Think GHQ should jump on the 3D bandwagon?

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nashorn88
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Think GHQ should jump on the 3D bandwagon?

Post by nashorn88 »

Wondering if GHQ should start to offer 3D printed items?
I have recently seen some items that are as good as GHQ.
I know I rather have metal too but always kills me to buy a soft skin at the same price as a tank.
I never like plastic or resin until doing FOW then warlord games. Being old school I rather have metal but notice younger gamers don’t really care.
I recently purchased hundreds of 3D printed trucks for less then 1/3 of metal. I’ll post a pic of them and you be the judge.
Someone posted on Facebook some incredible detail 3D printed tanks and I must admit they are better then GHQ if that’s possible.
Sure you can buy a 3D printer and make army yourself but from what I can tell it’s not cost efficient yet unless you making lots of items. There’s a leaning curve and time it takes…etc. not for everyone.
Would GHQ go out of business if they don’t?
Just the rambling of a old man….lol

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Re: Think GHQ should jump on the 3D bandwagon?

Post by Extra Crispy »

Frankly, I think 3D is going to kill a lot of manufacturers.

I bought a 1/300 scale ambulance off Shapeways about 2 years ago. The print quality was pretty darn good. I know manufacturers who do all their sculpting in CAD and print the 3D masters. Their stuff is every bit as nice as GHQ. There is a gent on FB who prints his 6mm. He gets files free on the web so after buying a printer (now well under $350) he prints 6mm for about $0.06 per tank. I've seen them. Pretty nice. And if you're more a gamer than modeler, the minor loss in detail just won't matter much. So suddenly you can 3D print 100 Shermans (in Olive Drab plastic no less) for a few bucks.

The loss of these customers may drive a lot of makers under. They simply won't be able to make money. 3D not only lets you get an army cheap, it also means you can print ancillary stuff when you only need one.

It will take a while but it's coming....those who survive will (a) have models no one has done 3D sculpts for or (b) intellectual property tied to Star Wars, Marvel, etc. etc.
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Re: Think GHQ should jump on the 3D bandwagon?

Post by Brigade Commander »

I am not sure where you are seeing these really cheap 3d models at. The few items I buy are for vehicles I am sure GHQ will not get to in my lifetime. My M-915 / M-969A1 tractor / fuel trailer is one. My M-934 5-ton Expandable Van is another. All of my cargo and lowboy tractor-trailers are as well. Very few other than me would be a market. And I have come to make peace with that and buy them. And I have come to accept that it comes at a premium. But, everything I see in 3d that GHQ makes, or is a variant of, is a lot more expensive than GHQ per vehicle. Maybe that will change but from what I see not today. Or tomorrow. And I know I have noted it before on here but the 3d stuff is really brittle and too light. It is only half joking when I noted that if one of my wife's cats sneezed anywhere in the house they would blow over.

My $0.02. Your experience may vary.
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Re: Think GHQ should jump on the 3D bandwagon?

Post by BurtWolf »

I really don’t see where 3-D can beat the detail quality of GHQ at this point. I’ve ordered items from Shapeways and they are decent but not even close in detail.

I think the 3-D market is perfect for terrain and ancillary items. But I will buy a pewter panther over a frosted plastic one any day of the week. Another issue is that I don’t think the printed items in this scale are all that durable as opposed to the pewter.

All that being said, I have scoped out a printer myself for terrain items. Polish made custom and masterful work in this respect and I think it’s a great idea. Just got a check a few more couch cushions for the extra change...

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Re: Think GHQ should jump on the 3D bandwagon?

Post by Extra Crispy »

As for cheap models, my ambulances came it about $1.50 shipping included for a set of 12.

The new resin printers produce models every bit as detailed as GHQ or Games Workshop with no discernible layering. Of course, you need a good 3D file to begin with, but in 5 years time I think quality of GHQ's level will be pretty ordinary.

I remember when plastic 28mm figures in plastic came along. I didn't think they'd be all that popular - boy was I wrong.

Here are some 6mm whippets, for example.

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Re: Think GHQ should jump on the 3D bandwagon?

Post by Beagle »

About nine months ago, I searched around online for 3D printed B-17Es and B-26s in 1/350th for the Midway project, and everything I found, I would have been better off painting the B-17s from Axis and Allies. Maybe there are better offerings now, but since GHQ doesn’t offer them in 286th, I’d rather do without considering the quality of what was available.

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Re: Think GHQ should jump on the 3D bandwagon?

Post by Roger H »

I wasted a pile of money a couple of years ago on the Shapeways stuff . I thought I d hit the jackpot buying the 6mm construction equipment to build some corps engineer battalions to go with my metal micro armor divisions . The paint wouldn’t stay ( I worked hard making them NATO flaged) and then they started breaking apart after normal wear within a year (and I’m pretty careful with my stuff) . If you calculated by the piece what I’ve bought compared to the price per piece of a GHQ , GHQ beats them hand down by as much as 3 bucks per piece ,on average . The frosted plastic breaks apart pretty easily . Most of that crap couldn’t be fixed and I wound throwing it away .As tempting as it may be , I’m gonna pass from now on with Shapeways and either kitbash metal GHQ to get what I want ,or just do without .

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Re: Think GHQ should jump on the 3D bandwagon?

Post by nashorn88 »


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Re: Think GHQ should jump on the 3D bandwagon?

Post by Beagle »

I'm an avid painter of 28mm, and for me, the difference is, those 285th tanks looks so fragile and brittle. 28mm is quite durable, and even small parts like bayonets, or spears, they are large enough, that if they come from a good manufacturer, there really isn't much cleanup to do on them, and what there is be taken care of with a quick swipe of a #11 blade. The odd bump on the game table isn't going to break anything unless you have Hulk hands. I'd be afraid that cleaning flash, or printing marks, or anything like that would snap off important detail that would have to be glued back on. With GHQ, if I accidentally bend a barrel, careful with smooth tweezers and the crisis is over. Besides, I'm sure at some point, I'll acquire more GHQ than I can paint before my expiration date anyway, so its really a nonissue, lol.

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Re: Think GHQ should jump on the 3D bandwagon?

Post by panzergator »

One should keep in mind the barrels are brittle and the metal is much sturdier. There is the initial investment, as well. My son has both a spool priner and a resin printer, the first costing about $300 and the second a little over $600. There is a learning curve and a knowledge base to acquire. We pay $40 for a kilo on a spool and $37 for a bottle of resin. The bottle produces two 54-tank battalions in about 8 hours. With the spool type, it takes much longer, since the device prints individually. You could probably print metal p, but savings would drop dramatically. There are pollution difficulties with the spool type, as well as overheating and fire hazard.

A club might consider a group purchase I suppose.

Chris may post my latest MBT70 battalion. The .stl file, which is wat the machine uses to create the model, was made by a member of this forum. Stl files may be purchaded or downloaded free from stites like Yeggi and Thingiverse. Some of the folks at Shapeways accept commissions The price quoted to me for an item was $60 for the file.

The prices on Shapeways are not competitive with GHQ, nor do they produce the broad range available from GHQ and others, so I don't think there is a danger yet. The Shapeways products are usually a little more esoteric, exotic, and not in suchgreat demand. How many of you want Atomic Annie when your 155SP battalion can fire nukes?

At any rate, that's my take. GHQ was never gonna make MBT70 or any of the experimental stuff I want, which is why I commissioned my son to do them.
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Re: Think GHQ should jump on the 3D bandwagon?

Post by Extra Crispy »

Agreed that 3D is not perfect. I have bought lots and been very happy with it. Where else will you get a 15mm Trojan Bunny for $12?

I was happy to find 1/285 ambulances for my tank regiment. No one makes them in metal. I need several hundred trucks for the same regiment. $12.95 for 5 or $12.95 for 19 3D printed? When you're looking at a few hundred that's a big deal.

I also wonder about folks like Privateer and GW. Their tourneys will keep many of the faithful buying "approved" models. But if I can get a very cool looking Super Space Marine Kill O Matic 3D printed for $5 I'm sure as hell not shelling out $50 to GW....

And the losses of all these revenues to companies that - aside from just a handful - are tiny to begin with. Frankly, I worry about anyone actually paying the mortgage and not just subsidising their own hobby or doing it as a sideline....
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Re: Think GHQ should jump on the 3D bandwagon?

Post by redleg »

I picked up a few 1/600 scale aircraft on Shapeways for those odd aircraft that I couldn't get from the metal manufacturers. At that scale the detail was good enough for me. I noticed some 1/2400 scale ships on there too, but the prices varied wildly. Some were super expensive and some were cheap. Not sure of the quality, but I can get 5 Arleigh Burke class destroyers for $24 from some of the sellers, so if I find myself in a naval arms race I will at least consider it. I'm in the process of trying to scratch build a Mobile Landing Platform ship with styrene and wood and while I was on Shapeways noticed one in 1/2400 scale for $9.
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Re: Think GHQ should jump on the 3D bandwagon?

Post by panzergator »

Oh, I'm very pleased with my printed models. And I couldn't have gotten them anywhere else. I don't have to buy or learn the machine either, just buy some resin and ask my son to print them. Easy for me.
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Re: Think GHQ should jump on the 3D bandwagon?

Post by PolishGI »

3D printed items are the way to go.

I often see the paper buildings that GHQ offers could be turned into 3d printed offerings. I think that would be a great way to start the transition and change lanes. The buildings would be better in resin than pewter and be more cost effective as well.
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