Reading through this thread gave me an idea for using a printer in lieu of balsa plus laser cutter. Make lightweight parts similar to how full-sized planes are made like the Piper Cub (see attached image). You should be able to combine balsawood and plastic. Be aware that PLA does not sand well. PLA eats sandpaper. (haven't actually tried it but that's what I heard)

Originally Posted by mcm1303

I've done some work with a MakerBot Cupcake Printer.

For software, I use Rhino 3D (Not free). There is other free software out there, but I cut my teeth on Rhino and get super frustrated trying to learn anything else! Free software worth looking into is Art of Illusion AOI. Blender is another one. A guy I know does all of his 3D work with AOI (and he does a lot with it)

Bringing this back on topic: One thing I am going to try out soon is to print out a fuselage using PLA, then do the old trick where you do esaki tissue papier machet on the outside of the printed model. The last layer of tissue will probably be run through an inkjet printer for markings. Then, when it's dry, put the fuselage in the oven at 375 F (~190C) for a while and the PLA will completely liquefy, hopefully leaving a perfect fuselage.

Marlin

Sounds weird but interesting.

Will look up AOI

Pete

Downloaded AOI several times including one from a mirror site.

All failed


Pete

Ouch. I know that it's Java so you might check to see if there's a jvm issue. On the plus side it should work with many OS's.

Originally Posted by mcm1303

Ouch. I know that it's Java so you might check to see if there's a jvm issue. On the plus side it should work with many OS's.

I loaded Java first. AOI would not open and the message said the download was broken in some way. The AOI site said that Source Forge occasionally had trouble downloading so I tried several times including from a mirror site. There are a dozen or so other sites but after about five tries I gave up.

So far I've had minor success with Sketchup and gotten a little further with the Autodesk Inventor Fusion app. Autodesk also has a sculpt app that's worth a try.

Couldn't figure out where to begin on Free!ship since I need to download an installer to bring home. No broadband at home so I've got to do it here but I run into foreign language problems when I try. I can't even figure out what language, but Dutch or a Scandenavian language are best guesses.

Oh we'll, it's fun anyway.

Pete

Sketchup might be good. If you are into scale, Google has a suprisingly good 3d archive and all of the models are in Sketchup format:
http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/
I'm into wwii warbirds and found a really nice Douglas A-26 there: http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehou...21&prevstart=0

Sketch works best at one thousand percent. Make a one meter part then scale it to one percent. Does not like small sizes
Try the intersect faces tool. Should help with cylinders. It makes everything one part instead of a collection of part touching eAchother. YouTube has some good tutorials on sketchup.

Bought the Makerbot Replicator II

Gotta wait four to six weeks for delivery. The NYC shop on Mulberry Street is small but very busy on the weekend. Brought some of my carvings to show. I've got some weird whittlings so I stuck them in a box and brought them along. Since at least one (working pliers made out of one piece of wood, no glue) is very delicate I only showed two guys. Almost got an offer to lecture out of it. One of the guys has an uncle who teaches woodworking but he's up in Rhode Island or some place inconvenient. He invites guest lecturers. Nope, don't have much to say.

I'll try making bigger models in Sketchup. I like the Autodesk one a lot but whatever I look at is slightly overwhelming right now.

I'm home until Tuesday, but my main computers are two hours away right now. I do have two Macs here but none of the software is on them and without broadband I can't download anything big.

So it's time to dream about conquering the 3D world and watching old TV shows on this iPad. (I'd post pictures of my pliers but the iPad doesn't talk to RCG's photo upload stuff.)

Pete

ahh, the joys of a flash-less ipad.

Originally Posted by nemoskull

ahh, the joys of a flash-less ipad.

It's not Flash, and I think it might be working. I just looked at "Manage Attachments" and it seemed ready to work. Here goes a test. I don't have a photo of my pliers or the twist link chain I carved but I'll try to post something.

Edit: It only allows one at a time. Newest one obliterates previous photo. Now that I have this up I'll try for a second by editing. Hmm... My text didn't come up either.

Nope, can't get to Manage Attachments from here.

Edit 2: Text showed up after I got out of Indoor and Micro then came back, but still can't get to Manage Attachments. I can't complain, it didn't work this good last time I tried.

Pete

hey thats great! ive hadd problems uploading to sites in teh past from an iphone cuz the limited flash support. the iphone runs its own version of flash that is not 100% compatable last i heared.

Funny thing is that I think Adobe stopped supporting Flash. Now we just have to wait for the users to figure out how to get along without it.

Pete

Originally Posted by PeteSchug

Bought the Makerbot Replicator II

Gotta wait four to six weeks for delivery. The NYC shop on Mulberry Street is small but very busy on the weekend. Brought some of my carvings to show. I've got some weird whittlings so I stuck them in a box and brought them along. Since at least one (working pliers made out of one piece of wood, no glue) is very delicate I only showed two guys. Almost got an offer to lecture out of it. One of the guys has an uncle who teaches woodworking but he's up in Rhode Island or some place inconvenient. He invites guest lecturers. Nope, don't have much to say.

I'll try making bigger models in Sketchup. I like the Autodesk one a lot but whatever I look at is slightly overwhelming right now.

I'm home until Tuesday, but my main computers are two hours away right now. I do have two Macs here but none of the software is on them and without broadband I can't download anything big.

So it's time to dream about conquering the 3D world and watching old TV shows on this iPad. (I'd post pictures of my pliers but the iPad doesn't talk to RCG's photo upload stuff.)

Pete

Hi new best friend. Just kidding.

When you choose a program consider the amount of free tutorials and user base you can find online. It just makes finding information that much easier. I'm a self taught Autodesk Maya user. Tons of info on that program out there and I have printed things modeled in Maya through Shapeways.

For Modeling I know Autodesk 3Ds Max also has a huge online presence in terms of free tutorials and such.

Originally Posted by sketchaholic

Hi new best friend. Just kidding.

When you choose a program consider the amount of free tutorials and user base you can find online. It just makes finding information that much easier. I'm a self taught Autodesk Maya user. Tons of info on that program out there and I have printed things modeled in Maya through Shapeways.

For Modeling I know Autodesk 3Ds Max also has a huge online presence in terms of free tutorials and such.

I've been looking at Autodesk Inventor Fusion. Free and there are a lot of videos, but apparently you have to be on line to use it. I don't have broadband at home so for the time being I have to look elsewhere.

The videos are good, but they use terms without defining them, forcing me to try to get the meaning out of context. I should look for a printable glossary.

Their 123 Sculpt seems to be a copy of iDough which I've fooled with before.

My two main initial goals are a sailboat hull that I can push-pull iterate the shape of and a penny whistle that I can experiment with. I'd love to try an alto recorder, but accurate drawings of particular specimens may not be available.

Also, of course, all sorts of little airplane parts, like the trim handle for my flying buddy's 1/3 rd scale J3 Cub. How nice it would be to make a part and be able to use it on ANY scale plane from peanut to full sized!

Pete

Here's a look at the trim lever in the Cub. This was made in a conventional way. The trim assembly is actually a photo of the one in the full scale Cub. The words are hand pained by the guy who restored the plane. I think the photo is either riveted or screwed into place. The handle is kludged together from odds and ends in the shop.

I have to wonder how long it will be before I can make one as good on the Makerbot. The real advantage is if I make one I've got hundreds of all sizes available. If my flying buddy needs another one he has to work just as hard to make the second as he did the first.

Pete