Frodo's Quest: Hobbiton 101, WIP

As mentioned yesterday, I am painting some 3D printed smials for my 'Frodo's Quest' project. I am making progress, albeit a slow one, and I thought an update would be in place.

Yes, there are visible layer lines. No, I am not going to do anything about them; it is a terrain piece, and once the war horn is sounded, nobody will notice, anyway. Besides, I printed this quite a while ago, and I am achieving better quality these days, but that is no reason to let this go to waste, methinks.

I am going to acquire a static grass applicator just after this year's summer holidays (I wouldn't risk it being returned to the seller because it arrived while I was away and unable to pick it up), and put a nice lawn on the roof.

3D Printed: Stone Buildings

I finally got the Ulvheim stone buildings cleaned up and ready for painting. I have printed second storeys and roofs for both the 100% building and the 110% building, and I also printed trapdoors and ladders. This version is the 100% building.

Here you see the ruined second storey. I really like how it is designed so that the stairs still leads to the remains of the upper level.

This is the 110% version.

And here it is with another ruined upper level. The stairs still work!

I expect Ulolkish to take them home with him tomorrow and then soonish give a shout whether he considers the 110% print fitting, or if I should print an even bigger version before going completely to town printing ruins.

Operation Cleansweep - the Next Level!

My prepping station has been cluttering up again, lately, and I think my 3D printing is now offering me a solution: I found files for printing parts to turn empty filament spools into a drawer storage organizing box, and it struck me that without the drawers, it becomes a stacked series of turning shelves instead.

So when I had two identical empty spools, I printed the base, one spacer and two center pieces, as well as one cover for the top (I Think I shall source some other files for drawers when I want to make an actual storage box).

After assembling it, I started organizing some of the clutter, and I already have much more workspace on the prepping station - and when I add a third spool, I think that I can actually get the cutting mat and the newspaper off the surface and get it cleaned properly, for once!

I may ad magnetic sheeting to the shelves to keep washer-based minis firmly in place, but for now, I am more than happy to just get the prepping station tidied up (as it has not been for about half a decade)!

3D Printed: Four Tyranid Capillaries

Finished the fourth one yesterday, and as I am now on a two-day print of a Tyranid Spyre/Chimney (or what ever it is called), I think it is time for cleaning some of them up for painting (I am going to print at least one more, so that I may have enough for the highest number of Objectives it is possible to roll up in Grimdark Future: Firefight).

3D-Printed: Tyranid Capillary #3

This piece is 11cm high, and the third one successfully printed.

I am printing another piece of the first one with slightly different settings, to see if I can get rid of the stringing, and when that is finished, it is time for cleaning up all four for priming.

I intend to ink-paint them over white primer, to keep the production time as low as possible, as I also want time for painting a couple of character minis for Age of Fantasy Skirmish and Sellswords & Spellslingers, respectively (not that they are not both going to be used in both games, eventually, but, ya'know...).

The rest og the day, my printer will be churning out 3-man Mortal Gods sabot bases for use in Age of Fantasy Skirmish, as our games has reached a size where moving entire units in one go is nice and saving time.

3D-Printed: Tyranid Capillary #2

I printed the second capillary - also found on Thingiverse - yesterday, and the third one (somewhat taller) should be ready later this morning.

I really like how these turn out, and I cannot wait to have enough to slap some paint on and get them ready for the table.

I cannot emphasize enough how much I enjoy being able to make low-cost themed terrain like this for my games, and I heartily recommend getting a printer for gaming and other hobby purposes!

3D-Printed: Tyranid Capillary

Printed this today, the file kan be found on Thingiverse.

Although not extremely apparent, I still have an issue with stringing (I have had that since I changed my settings to try avoiding the clogging problem I had for a while), I hope to get Cura dialed in again, soon.

I am printing some of these to use as Objective Markers in One Page Rules Grimdark Firefight, for when my Tyranids are on the table.

I have another one printing at the moment, and it should be done this evening, when I shall start a larger version to print over night.

As soon as I have four or five I shall prep and paint them, so that I can get them on the table.

3D-Printed: Rohan Settlement WIP

120%

I have not done much hobby stuff over the weekend - it was work weekend, and the garden allotted most of my spare time.

But the printer has been busy, as I am experimenting with upscaling Terrain4Print's Small Fantasy Viking House.

As you may recall (otherwise you can check below), I did not find the inherent size of the model convincing for 28mm miniatures, as the doorway stands below  the height of the shoulders of most minis.

Thus, I did a 120% upscaled version, which you can see to the left. It is better, but if that Royal Guard were to enter, he would still have to crouch quite a lot!

I would like the (most of) my buildings to actually look like something the minis could be living in, so I had to make another test. Luckily, my printer had nothing better to do this weekend, so as long as there was PLA on the spool, I could just knock myself out.

The 100% Version

130%

My third print was scaled up by 130% instead, and although I am almost there with that, I think that I shall print a 140% version, before deciding on the size for printing the larger house offered by Terrain4Print.

I am also printing some palisades, and the platform above the gate is printing as I write this.

The palisades are modular, and the files include a pin for assembling the pieces, but I had to scale it up to 105% to get a snug fit, so you may want to print a test or two if you start printing the palisades.

I am waiting for my filament pusher to get a re-stock (should happen next week), as I am running out of some of the filaments I am using (I prefer the light grey PLA for gaming models, as the details pop better than with other colours), but I shall be printing some more palisade pieces (including some 90 degree corners), until I run out of brown and grey stuff - then I shall allow myself to let the printer be employed for non-gaming purposes for a while.

3D Printed: Stone Townhouse

 Another design by Terrain4Print is the Ulvheim series A building and ruins on Thingiverse.

My first print of the intact version (with remixed upper storey and roof by Talismancer ) was at 100%, but I think it is a tiny bit too small for 'heroic' 28mm minis.

Thus, I am now printing another one at 110%, and you can see the first result at the bottom of this post (I am almost out of that Slate Grey PLA, and it is out of stock at my filament pusher's webstore, so I am taking a break from these buildings).

As can be seen below, both storeys have a nice level of interior details, and I plan to print some furniture to add to the gaming experience of having this kind of housing populating a town/city table.

Ulolkish and I have agreed to do 3D printed city/town/ruins scenery as a joint project; I print and clean up the pieces, and he paints at least half of them, and we can then have a large set of the stuff to use between us (we live only 11 kilometers apart, so it is a matter of less than ½ hour to fetch a big box by car).

I recently had some trouble with my CR10S, and as a consequence I have been printing with a bit too little retaction, causing some stringing. While this can be easily removed, I am going to play around with the settings to see if I can avoid it completely - like I am now again returning to use a skirt for bed adhesion instead of a brim, as the latter means more cleaning up to do before the pieces can be painted.

I have not yet printed the trap door for the roof, but I guess I may be doing that later today in some dark brown filament I have running on the printer at the moment.

Here are all the pieces of the first building.

To the right and below you can see the ground floor printed at 110%.

I think it fits the GW Skelly better, as it looks like he could actually pass under the door arch without banging his skull against it.

I shall, of course, still use the first one, but I am certain that I shall print further buildings at the slightly larger size!

Over the next couple of days, I am going to print a larger version of the 'Fantasy Viking' Rohan house, and also some palisades for protecting those Rohan settlements from Wild Men and Uruk-Hai raiders! And, of course, as mentined, a roof trapdoor for the Ulvheim building.

3D-Printed: Dragon Egg

The last week, I have been printing a couple of gift boxes in the shape of dragon eggs as seen in the Game of Thrones TV show, as I wanted to use them for delivering our presents to the two youngsters whose confirmations we attended this weekend (one Saturday, one Sunday).

Of course, my printer had to act up, causing me a lot of grief and wasted filament, until I figured out what exactly was wrong and could mend it.

But I managed to finish the last bottom just in time for today, and we could fill up the egg with Magic the Gathering booster packs for the son of one of my old friends (yesterday was the daughter of an even older friend who wished for funds for buying a parrot).

Both parties well finished, my printer is now building mortal Gods style bases I am planning to use for One Page Rules Age of Fantasy Skirmish (as well as Mortal Gods/Mythic), as it also uses 3-man groups of many troop types.

3D-Printed: Edoras House WIP

As part of my cross-games Rohan project, I thought it was time to get some Rohan themed building into the mix.

This building is Terrain4Prints's Smaller Fantasy Viking House from Thingiverse. I think it is a tad on the small side for 28mm minis, so the next one I shall print at 120%, and see if that fits my taste better.

I shall, of course, still paint and use this, as variation is the salt of the earth, anyway.

3D-Printed: Camp & Baggage WIP

My CR10S S3 has been busy making some Camp & Baggage the last week.

The large Black Pavilion of course is the field habitation of my Necromancer,.
It can be found HERE

The Oseberg tents can be used for various purposes.

The file is to be had HERE

The first two printed have been sprayed with Army Painter Skeleton Bone and had the A-frames basecoated - I intend to do a little more work on them before each game they are to appear on the table.

The crates and the barrel are both from a Delving Decor Dwarven set - found on Thingiverse just like the tents.

I have not had time to sit down to clean up and assemble the Renedra Saxon tents - I shall reveal the reason in my next post.

More Snowflakes

The collection slowly grows.

I am going to print all 25 from this series, then start experimenting with smaller versions of the nicest ones, before printing some icicles to hang from the inside top of the living room windows.

3D printing is FUN!

3D Printed: Deco Snowflakes

I have started printing snowflakes to decorate the windows (I think). When I have enough, I think I shall try my luck with some icicles.

The files are from Thingiverse, there is a lot of different designs to choose from-

Soon, It Will Be Christmas!

I am experimenting with Christmas ornaments on my CR10S.

The picture deceives a bit, as I used Auto White Balance in GIMP, which has made the contrast in the Silky Gold PLA seem a bit harsher than in real life; I am right now trying to find a printing temperature that preserves the 'silky' effect a bit better, but the next couple of days the printer will be busy printing ram horns for Lea's new ram skull (as soon as I have cleaned up the skull, removing the supports completely, I shall be posting some pics).

I am pretty content with my decision to get a 3D printer - just so many possibilities!

Land Speeder Reprise

Thought I would show one of my prints with a couple of minis - I also needed a place-holder for the pic to use it at one of the forums I use 😏

3D Printed: A Bunch of Star Wars Containers

I have quite a collection of 'Medium Cargo Containers' by now - and I also printed some Kyber Crystal Containers, to have something to use as portable objectives.

When I leave work Monday morning, I have 1½ week off, until Wednesday night in week 43, so I expect to get my second batch of jungle bases moving and finished, so that I can use the dinner table for some gaming (and dining, og course); it has been occupied by spread newspapers and boxes for far too long.

3D Printed: Medium Sized Cargo Container

Not my first attempt at this print, but probably the nicest one.

The STL can be found here on Thingiverse.

I am trying to organize the stuff I have painted for Legion into some boxes in a larger cardboard crate, and I shall be taking some more photos of stuff I have not shown, yet, over the next couple of days (there is actually quite a back-log, regarding blog posts).

3D Printed: Landspeeder

Another Thingiverse item that I printed recently. Icon of the first ever Star Wars movie, this speeder is a must for a Tatooine set-up. Of course, I am goin to pain tit, eventually, but in the meantime it will be used as is, to provide some - perhaps movable - cover in Star Wars games.

3D Printed: Star Wars TA12 Wreck

One of the many prints I have not had time to show until now. Of course meant as a piece of terrain, and is destined to be painted, but I printed it in a pale grey to be able to use it on the table right off the printer.

I have some more files from Thingiverse, including an intact version and a couple of other wrecks, and I am definitely going to print all of them, given time. There is even a version with interiors, that I might use as the mobile base of a group of smugglers/adventurers at a later point!