Some pics sent from another modeler...

What a magnificent sight.

Beautiful scale appearance ! Doesn't get any better ! Thanks for posting

After a long time of research and deliberation, study, and head scratching, I finally decided on and broke down and bought a 3D printer!

I narrowed my selection to the resin vat types which seemed to give the best quality and detailed prints, and as print size isn't a great issue for the things I want to print, I finally decided on the Elegoo Mars.

While I have a long list of things I want to print for Constellation; trail-board carvings, boat gun, binnacle, boat implements, etc; my first ever print on my first ever 3D printer was 9 carronades for the Macedonian model from a file provided by RCGroup's own Tim Bowman dating back to 2012.

The way the printer operates you can't really see what's going on till the print is done, so it was quite nerve-racking to say the least, but in the end it came out great, and matched the quality of the guns I had printed in 2012.


Tim also sent files for the gun-slides, which printed great as well, except the underside came out somewhat melted looking. I can fix this, so they're usuable, but it's an issue I'll need to figure out.

fantastic jerry......so happy yer keeping well.....they look great.......ah if i was younger and richer

I've been trying to make a 3D model of Constellation's head carvings in my old 3D software - Anim8or - and it's not really going where I want it to.


I decided to put that aside for a moment, and tackle something I was more confident of...


Amazingly, these came out right on the first try, even considering getting anything scaled right in Anim8tor is very difficult. A little clean-up and some paint and they're ready to install.

Some progress pics of building a 3D model of a 12pdr boat howitzer for Constellation's launch.


An original that's my guide, and the nearly done model with color applied

A test print of the gun all in one go.
Sorry I forgot the ruler in the pics, but the model is 2 inches long from tip of the barrel to the tip of the trail.
This was to see where problems showed up in printing and what might need fixing in the digital model. The wheels and trail will be printed separately as that assembly will sit in the stern-sheets of the launch, while the barrel and it's sled are mounted in the bow.
The socket behind the trail-wheel (which printed beautifully) and the barrel, both of which a fully bored, will be only partially bored in the completed model.

Don't forget to click the pics to see them full size

delete....

.....coming along......guess spokes would have been too difficult for the printer?.....back of barrel seems compressed?

Yeah, it's a touchy-feeling process trying to get things to print correctly.

The printer sets a layer of resin at the bottom of the vat with UV light. The layer is hopefully stuck to a plate that lifts it off to make room for the next layer, and so on until enough layers are stacked up to make the part. Anything not connected to a prior layer (islands) get left in the bottom of the vat and can deform everything that comes after, or if not supported, pull off or deform when the plate lifts doing much the same. There's a thousand videos on YouTube about supports for vat printers, and I keep looking at them trying to find some nugget that'll get this thing to come out right.

There's some details I left off because I didn't think they were needed, like the hole under the barrel for the pin that holds it to either carriage, but it looks like I need to print the barrel as a separate part, and will be needing that hole. There's also some details I need to exaggerate some to be seen, like the iron plats under the nuts and barrel supports on the sled.

I'm pretty pleased with how the 3D models turned out at least.

Still poking at the Howitzer. I found a couple of surfaces were "wrong-way-out" and that was part of the problem in printing. I also added some details, like the dip in the ammo-box rack fir the barrel to elevate into.



Another item for the howitzer are the pivot fittings that mound on the launch's rails.


I hope to print the pivot gun all in one piece, and I've started adding parts like the compression clamps and eyes. There's lots more; axles, plates, slides, bolts, etc, but here's what I got so far. I'm not modeling the tackle on the model, but I'll model the blocks and use actual line for that.


I started modeling the boarding steps as well, but don't have anything to show for that yet.

Detailing the pivot gun 3D model continues with all that's left is the elevation wedge and hardware.


The plans used are from the National Archives for a Pivot carriage for a 10" shell gun of 86 CWT for the US steam frigate Mississippi - June 23 1855. drawn in 1/10th scale, scanned and resized to 1:36 scale for Constellation.

The pivot gun 3D model is completed (I think), now to figure out printing the thing

So, my first attempt to print the pivot gun didn't turn out. I stopped the printing when I noticed the gun had come loose and was becoming a blob. The right rear corner, and the carriage trucks didn't print, but otherwise it looked like it would be a really nice model, and the scale was right on too.


The second and third attempts pulled loose from the supports and failed as well. I have to beef up the supports so they can hold onto the gun better and try again.


I touched up the model a bit as well. Added some details I missed, corrected a couple of things, and made the elevation wedge connect with the gun's breech better. Don't mind Casual Guy, he just there for scale, I won't print him unless I can get a proper uniform on him.


Works got be beat again, and I have to clean up the last failed print on the printer. In the meantime, I went ahead and made the anchor model. I'll need to print 4 of these.