There are many of us around who are old enough to remember the revolution in scale modeling that occurred when photo-etch detailing parts began to be mass produced for the average joe modeler. We could be on the leading edge of another revolution; this one based on the easy availability of 3D printed detail pieces.
Perhaps the leading manufacturer in this process is Click2detail; a group of modelers who are also involved in the CAD design business in one form or another. The come together to harness the potential of 3D printing for modelers of all genres. In 1/35th scale armor modeling they currently have an active catalog of 16 different products as of this writing.
Review
In building the Italeri GMC Water Tanker kit last month I was lamenting the fact that the grill was grossly over-scaled and wishing that I had an easy alternative to a complicated photo-etch piece. About the same time I received an email newsletter from Click2detail that mentioned a pair of new designs; early and late grill replacements for the GMC CCKW line. Problem solved with a little help from my credit card!
The grills arrived in less than a week and I was back in business. They appeared a little rough but a few minutes with a sanding stick cleaned everything up to my usual lax standards! Then came the moment of truth; how would it fit? I am happy to report that the fit was truly a drop in process, no shimming or adjusting needed at all. Looked great and I finished the build.
I sprayed a coat of Vallejo Olive Drab primer before the regular painting and weathering process and the piece took the paint without any issues. My weathering can sometimes get a little rough on the edges of parts but the grill kept the paint on without any problems. In the end I thought it looked great.
Conclusion
An easy, and inexpensive, fix for out of scale parts. I was a little worried when I saw how rough the parts were but they sanded down easily and came out looking great. A real winner in my book.
SUMMARY
Highs: Looks great, perfect fit and easy to work with. Some of the parts can be a bit pricey, but others are more than reasonable. You might want to give them a quick peek before your next project, they may just have something you are looking for. Lows: Product was a bit rough and does require a bit of sanding before you would want to add it to a model, not even sure if this counts as a 'low'! Verdict: I was very impressed, it looks great on the model, drop in fit, and inexpensive. for such a prominent part of the model I felt it was well worth it.
About Rick Cooper (clovis899) FROM: CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
I have been modeling for about 30 years now. Once upon a time in another century I owned my own hobby shop; way more work than it was worth. I tip my opti-visor to those who make a real living at it. Mainly build armor these days but I keep working at figures, planes and the occasional ship.
I'm glad to hear that it fits the Italeri kit as well. I designed these for the Tamiya/Hobbyboss kits so thats a bonus that it fits the Italeri kit. As you noted some areas can be rough depending on the orientation of the print but can be smoothed out quickly with gentle sanding.
Biggles: I've used similar parts from Shapeways and they are very robust.
The cost for this enhancement can't be beat! I've used the Limes model ones before and they were good. I'm going to definitely give this product a try soon!
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