RC Tank Warfare community hobby forum

Hi Rob, thanks for the tips. Unfortunately this stl is from a scan that someone has done and it is just a string of point coordinates, and I've tried everything I can think of to edit the damn thing. I like the idea of scaling to different sizes and combining them, unfortunately CURA doesn't do that and I don't know of anything that could.

Regarding giving up the build, I must admit I was sorely tempted, but as they say on University Challenge "I've started so I'll finish". Besides no blooming printer and duff STL is going to stop me!

Returning to my print problems, I have been getting worse and worse prints and really couldn't understand it. Finally after looking at all the web sites I could find, in desperation I spotted a hint to check the filament diameter and dammit, the filament has gone down from 1.75mm at the start of the drum to 1.55 to 1.6mm as I have used it up!!!! No wonder my print quality was going to H&ll!!!

I could scream, the hours I have wasted.

Now to try another print after changing the filament diameter.

Alwyn

Abracadabra - Modify the filament size and magically print quality restored to normal!!

Now I'd like to get my hands on the swines who sold me the filament but it's over a year since I bought it and I can't find them on Evilbay.

Alwyn

Great news Mr Alwyn good to hear this. Watching as you progress with the design

AlwynTurner wrote:Abracadabra - Modify the filament size and magically print quality restored to normal!!

Now I'd like to get my hands on the swines who sold me the filament but it's over a year since I bought it and I can't find them on Evilbay.

Alwyn

All filament varies in diameter, never had a reel that didn't. It is manufactured by squirting molten plastic through a nozzle at high speed, and spooling it. The chances of consistency are slim to say the least.

Thanks Rob,I never even thought to check! I just ASS U ME d it was 1.75 because that's what it said on the tin - very silly me. I know in future to get out the measuring stick and check. That wasn't the only factor in play though, shortly after my stupid post about everything working, the printer stopped extruding altogether, so I set about replacing the hot end and before I'd even got to uncoupling the wires I noticed that the red wire had come loose from the extruder stepper motor. It must have been loose and making intermittent contact, and then just parted company.

DOH! Fixed that, started printing again and now nervously waiting for the next SNAFU. I DARE not make any statements now about things working - the great god Murphy appears to be watching me closely.

Alwyn

We're all watching closely, Alwyn. You make it look too good not to!

Printer drama notwithstanding, the turret shape came out great. The advantage of this big rough castings is that you can slather the whole thing in a thick layer of putty for texturing, and it'll hide any repairs or structural modifications you need. Looking forward to seeing how it all turns out!

Raminator wrote:We're all watching closely, Alwyn. You make it look too good not to!

Printer drama notwithstanding, the turret shape came out great. The advantage of this big rough castings is that you can slather the whole thing in a thick layer of putty for texturing, and it'll hide any repairs or structural modifications you need. Looking forward to seeing how it all turns out!

I agree and the Soviet castings were very rough to start with so it gives you munch wiggle room for sure

Thanks Carl and Raminator, yes you are both right, in fact one of the challenges as the build progresses will be to portray the essential rugged and almost finished look of the russian tanks.

After some work last night with milliput while I was having my usual fight with the printer, here is the result






The turret is now quite rigid and although it still needs a whole heap of work you can already see the resemblance to the real thing (I hope!).

I finally got to the bottom of my print issues which were caused by my not reading the printer assembly instructions properly and misplacing the filament drive knurled nut by 3mms. The consequence was that when one of the tensioner holding screws worked loose then the stepper motor wasn't making proper contact with the filament and consequently starved the print head of filament. This got progressively worse and was a contributing factor to the lousy turret prints so I was probably being very unkind to the STL originators. Eventually the printer stopped producing filament which after much foul language and consternation, I finally got to the bottom of the problem.

Anyhoo all's well that ends well so I can now crack on with the build.

Alwyn

I finally got the printer working 100% (fatal last words) and printed off the turret roof. I'm distinctly underwhelmed and will probably remanufacture it later with styrene and some designed and printed parts. The printed roof is flimsy and not a good representation of what it should look like.





It will do for now with some strengthening whilst I get the upper hull made.

Alwyn

Having seen an number of Russian turret today at Bovington, the finish on them is rough to say the least. Mind you, the American cast turrets weren't that much better!