3D Modeling and 3D Printing has been one of my passions for over a decade. I started out modeling in Rhino but switched to Fusion 360 in the earliest days when it first came on the scene. As an avid scale modeler I enjoy making 3D parts for my own builds. Now I've decided to make them available for others to enjoy.
Please reach out with comments or suggestions. I enjoy interacting with other scale modelers about our great hobby.
Sincerely,
John
<full name and location redacted due to hacker, spammer and bot activity 😔>
If you purchased a 3D printed part, the item will be shipped to you. The item is manufactured using the resin 3D printing process. As a result, the part will be shipped on a resin tree structure called supports. You will have to remove the part from the supports before using it. I take great care to minimize the number of supports on each part while balancing maintaining the dimensional integrity of the part and the suface finish.
There are a number of ways to remove supports. Here are a few recommendations.
1. Use sharp nippers to remove the tree from the part, and clean up any defects with a file or sand paper. Take care not to obliterate detail or change the shape of the part, especially in areas that mate with the kit.
2. Use a razor saw specifically designed for scale modeling, like this Special Hobby Ultra Smooth Saw Blades set. Use the saw to gently cut the supports away from the part, and then use a nipper or file to clean up the remaining defects as above.
3. As a last resort use a shape knife like scalpel or X-acto blade. This is less than idea because the blade has a hard time cutting the hard resin.
To fill defects, use a lacquer based putty like Tamiya basic putty. 400 grit or finer snadpaper can be used to smooth the surface.
To glue resin parts together or to the model use Cyanoacrylate glue. I really like Zap-a-Gap medium, but there are so many varieties of CA glue and they will all work.
I primarily use Autodesk Fusion for creating 3D models. I also use Blender for adding additional details and special effects.
Other great software to consider are the programs Rhino and Plasticity. Plasticity is a new kid on the block and looks very promising!
Matters of Scale currenty uses Phrozen Mini 8K and Phrozen Mighty 8K with the 12K upgrade and Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra for production.
I have also used Formlabs and Anycubic printers.
I will always keep printers updated to produce the most detailed and clean 3D printed parts available.
For resins, I like Phrozen Aqua 8K , Sirayatech Fast navy grey, Elegoo 8K Upgraded Standard and especially Phrozen Hyperfine for their ability to capture detail, smooth surfaces and retain dimentional accuracy without warping or bending. They are a bit more expensive then the budget resins but the results are worth it. Don't be tempted to use cheap resin for highly detailed scale model parts. Cheaper resin is fine for some things included Dungeons & Dragons minatures, but not for the kind of parts we make here.
In 2024 some printers I recommend for home use are the Elegoo Mars 5 Ultra and the Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra.
I am not accepting 3D commission work at this time. But I am always interested in your ideas. If you have an idea for a part or series of upgrades that can become part of my regular line of products, drop me a line.
I plan to do a comprehensive line of US radial engines for many popular kit fitments. Also, various upgrade accessories like interior parts, armaments, etc. Mostly for WW2 and post-war/modern aircraft.
I do want to branch off to offer some ground equipment, we'll see.
I will also post latest developments occasionally on the blog.
If you have any ideas for projects drop me a line.
Matters of Scale downloadable parts are designed to be printed on resin printers. The higher the resolution the more detail, but you can get perfectly usable results from first generation resin desktop printers (2K and 4K).
When choosing a resin to print with, please choose a high quality, dimensionally stable resin that can print both strong light supports *and* high detail. Don't skimp out using cheap resin - those cheap budget resins are fine for Dungeons and Dragons miniatures and character sculpts, but fall part when printing small highly detailed geometric parts. One of the main problems with the cheap resin is that in order to get strong light supports you have to over expose the resin - and that looses detail. If you run the optimal exposure for details, the supports will not hold. The below resins can have very fine strong support at optimal exposure for detail.
I have tested the following resins extensively and then work excellently for printing scale model parts:
Phrozen Hyperfine
Phrozen Aqua 8K
Siraya Tech Fast Navy Grey
Elegoo Upgraded 8K Standard
For best results I recommend using a 8K or 12K resin printer.
Elegoo Mars 5 Ultra or Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra are great choices.
The parts are not designed to be printed on fdm (filament) printers and are not optimized or tested for such printers. Fdm printers are great for other tasks but not for extremely high detailed parts that are offered here.
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After you make a purchase that contains digital downloads, you will receive an email with a link to download your files. Also every time you make a purchase an account is created on this site using your email as the login. You can use the "forgot password" link to reset or create a new password.
Once you login to you account, go to "Account" menu and select "Downloads". Your downloads links will also appear there.
We ship out at least once per week, usually Thursday. But sometimes twice per week.
We usually use USPS as our shipping carrier. You will receive a tracking notification when your order is ready for shipping.
Shipping originates from the town of Mendham, NJ.
So in most parts of the USA you can expect your package within a week of the shipping day, in some cases much sooner if you are on the East Coast USA.
Overseas shipping is highly variable. Usually everything gets to it's overseas destination within 2-4 weeks.
The pricing of downloads reflects the fact that you can print as many of the part as you want, and you get lifetime updates if the part is updated in the future. So buy one, print many - for as many projects as you want. And instant download means no shipping cost.
In come cases you might get this message. One possibility is you are trying to purchase a kit to a non-USA address. If you get this message just send a message and we'll give you a custom shipping quote.
Please use the contact form on the Contact page.