Latest from Shapeways

20mm plastic figures by HaT

Another couple of models arrived on my doorstep from Shapeways today.

3d printing is just like magic to me (because it's mysterious and I don't know how to do it myself).

First up is my VSF Steampunk Battle-Tricycle, which is in an indeterminate scale. I show it here next to a couple of HäT 20mm British Zulu Wars figures; it would probably work with figures up to 28mm if you could find one to fit in the cockpit.

This one is printed in WSF nylon. It's also available in FUD resin at higher resolution.

Next is the German WW1 "K-Wagen" in 1:100 (15mm) scale, also in WSF. It never made it into battle; the war ended just before it could get into production, and the two functional prototypes were dismantled and scrapped under the watchful eyes of the Occupying Powers.

15mm PzKfw IV by PSC.

It was a real monster, with a crew of 26. Here it is alongside a WW2 PzKfw IV in the same scale.

It's also available in FUD resin, but the price is eye-watering. It's expensive enough in WSF.

New and Improved, the One-Man Armoured Steam Battle-Tricycle

Click for enlarged view

Continuing with my present steampunk jag, I've whipped up a one-man armoured steam battle-tricycle in 15-20mm scale. It comes equipped with a state-of-the-art Maxim pom-pom gun.

It's available for sale at http://shpws.me/MOXF. No self-respecting Victorian SF army should be without at least a dozen!

Other views - click to enlarge

Steampunk-Boiler-Tank

I was forcibly off-line for a while when my internet provider had some network issues, and as a result, had to be productive.

Part of the results of that productivity was this: a steampunk tank-thing.

Now that my digital crack is flowing again, I've uploaded it to Shapeways so it can be given physical form and be birthed into the real world.

It's of indeterminate scale, and could be used with 15mm, 20mm or 28mm figures, at your pleasure. The main gun is a separate component and can be installed at whatever angle you want. On a sprue inside the hull are a pair of pintle-mounted Gatling guns that can be mounted poking out through the slot in the front of the hull — realistically, there would be room for only one, along with its gunner and loader and associated clutter, but I've provided two in case you want to make it look fiercer.

The basic form is based on an uncredited photograph I found on the web of somebody's scratch-built model, but I've jazzed it up quite a lot. So thanks, mysterious anonymous modeller.

HMSLS "Improbable", finished (probably)

Front quarter

Rear quarter

Side view

From above

Her Majesty's Steam Land-Ship Improbable is ready now to go steaming across the veldt.

Except that now that I look, I suddenly realise that I completely forgot the funnel.

Bugger.

So, not quite finished. But nearly!

A bit later....

I added the funnels and replaced the pictures, so now I'm done.

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I added a full crew of 15mm mannequins. There's plenty of room for them, and it looks to me like it would probably work quite happily with 20mm or possibly even 25mm figures (though they would certainly have to crouch a bit down at the stokers' positions). 28mm figures would certainly be much too large though.

Her Majesty's Steam-Landship "Improbable"

I have begun work on an imaginary VSF (that's Victorian Science Fiction) steam-powered land-ship in 15mm scale.

So far, I've only completed the front wheel assembly, and the front gunner's position with its Gatling gun.

I haven't done any preparatory drawings for this thing, and I'm just making it up as I go along, which is proving to be both easier and harder than working from plans. Easier, because I don't have to worry too much about dimensions, except to cater to 3d-printing limitations, and harder, because I have only the vaguest idea of how it will end up looking, so I have to sort out how all the parts inter-relate as I go along.

Later...

Getting more bits on it

Progress is being made. I have the beginnings of a boiler, and a lateral Gatling position, but I still need a bridge and stoker's platform. Also, everything is just floating in the air at the moment, so I shall have to build some nice wrought-iron buttressing and what-have-you.

I suspect this thing is going to cost an arm and a leg to print.

Later still...

And more. Still a lot to do.

We have a pilot-house, and the side-sponsons are complete except for their support structures.

I think the pilot-house is going to need a lot of gauges and pipes — just have to leave enough room in there for the actual pilot, and probably a co-pilot as well.

I just realized that I have no idea just how the crew are supposed to get to their positions.....

And yet later....

Progress has been slow, but I think I now know more or less what's going to be going on down the back.

Drive wheels and belts added, and some other bits.

I've added the drive-belt and its flywheel, and next up will be the stoker's station and coal bins, and the rear gunner's cupola.

I'm not quite sure yet how I'm going to attach the flywheel — I've got to allow for the pistons that would actually turn the thing.