My Working Stargate Miniature!

[MangyDog]

So just primed everything up about to assemble.......... ANNNND some how I still have a few bubbles in the square detail corners :/ not as many but some :/

And to top it all off............... my resin parts have all shrunk by about 5% *cries* so while yes I can still hack this together. Nothing meets up perfectly.

I just want to run away from this project I really do! Its just been one disaster after another. I cant keep throwing money at this thing...

If i had a large format resin printer Id just print the parts on that, (Elegoo or Anycubic im looking at your saturn variants.... )

But there are other projects I want to get on with, and this thing is just constantly slowing things down and getting in the way.

Im just going to have to have it together and be done with it. Its not going to look pretty though :/

 

[xl97]

Take a break... walk away.

Work on another project for a while.. then come back.


Fresh, revived... and ready to have another go at it!

 

[MangyDog]

i really just want to get this part done and make a video on it then maybe take a break... this projects sooooo long over due now :/

 

[MangyDog]

Sooo like many on here im sure, were shocked with the crap Autodesk is currently pulling with Fusion360.... So i spent most of today backing up and grabbing my projects in multiple formats while I still can, and now need to start the painful search for a new tool to use and learn...

I had hoped Id start mounting parts onto the frame today and maybe be ready to start collating my footage for a video over the next day or two D: But no...... now a couple more days away from starting..........

Though I did take all the masking off my parts, and its looking pretty

Though Some of the bubbles in the corners of the squarish bits, im not sure how to hide them yet... Will see, but at this point I REALLY CBA to try and do more casts and try them again.



Anyway heres some pics.

I still need to prime and paint some other parts too and need to print the "wings" that go by the chevrons... But nearly there......

 

[xl97]

Side note about F360.. perhaps look into trying to get an educational license..

 

[MangyDog]

Side note about F360.. perhaps look into trying to get an educational license..

Im 38 and not in education

 

[xl97]

I'm older than that.

But ok.... was just a suggestion.

 

[MangyDog]

Its with a really difficult and heavy heart, I think im going to have to announce I've failed and been defeated by this project :/



Im honestly out of ideas and dont know what to do...
The simple fact of the matter is, after spending the last few months on and off printing, silicon moulding casting duplicates, scrapping them and making NEW silicon moulds and casting more duplicates, and then painting them.... And today prepping to assemble and fit it all.........

Ive discovered every single resin piece is imperfect, warped and shrunk. At first glaces they looked ok but when trying to fit it all together. NOTHING fits. And its not as simple as just filing back some key points... Some major areas like the inner ring frame clamp down onto the dialing ring making it impossible for the ring to rotate.

The chevron frame housing does not meet up with the gate facades at all leaving gaps.

Simply put NOTHING fits. And I thought I gave the designs wide enough tolerances.

But as I say theyve also warped some what in thin areas. Such as the main face facades, where the grey part meets the greebly wing... This has bowed out slightly and no longer fits under the chevron frame.

Ill be honest, this is difficult for me to explain and deal with. As it frankly hurts putting so much effort into this and failing not because the design is bad, but my creation of the parts was bad. Or the resin not behaving as it should... So much for low shrinkage resin :/

I have put in around 300-500 pounds into this project... (maybe more thinking about it) And I simply cant warrant putting any more into it :/

The only way I can see me making a working gate now, Would be to get one of the new larger format resin printers (saturn / monox) Printing ALL the parts and not rely on casting resin.

But that would mean buying a 500+ quid printer spending another 100-200 quid on printer resin to remake all the parts. And then repaint EVERYTHING from scratch again. Months worth of work and again at a huge expense to me.

And heres the kicker, I'm unemployed I have NO money, I've done all I could skimping and saving where I could.

To say I'm pissed off about all this right now would be putting it mildly. Im trying really hard for it not to get to me, but it is.

 

[xl97]

NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I feel your pain though. (similar project that has many hurdles... times off.. re-thinking.. and then more hurdles)

We've all there!... (you'll make it through!)

Maybe some time off will help you re-gain some motivation again.

Question: what type of material were you using to make the molds?

I have little to no experience here.. having only done my first molding/casting project to too long ago..

but I found (during my failures).. that the mold I made using 'pink' (flexible/stretchy type material).. left me to the same results on my parts.. (shrunken/warped..etc)

if I was using the regular 'white' silicone that was much firmer (not very flexible, and actually tears apart if flexed too much).. my parts were much more accurate and form fitting to their needs.

Can things be done on a smaller resin printer perhaps? (The elegoo Mars is roughly $235 USD around here).. maybe a fellow member can help out? for costs of resin or something?

 

[MangyDog]

I already have a small resin printer.... A photon... its what i made the masters on, but I had to print them tall and upright, takes a VERY long time. But I think because i had to print them tall that might have introduced some warping along the Z... Nothing the naked eye can see....

And the resin casting just made it worse with its own shrinkage.

What I really need is some money... To buy a monox or saturn printer. Then I can print these parts down flat, and around 2 at a time. I should then get all the parts printed within a few weeks...

And maybe 3 Ltrs of elegoo abs like resin.

Then its just effort repainting the new parts and fitting.

But I cant put the money in myself any more ive spent too much on this.

If I had a job where I had more money to play with, it wouldnt be so big a deal.

 

[Caveneau]

Wow. Holy Hanna. This is going to be great!

 

[MangyDog]

Wow. Holy Hanna. This is going to be great!

You need to see my latest post :/

 

[Caveneau]

Dang, sorry to hear it hasn't worked out. Don't be bummed out though because you tried and it was a great effort. Hopefully in time you can try again but focusing on finances is probably more important right now in your current situation.

 

[MangyDog]

Aaaand Part 1 of Part 2 is out Part 2 of part 2 will be out in a few days time. Hopefully before the weekend.

 

[MangyDog]

AAAAAND part 2 is up

 

[Gheleon]

So...
On reflection, despite opting for casting instead of printing, after spending out several times on casting materials, do you think it would have worked out cheaper overall just to have printed it all out to begin with?

 

[MangyDog]

So...
On reflection, despite opting for casting instead of printing, after spending out several times on casting materials, do you think it would have worked out cheaper overall just to have printed it all out to begin with?

Well..... Yes, if I had the large printer to begin with. These printers have only just become available. So they were really not an option back then.

 

[Gheleon]

Well..... Yes, if I had the large printer to begin with. These printers have only just become available. So they were really not an option back then.

Of course.
You wonder if the person who coined the term "Hindsight is 20/20 was a time traveller who experienced how bad 2020 really was, lol.
I was looking at a 3d printer last week that can print 500x500x500mm.
Although i doubt it has the fidelity you are after, it would probably be good for large sub assemblies.

 

[MangyDog]

Of course.
You wonder if the person who coined the term "Hindsight is 20/20 was a time traveller who experienced how bad 2020 really was, lol.
I was looking at a 3d printer last week that can print 500x500x500mm.
Although i doubt it has the fidelity you are after, it would probably be good for large sub assemblies.

My fdm printer is 300x300 that's big enough. But yeah you need a resin printer for this kind of detail