1/144 Scale USS STODDARD (DD-566) - Kitbash, Revell FLETCHER

[BB62vet]

My last print run this evening - 4 out of 6 stack caps came out excellent, which is more than I'll need!!! Perhaps a photo sometime tomorrow - they're drying now overnight.

Also, printed 3 new stack vent pipes as the one I was working on (removing the supports) I broke. So, these have also been printed, dried, cured, and painted - ready to go!! I'll use the kit supplied part for the after stack as it will work as is.

Hank

[Fliger747]

The key to push button 3D printing is persistence! Be great to see the shipyard evolve as all the components arrive dockside!

Tom

[BB62vet]

Well, small deficiencies in the caps required further design and new printing - I now have basically 4 stack caps that can work - I'll pick the two best and go with them. I've also resized the stack vent pipes as they were too long - and added a slight angle to the after pipe that I had missed in the photo. It doesn't vent straight back, but slightly to port. These will be printed later today.

The weekend and yesterday were spent (on a whim!) designing and now printing the 01 Level After Deckhouse & Mt. 33 gun tub. I also designed & printed the Mk. 56 barbette and platform - these items I already had scratch built last year but was a bit unhappy with their appearance. So, last Friday I began working on DSM to create the deckhouse and then the rangefinder assembly. Here are design shots of these parts:

I've also designed/printed the comm. antenna that sits on the fwd. platform in front of the Mk. 56 barbette. One of the problems with the original handmade item was the small cleats/rings on the sides of the deckhouse and for this I designed a separate 8mm x 10mm panel that fits into a similar sized recess on each side of the deckhouse -

I only designed the stbd side and using the MIRROR command, created the port side item in Chitubox (slicing program). These are printing now with the deckhouse.

So, around 1pm today I should know if the deckhouse printed and if it's useable - always a question as Tom & I have found out - this is NOT a push button hobby!

Now I'm thinking about design/printing the 2 different sized vent grating that will be needed for the small bulkhead vents on the deckhouse. At this scale it's hard to get very fine wire to print without usiing some sort of background - so this is how I'll do it and then use a thin black wash for the painting before inserting from the backside of the openings. At least, that's the plan....

Hank

[Fliger747]

Like the cat door for the ships mascot! Is it still a kit if you replace all the parts?

Looks good Hank!

[BB62vet]

Like the cat door for the ships mascot! Is it still a kit if you replace all the parts?
Looks good Hank!

Thanks, Tom!! I can't answer that question - that is for the model bean counters to decide!!

Well, 1st edition of the deckhouse didn't come out so well - the tub walls and deck were too thin -

It looks like it took a hit from a Kamakazi Troll However, it did show me that my details printed all very well and there doesn't need to be any correction to those. So, not an entire loss!
The two replenishment panels likewise did not print well and I was expecting as much. So, more DSM work to do and then try again. My vent stack pipes are printing now and I don't forsee any hitches as they already printed very well, except for length.

Hank

[Fliger747]

Yes not a pushbutton technology as yet. Remember the early home computers when one had to format the drives, install the operating system and set jumpers for peripherals? Despite a lot of experience (from lots of errors) still having glitches! Tom

[BB62vet]

Tom,

Yes, so true - those were (and ARE) the days!! We've made progress, but I'm sure there's a world of 3D tech that has yet to be discovered.

As for today's printing - the 2nd edition gun tub/deckhouse was also to a great extent a bust -

The fwd. section of the deckhouse failed to print so back to the DMS drawingboard!!! The 2 replenishment panels DID print very well (shown on the turntable behind the deckhouse) and are drying now. I made a thickness adjustment to the panel and then oriented straight up on this run. So, I'll begin again by thickening the bulkheads, interior and exterior, and deck, orienting the 3rd edition flat this time and see what happens. If that too fails, then I will take this 2nd edition and cut off the damaged portion and print that part of the unit as a separate part with tabs for joining. That way, the gun tub portion won't be a total waste.

Hank

[BB62vet]

Well once again, there was a sq. hole in the gun tub deck (10mm x 10mm), but other from that - the part is fine! I also got a really good print of the small fwd section that I had made as a separate part in order to use with the 2nd edition in a need to get one complete deckhouse - but, at the moment this may only be needed to use as something to cut apart for pieces.

Rather than take another print run to get the same result (I may have some LED lights that are out as these imperfections are occurring roughly the same area of the printer) I will use the 3rd Edition deckhouse with some cut out decking from the spare fwd section or the gun tub deck from the 2nd edition to fill in where I need to. This now becomes more of a manual repair effort than a 3D printing effort.

I also have started putting the stacks together - the after stack required a 2nd coat of spray paint and is drying - so, I have the maint. platform ready to go on the fwd stack as well as the ladder. the vent pipes are in place as is the ladder on the after stack. The only kit parts that will be used at this point are the stack bodies themselves - everything else is 3D design/printed. Hope to have pics maybe tomorrow.

Hank

[Fliger747]

Hank:

3D printing seems to create a lot of "Wah Hail" moments. I had a similar bad spot which left a big hole (torpedo damage?) in a hull section. Turned out to be some stuff stuck to the FEP. I do have a bad spot currently in my FEP, in the center, but printing the DAPs I can arrange them around the defect which appears to be a cloudy spot. An advantage of a larger platen! The LED units do have a finite lifespan, projected at 2000 hours or so, but who knows.

In other 3D news, Frozen is touting a Rapid Resin that supposedly prints many times faster, but is advertised for larger items, my suspicion is the resolution is reduced. Perhaps this would be good for hulls?

Looking forward to seeing how your stack accoutrements come out once assembled.

Regards: Tom

[BB62vet]

Tom,

Well, doesn't appear to be the LED lamps - they're all functioning fine. 4th edition with further mods is now printing - did some interior strengthening and partitioning and made a few other corrections - so, we'll see later tonight.

Now modifying the maint. platf. for the fwd stack as the printed part was a bit too thin - beefing up where needed.

Isn't that nice....saying BEEFING UP???? I guess in LA LA land they say Tofuing Up -

In fact, I could go for a nice prime rib or ribeye about now

Hank

[ModelMonkey]

Hi Hank,

Your gun tub may print better if angled. Might save you the trouble of having to thicken features. The design itself looks superb.

[BB62vet]

Hi Hank, Your gun tub may print better if angled. Might save you the trouble of having to thicken features. The design itself looks superb.

Steve,
- Now, you tell me!!!! LOL!!! I actually thought about that, but we'll see shortly how the 4th Edition comes out. I did angle it (fore/aft) at 10 deg. from flat, but did not cant it either left or right at an angle. It should "hatch" in a few minutes or so, so I'll follow this up with the results.

Thanks for the great comment on the design - much appreciated!!! I do have the 2nd/3rd edition available if needed + the forward portion I printed specifically as a replacement, so there WILL be a part finished coming Hell or high water

Hank

7:20pm edit - Well, nothing printed - the raft was stuck to the FEP vat bottom so a total waste of 5:15 hrs!!!!

So, after cleaning said vat and reloading with resin, I'll print the small maint. platforms tonight and reChitu the gun tub deckhouse with what Steve alluded to (also my cohort Tom, who also mentioned the angle orientation to me). That will be tomorrow morning's print run.

Hank

[Fliger747]

Hank!

One of those was hail moments, Had my own, power went out with a tree across the power line so may be a time depending on their round tufts. What will be interesting to see is if the resume feature will continue the print run.

As you said, come hell or high water you will get a print.

Cheers. Tom

[BB62vet]

Hank!
One of those was hail moments, Had my own, power went out with a tree across the power line so may be a time depending on their round tufts. What will be interesting to see is if the resume feature will continue the print run.
As you said, come hell or high water you will get a print.
Cheers. Tom

Oh my!!! A Brandon moment.... - yes, that will be interesting to see if that feature actually works!!!

Well, printer's back running the small parts and I've followed you & Steve's advice and reoriented the deckhouse in both X/Y directions -

So, this increased the print time to 5:50 hours (was 5:15 hours) and that will occur tomorrow a.m.

Hope you don't have to watch TV by firelight tonight.....

Hank

[Fliger747]

Hank:

Printer resumed perfectly, just had to push the button asking if I wanted to resume. A handy feature should one be printing a 26 hour hull section!

Having a thrash at printing your deckhouse, mine takes about another hour long to print, more layers!

Tom

[Iceman 29]

It should print well like this, Hank!

[BB62vet]

Hank: Printer resumed perfectly, just had to push the button asking if I wanted to resume. A handy feature should one be printing a 26 hour hull section! Having a thrash at printing your deckhouse, mine takes about another hour long to print, more layers!
Tom

Thanks, Tom - we'll see how yours does vs my older tech printer!!

If you haven't guessed, my last print (at angle/tilted) didn't fully print, so I sent the file thru the ether to Tom and he's attempting to run a good version for me. Otherwise, I do repairs on one of my prior editions and go with that.

Currently I'm reprinting already produced whip antennas for both the pilot house and stacks in Rapid Black as the Model Gray resin items from last year have decided to become curved. Besides, those files needed a bit of redesign utilizing my further knowledge base and learning. They are all now cleaned up, beefed up, and either printing or in the queue.

Also redoing and modifying the after stack aft yardarm assembly to make it more accurate to the kit stack body. So far, the original worked as a test item, but needed some sizing correction in width and diameter thickness to actually fit the stack properly.

Sorry, no pics tonight - the original U.S.N. Drawings may have somehow passed thru Mar-a-logo on their way to the shipyards back in 1951/52 and thus are consider CONFIDENTIAL - OFFICIAL EYES ONLY.... As such, this crap may still be classified D.A.O. (Dumb Asses Only!!)

Hank

[Fliger747]

Hank:

Confidential posting: Looking forward to seeing a sub assembly of one of your stacks or some such assembled and ready to make the journey to the graving dock? Your compadre Willie has posted some nice tantalizing sub assembly photos!

Best regards: Tom

[BB62vet]

Hank:
Confidential posting: Looking forward to seeing a sub assembly of one of your stacks or some such assembled and ready to make the journey to the graving dock? Your compadre Willie has posted some nice tantalizing sub assembly photos!
Best regards: Tom

At the moment I do not have any stack photos to share....

As for the status of the after deckhouse Mt. 33 gun tub - 4th Edition printing resulted in the same sq. "bomb" hole in the tub deck -

So, I have designed a 33mm x 33mm deck replacement part to fit into the opening in the deck once it's been cleaned up and sized for the part to fit. Simultaneously in Tom's shipyard in Fairbanks, he was able to successfully print the revised file I sent him and has 2 fully formed parts out of gray resin. So, I'll have a choice of 3 different ones to decide upon once the supply chain delievers these optional choices!! my repair part is printing now and then we'll see how this comes together. Still have no explanation for why the tub deck failed. At least everything else on the part came out excellently!

Stack work continues as I have reprinted a couple other parts with a bit of scaling up to fit properly.

Hank

[Fliger747]

Hank:

I'll send you the deck houses on Monday!

Cheers: Tom