers? Or how can you know such details?