Curtiss P-36 in 1/72 scale 3D print

        You have seen this pair in an earlier post but I thought that the comparison would be better after the print was painted. It is easy to spot the differences between the models; the 3D print lacks a delicacy of edge and has opaque glass for starters. As wargaming models I have to confess that I prefer the 3D print for several reasons. First is cost, on average the 1/72 scale model of the P-36 will run around $18.00US once shipping etc is accounted for, the print requires less than a dollars worth of filament. Second, survivability, the difference in durability between the print and the model is similar to that between a hockey puck and a Faberge egg, and we all know that gaming figures can lead a hard life. Third, time; we must understand the significance of the passage of time. Cleaning up the print takes a fraction of the amount of time that assembling and finishing a plastic model requires, both take the same amount of time to paint and decal. In light of those considerations I am willing to sacrifice a level of detail in pursuit of fielding the forces I desire with the limited funds and time that I have available.

 

I had to buy after-market decals for the print, that ups the per-unit cost to almost a dollar

 

 

the print is less precise, but across a gaming table there is little to distinguish between them

 

the one problem that I have to solve is getting a metal plug into the print for the magnetic bases, 

if that turns out to be expensive or tiresome it will impact final decisions

 

 

 

       At first I bought the 3D printer to avoid wearisome tasks like making 24 identical window frames (see the Castillo de San Marcos project), now I realize that it has many more applications and could turn out to be a real time-saver in so many ways.