Recently Steve Larsen at Model Monkey sent me some of his newer in-house 3D printed resin parts to test with enamel paints.
This was following a much earlier test we did when he designed but sold through the third party 3D printing company Shapeways, who used to claim that 3D printed parts were incompatible with enamels. We demonstrated this to be false; Shapeways supplied parts need to be cured properly before painting using UV light, then enamel works fine. The old problem was that Shapeways didn't fully cure them before shipping!
Model Monkey's new in-house produced parts are much lower cost to you, the customer, now that Shapeways has been cut out of the loop and the quality is further improved.
The parts are 1/350 HMS King George V class fore and aft funnels, 1/350 Royal Navy Mk.V HACS Directors and a 1/200 HMS Hood forward funnel. I already own Model Monkey's HMS Hood aft funnel to replace Trumpeter's error, so this completes the set!
For this test, the part has not been washed or primed or had any other surface treatment carried out. I understand they are cleaned in isopropylalcohol by Model Monkey at the end of the printing process, and whatever condition this was in when it went into the box is exactly how it will be painted with enamel. I have only cut away the framing that supports the part as it's printed. I will be using our NARN21 Admiralty Pattern 507A Home Fleet Grey, and the thinner shall be our first recommendation always - our Colourcoats naptha based thinner.
The Colourcoats was airbrushed on normally, thinned 50/50 through my Badger Renegade Krome at 15psi. As with any other model material, the paint was touch dry in less than 5 minutes.
I gave it a further 5 minutes to be safe, then masked over with fresh Tamiya tape to spray some C02 Matt Black on the funnel cap area. A fair test should see if masking tape pulls the paint off...
Complete success.
I am happy to report that Steve's new in-house 3D printed parts are fully compatible with enamels.
Out of interest, here's how the corrected Home Fleet Grey looks compared to my incorrectly painted 1/350 Hood in "AP507B Medium Grey"
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