3D printing props

I recently picked up an FDM 3D printer in order to print 1/6 scale diorama props. The quality is sufficient for all the bigger things that are not the center of attention, as printing at the highest 50µm resolution takes ages and still produces visible print lines. Nevertheless, my biggest problem is scaling available STL files to the right dimensions. Therefore, I thought that it would be useful to share information about objects that I succesfully printed to scale...

1. Wall-mounted AC

You can find the files at Cults3D  
https://cults3d.com/de/modell-3d/verschiedene/air-conditioner-1-12-aire-acondicionado-ac

It should be 1/12 scale, but I found that it looked best at 170% of the original size.
Here is a picture:
Fresh from the printer... AC prop by Randam Hajile, auf Flickr

Please feel free to add your own 3D printing experiences to this thread.

To be continued...

Nice to see you around, Ralf, and thanks for this contribution. The AC looks great.

That’s pretty cool. I don’t have a 3D printer, but it’ll be cool to see what others can achieve.

Nice, which model you using?

Thanks for the kind comments!

@Valentin
I'm using an Ankermake M5C with 0.2mm nozzle. It's a relatively cheap model, but so far I had some good experience printing with it.

Ooooh..... That's a great model!

Here is another prop: A wall-mounted computer console that was intended for use a tabletop game item.
I scaled it by 500% to match our 1/6 scale. I prints flawlessly without supports. I painted one console and put some green LEDs in it to work as a green monitor. The transparency mounted in it is not final.

Wall-mounted terminal by Randam Hajile, auf Flickr

At the bottom you see an unpainted version printed in black PLA.

You can find the STL file here (for free):
https://cults3d.com/de/modell-3d/spiel/consoles-for-tabletop-games

Pretty neat.

haha reminds me of my old commodore 64, these look great for props nice work.
makes me wish i knew someone with a printer.

I like that idea! looking forward to see the completed lited item.

SO i found an STL of a technics 1200, which is a prop i have wanted for a LONG time.
could anyone recommend a place to get it printed?
i have seen some 3d printed things that do not have a smooth finish, kind of a ridged effect?
how would i know i would not get the item back looking like that?

teamweapon wrote:SO i found an STL of a technics 1200, which is a prop i have wanted for a LONG time.
could anyone recommend a place to get it printed?
i have seen some 3d printed things that do not have a smooth finish, kind of a ridged effect?
how would i know i would not get the item back looking like that?

I'm not sure what a "technics 1200" is, but my google search pointed to a record player. The thin and detailed arm would make it largely unsuitable for FDM printing, but you might be successful with resin (SLA) printing, which would give you a smooth finish. Still, you might need to use sandpaper to remove remaining support material from the finished print. I have not used a printing service yet, but you might find somebody on ETSY who could help you with it.

I hope this helps a little.

it does help thanks
yeah i wasnt sure [as i havent done a whole lot of googling on the subject] about how to get a smooth finish, so i need to use a resin to print. are there different kinds of resins? or would any be fine?
im also going to have to figure out how to scale it correctly too. thanks for the reply

Yes, resin printers use a different printing method that typically allows higher print resolution (it is an optical form of resin curing and deposition). I don't think that you need any particular resin type, but you should look for an experienced enthusiast making the print for you, as they know the best resin for their particular printer.

You would need to calculate a scaling factor for the model, so that it will fit with your 1/6 figures. Possibly it would be enough to know exactly how big the object should be 1/6 scale.