1/350 scale USS Wisconsin BBG-64 Missile & Railgun Battleship

[seadude]

About those railgun turrets I mentioned earlier in Post # 111...........

I still have another modeler working on 3D printing them. He's about 98-99% done with the turret housing. He's also starting work on the railgun barrels. Last I heard from him which was last month, he said he could have everything finished next month or in August. Here's hoping.

These are pics of the turrets he started making about a year or so ago. Very early provisional design.







BELOW: NEXT BATCH OF PICS HE SENT ME SEVERAL MONTHS AGO. STILL TOO BIG, ESPECIALLY IN THE BACK.







BELOW: NEXT BATCH OF PICS THAT WERE SENT TO ME RECENTLY A FEW WEEKS AGO. GETTING CLOSER TO BEING DONE. BUT i TOLD THE PERSON WHO IS MAKING THESE FOR ME TO GO WITH SOLID BARRELS INSTEAD OF THE BARRELS WITH "HOLES".

[Old Wombat]

About those railgun turrets I mentioned earlier in Post # 111...........

I still have another modeler working on 3D printing them. He's about 98-99% done with the turret housing. He's also starting work on the railgun barrels. Last I heard from him which was last month, he said he could have everything finished next month or in August. Here's hoping.

BELOW: NEXT BATCH OF PICS THAT WERE SENT TO ME RECENTLY A FEW WEEKS AGO. GETTING CLOSER TO BEING DONE. BUT i TOLD THE PERSON WHO IS MAKING THESE FOR ME TO GO WITH SOLID BARRELS INSTEAD OF THE BARRELS WITH "HOLES".

Good to see progress!

Is that because you're going to do your own holes?

I ask because I believe the real things have vents along them to allow air to escape because, at the velocity at which the projectiles travel, there are compression issues if the air can't get out of its way (like combustion in the barrel ahead of the projectile or deflecting the round from its trajectory on exiting the muzzle).

[seadude]

About those railgun turrets I mentioned earlier in Post # 111...........

I still have another modeler working on 3D printing them. He's about 98-99% done with the turret housing. He's also starting work on the railgun barrels. Last I heard from him which was last month, he said he could have everything finished next month or in August. Here's hoping.

BELOW: NEXT BATCH OF PICS THAT WERE SENT TO ME RECENTLY A FEW WEEKS AGO. GETTING CLOSER TO BEING DONE. BUT i TOLD THE PERSON WHO IS MAKING THESE FOR ME TO GO WITH SOLID BARRELS INSTEAD OF THE BARRELS WITH "HOLES".

Good to see progress!

Is that because you're going to do your own holes?

I wasn't planning on it.

I ask because I believe the real things have vents along them to allow air to escape because, at the velocity at which the projectiles travel, there are compression issues if the air can't get out of its way (like combustion in the barrel ahead of the projectile or deflecting the round from its trajectory on exiting the muzzle).

I always thought having "holes" in the barrels was more of a science fiction thing that you see in movies, books, or whatever. I mean, the US Navy's experimental railgun never had holes in the barrel. But then, that was just an experimental gun and not a production version.

[Old Wombat]

About those railgun turrets I mentioned earlier in Post # 111...........

I still have another modeler working on 3D printing them. He's about 98-99% done with the turret housing. He's also starting work on the railgun barrels. Last I heard from him which was last month, he said he could have everything finished next month or in August. Here's hoping.

BELOW: NEXT BATCH OF PICS THAT WERE SENT TO ME RECENTLY A FEW WEEKS AGO. GETTING CLOSER TO BEING DONE. BUT i TOLD THE PERSON WHO IS MAKING THESE FOR ME TO GO WITH SOLID BARRELS INSTEAD OF THE BARRELS WITH "HOLES".

Good to see progress!

Is that because you're going to do your own holes?

I wasn't planning on it.

I ask because I believe the real things have vents along them to allow air to escape because, at the velocity at which the projectiles travel, there are compression issues if the air can't get out of its way (like combustion in the barrel ahead of the projectile or deflecting the round from its trajectory on exiting the muzzle).

I always thought having "holes" in the barrels was more of a science fiction thing that you see in movies, books, or whatever. I mean, the US Navy's experimental railgun never had holes in the barrel. But then, that was just an experimental gun and not a production version.

I believe there is a shroud over the rails, much wider than the "calibre", into which the air can expand & which prevents wind, etc., from effecting the motion of the projectile, that has fixed-louvred vents to prevent excessive air compression.

So, yeah, not really big holes but controlled compression & protection from external variables.

[Captain Canada]

First I've seen of the original finish....love it ! It will look even better if you ever get the rail guns sorted. Cheers !

[seadude]

I had another modeler 3D print some 1/350 scale railgun type turrets for me. Looks like his printer builds them up in "layers" as you can see in the pics. How can I make the sides, top, etc. more smoother? What tips, tools, and techniques would work? I'll have more pics of the turrets and barrels posted later this week.

[Steel Penguin]

douse repetidly in solvent of your choice, ( mek, or simaler, find a 3d printing forum for further suggestions)   PSR works as well  ( sorry putty sand repeat) or very carefully adding plate plastic card

[seadude]

This post, and the next two posts, show the 3D printed railgun turrets that another modeler made for me. They'll require a lot of cleanup in the next several days and weeks before they get added to the model. They won't be permanently glued on, but will be removable in case I want to switch them out and put in the regular 16" turrets at any time for display. This is about the best I could do for this design. 

[seadude]

[seadude]

[Steel Penguin]

they look suitably impressive ? shooty? unpleasant?  for their job 

[seadude]

They're ok........for now. But once they're cleaned up and have some primer on them, then they'll be better. I really wasn't thrilled when the guy printed them in black. But, oh well.

[frank2056]

All 3D printers print in layers, one way of the other. These turrets were printed on a filament printer that has a much lower layer resolution than a resin printer, so the layers are going to be far more visible (prints from resin printers will show layers but they won't be as visible)

IF these turrets were printed in ABS plastic, then you can reduce the visibility of the layers with acetone. Just carefully brush some acetone (not much) on the surface. This will soften it and help the lines blend with each other. Once dry (in a few minutes) you can paint a layer of primer (like Mr. Surfacer) and sand the surfaces when dry.

If the turrets were printed in PLA (a common 3D printer filament material), they won't be affected by acetone. You would have to use repeated sessions of primer and sanding to remove the layering. Just ask the guy who printed them what material he used.

[NARSES2]

Interesting photos, I finally have an idea of the size of the turrets 

[seadude]

Interesting photos, I finally have an idea of the size of the turrets 

They still look a little big, but not by much. I asked the other modeler who made them to get as close as he could to the size of a regular 16" gun turret. I think he did pretty good.
I'm undecided if I want to add any extra "greeblies" on the 3D printed turrets to give them a bit more detail. I mean, as you can see for example, they don't have the rangefinder hoods that regular 16" turrets have. Or maybe I'll have to add some photoetch ladders along the sides so crew can get on top of the turrets for maintenance or other purposes?