PLA Dorchester in the raw

Model design by M. Bergman on Thingiverse
Excellent 1:100 and 1:200 scale models, highly recommended.

 Suspecting that my issues with stringing were largely to do with using damp PLA filament, I put the reel in a dehydrator for about six hours, and then in the hot water cupboard overnight.

Then I put this model on to print, a 1:100 scale (15mm) Dorchester ACV. It was about an eight hour print job at 0.08mm layer height, and I took the opportunity to try out Cura's new and experimental "tree" supports — they seem to have done their job, and they were easier to remove and left less of a mess than the usual zig-zag supports.

Stringing wasn't entirely absent, but it didn't start to appear until towards the very end of the job, when the reel had been exposed to our winter air for eight hours, so it was pretty minimal. It's something that I'm going to have to deal with though, as 20 or 30 hour print jobs aren't all that unusual. I may have to build an enclosed filament feed that I can load up with a dessicant or something, if I'm going to try any really long prints in the winter-time.

Anyway, now the reel is back in the hot water cupboard to dry out again.

Supports removed, looking not too bad.

Printing fault in the rear left wheel,
doesn't seem to have affected anywhere else.