The Multi Jet Fusion Plastic has dropped to a reasonable price, provided the Fine Detail Plastic isn't already at its minimum.

By Jessica Orsini (Jessica_Orsini) on Thursday, April 02, 2020 - 08:41 am: Edit

Hmm...looks like an intermediate step between Fine Detail Plastic and Versatile Plastic in detail.

By Jean Sexton Beddow (Jsexton) on Thursday, April 02, 2020 - 10:47 am: Edit

Jessica, it is. When it is cheaper than the Fine Detail Plastics and the ship passes all the automatic checks for the material, I am adding it as a choice for the buyer. Grey is the base color; Black is dyed, so I don't add it as a choice for sprues.

By Mike West (Mjwest) on Thursday, April 02, 2020 - 11:07 am: Edit

How does the new material work. For me, the Versatile Plastic is way too granular to get the results I want to see, while the Fine Detail Plastic looks very good. If this new material is a half-step between then, which is it more like? Is it effectively a cheaper Fine Detail Plastic, or is it just an upgrade of Versatile Plastic?

Thanks!

By Steven Zamboni (Szamboni) on Thursday, April 02, 2020 - 12:22 pm: Edit

I printed a few ships in this material back when it was cheap. It's granular but smooth, like polished fine grit sandpaper. Panels and windows are clear; phaser-1's were clear, phaser-3's were a little flat (but paintable). I had a few artifacts on the trailing edges of thin surfaces (Kzinti wings), but a pass with a small file cleaned those up. I will try to get pictures up somewhere.

As playing pieces, I think they're fine, and the price cut means I may jump in on some fleet building. Painted from a couple feet away, I think they'll look more like Detail than Versatile.

I'm still testing the price formula to see if there's advantages to filling that 6" build space with larger prints.

By Mike West (Mjwest) on Thursday, April 02, 2020 - 12:53 pm: Edit

Thanks for the description! That really helps!

Look forward to pictures, if you can do it.

Assuming it is offered for such, how do you think the 7000s would work in it?

By Chris Nasipak (Ecs05norway) on Thursday, April 02, 2020 - 12:53 pm: Edit

As Steve Z said, it's basically a (much) better Versatile Plastic. You can still -see- some graininess, but the surface feels smooth, and it holds details a lot better. I printed a lot of stuff in it when it was available to beta developers at this price and loved it.

Going to have to see if I can do things like cruiser pairs or carrier groups in it...

By Steven Zamboni (Szamboni) on Thursday, April 02, 2020 - 01:55 pm: Edit

The Fusion is also supposed to be an industrial plastic, so it's said to be much stronger and impact resistant than the others. (A hollow WYN AuxC survived a hammer blow that shattered a solid Detail model.)

As an aside, a fresh Fusion print looks like crap until it gets a coat of primer. That material seems to absorb light, so none of the details show until it has paint on it.

By Mark Hutton (Trynda1701) on Thursday, April 02, 2020 - 02:06 pm: Edit

Yes, comparison shots of the two materials would be appreciated. Even better, between the three if possible?

As always, appreciation to all the sculptors who are giving us our new toys!

Hope you have no problems getting the next batch of ships uploaded to the store, Jean.

By Jean Sexton Beddow (Jsexton) on Thursday, April 02, 2020 - 03:10 pm: Edit

Mark, I am working from home using my computer that usually lives in the office (thanks to my wonderful husband who took it apart and reassembled it in a nice sunny office). Everything is working just as it would working in my office, except it is quieter without The Wolf warning away serial killers and spammers calling the business.

By Mark Hutton (Trynda1701) on Thursday, April 02, 2020 - 03:37 pm: Edit

Excellent news, Jean. A tech savvy hubby and a safe working environment.

Stay safe all.

By Jean Sexton Beddow (Jsexton) on Thursday, April 02, 2020 - 04:21 pm: Edit

Just an FYI. Where I am adding the Multi Jet Fusion Plastic, it always saves at least $1. I just edited the 3125 Scale Klingon C8 and the price difference is $60.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Thursday, April 02, 2020 - 04:59 pm: Edit

Jean, don't worry, I have been giving the spammers your home and cell numbers since they insist on talking to you.

By Garth L. Getgen (Sgt_G) on Thursday, April 02, 2020 - 05:23 pm: Edit

Okay, so the C8 is White Natural Versatile is Currently $15.99, in PA12 is $17.99 (grey) or $19.99 (black), and in Smooth Fine Detail is $77.99. I don't remember what the prices used to be (perhaps Jean knows), but I recall telling my wife that PA12 wasn't worth it. It might be now, if the quality is noticeably better than the cheap stuff.


Garth L. Getgen

By Chris Nasipak (Ecs05norway) on Thursday, April 02, 2020 - 08:11 pm: Edit

I have an old comparison photo I took of some Lyrans to show off the different materials.

https://i.imgur.com/5nrQ1Ru.jpg

Left to right:
BC in Fusion Plastic
CA in Versatile Plastic
CL in Detail Plastic

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Friday, April 03, 2020 - 02:48 pm: Edit

Jean soon will have started releasing ships.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Friday, April 03, 2020 - 03:10 pm: Edit

I think the first 5 of 36 are uploaded. I know that the Klingon DX is somewhere in here.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Friday, April 03, 2020 - 03:14 pm: Edit

I cannot do a play by play commentary here because Shapeways refuses to sort my latest upload so I do not know what Jean is doing. She will upload the fill list later today.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Friday, April 03, 2020 - 03:36 pm: Edit

At this point, I can see Klingon DX, Lyran auxes, Fed light survey, Kzinti x battlecruiser, Tholian CCX and CWX and CAX and PCX, several Hydran 7000s, and more.

By Jean Sexton Beddow (Jsexton) on Friday, April 03, 2020 - 03:46 pm: Edit

SVC, this is the link for new ships https://www.shapeways.com/shops/amarillo-design-bureau-inc?sort=newest

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Friday, April 03, 2020 - 04:13 pm: Edit

WYN 7000s, SkyHawk Scout, Klingon D7KX or maybe it's D7XK. I think 24 of 36 have been uploaded but Internet and Shapeways aren't playing well together.

By Gary Carney (Nerroth) on Friday, April 03, 2020 - 04:22 pm: Edit

I only recently registered how to use the 3D viewer on the Shapeways storefront. Even so, I find it quite useful when looking for certain details - such as the panel lines on today's 3125-scale D7XK upload.

Of course, I'm sure it's old news for anyone who had been using the 3D viewer already...

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Friday, April 03, 2020 - 04:22 pm: Edit

Romulan SparrowAxe and BattleAxe have been uploaded.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Friday, April 03, 2020 - 04:54 pm: Edit

I can see a bunch of Iridani and I think that's the end of the upload.

By Nick Samaras (Koogie) on Friday, April 03, 2020 - 04:58 pm: Edit

1/3788 Irdani Sloop and Yawl sprue listed twice. Is one of them supposed to be the 1/3125?