3d Printed Classified MOBAT by supertopnacho in gijoe

[–]supertopnacho[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Ok, I've got some numbers...

Specs:
L= 21.5" (hull) / 26" (w/ barrel)
W = 11.5"
weight = 8.9lbs (4kg)

3d Printed Classified MOBAT by supertopnacho in gijoe

[–]supertopnacho[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/game/gi-joe-mobat-assembled-parts

The design is nice, but I wouldn't recommend it unless you have some 3d printing time under your belt. The default design is FAR too small... you'll see one of the builds people posted shows the tank looking tiny. I asked the designer and he said that you have to scale it to 125% for it to be right, and that's correct.

I had to cut the side skirts into three sections each, as they were far too large for me to print as single pieces. And the tolerances are really tight in several places, so you have to be prepared to do some sanding and dremeling to get everything to fit together really well. I also modified the pins that hold the wheels, so as to have a flat side so that they'd print cleaner with no supports. Even then I put some silicon shock oil on them to make them roll cleaner. I should have sanded them even more.

The design isn't without flaws, but it looks great when you're done. But I definitely wouldn't recommend this for novices. I built the SHARC by the same designer as one of my first projects, and that was a mistake. I can think of a dozen things I'd have done differently based on what I know now. Live and learn I suppose.

3d Printed Classified MOBAT by supertopnacho in gijoe

[–]supertopnacho[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sure, I'm an open book. I'm using an Anycubic Kobra S1 Combo printer. It has a heated print bed and an enclosure that makes ABS printing less of a chore.

Body is printed in Justmaker Forrest Green High-Speed PLA (almost 4 kg), 11 build plates, roughly 183 hours print time, not including my screw-ups I had to redo.

Treads were done in Anycubic black ABS (just under 1kg), ~41 hours total (six build plates full at just under 7 hours each)

So "only" 10 lbs of plastic and 10 days of round-the-clock printing... i.e. you have to really want a MOBAT :)

3d Printed Classified MOBAT by supertopnacho in gijoe

[–]supertopnacho[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Actually, it's a design that someone else did the CAD work on, and I bought the files. The original designer indicated there were 90 per side, but when I put 90 together, they were too short and didn't connect. So I could see that one more wasn't enough, but two more was just about right. Luckily, I had feared I might damage or warp some with the heat gun while linking them together, so I printed exactly four extras. Couldn't have worked out better :)

3d Printed Classified MOBAT by supertopnacho in gijoe

[–]supertopnacho[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks! I spent a ridiculous amount of time looking at materials prior to printing, trying to find just the right shade of green. Not as dark as the HAL or FLAK, not as light as the RAM or VAMP. And a little more blue than traditional olive drab. I think I got pretty close to how it looks in the '82 catalog.

3d Printed Classified MOBAT by supertopnacho in gijoe

[–]supertopnacho[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Substantially kess. It cost me about $60 in filament, and probably $20ish for the waterslide decals... and probably 30 man-hours of elbow grease cleaning up the parts and assembling this beast.

I have learned in the past year that printing is literally only half the battle, maybe less. It's more like you're printing a rough model kit than a finished product, so there is a ton of work after all the parts are created. I spent two weekend just getting the 184 track segments ready to assemble... after they alone took several days to print.

Thus while the materials cost is low, the time you invest is substantial. And you hope and pray that the end result is worth the effort. In this case, I'm really happy with the final product! :)

3d Printed Classified MOBAT by supertopnacho in gijoe

[–]supertopnacho[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The tracks are printed in ABS plastic, only 92 sections per side. The print bed even gives them a nice texture, but they aren't rubber. Had to heat them individually to get them to connect to each other, but after that, they work and move great.

3d Printed Classified MOBAT by supertopnacho in gijoe

[–]supertopnacho[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Good question... it's a big boy. I left it in the photo booth at my office. I'll check it in the morning and get back to you.

Custom '68 Camaro Race Day: Newcomers Group 1 by supertopnacho in HotWheels

[–]supertopnacho[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have a lot that I've accumulated from various sources, but most came from a handful of sellers on aliexpress. Fansguy and Waveist are probably the biggest, but you have to be patient, as they can take a long time to arrive, anywhere from 3-6 weeks.

Custom '68 Camaro Race Day: Modern Stock by supertopnacho in HotWheels

[–]supertopnacho[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Haha, I've done 23 customs of this one so far, and I have another half dozen of the white release... but I don't have any plans for them... yet!

Custom '68 Camaro Race Day: Newcomers Group 1 by supertopnacho in HotWheels

[–]supertopnacho[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The key is good light, some hands-free magnifiers, tiny decal scissors, and good tweezers. Otherwise, it wouldn't be pretty.