Dalek Spaceship - Remembrance of the Daleks

[d33j r093r5]

... just for the record, I don't have any new printed parts; I've been either working on correcting the model, or actually getting stuff done that needs to. There's only so long you can neglect real life, unfortunately...

However, in addition to solving the hinge problem, I think I've also solved the lever issue, thanks again to advice I received from Chris. This actually WILL be a brief update...





... so the basic concept and system is still in place. Just, everything has bee beefed up. The levers are thicker and wider, with larger holes (although, tbh, I wasn't as worried about the levers, but better over-engineered than under ), as are all their attachment points...





Chris suggested I not only beef this bit up, but that I extend the pin holes into the walls, which is what I have done (this is more or less what you meant, wasn't it?). Also, rather than 2 individual lugs, I've decided to go with 1 dual lug. The longer run at the top means that there is less chance of collapse or damage as the printer is traversing too and fro. I also have removed this entire mechanism from the other side of the module. This part sticks up in the air; it has to, the centres of the holes need to be exactly midway between the 2 halves. It means it's the last section to be printed. Having this on both sides means it goes back and forth between the 2 as it proceeds up the layers. This is part of the reason for the rather rubbish finish I got. That, and it was just way too thin. There is an additional reason I've removed it from the second side...





... now that that door lug is a lot wider it's reduced the overall width of the ramp. In fact, that lug is now more than the original 2 lugs put together in terms of width. It leaves only 1mm of room for the Daleks... yah, I like cutting it close...





... seen from above, you can see how much chunkier those levers are. I had to do quite a bit of playing around to find geometry that worked, i.e. was large enough to actually be useful, yet still fit the space constraints...





... and finally, the levers in the closed and locked position. Again, it was, for want of a better word, interesting to try and find geometry that would allow this mechanism to work, fit the space and not interfere with itself or any of the other elements. I REAAAAALLY hope I solved them all and haven't missed anything...  

... overall, the chunkier design isn't as elegant, and contrasts VERY differently with the slender pieces on engineered metal on the show. However, unless I had more precise equipment, like a CNC milling machine, this is as good as it's going to get for now. Also, the brass hinges I purchased and have incorporated have solved another couple printing problems, in that there is a lot of troublesome geometry that is no longer printed, and also that the door sections can once again be printed flat without the need for support, which can be problematic. So, these solutions are a lot more conducive to the whole project than they are bothersome. Thanks again Chris.

... ok, that's me done for the day. Will recommence printing tomorrow...

Cheers,

D.

[Davros Skaro]

That looks great, I thought you might have been able to do this with out making the whole side thicker, but you know what you need to do & how it needs to be done.  You also did well with what I was trying to put across, well done again! 

Chris.

[Davros Skaro]

Been out since my last comment so wasn't able to do a little "Op" on your drawing, But now home was able to do this to see if it would work & save you a bit of space. Pleas bare with me & excuse my crude workman ship. Your original:


My crude doctored one of the arm & guide:

The lengths don't have to be as extreme as I have done, that was just to show.
Just a thought to help save space if it will work.

Chris.

[d33j r093r5]

Unfortunately not Chris. The arm needs pretty much the full extension to pull the doors closed completely. As such, the slot runs right down the length  of the long section of the arm...








... you can see what I mean from the images. It isn't insurmountable; if I moved the entire extrusion / lug section in the module back away from the door, and extended the length of the arm, I could then also move the dogleg backwards on the lever, as the slot length is fixed. But, as it means adding that much extra material into the build (I don't have an infinite amount of filament unfortunately, lol), not to mention recalculating and re-drawing everything, I don't really see the value. It's a lot of effort and wasted resources for something which will currently work. But, I like the way you're thinking. Keep 'em coming!

D.

[Davros Skaro]

No probs, I see what you mean, just a thought & worth a try.
Will let you get on with it now, & keep up the good work! 

Chris.

[d33j r093r5]

... Update time!  

I started printing the front and rear base sections of Module 2 yesterday morning(ish). I'm confident enough after the first few layers that it's going to print that I don't hang about, just check on them as I'm passing by, and MAYBE take a few photos...














... the first few layers of the re-attempted front bottom section of Module 2, with the thickened up geometry. Printing well! Actually, you can see quite clearly the spaces at the front left for the hinges. Happy with that.








... the commencement of the rear bottom section of Module 2. Not a lot to see. I think I got this started at roughly 13% completion of the front bottom section; wasn't intentional, and I only mention it as I was curious to see how close they would be to finishing to each other. front bottom got started first, but has more to print...











... and by this point I was getting bored so I left it...  ... and came back a few hours later to this...

















... starting to feel like all these photos might be somewhat redundant. Entirely possible that everything could be conveyed succinctly enough with finished photos... anyway, yet ANOTHER few hours later...














... no problems, and not much to see really. It's a bit like watching paint dry I suppose; I guess the novelty of actually 3D printing itself has worn off a bit. I still enjoy the process, and the fact that I can actually DO it. But, the printing bit itself is fairly mundane. I guess I shouldn't put my guard down, because they still throw curve balls at me. Those were the last images from last night. I woke up to 2 completed prints...








... oooohhhh, shiny!!!      Let's get me off and have a proper look!!...





...looking good so far, can't see anything wrong...





... that's printed perfectly! REALLY happy with how that turned out, and I feel justified in the adjustments made...





...       ??WTF is THAT??!?!??...





... (this is the bottom rear piece btw. The bottom front piece is fine)...





... it's on EVERY single protruding top corner!!!...











... I think I'm beginning to see what's happened. And, as usual, it's my own, silly fault. The holes are also askew in the same direction, like the whole thing has been slightly pushed left with each successive layer. The final clue is in the rear of the module...








... you can see from those last 2 images that the very rear has an absolutely straight vertical rear lip, where it's meant to be out at about 45^o, while those weird corner bits are pushed back at about the same angle... although I've already removed the part from the printer bed, I can more or less see and infer what's happened. The print has been started too far into the printer bed from one side, without compensating on the plater software for the length, or the position of the nozzle. As a result, when it's got to a certain point in the print (nearing the end, no less   ) it's hit the extents / limit switch on one side and can't go any further. But, this isn't an issue for the printer, it just keeps building up without any dramas. Except now, each successive layer is offset by however much it would have protruded over the limit, hence why the angles are vertical and the verticals are angled in precisely the opposite direction...

... juuuuuuuust PEACHY! I'm probably going to run out of filament at the rate I'm making errors! Anyway, I restarted the bottom rear section again this morning, except on printer 1 with the same orientation I did the bottom front section; it was easier and quicker than re-calculating for printer 2. As a bonus, it's given me a thought that, in terms of colour matching, the modules CAN be a bit more homogeneous if I print all the sections of 1 module on a specific printer. So, maybe not a complete bust...








... the re-commenced bottom rear section of Module 2... *sigh*... also, I started the first part of Module 1A on Printer 2 (bottom rear)...





... and it's a waiting game again...

... one other thing that's pretty cool; I had a look to see how well my measurement / modelling is for fitting those brass hinges...





... gratuitous shot. It's been cleaned up now, and looks awesome...





... another shot of the side lug for the slotted lever. The internal sides are nice and parallel, the holes have printed beautifully, there's no mess or damage. Happy!








... just like in the brochure...











... this is going to work! To date, I've only ever used 6mm wooden dowels in the designs and construction. This will actually be the first time I'm using something other. It's actually also the first time I'm creating proper, mechanical, moving parts with the printer as well. So, we're not out of the woods yet. But thus far, I'm feeling reasonably confident about it.

Ok, that's us up to date. Currently the prints are at 4% and 10% respectively. I'll update again when I have something else to show

Cheers,

D.

[funnynwittyreference]

If you want to make sure all the parts are the same colors, you could always just use some spray paint on all the parts once they're finished.

[d33j r093r5]

Hi funnynwittyreference, thanks for the input...

I'm not really a model-maker, not in any real sense of the definition. I put a fair amount of detail into my 3D work which I try to carry across to my prints, but truthfully I'm very lazy. All the items I have made could be a lot better finished and worked on with a lot of extra care. All I really am is an avid Doctor Who fan who was deprived of many of the wonderful memorabilia, paraphernalia, esoteria and miscellania that accompanied being a kid in the 80's, a fan of the show, and living in Perth, Western Australia (W.A.); there is an old phrase that applies to my state if you wanted to get something from anywhere that wasn't here, and it was "WAit a while" (emphasis on the capitalised "WA") ... because that's what we had to do. Things would take months to get here from OS, if they even arrived at all, and then even if the places from OS were prepared to send it here. Many innovations actually came out of Western Australia simply because we couldn't afford to wait and had to find solutions ourselves. Hard luck being a child Doctor Who fan then! It wasn't until the new series started in 2005 and Character Options began producing their range of wonderfully detailed figures, with the added bonus of the Internet, that I was able to start realising childhood dreams! ...

... if you think this is a reeeeeeally long-winded, and possibly unnecessary explanation, you're right, and I apologise for subjecting you to it. My point is, I only make these things to supplement my collection, and not because I have any real interest in model-making. If I spray paint one piece, I need to paint them all. And to spray paint a 3D printed part means a lot more than just painting them. They need to be solvent fume-washed, which needs a large, open, airy workshop. It means a lot of sanding and priming. It means doing a whole lot of things I have no interest in doing...  and since I'm happy enough with the finish that my printers produce on their own, and I can get colours for it in all the flavours of the rainbow, I will avoid going down that path like a Cryon avoids a Cyberman

I'm currently not so displeased with the different shades of white that I feel a need to stop and wait to get more consistent colours. It may be moot though; I did some calculations last night with regard to how much filament I will need vs. how much I actually have, and I'm coming up short. I have some very, very light grey that I will use in a pinch in that instance, and if I find at the end that I'm not happy with the finished product, I will do the whole thing over in one colour at a later date. Have actually done that before with my 80's Console Room...  There are actually a couple of timing factors at work with this model that I didn't really have with my previous models (maybe a little bit of one with the War Doctor Console Room), and so it's important that I finish this off ASAP, regardless of what colour it ends up being...

As I said, probably unnecessarily long winded, but that seems to be a trait of mine and xx no. of years in, I'm coping!    Please don't let that scare you off asking any more questions though, absolutely feel free. I will do my best to answer as succinctly as possible...  

Cheers,

D.

[d33j r093r5]

... I had a lazy day yesterday in terms of the Dalek Spaceship. The printers did their merry thing, while I largely ignored them. Ok, it wasn't like I was completely idle; I had housework that needed doing, and I have an exam coming up in a little over a week, so I had to squeeze study in somewhere...

There were some interesting developments though. I had previously thought I could pick up some 4.5mm rod, tube or roundbar relatively easily for use with the pivot points of the model's lever system. This turned out to be a rather forlorn belief, as anything suitable (that is easily searchable or obtainable at any rate) seems to start at about 5mm, but mostly 6mm. 6mm is too large, and the 5mm stuff just didn't seem suitable. I thought I was stuck again... and then, I had a brainwave...





... I have a box of THESE... here's a close up...





... if you're still unsure what they are, they're shelf supports; essentially a little plastic support attached to a tiny metal rod that you stick into wood-shelving systems, so that it's easy to move, and makes the whole thing modular. I bought these a few years ago when I realised that, no matter how carefully I packed, I always ended up losing some of them every time I moved house. Having a whole box of em came in handy. I don't need to move ever again if I don't want to, but fortunately, it seems these have come in handy again...





... a closeup of said supports. The metal rod bit is the bit we want. So we need to get em out of the plastic. Easier said than done; they're not designed to come out! Finally found a reasonably  good method of removing them using pliers , wire snips, and the application of levered force...





... you can see the mess I created trying to find an acceptable method of removing them, and having a few failures...





... only bigger! The diameters of the pins is actually about 4.85mm. I had allowed for about 4.5mm, but holes always tend to print a bit smaller, so they came out at about 4.2mm. So, I had to re-drill the holes I had already made in the Module 2 section out to about 5mm diameter. Again, easier said than done, I couldn't get the electric drill to those holes at the correct angle, so I had to do it by hand! Takes a while, because I need to wear gloves and, again, use a pair of pliers to be able to apply enough leverage... but I got there!








... looks good! The pins themselves have a small "cap" on the end you may have noticed, so they have a natural stop. The only thing iffy about this solution is that the caps are about 14mm long. That's fine for inside the Module as seen in the images above, but the the other sections are typically about 9mm one side to the other. It may require some more research...


The bottom rear sections of Modules 1A and 2 continued printing throughout the day. Module 1A piece came off around about 21.20 last night...





... while Module 2 piece continued printing, and didn't finish until about 1.30am...














... ok, result! And after it was cleaned up...











... I moved the whole assembly operation out onto the main table in my living area; it was getting a bit cluttered in my study / work area...





... seems like an awful lot of printing has been done on this, and yet not a great deal to show for it... of course, some of these bits are rejects so... that WILL tend to happen. Anyway, it did mean I could assemble the bottom half of Module 2...











... Imperial Dalek is still not very impressed... yet... So, I decided a little extra assembly was required...








... it still doesn't look like much yet, but that front on shot is a nice hint at things to come... TBH, I actually did a bit of assembly similar to this earlier on in the day with the bits that I had, finished pieces + rejects, etc... this looks a lot better...

... anyway, that brings us up to scratch. I haven't started any new prints since then, just had too much else to focus on. It's the next thing on the punch card. Will update again soon.  

Cheers,

D

[Davros Skaro]

Hi! just me again LMSO, another thought for you, if you're going to come up short with filament, & you have light grey, the decorations on the modules would look OK in that or another colour, if that was what your intending, it would still look great.

Just a thought, how much would printing something like this of cost if I may ask, round about-ish?

Chris.

P.S. your explanation wasn't long winded either, it was very informative of things I didn't know & found interesting as I have had to deal with some of that here in South Australia.

[d33j r093r5]

Hey Chris, looks like we posted at the exact same moment (my latest update and your comments!) Well timed!  ... thanks again for the kind words. I do worry that I tend to waffle on sometimes, but it seems to be a more and more agreeable trait the older I get, so...

... with regard to what you also get in S.A., are you referring to the model-making, or waiting a while? Either way, yes, I can completely understand both, lol!  

I had been thinking along similar lines with regard to the grey filament, or any filament I chose to use; all the external patterns would need to be the same colour, regardless of what the main hulls ended up being.

...as to pricing, I am actually currently working that out... I don't have any final estimations yet, just a bit-by-bit analysis. However, any discussions along those lines with anybody need to take place off-forum.

D.

[Davros Skaro]

That last update looks great, there's enough room for your Dalek, (a lot like on the actual show), they have fitted together nicely too.

Those pins certainly did the trick too!

The pins themselves have a small "cap" on the end you may have noticed, so they have a natural stop. The only thing iffy about this solution is that the caps are about 14​mm long. That's fine for inside the Module as seen in the images above, but the the other sections are typically about 9​mm one side to the other. It may require some more research...

If you put the pins in a drill, then you could, with the aid of a "millsaw" (fine) file, "turn" them down to the size you need. Hope this helps as I've had to do this sort of thing before.

Chris.

[d33j r093r5]

If you put the pins in a drill, then you could, with the aid of a "millsaw" (fine) file, "turn" them down to the size you need. Hope this helps as I've had to do this sort of thing before.

actually, yes! That would be an ideal solution. The pins themselves are stainless steel, will a file do the trick?

D.

[Davros Skaro]

I cant see why not, I've worked with stainless before, use a low speed as stainless tends to work harden if it gets too hot, when drilling it use cutting oil or cutting compound, but filing it should be fine.

I use to be an electrician & did my apprenticeship in the BHAS smelters in Port Pirie,. You may have heard of the place. Got to learn all sorts there.

Chris.

[d33j r093r5]

...ok, first opportunity I've had to sit down and do this. I've got a window, I'm gonna take it...!  

Next 2 bits were removed from the printer this morning. Nice to wake up to find nothing has gone terribly wrong... orrrr has it...?





... Top Front section of Module 2... looks good...





... and the Bottom Front Section for Module 1A...





... can't see anything wrong... lets clean em up and stick em all together...














... like bought ones!











... view of the top of the Top Front of 2, and the Bottom Front of 1A... these are where they attach to each other... but right now I'm keen to add the Module 2 section to the rest of Module 2....





...!!! Houston, we have a problem... ahhhhhh!!! In my eagerness to complete, I neglected to check the interior of the modified sections to see if there was any interference. Of course the model would go back together and not tell me, it's just a screen graphic, it doesn't know what I'm trying to do. It seems that extending that interior lug into the wall and raising it has meant that it interferes with a stiffener / hole boss on the inside of the top section that fits... well... on top! Here's a closer view...





... the thing is, if I was in the process of creating the assembly, and not just modifying bits that are already in an assembly, I would probably have picked it up. As I am only modifying, and the interference is on the INSIDE, I didn't see it...





... but you clearly can if I strip down the assembly...   *insert expletive ... well, there's no point in printing it again, I'm going to attempt to correct the error on the finished piece. I wouldn't have enough of the same colour filament to do i t again anyway (think I'm going to be short as it is... we'll see). I DID correct the model on the computer, however... if this is going to be built again, I certainly don't want to run into the same issue...  





... this is a bit of a dirty fix, but it will work, and not alter the models look, feel or functionality...





... a closer view of the modified section...





... and the piece on its own, in the orientation it will print (if and when that happens next)... moving on...

I assembled the sections of Module 1A, and stuck em onto Module 2...

















... and, for what it was worth, re-attached that to the remainder of Module 2... slightly hodge-podge coz, y'know... it won't fit back together until I modify the piece...





... but nice to see how it looked, which isn't too bad, if I say so myself...











... ok, so we're up to date, more or less... I started the final section of Module 2 and the Top Rear section of Module 1A this morning. They're currently at 41% and 65% respectively. Need to keep an eye on the Module 2 section as well, coz it's running reeeeeally low on filament... we'll see where we are at the next update...

... parting shots...







D.