Frequently Asked Questions
This page is still under construction
Q: What is this stuff made of?
A: Almost all my models are made from one of two materials. The
first, called Versatile Plastic is a nylon material (formerly know as White Strong Flexible
or WSF). The
printer spreads a very thin layer of nylon powder out flat and a laser
goes back and forth and melts the powder together where ever the model
is exists. Then another very thin layer is spread out and again
the laser goes back and forth. The model is built up in cross
sections and when it's finished the loose powder is blown away and you
are left with the model.
Versatile Plastic is the less expensive material, but is slightly grainy. To get a really smooth finish you need to use a filler of some type. You can paint Versatile Plastic with a variety of paints, I use inexpensive craft paints normally. A thin paint might bleed through as the material is slightly porous.
The second material is Fine Detail Plastic, which is a liquid resin product that is cured through the use of UV light (formerly known as Fine Ultra Detail or FUD). It is more expensive, but has finer detail and is smoother. Again the model is built up one layer at a time in very thin layers.
You may be familiar with the 3D printers that shoot out a fine stream of melted plastic to make models- you can buy one now for $200 or less. That is not how these models are printed. The printers used to make my models range in price from $80,000 to $250,000, which is why I utilize a printing service.
Q: What about painting my models after they arrive?
A: More information about painting models made from SWF can be found
HERE
Information about cleaning and painting FUD models can be found HERE and HERE
Q: Are these models available in my local hobby shop?
A: I do not sell wholesale at this point. My prices are not a lot over production costs. Trying to package the models in retail sales packaging, and offering enough mark-up to a local store to make some profit, would increase the cost between 50% and 100%. I'd rather keep the costs down by selling direct to the customer.
Q. Do you do custom design work?
A. No. I fit 3D design in around a job and family and cannot commit to finishing a design project in a timely manner.
Q. Do you sell STL files I can print at home?
A. No. Very few of these files would print on a home printer, anyway.