15cm s.F.H 18 - 3D printed

[EPOCH3]

First dry fit of the major parts

[Jeff Leach]

How long did it take you to make the CAD drawings? Was it a long learning curve to get to where you are now with the work?

Your work is amazing. I really like the 1/15 scale models.

[EPOCH3]

Hi Jeff, the 15cm SFH was really the first complete 3D model I did. Most parts were very easy to "draw" but several parts took while to figure out how to do like hydraulic lines etc. Shapes with edges are more easy and shapes that are more free flowing or organic are more difficult (or at least time consuming in most cases). I had an original manual to use as the basis for the model but that sort of material only goes so far. Finding walk-around photos on-line filled in a fewer gaps and I also had a bunch of photos I had taken from museums etc. to use. The research itself at times takes longer than the actual process of making the CAD drawing. Sometimes models evolve as well - meaning you start with something and then continue to find additional data showing a new angle or detail and you end up revising it. That process can go on forever if you let it... that is why its best to take an approach that good is good enough (after all it's just a model).

I sat down many times and tried to learn the CAD software by spending a few minutes here and there - that approach really didn't work. After I decided to just dedicate some concentrated time and effort to learn, it took me only about 2 hours to learn enough to do the work shown. After that, the things you learn tend to be work flow refinements/improvements and short cuts that help to do the work faster.

My advice would be to find someone who knows the program (even a non expert) and just sit with them and take 30 minutes to learn the basics of lines, circles, squares and turning them into cylinders and spheres and boxes etc. After that, learn about Boolean operations (just the adding and subtracting of those 3D shapes/objects). These two simple topics cover a huge part of any 3D modeling process. Btw, I use Rhino 3D software.

So, the 15cm model probably took me several weeks originally to do as my first detailed project starting from nowhere but if I sat down to do it today, it might take me 2 days at most.

Hope that helps a bit -
Regards

[EPOCH3]

Hi - just a few WIP pictures of my 1/15th scale 15cm SFH 18 project .

Some of the detailed parts on the larger builds did not print correctly
so I initially just cut them off and reprinted them separately. The material when freshly
printed and before drying out completely, is somewhat soft and can be whittled
on like a piece of wood to some degree. I added back those reprinted details and then
gave everything a base coat of panzer gray paint.

Regards