I don’t think I’m going to do a full year in review blog post, but I will do a few posts to highlight some projects and directions that seemed fruitful to me. 3D printing was definitely the big thing of 2022 for me, and while it was often enormously frustrating, it also opened some doors, including the possibility of doing SYW battles in a big way.
In 2022 I agreed to help Henry Turner by printing and painting some figures from his recent 6mm/15mm Seven Years War Kickstarter, in return for a discount on the range of STL files. Henry sent me some files, including these Prussian musketeers, which you see here.
The figures print in strips of four, including one strip of musicians (seen above in the front left of the second base) and below on the far left, and a command strip. I would say that the detailing is comparable to Baccus, and while these figures look lumpish and squat when scaled up, at 6mm they look fine. Fairly easy to paint and they look good when based, using the same size bases I use for my 6mm Napoleonics and with my scenery. There’s definitely a large battle project here if I want to pursue it.
If there’s any downside to 3D printing, it’s simply the time cost of cranking out figures - a print run of this size, assuming it all goes smoothly, is a day to set up and print, and another to clean and cure the figures. It may be easier to just order some starter packs from Baccus, and then flesh them out with prints as I choose to. At any rate, this project was a successful proof of concept.
Blessings to your printers and brushes!
MP+
Wow! Those look fantastic! I can't get over how good some people can make 6mm miniatures look!
ReplyDeleteThey look great, but as you say there are lots of SYW figures available, and your time costs money !
ReplyDeleteThe stuff you preview from your printer so far has looked very nice Mike. These musketeers I think even being a little squat seeming, wold look just fine on the tabletop considering just how much detail ISN'T present at that tiny scale.
ReplyDeleteHow are they to paint? I'm assuming a drybrush here and there and they are more or less done?
Great stuff - got to agree on your time investment statement. There is also (for me anyway!) an emotional investment in dealing with the frustration of failed prints!!!
ReplyDeleteThose look spiffy!
ReplyDeleteBut yeah, for 6mm I think just ordering from Baccus is more time/cost effective.
I guess for 28mm the jury is still out.