Dune Ornithopter 3D print Card Kit

[buzzbomb]

Found this Card type model on Thingiverse and the images made it look more 3 dimensional than most Card models
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6507750 There are other options on there as well, but this tweaked my interest.

My first couple of attempts to get it to print failed, for various reasons, so I got a buddy to check print and this is his run, in black, which sucks a lot as far as photos go. This run is also in low res.



Some instructions are provided at the original Printable posting and these, well guidelines and fairly loose at that. So went at it and it really did not take that long.
I did find that the location slots and/or the tabs needed some filing/sanding in almost every case. Once done the guidelines get you on the way



Construction done




I might try and print again in a finer mode and then continue it through. With a bit of work and extra detailing up, this could possibly turn out alright.
This scales out to around 1/72 I reckon

[Madhatter]

Right as Meng announced a 1/72 version      

[Rick Lowe]

But the Thingiverse version is free; the Meng one... well, I'd hate to know "How Much?!" it would be over here...

[Madhatter]

Very true, but it'll be the only option for those of us without a 3d printer.. depending on how much it does end up costing  will dictate if I bend over or not 

[Rick Lowe]

Very true, but it'll be the only option for those of us without a 3d printer.. depending on how much it does end up costing  will dictate if I bend over or not 

True, but there must be some options for you over there... my local library has printers in their make-a-space, is there one like that where you are?

[buzzbomb]

Very true, but it'll be the only option for those of us without a 3d printer.. depending on how much it does end up costing  will dictate if I bend over or not 

True, but there must be some options for you over there... my local library has printers in their make-a-space, is there one like that where you are?

The detail on this is quite spartan, even at a finer level of printing and of course some details have be very simplified.
Rick is right in that the price is right, free source file and barely cents of material, with a bit of extra work, this would come up quite ok.

Now there is a decent size kit version announced, I think I will spring for the Meng version as the details will be far, far superior.
This is sort of typical of the scratchbuild model completion leads to the injection release syndrome.

Another way to look at this is around how far even this type of model has come in 3D world for FDM printers.
The original card type kits once looked like this for example

[Madhatter]

True, but there must be some options for you over there... my local library has printers in their make-a-space, is there one like that where you are?

I wish there was. Sadly, our library is very much under funded and has no such luxuries.
I have been hassling the wife for ages to let me get a resin printer but no luck as yet. 

[Rick Lowe]

True, but there must be some options for you over there... my local library has printers in their make-a-space, is there one like that where you are?

I wish there was. Sadly, our library is very much under funded and has no such luxuries.
I have been hassling the wife for ages to let me get a resin printer but no luck as yet. 

I feel for you, even though there's nothing else I can do.

It's a whole new world, and if you get the machinery the world is your bi-valve mollusk, as they say.

It's also a whole new set of skills to learn.