kenlwest Posted February 27, 2023 Share Posted February 27, 2023 Here is the start of a 3d printed Lamborghini Aventador. I have been designing and building large scale model cars for years. This project will be the most challenging to date. Here are the body panels, ready to bond together. I left the support structures on the upper roof crossmember to show what printed parts look like coming off the printer. What you see here took roughly 20 hours to print. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenlwest Posted February 27, 2023 Author Share Posted February 27, 2023 The panels have been glued together. Any gaps or non-flush issues will be dealt with. The same uv resin will be used as filler, but I need to wait for a sunny day so that the sun can cure the resin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dann Tier Posted February 27, 2023 Share Posted February 27, 2023 A sunny day here in Michigan this time of the year?? lol.....its looking sweet, i will be following! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenlwest Posted February 27, 2023 Author Share Posted February 27, 2023 32 minutes ago, Dann Tier said: A sunny day here in Michigan this time of the year?? lol.....its looking sweet, i will be following! Ha! Yes. Ice rain today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenlwest Posted February 27, 2023 Author Share Posted February 27, 2023 Rear compartment upper structure in place. Test fitting the cockpit tub. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris coller Posted February 28, 2023 Share Posted February 28, 2023 Interesting indeed. You have a color choice in mind? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamsuperdan Posted February 28, 2023 Share Posted February 28, 2023 Very cool. Definitely watching this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLHCAHZ Posted February 28, 2023 Share Posted February 28, 2023 Impressive! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOBLNG Posted February 28, 2023 Share Posted February 28, 2023 Wow! Fantastic work.👍 Those 3d printers are sure a game changer.😎 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bainford Posted February 28, 2023 Share Posted February 28, 2023 Impressive project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dino246gt Posted February 28, 2023 Share Posted February 28, 2023 Wow, that's going to be impressive, well it already is! 1/12th Lambo, so cool! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenlwest Posted March 1, 2023 Author Share Posted March 1, 2023 22 hours ago, chris coller said: Interesting indeed. You have a color choice in mind? Not sure yet. There are a lot of great color schemes out there. White or lighter blue maybe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenlwest Posted March 2, 2023 Author Share Posted March 2, 2023 The underbody panels are resin printed in 4 sections. The lighter gray parts are filament printed and used to stiffen and stabilize the flat panels. Large and flat resin printed parts have a tendency to warp. The light gray parts are strong and serve to restrain the panels until they are fully cured. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenlwest Posted March 3, 2023 Author Share Posted March 3, 2023 I printed the wheels last light. They will be painted either aluminum or gloss black, not sure yet. Here is the color scheme I am thinking about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenlwest Posted March 3, 2023 Author Share Posted March 3, 2023 The suspension arms glued in place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenlwest Posted March 3, 2023 Author Share Posted March 3, 2023 Many model car kits have partially open wheelhouses. This is due to tooling limitations, and to provide enough clearance so that the body can be assembled over the chassis. The Aoshima kit of the Aventador, which is used as the template for this project, is one such model having partially opened wheelhouses. I extended the wheelhouses on both the body and chassis to create a closed condition, and to provide structural integrity and support for the resin panels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Funkychiken Posted March 4, 2023 Share Posted March 4, 2023 Looks like amazing progress, good luck! Did you create it in CAD yourself, buy the design, or backwards engineer from a 24th scale kit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenlwest Posted March 4, 2023 Author Share Posted March 4, 2023 2 hours ago, Funkychiken said: Looks like amazing progress, good luck! Did you create it in CAD yourself, buy the design, or backwards engineer from a 24th scale kit? I reversed-engineered a damaged Aoshima 1/24 kit. The parts were completely remodeled in CAD to accommodate 3d printing process, whereas the kit was designed to be injection molded. Most parts were designed with a .02 inch clearance between parts. I am using a lot of picture references to enhance detail where I can. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenlwest Posted March 4, 2023 Author Share Posted March 4, 2023 (edited) I posted some pictures of 3d printed models I have designed and built over the years, in the UNDER GLASS forum, if you would like to see what I normally work on. Edited March 4, 2023 by kenlwest Changed words Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenlwest Posted March 4, 2023 Author Share Posted March 4, 2023 I printed out the instrument panel, cluster hood, and left switch bank. You can see the defroster grilles are printed open. It seems to fit nicely over the cowl, but I anticipate some grinding and sanding to ensure the windshield frame fits between the hood and cockpit tub. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenlwest Posted March 5, 2023 Author Share Posted March 5, 2023 This is the most critical fitment of the entire build. The are 4 parts that must come together at 1 interface: cockpit tub, windshield frame/wiper panel, hood, and inner door panel No sanding was needed, and I am happy with the fit. The joint between the base of the A-Pillar and the upper fender is almost perfect and was not expected! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenlwest Posted March 9, 2023 Author Share Posted March 9, 2023 I tried something different as a filler to correct the lower rocker panels. I had a 2 oz jar of Marine-Tex sitting in a drawer, and thought I would give it a try. The first 2 pictures show the bad condition at the bottom of the rockers. The second 2 pictures are filled with Marine-Tex, and rough shaped. This stuff is strong! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenlwest Posted March 11, 2023 Author Share Posted March 11, 2023 Most model car bodies are assembled to the chassis at the front and back. Early kits were "screw bottoms", some are glued, and some are snapped together. For this project, I needed to find a way to permanently locate and fix the body sides to the chassis. This will make the car much more rigid and dimensionally stable. Here you can see the body standoffs, printed and attached to the interior tub. This will mate up to the inside of the body when the time comes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattilacken Posted March 11, 2023 Share Posted March 11, 2023 Cool! Great work on the reverse engineering! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenlwest Posted March 11, 2023 Author Share Posted March 11, 2023 Today, just messing around I thought I would show a quick mockup. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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