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Posted (edited)

When I'm not building I like to plan future (?) builds.
I started using Meshmixer to alter and/or join files, as it has a flatter learning curve than Blender, which I rarely use.
Below shows a 53 F100 I'm planning to build using 99% printed parts. As I started printing some parts and mocking them up, I found that adjustments needed to be made but I didn't want to print, check, reprint, repeat. So what I did was built it virtually (minus the styrene body) in Meshmixer to see if I can spot issues. Lo and behold, I did.
After digitally mocking it up I realized that the chassis as printed would sit too low for my tastes, so I used MM to raise the chassis slightly to get more clearance. I also digitally built the engine and installed it which allowed me to check the clearance of the interior pan I had designed with a larger trans tunnel to accommodate the lower profile.
Its not perfect because you can't exactly locate parts, so you have to rely on the grid a lot but its helped me on the F100, and below it a 100% printed Anglia Gasser I'm planning. On it I found that the chassis I designed needed alterations to fit the slicks under it, and allowed me to design a front axle and springs for it. I "ghosted" the body by making it not visible, then selecting it. I just recently figured that one out!

F100 Chassis Digital Mockup 3.jpg

Anglia Digital Mockup.jpg

F100 Chassis Digital Mockup w_Bed.jpg

Edited by MeatMan
  • Like 4
  • 2 weeks later...
Posted (edited)

That's the way I do it too. I use Fusion360 for designing and virtual mock-ups.

I just create a new file with the central item, like a chassis, then I transfer all the parts I need into that file and put them together!

Here's an example! It's my recently built tanker trailer:

 I did change a few details but it's more or less the way I built it.

Was ist OK to post this here? Didn't want to hijack. I understood this thread as the one to post items to 3D printing!

If I was wrong, I appologize!

Edited by Jürgen M.
  • Like 3
Posted
13 hours ago, Jürgen M. said:

That's the way I do it too. I use Fusion360 for designing and virtual mock-ups.

I just create a new file with the central item, like a chassis, then I transfer all the parts I need into that file and put them together!

Here's an example! It's my recently built tanker trailer:

 

 I did change a few details but it's more or less the way I built it.

Was ist OK to post this here? Didn't want to hijack. I understood this thread as the one to post items to 3D printing!

If I was wrong, I appologize!

You're good, this is the right place.

  • 3 weeks later...
Posted
On 2/10/2022 at 6:47 AM, MrObsessive said:

A couple weeks ago, I signed up to get monthly .stl files from ScaleSpeedGarage.com. In the January pack, they have on the site files to download and print a neat engine dyno stand for which they're running a contest, and the deadline is on March 15.

The first attempt at printing this came out not so good.......the second attempt was 100% better as can be seen below.

P1017238.JPG.b15ee708d2f53bb659980af3b879f4e1.JPG
P1017239.JPG.717afdd262fc8754044108fc7dcf92b2.JPG
P1017240.JPG.88864cf6cd27d723eb77b2e92f93fc82.JPG
P1017241.JPG.bbae67133667a1f08d8845eff8c074de.JPG

The engine on the stand was printed as a test shot by @my66s55and I did a complete thread on it here, as it was my first introduction to anything 3D printed.

I liked this test stand so much, that I did another printing last evening, and here it is just as it came out of the printer.

227296430_EngineStandtake2.JPG.ca20eff90ce38f67c05aebd92c28bfaa.JPG
399311392_EngineStandtake2a.JPG.d358e09c0e1a9cbb11cf45730ad8c930.JPG

I didn't include all the parts to the stand as this one will be for WIP engines to have something to sit on. The first one above I printed, I'm going to pretty and paint that one up, enter the online contest, and we'll see how it goes. :D

Doug, I tried your tip for the second printing of the stand, and it worked like a charm! Hardly a pit or dimple to be seen on the parts, and it saved a lot of stress trying to get the parts off the supports ?

Fantastic Bill! I just bought these at the NNL West and they are great. The tread and sidewalk detail is really really good. This is the future. Or I should say the future is now. I am impressed. 

  • Like 1
Posted
Just now, Brudda said:

Fantastic Bill! I just bought these at the NNL West and they are great. The tread and sidewalk detail is really really good. This is the future. Or I should say the future is now. I am impressed. 

 

IMG_1239.jpeg

  • Like 3
Posted
58 minutes ago, Brudda said:

 

IMG_1239.jpeg

Now those look GREAT! ❤️

8-9 years ago I ran a thread on building a 3D printed 1958 Plymouth 318 Polyhead V8. I had said back then in other threads on this forum that 3D printing would in fact be the next big wave to hit the hobby. This was before Don and Carol Holthaus announced they were retiring, and no plans to transfer the business.

My reasoning was that if a file exist of any particular object, whether it's a car, wheel, model part, etc...........the part will always exist as long as the file does. No need to worry about molds wearing out or getting busted. Some poo-pooed the thought of that, but as you mentioned, the future is now, and I don't see 3D going away any time soon.

  • Like 3
Posted

I am trying to thicken a mercedes 300 aka Red Pig in blender. I have seen several So I have been trying to look at various ways to fix it but I have no success. I have tried using solidify but that command gives me 0 control in what direction I ad the material so it extends the material outwards as well as inwards. Which makes it useless. 
I have managed to open the file in Fusion and make it to a model but most parts are just one surface and not solid and when extending them my computer, even though it is a cad PC, Boggs down and won’t execute for hours. 
 

How do you guys do the thickening? I saw your post Mr obsessive and get the principe but it seems in efficient on a roof or such.

Posted (edited)
18 hours ago, Mattilacken said:

I am trying to thicken a mercedes 300 aka Red Pig in blender. I have seen several So I have been trying to look at various ways to fix it but I have no success. I have tried using solidify but that command gives me 0 control in what direction I ad the material so it extends the material outwards as well as inwards. Which makes it useless. 
I have managed to open the file in Fusion and make it to a model but most parts are just one surface and not solid and when extending them my computer, even though it is a cad PC, Boggs down and won’t execute for hours. 
 

How do you guys do the thickening? I saw your post Mr obsessive and get the principe but it seems in efficient on a roof or such.

OK, if the body already has wall thickness and you want to make it thicker, that's next to an impossible task unless you want to do a LOT OF WORK. It's one reason I've taken on designing my own files and my own wall thickness. I've gotten one too many files that were simply too thin, and in the worst place such as the fenders and rockers.

The only thing I can show you is a video I did if you haven't seen it on wall thickness, and I can also tell you that Blender's solidify modifier IMO is worthless when it comes to wall thickness on bodies. The caveat is the body MUST already be a single shell file. Dual shell files with wall thickness is a whole 'nuther kettle of fish.

The roof can be given thickness BTW-----I do this ALL the time when I'm creating a print file, which I'm in the middle of now in fact.

Hope this helps..............

 

Edited by MrObsessive
  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Posted

Just want to post my latest design & print.
I was looking at my kits and thinking about future builds and I saw my 78 Nova kit I bought to make the 4 door resin build.
Well the guy that makes them stopped casting them so I'm going another route. I'm going to make a restocustom Nova SS.
I designed the grille to make the headlights round, added a honeycomb grille, and a narrowed and tucked in bumper.
I also added a chin spoiler to match a 1:1 I'd seen online.
I'll get to it some day. 😆

IMG_20250121_200835536.jpg

IMG_20250121_201113745.jpg

  • Like 2
Posted

does anybody have settings for sunlu resin? i'm struggling to get it to release from the fep. i've upped exposure time, dropped lift speed, sprayed tank with ptfe and everything still sticks. my room temp is good and the fep is new. is sunlu just trash resin?

Posted
4 hours ago, stitchdup said:

does anybody have settings for sunlu resin? i'm struggling to get it to release from the fep. i've upped exposure time, dropped lift speed, sprayed tank with ptfe and everything still sticks. my room temp is good and the fep is new. is sunlu just trash resin?

I've never used it but I looked at a couple of YT vids & they had good comments about the resin.
You didn't specify which resin it is. I looked at std, so if you got ABS-like I didn't look into any.
As for your settings, there could be an issue with the elasticity of the fep as you say its new. Its supposed to have some "give", but if your other resin worked it shouldn't be that. If you didn't use another resin with the new fep I'd start there.

  • 3 weeks later...
Posted (edited)
On 1/15/2025 at 2:46 AM, MrObsessive said:

OK, if the body already has wall thickness and you want to make it thicker, that's next to an impossible task unless you want to do a LOT OF WORK. It's one reason I've taken on designing my own files and my own wall thickness. I've gotten one too many files that were simply too thin, and in the worst place such as the fenders and rockers.

The only thing I can show you is a video I did if you haven't seen it on wall thickness, and I can also tell you that Blender's solidify modifier IMO is worthless when it comes to wall thickness on bodies. The caveat is the body MUST already be a single shell file. Dual shell files with wall thickness is a whole 'nuther kettle of fish.

The roof can be given thickness BTW-----I do this ALL the time when I'm creating a print file, which I'm in the middle of now in fact.

Hope this helps..............

 

Hi, this is a body that does not have a thickness, and man blender is a hard to use program. I have gotten so far so i can extrude the surfaces but i need to split some parts to be able to extrude it. The different parts of the body are separate but only as shown, doors is one, roof, front clip, rear clip and lids.   

image.png.a89af9d6b011e6da5a5d878bcd31e772.png

 

 

EDIT:

I have done so so i do have dual surfaces. since i have an idea that i can ad surfaces inbetween the two. Is there a way to connect them? 

image.png.3725360b431d6ea562ad84305ff11b3c.png

 

how it looks in Fusion where i did the duplication and shinkage.

image.png.76b7d7ce6529c58c3dbdcc71075995c8.png

Edited by Mattilacken
Posted

Use Blender. highlight the line option to the left on the tool bar at the top. High light two opposing lines on each layer. Press the f key and a face connecting them will be mad. Continue until it's done. Set face orientation to make sure there aren't any reverse faces.Screenshotfrom2025-02-0708-41-02.png.b3bb7b00b1cecb9a700c3b8865014536.png

Screenshotfrom2025-02-0708-39-58.png.5679b256c2b8772a9f4542ca7ca05ebc.png

 

  • Like 1
Posted

What Doug showed is correct, and it's one way to get wall thickness. I did wall thickness on that very car, and as I showed in my YT video, I separated the different body parts into sections on their own, and with the body panels in place (don't move them from their original position), I did the extrusion (E/XorY)/1.8mm's). The body panels then get extruded along the intended axis plane, and you may need to do some cleanup along the edges where there may be overlap.

Blender can be a bit tricky at times to use, however the more you use it, you become familiar with how the program "thinks" and "reacts", and it becomes much easier over time.

Here's the Mercedes I converted to print maybe two years ago now, which was made printable by the method I show in my video.

Benz25.jpg.809893922f9175c1fa945c456dbbb9ef.jpgBenz27.jpg.6fb40c4bde0defd799e3ab1a46374157.jpgBenz31.jpg.5fd56f2ebfb71307cb5eb270bc8a4b03.jpgBenz38.jpg.b22d62b0da76706452ca96496fc5e806.jpgBenz39.jpg.967b6ebed7b7feac5c511b7763b2765d.jpgBenz40.jpg.451026daac1afe9fc216471efcb9fd0d.jpgBenz41.jpg.f0ac24ac2f3bf1099a14ad2f87095f16.jpgBenz46.jpg.f91e207c8d678b2144a7bc44e46d8f84.jpg

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