diStefan 3Dprint

Welcome to diStefan Designs for ship modelers, 3D-printed by Shapeways!
3D Designer and modeler specializing in items related to army parts and scale modeling. I'm also available to hire for custom design work. If you can see what you want but not in the scale you want, just let me know.

Apologies for the price on many larger items this is due to recent price increases by Shapeways.

Please contact me to see if there are other options available for printing larger items
(Scales 1/144 and larger). In certain cases it may be a case of recreating the sprue or
re-orientating the part to try and reduce the cost. Or, in some cases using a 3rd party printer.



Painting Tips 1     
8073
109
125
About
Material Selection Advice: some products are available in more than one material. For static display models, Frosted Detail acrylic plastic and Black High Definition Acrylate are recommended for fine detail and smooth surfaces.  Of the two types of Frosted Detail plastic, "Frosted Extreme Detail" (FXD) prints in thinner layers producing much better detail and dramatically smoother surfaces.  For Radio Control models, where durability and strength are important, some larger scale products are available in Strong and Flexible plastic (S&F), a kind of tough nylon.

Glue: cyanoacrylate (CA) "superglue" works best. Testors liquid or tube cement won't work. Testors cement works best for polystyrene plastic but these 3D-printed parts are either acrylic plastic or nylon. 

Cleaning your parts: during the 3D printing process, a waxy substance is used to support certain part features. Although the parts are cleaned by Shapeways afterwards, some waxy residue may remain. It can be safely removed with mineral oil, or water together with a mild water-based detergent like "Dawn" or "Fairy" dishwashing liquid, baby shampoo (no conditioner), or "Simple Green" using an old, soft toothbrush, Q-tips or pipe cleaners.  Do NOT use any cleaner, primer, paint or thinner containing acetone, acetate or methyl ethyl ketone (MEK).


Let your parts sit in direct sunlight for a few hours to fully cure the resin.  

Curing the plastic and smoothing surfaces: 
  1. For products printed in "Frosted Detail" acrylic plastic and "Black High Definition Acrylate" plastic, during printing process, liquid resin is cured by ultraviolet light. Microscopic bits of resin may remain uncured. Let your parts sit in direct sunlight or under a UV or fluorescent lamp for a few hours to fully cure the resin. After your parts have fully cured, if desired, careful use of an inexpensive "air eraser" emitting common household baking soda can help smooth surfaces and remove any unwanted "frost" without harming detail. Air erasers, like an airbrush but much cheaper, can be found on Amazon.com. Models by Harbor Freight and Paasche are popular.  
  2. For those few products printed in "Strong and Flexible" plastic, a kind of nylon that is difficult to smooth, apply thin layers of primer meant for nylon, allow the primer to harden, then smooth the hardened primer.

    Primer and painting:
  1. For "Frosted Detail" acrylic plastic and "Back High Definition Acrylate" plastic, only acrylic primer and acrylic paints meant for plastic are recommended. Enamel paint may not harden on "Frosted Detail" plastic.
  2. For "Strong and Flexible" products, only primers and paints intended specifically for use on nylon should be used. Other hobby paints may not adhere. Simply Google "primer for nylon" and "paint for nylon" for several good choices.

    Do NOT use any thinner containing acetone, acetate, or methyl ethyl ketone (MEK). Acetone will attack acrylic plastic and damage it. Acetate is found in acetone-free nail polish remover. Acetate and MEK can cause a crystalline powder to form on the surface, even after painting, which is an annoyance to remove.  The following chemicals may cause crazing, cracking, discoloration, or dissolving of Frosted Detail acrylic plastics: Acetic Acid, Acetate, Acetone, Ammonia, Aromatic Solvents, Benzene, Brake Fluid, Butyl Alcohol, Chlorinated Solvents, Disinfectant, Ethyl Alcohol, Kerosene, Lacquer Thinner, Lestoil® Cleaner, Lysol® Spray, Methyl Ethyl Ketone, Naphtha, Pinesol® Cleaner, Sulfuric Acid, Turpentine, Toluene, White Cap® Cleaner, and Xylene. 

    Orders: all diStefan designs pass Shapeways' design analysis software checks before being offered for sale. Occasionally, after purchase, a product will be determined by a human print engineer to have a feature too thin to survive cleaning and Shapeways will cancel your order for that product and refund your money. In the unlikely event that this should happen to you, Shapeways will inform me immediately and I'll make an adjustment to the design. Usually, you will be able to reorder the adjusted product the same day.


    Please register on Shapeways! I am not able to communicate with "guests", only registered customers. Once registered, I can help resolve any problems with your order and answer any questions you may have about the design. If you "follow" me, you'll be apprised of new  diStefan designs as they are released.

    All 3D-printed products © diStefan 3D Print.  3D-printed products may not be copied or re-cast.
Logo

Hello.

We're sorry to inform you that we no longer support this browser and can't confirm that everything will work as expected. For the best Shapeways experience, please use one of the following browsers:

Click anywhere outside this window to continue.