M3 Grant (Lee?) scratchbuilt... or that's the plan anyway...

[Rob1970]

Yes...


...this gives me joy...


Just the right amount of detail for a spot few people will see this close up...

[RiskyR]

Very cool! is that printed in resin? Looks way smoother than using PLA..!

[Rob1970]

Very cool! is that printed in resin? Looks way smoother than using PLA..!

Yup, resin printed. Layer height 0.05... I could go lower, but not for test prints. My final prints will be done at 0.035.

[Rob1970]

The last few days I've spent mostly snacking, drinking and avoiding people. I hope to keep up the last bit of that routine until nobody wants to hug/kiss/shake hands anymore to wish me a good 2022...

But all that means a lot of time relaxing on the couch with Netflix documentaries (they have a bunch about tanks... oh joy!) and my PC to tinker with 3D designs.

Now, based on the Tamiya and Airfix kit and the Chieftain's youtube video's about the Grant, I made a passable commander's hatch...


Very nice sofar, still some details to add...


...but the hinges work and there's even a latch on the inside. Still have to do the MG mount and add some screws and nuts. Still getting to grips with the fact I can add sooo much more detail when resin printing.

[Rob1970]

Commander's Hatch...


...now with MG mount...


...and periscope...


Fits like a glove... well, after some minor sanding of the hole...


...but it certainly looks the part.

[Rob1970]

Not much to report, besides that I've been a bit off physically and mentally the last week. Getting back to work (on a therapy basis...) combined with that not going as well as I wanted has me bit down. But we struggle on...

Mainly been tinkering with new types of resin, and I found one they advertise as "ABS Like". And it works well. Bit more bendy and less brittle than the green stuff I've been using sofar...


No noticable shrinkage (the bane of resin printer users on technical parts)...


...and my hinges still work.


Oh and for those of you who ever stepped on a Lego... try discarded resin supports... Those will rrrreally mess you up. Luckily I was wearing my flipflops...

TTFN,
Rob

[Herr Dr. Professor]

Rob, you have so much skill with 3D design and printing of which to be proud. I have been watching all along, going "Wow!" Oh, to be sure, that spiked resin support could quite literally get one down!
Never having children, and being of pre-Lego vintage, I have circumvented Lego-type minefields. Nonetheless, the current dog and visitor dog make up for it with strategically-placed, slimy play balls. Yeeowww! The strangest thing I ever encountered with bare feet in the dark is frozen pork chops. (It's a long story.)

[Rob1970]

...so much skill with 3D design...

That actually made me chuckle... my skills are mediocre at best. Only software I really got the hang off is Tinkercad, which is "basic" to say the least. I have to struggle a lot to coax some of the more organic shapes from the basic shapes the software provided. But I'll take the compliment...

...strategically-placed toys and slimy play balls. Yeeowww!

Ye gods... that actually made me shudder... Not a dog-person myself at all, and the dogs around here are all the big slobbering kind... If you wanna freak me out get dog drool near me... (Now where's that gag-emoji... Ah, close enough...)

[Herr Dr. Professor]

Try frozen pork chops.

[lmcq11]

That hatch is exceptional Rob, great work.