USS Whitehurst One to who knows DE.

[Fliger747]

Hank:

Thanks, the 1:700 are much smaller and rely a lot on PE. I like to as much as possible rely on my scratch constructions. I was reasonably happy with what I was able to do in this relatively small scale and and am still super impressed by Jim Bauman and some of the other long time worker in these smaller scales. I was surprised that I was able to pull off a reasonable printed inclined ladder.

Still no anchor chains!

Cheers: Tom

[Fliger747]

Added dry docking blocking, sitting for now in the hall case (full of junk).

Tom

[BB62vet]

Tom,

Excellent addition to your case - I think the keel blocks are perfect for that model. Outstanding Job!!!

Hank

[Fliger747]

Thanks Hank!

Fun photo project, a first attempt at this smallish scale. A lot of fun and different challenges than in larger scales. Dunno how long till I get involve in a larger mode and at one scale. I like the 1:144 as it isn't too huge, 1:120 is a great modeling scale and a 306' ship wouldn't be too huge in 1:100. How strange to interpret a ship in both 1:500 ish and 1;100.

Cheers: Tom

[Fliger747]

Under the "Wah Hail" and "go for the Zeitgeist" principal, slicing a 1:144 bow section to print, looks like I can get 9+ inches of printing length. As my program doesn't hollow well, I used the Chitubox feature. Also changed the layer from .035 to .050mm, which saves about 10 hours of printing time. Time will tell! Should be able to do the hull in three sections if this works.

Tom

[BB62vet]

Tom,

So, you've moved from the Concept Dept. to the Design Dept. at Falley Shipbuilding & Drydock - just in time for a fall ship construction!!!

I guess that's an advantage of having a larger printer - I'll be interested in seeing these sections as they are printed.

Hank

[Fliger747]

Good thing I checked early on, the item wasn't printing, apparently either not sticking to the platen or the supports broke. Futz with it tomorrow. If they print I could do all three hull sections at once. May just print the sections at the break right on the platen.

Cheers: Tom

[Fliger747]

Printing away, though not enough resin to do the third hull section. Hull flat at the section break right on the platen and adhering well. About 7 inches of hull printed so far, with bilge keels attached. I scooped out the hull for the DMS with fairly crude methods. For this one I used the hollow function of Chitubox with 2.5 mm walls.

so will see what I get Manyana.

Adios! Tom

[Fliger747]

The mid and aft hull sections printed fine, (1:144) looking a bit like two Australian Fruit Bats, asleep, hanging from the platen. I could have printed all three hull sections at once if I had had enough resin. Awaiting a new FEP and some more resin. It is possible to remove the cover mid print and add resin, as the vat will only hold so much. So I get to clean and cure these and see how well they join. I did print the bilge keels which will help with alignment (I hope). They look much better than anything I could attach separately. So far, not having removed them, printing the part end sections directly on the platen worked well and insures a dead flat section for joining.

As to scales? Since I don't use commercial parts, pretty much up to me. I did like the 1:120 that I used for the APA but I can do much of that in 1:144 and large models start taking up a lot of space.

In doing the hull lines, the most useful thing was listing the exact frame locations plus or minus some inches for each section profile. So I was able to space them exactly by making a chart and converting it to MM along the hull from the FP. My primitive program does not allow a mirroring so I do this in Chitubox and place the pieces together.

Cheers: Tom

[Fliger747]

Whatever DP said, he is not welcome here, suggested he busy himself with a new project of his own.

[Fliger747]

What mid and aft hull sections look like on the platen. Each section is about 9 1/2 inches long. All three sections could be printed in one go.

Cheers: Tom

[BB62vet]

Tom,

Your hull sections are looking really good! I think doing them direct on the build platform is the key to a flat surface for joining. I printed my T-3 half sections in similar fashion only the interior face was on the platform.

Glad this is working out on 1st edition.

Hank

[Fliger747]

A disadvantage of printing the hull sections on the platen is a small rim is left, easy enough to trim off, on other parts more debatable. For the aft 20 mm tub which I just printed, one on the platen and one on small supports, I adjudge the one on supports a little better as the platen one has a small rim at the bottom. I expect that this could be minimized with an adjustment of the bottom layer exposures. The drop rungs on the ladders print better with a support, not bad on three rungs on a tub, perhaps more inconvenient with a long ladder.

Cheers: tom

[Fliger747]

After joining the aft and mid hulls this printing the break right on the platen shows up as great advantage permitting a more precise alignment with flat and true faces. I roughed the up a it with 100 grit paper and used epoxy. So now I have 2/3 the hull printed and joined. Pretty happy with the result so far. Same length as Caine, but with a more full hull and greater beam. I can use some parts off of the Caine project and the basic parts from the 1:514 prototype scaled up and with detail added. Par example, The tub for the after 3" 50 can have a detailed hatch, fuel hoses and K gun Arbors added to the bulkheads. At this scale the hold downs for the 20 mm ready locker are hollow at their ends. I used the hollow function of Chitubox and am guessing can easily get away with a thinner wall thickness for the bow. Cheers: Tom

[Fliger747]

I remain with a small amount of resin and have to hold off on the bow till more arrives. Printing small items, using the proto Whitehurst parts, scaling up and adding a lot of detail not possible at 1:514. I did a new K gun and rack with MK 9 depth charges which is an improvement on the one's on Caine. Almost every aft 20 mm twin tub and ready box arrangement seems to be different, but the photos of Whitehurst show enough detail to puzzle out her configuration. As my design program lacks a mirror function I use the Chitubox one a lot. The elevated aft 3" tub is now repleat with K gun arbors decorating the external bulkheads. Also did a fuse box for the depth charges, several of these in the stern area. I'll have to rifle through the parts box to see if I have enough 3" 50's and Orlikons. May have to print a quad 40 as I think the one's I have are in 1:120.

I do have the general specs for the anchors and screws and can scale existing items for those purposes. I can print anchor chain for this scale, same as on Caine. Probably already have enough.

Cheers: Tom

[Fliger747]

Just shot a light coat of auto primer on the DE Hull (aft 2/3). Here are two of the three sections joined. Final fairing and smoothing will take place after I get the bow printed. Usually My resin supplier gets it to me in a coupe of days but this time said they would send me an email when it shipped. Wah hail.... Same thing for the FEP supplier, label made for the PO but "awaiting item".

Got another tackle box for small parts and dedicating this one for the DE project only. Printed smoke generators, quad Bofors, 3" 50's 20and 3" aft tubs, anchors, and all the K guns and racks. I printed a batch of 20 mm', but think I will modify them slightly.

Cheers: Tom

[Song Jung Gun]

Tom!
It is essential to use 3D printer model making furthermore all industrial area.
I want to learn 3D printer skill.
That is good your results from 3D.
Best regards; Song

[Iceman 29]

Very successful this hull!

Waiting for the bow.

[Fliger747]

Thank you Pascal and Song! For my primitive program, not designed for hulls, at all, a very good and accurate set of hull lines, accurately traced, is a necessity. Not having a mirror function, I only get the full hull after reversing and rejoining in Chitubox.

I also cannot add plating features such as Pascal adds to his creations. What I end up with is something quite close to an accurate hull such as I could create by traditional methods. For making such items such as all the fittings, weapons, and whatnot, it is quite easy, just as almost anything can be extruded and stretched from various boxes and circles. It does have the advantage of being able to very accurately size components. I just finished a run of 10, 20 mm Orlikons and a quad Bofors, which would take a very long time to create by traditional methods. One can do this, all the APA original arms were made by traditional means. I replaced them....

As to the hull, it's "Hell for stout" with 2.5 mm wall thickness, I could go much thinner.

Cheers: Tom

[Iceman 29]

1,5 mm it's good. Even for big scale hulls like 1/100 or 1/200.

Resin savings are important.