Hi All,

And this is what 3D printed "kits" are really about. These are not kits, but rather exercises into how few parts can be placed into a model "kit". Most of the large models we are seeing are probably coming off idle industrial prototyping printers, and are most likely utilizing rips from online games. They're just a way to keep these printers in operation to pay for their purchase, with no real concern as to how the end user is able to construct the model purchased.

Just consider this model of HMS Furious. Besides the 1950's level of deck markings (printers this capable can print details less than .03mm tall), how does a modeler paint around, say, the directors printed into the catwalks, much less paint the directors themselves. And look at the bow area. There is no way a modeler can paint inside all the structures to cover up the hazard orange color of the resin used (as an aside, there is gray resin available...). This is an exercise in what can be done with a 3D printer, not a scale model. Also, this is printed from the keel up, probably inclined about 15 degrees, which is why the connection lip between the two hull halves is so sharp. If the print was from the connection up, you would have blossoming from where the supports integrate into the actual print. You can see where the supports were on the hull photos, so this entire hull will need to be sanded to remove those connection points.

Can you do amazing modeling in 3D, absolutely! Cage masts can now be the hyperbolic paraboloid we all tried to make in photoetch way back when (a shape that cannot be made in two dimensions). But, when you're making a model, part of the process is making something that can be not only built, but also assembled and painted. I could print a one part submarine model very easily in 1/350 scale, but where's the enjoyment in that? 3D printing today is the resin industry of the 1990's and 2000's. A lot of "WOW!", and a separate list of all the issues that come along with that "WOW!". Is injection molding dead? Nope. Is resin dead? Nope. And here's why. Both injection, and to a certain extent resin, gives you consistency. Once a mold is made, it will produce the same part each time. 3D printing has the inconsistency of z-axis wobble, so the first print may have no issues, but the second print shifts due to wobble, and that entire layer has shifted to, say the right, 10 microns. Very obvious when looking at a hull. Also, as some have mentioned, layers. 3D prints are made with multiple layers, and no matter how small those layers are, they are still there on the finished part, whereas those layers can be sanded off a resin master, and don't exist in an injection mold. 3D printing makes things better, but it's not the end all-be all either. One thing it will do, however, especially with the emergence of hand held 3D scanners, it'll make things much easier to copy and reproduce. When a company, with a lot of resources behind it, and the ability to throw out bad prints at their cost, comes about, 3D printing will become a challenge to garage companies like mine and injection plastic companies. Until then, 3D printing is just another iteration of the garage manufacturer.

However, as long as there is an idle printer somewhere in the world, there's a way for some non-modeler to take your money.

Jon