# My 1:350 Klingon Battle Cruiser Experiment



## Fozzie (May 25, 2009)

I wondered...could I print a 1:350 scale TOS Klingon Battle Cruiser on my Replicator 2 3D printer?

Approximately 120 hours of printing time and $24 worth of plastic later...


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## pagni (Mar 20, 1999)

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!love it and uh...let's see you created that in 120 hours with $ 24 dollars worth of plastic...just in time for the 50th !!!
surely the R&D must have taken you the better part of a year right.....This and other reasons is why R2 missed the boat entirely
It won't be long before we're all printing our own models, sharing files and uh...putting some people out of business....
It's about staying relevant and one step ahead of the game these days.... 
Job well done !


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## Fozzie (May 25, 2009)

pagni said:


> LOL!!!!!!!!!!!love it and uh...let's see you created that in 120 hours with $ 24 dollars worth of plastic...just in time for the 50th !!!
> surely the R&D must have taken you the better part of a year right.....This and other reasons is why R2 missed the boat entirely
> It won't be long before we're all printing our own models, sharing files and uh...putting some people out of business....
> It's about staying relevant and one step ahead of the game these days....
> Job well done !


No R&D time. I downloaded the model from Thingiverse (Star Trek - The Original Series Klingon D7 Battlecruiser by nd4spd1919 - Thingiverse).

The model was _not _3D print ready, however. I probably spent about 20 hours in a 3D modeling program cutting it into printable size chunks and repairing some pieces because they weren't watertight. Even then, some of the prints aren't perfect and will need a little work.


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## pagni (Mar 20, 1999)

I was being facetious about the R&D....


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## Fozzie (May 25, 2009)

pagni said:


> I was being facetious about the R&D....


I know, but you made me realize I had not given credit to the source model.


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## scotthm (Apr 6, 2007)

Fozzie said:


> I wondered...could I print a 1:350 scale TOS Klingon Battle Cruiser on my Replicator 2 3D printer?
> 
> Approximately 120 hours of printing time and $24 worth of plastic later...


Nice, but be sure to reverse the engines before gluing. 

---------------


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## Fozzie (May 25, 2009)

scotthm said:


> Nice, but be sure to reverse the engines before gluing.
> 
> ---------------


:surprise: Ack! 

No glue yet, just tape. :smile2:


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## lunadude (Oct 21, 2006)

Looking pretty good in black.


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## ken1701 (Mar 22, 2010)

great model will you be releasing the files for other 3d modelers so they can print one.


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## Chuck_P.R. (Jun 8, 2003)

Is this lightable? (and yes, I know the original prop wasn't . . . )

Great creation, by the way ! :thumbsup:


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## charonjr (Mar 27, 2000)

Did you use 100 microns (0.1mm)as your resolution? I was thinking of doing something like this, but all of my test prints do not allow for fine detail, even at 50 microns (0.05mm). I have been using PLA (polylactic acid) filament to get used to the process. It is a surprising tough material. Any ideas as to the best sand grit to start with to smooth the surface?

I know ABS can be smoothed with acetone, but it also makes any finer details lose their edge.


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## charonjr (Mar 27, 2000)

pagni said:


> I was being facetious about the R&D....


Love the pun!:wink2:


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## Fozzie (May 25, 2009)

charonjr said:


> Did you use 100 microns (0.1mm)as your resolution? I was thinking of doing something like this, but all of my test prints do not allow for fine detail, even at 50 microns (0.05mm). I have been using PLA (polylactic acid) filament to get used to the process. It is a surprising tough material. Any ideas as to the best sand grit to start with to smooth the surface?
> 
> I know ABS can be smoothed with acetone, but it also makes any finer details lose their edge.


It came out fairly smooth at 100 microns and I plan to use XTC-3D to smooth it out further. Using that on the surface greatly reduces the need to sand the PLA which, I agree, is very tough to reduce. I'll post more pictures after I have the surfaced prepped and primed.

At 1:350 scale, I did not find that there are that many "fine" details actually.


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## Fozzie (May 25, 2009)

Chuck_P.R. said:


> Is this lightable? (and yes, I know the original prop wasn't . . . )
> 
> Great creation, by the way ! :thumbsup:


This model wasn't built to be printed, much less lighted so it is pretty solid. I thought long and hard about drilling holes and taking advantage of the few cavities that did exist in it to light it but, in the end, decided against it. As I said at the beginning, this was mainly a 3D printing experiment to see if I could make a decent 1:350 model.

I was able to run an aluminum rod through the neck to provide a little more strength to that part.


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## Fozzie (May 25, 2009)

ken1701 said:


> great model will you be releasing the files for other 3d modelers so they can print one.


The files I ended up printing from are, in some cases, not very good. Some wouldn't print from Simplify3D correctly because they weren't truly manifold. Makerware for the Replicator 2, however, does its own unions of objects and it printed the parts Simplify3D wouldn't. I had to putty up some holes and stuff in a few of them. Someone else may be able to take the model from Thingiverse and do a better job on parting it out than I did.

The model itself is really quite well done--it just was never meant to be 3D printed (especially not in parts).


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## Fozzie (May 25, 2009)

Progress on this has been very slow due to carpal tunnel issues with both of my hands, but I have got most of the parts together with seams puttied and sanded. Here's a shot of her in front of my 1:350 _Enterprise _build.


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## Fozzie (May 25, 2009)

To give the model a smoother surface than you get with 3D printing, I used SmoothOn's XTC-3D brush-on coating for 3D printed parts and then followed that up with a few coats of Rust-Oleum Filler & Sandable Primer. This left me with a pretty decent surface on most of the model. I sanded it using foam sanding blocks, sheet sand paper, and sanding sticks.


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## feek61 (Aug 26, 2006)

Wow, just fantastic!! Great Job!


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## Fozzie (May 25, 2009)

First round of seam filling done. Thought I'd take a shot of it in all it's primer gray glory before hitting it again. It's looking pretty good from the top. Worst seams are on the bottom.


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## charonjr (Mar 27, 2000)

I gotta get myself some of that XTC-3D!


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## Fozzie (May 25, 2009)

I tried to take some pictures to show off how smooth it came out but they didn't really come out well. Maybe after it is painted and not just primed I'll have better luck.

I started this project as an experiment and I think I am far enough along that I can draw some conclusions.

*1) Is it possible to print a large scale model out in pieces that fit the max dimensions of the printer and assemble it into a decent model? *
Absolutely. Working with a 6" x 6" x 6" work area I had no trouble with this 25" x 18" model. Assembly was easier than I thought using Gorilla Glue and Testor's model glue.

*2) Is it possible to get a decent finish on it?*
Using XTC-3D, Rustoleum Filler & Sandable Primer, and a lot of elbow grease, yes, it is.

*3) Will you end up with a kit as nice as a resin kit of the same subject?*
Probably not. Hard to get fine details like you can with resin and the PLA plastic I used is much harder to work than resin. Will you end up with something decent? You can.

*4) Can you do this with any 3D model you find on the Internet?*
Absolutely not. I was lucky to find a model scaled for a full-sized Klingon battlecruiser which kept its detail when I shrunk it down to printable size. Because the source was so large, I also ended up with very smooth curves and not a lot of squarish polygonal surfaces. On the other hand, the model was never meant to be printed which was a _huge _negative. Since it wasn't, I had an enormous amount of trouble getting it to print as well as I did and was very limited in how I could print it, which meant that some parts did not print in an optimum orientation resulting in some bad detail and surfaces. This wasn't helped by the PLA which is very, very difficult to sand down and correct errors in.

*5) Is it affordable?*
I expect I'll only spend maybe $50 total on this by the time I'm done. Of course, you have to have the 3D printer and that ain't cheap. (This isn't something you can afford to farm out to Shapeways either.)


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## Fozzie (May 25, 2009)

What would have given a better result? Two things mainly:

1) Being able to use ABS instead of PLA. ABS plastic is a lot easier to sand and finish than PLA, but PLA is a lot easier to print. No way I could have printed some of the huge parts I did in ABS--at least not on my printer. I have not had much luck using ABS.

2) A model that was designed to be printed, that was "water tight", and easier to part out. Don't get me wrong, the model itself is fabulous--kudos to the designer--it just wasn't meant to be printed. It was, however, the highest polygon count model of the subject I could find.


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## charonjr (Mar 27, 2000)

I have a Witbox, no heated bed or auto-leveling. Finally! Got it to print PLA reliably. The hot end can go up to 260C, but it is all metal, with a PTFE (teflon) tube running through it. I have read ABS can print at 239C, but above 245C, the PTFE tube begins to soften. I think its melt temp is 320C, but the softening can badly clog the hot end.

I have also read that ABS will not adhere to a cold borosilicate glass bed and will warp the bottom layers. I have yet to experiment with this. Making an ABS slurry out of ABS and acetone and applying that to a tape covered bed might help, from what I have read. Also thinking of heating the case by putting a hair dryer in it. As it is, I have all edges of the printer sealed with paper tape to hold heat in.

Once I have finished my Excelsior mesh, I want to try printing it out in 1/350 scale. I am aiming for the 54" size. Though, while the ship length of 1531 feet is heavily disputed due to its design and how it was composited in shots, I don't feel comfortable printing out a 66" size that represents a 2000 foot length.


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## charonjr (Mar 27, 2000)

Have you had much trouble with the different printed parts actually reliably printing at correct size, so they can go together smoothly? Also, surprised that Testors glue with work with PLA! Figured Gorilla glue, CA, and epoxies would work.


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## charonjr (Mar 27, 2000)

Now, what is that "Should be hauled away AS GARBAGE!" doing in the same pic as that Glorious Imperial D-7?!!!!


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## Fozzie (May 25, 2009)

charonjr said:


> Have you had much trouble with the different printed parts actually reliably printing at correct size, so they can go together smoothly? Also, surprised that Testors glue with work with PLA! Figured Gorilla glue, CA, and epoxies would work.


Not at all. The parts sizes were perfect.

Testors works great with PLA. Melts the parts together like a champ.


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## Hunk A Junk (Jan 28, 2013)

Any updates on this?


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## ClubTepes (Jul 31, 2002)

Fozzie said:


> I tried to take some pictures to show off how smooth it came out but they didn't really come out well. Maybe after it is painted and not just primed I'll have better luck.
> 
> I started this project as an experiment and I think I am far enough along that I can draw some conclusions.
> 
> ...


Can you post a link to the CG model you downloaded?
Edit - Oops, sorry, I reread the thread and saw the link.

Would you do any of the parts breakdown differently if you were to do this project again?


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## Fozzie (May 25, 2009)

ClubTepes said:


> Can you post a link to the CG model you downloaded?
> Edit - Oops, sorry, I reread the thread and saw the link.
> 
> Would you do any of the parts breakdown differently if you were to do this project again?


No, not really. It worked out pretty well for the size print bed I have. Glued together with a combination of Gorilla Glue and Testor's model cement, it is remarkably solid.


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## Fozzie (May 25, 2009)

Hunk A Junk said:


> Any updates on this?


I haven't gotten too much further from my last post due to some medical issues with my wife. I expect to get back to it soon, however. There's just a few more hours of surface finishing work left to do before she'll be ready for paint.


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## Hunk A Junk (Jan 28, 2013)

Fozzie said:


> I haven't gotten too much further from my last post due to some medical issues with my wife. I expect to get back to it soon, however. There's just a few more hours of surface finishing work left to do before she'll be ready for paint.


Sorry to hear that! Hopefully things are better now. I hope to get a 3D printer sometime in the near future, so it's awesome to see what's possible in terms of printing out an entire kit.


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## Fozzie (May 25, 2009)

Hunk A Junk said:


> Sorry to hear that! Hopefully things are better now. I hope to get a 3D printer sometime in the near future, so it's awesome to see what's possible in terms of printing out an entire kit.


There are a lot of models on Thingiverse.com. The SyFy Channel has put out some excellent ones for their Dark Matter, Killjoys, and The Expanse shows. And there are lots of Trek models, of course.

The toughest part of using a 3D printer for modeling is getting that final smooth finish, especially is you use PLA.


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## publiusr (Jul 27, 2006)

All the best Fozzie...


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## Fozzie (May 25, 2009)

My wife's surgery went very well and she is now halfway through rehab and doing very well. I hope to be able to get back to work on this soon.


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## charonjr (Mar 27, 2000)

thank God! I will keep her in my prayers


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## Fozzie (May 25, 2009)

Well, she's finally done!










I painted her in a two tone color scheme using Tamiya Light Ghost Grey for the underside and neck and Dark Ghost Grey for the topside with some silver highlights. I made the decals myself and, earlier today shot her with a coat of Future. I've still got to work on a stand of some sort so I can display her with my R2 _Enterprise_.

The final finish is fine from a couple of feet away but looks rough in places when you get closer. This "experiment" simply got to the point where I wanted to finish it and move on to other things. 

A while back I detailed my findings from this experiment and they stand now just as I wrote them then.

I bought the 1:350 Romulan vacuum form kit a few months back when it was available again and I need to get that done to finish the trinity in that scale. 

Thanks to everyone who followed this build. It was quite a challenge but I'm glad I gave it a shot. I learned a LOT.


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## Fozzie (May 25, 2009)

Found a stand that worked. At 18" wide, however, she hangs over the side of the shelf a bit.



















BTW, the padd on the left was 3D printed as well. The model for that came from Cat "Lt. Palmer" Roberts of Star Trek Continues.


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## JGG1701 (Nov 9, 2004)

>Sooooooooooooooooo envious!
Let me know when you decide to make another.:wink2:
-Jim G.G.


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