posted 06-26-2013 02:48 PM               

It is made from a combination of materials. I started with my own 3D printed models, and added in some scratch built components out of more traditional materials as well. I was able to traditionally print a 2D map of the SM skin onto a metallic plastic to achieve the realistic metal finish. I could type 3 or 4 pages explaining the build from concept to completion, but I think I'll just let the pictures do the talking. If you have any questions or comments, please let me know.

I want to give a special thanks to Steve Nichols for the beautiful Bare Metal Foil job. It really finished off the project beautifully, and that was way beyond my capabilities!

If you would like to see more pictures, you can see them here.

posted 06-27-2013 10:21 AM               

RR, you are correct in guessing that the printed parts came from Shapeways. I have been 100% satisfied by the quality of the 3D prints as well as the customer service — I highly recommend them!

As for printed materials, I used a little bit of each. The large components (structural shell, CM, and LES portions are all White, Strong, and Flexible (their 2nd cheapest material). Some of the other medium sized pars (engine, radiator panels) are the WSF polished. This is my favorite material because of the price and the ease of smoothing it for painting. Some of the other smaller parts (Umbilical, RCS engines, fins, HGA components, docking mechanism) are in either Frosted Detail or Frosted Ultra Detail. The bulkhead is actually printed in their cheapest material, Full Color Sandstone using a color image that I created in Photoshop. I've never tried their stainless material. At this scale, the only thing that would be affordable in that material are the handles!

The cost of the materials for this build isn't for the squeamish — it was about $1K. 3D printing cost is all about volume, and these models are big! RR, absolutely, producing more of these is definitely possible. Everything for the build is available. Or, if you would like one fully built, just let me know and I can make that happen too.

posted 07-08-2013 05:48 PM               

An Apollo Service Module worthy enough to complement the same scale Command Module, BPC and LES tower assembly Michael already offers through his Shapeways shop.

I have followed the build of this closely and Michael has been really good at keeping me informed on what he was thinking and how he was going to achieve it, and I have to say the final result he has created is nothing
short of incredible. He's overcome some really difficult technical challenges to make this as good as it is. The SM skinning is a work of art in itself, duplicating the exterior detailing and reflective qualities found on the real thing perfectly. It's fantastic. It looks like it really has been assembled in the same plant as the real moon going vehicles, just scaled down.

I could write a lot about what I know Michael put into this model to make it happen but here are a few items that stand out for me...

The cutaway BPC was a great idea and still allows the launch configuration to be shown with the LES tower whilst allowing the beautifully Mylar skinned CM by Steve Nichols, (thank you Steve), to still be visible.

The photo detailed bulkhead that sits below the CM heat-shield is a really nice touch, as is the cutaway window in the SLA, allowing the engine bell to be viewed along with the HGA in its launch configuration, something I don't think anyone will have ever seen before either modelled or for real?!

Michael also had the idea to put a photo etched mirror inside the base of the SLA depicting the top down view of the LEM housed inside the top of the S-IVB. How clever is that?

This is an exceptional model by anyone's standards. It's the only 1/24 model of the Saturn V available and look what you get for the money. Essentially the top third of the S-IVB upwards. The entire elegant and purposeful end of the Apollo Saturn V stack built to a scale which is imposing and detailed to perfection. When I first saw it I even suggested he call the Director of NASA because this model really should be on his office desk, its that good!

Michael worked tirelessly on this design from all of his own CAD work, thinking problems through, a bit of trial and error, having all the parts manufactured and finally finding a way to assemble it so that anyone can now
build one of these with basic modelling skills. The parts are available on a piece by piece basis so the kit can be built up and assembled as funds permit, and what a great model you'll have by the end of it. I already know
a number of people who have made a start on theirs and so before long I'd expect to see more pics of these popping up on here.

posted 07-09-2013 08:29 PM               

When I first sent Mike pictures of the printed parts after they arrived, he warned me to keep it out of the kitchen so that my wife wouldn't think the structural shell was a wine chiller — hence the wine bottle pic!

Barrett, as for the metal skin printing, here is a crash course. The printer that the skin is printed on is large flatbed printer that is capable of printing on just about any surface. As with most printers, it doesn't print white. So, when a black and white image is printed on a surface, the blacks and grays print normally, but the whites are seen by the printer as transparent and allow the metal to show. So, the image of the SM that I created has all of the panel lines and details in black, and the rest is white. This is a small portion of the image:

When it is printed on the metal surface, here is how it looks:

posted 08-07-2013 04:11 PM               

Hopefully you are all enjoying them! I've had several people ask if I had anything similar in 1:144 scale for the Bandai SV. The LUT printed background is a definite yes, so just let me know if you would like one. I have an MLP solution as well. Here it is:

While this is much more expensive than the 72 scale "kit," this 3D printed concept has been designed to fit perfectly within the existing Bandai stand. As you will see, the MLP has pegs that fit into the Bandai mirror base. In addition, the clear acrylic supports all fit into the MLP, allowing the structural integrity to be maintained as Bandai intended. There is no assembly required. Just take it out of the box, insert the clear supports, insert your SV, and display!

posted 09-15-2013 09:40 PM               

The housing and engines are 3D printed models, and the background is the same metallic skin that I used for the 1:24 CSM. I created the image for it in a photo program and it was traditionally printed onto the surface.

posted 09-17-2013 06:05 PM               

When Michael designed and made the skinning for his 1:24 CSM model which looks incredibly realistic, the natural progression of the idea was to scale it up and have a go at making what would look like a real cut out section of the spacecraft to hang on your office wall... and just look how it turned out. It's great.

The 1:3 scale is just about perfect. It's large enough to have some presence whilst not being so huge it doesn't look ridiculous hanging on the wall of your office. In fact, I'd hazard a guess that most people who see it, wouldn't even think it a smaller scale to the original spacecraft itself, which clearly it isn't being smaller, but even so, it has that unique 'wow' factor all the same.

The skinning making up the background looks real enough with the 3D rendered panel lines, rivets as well as the satin reflective qualities of the metal finish itself. On top of all that, the RCS engine bells have a real nice hot metal effect, true to the real life bells themselves which turn this colour after a few firings. They look perfectly used.

Also, what's unique about this piece is that its both a model and a picture of sorts which makes it a perfect compliment to anyone's model display collection because it looks like a real piece of Apollo hardware hanging on your wall.

I love it. It looks great and has already drawn plenty of admiring comments from everyone who's seen it... even the wife! So it must be good.

posted 10-04-2013 07:32 AM               

Michael was a pleasure to deal with and very helpful. Thanks Michael.