1/2400 Scale 3d Printed Ships - Impressions

As 3D printing technology becomes more mature and accessible, there is an increasing availability of 3d printed alternatives to resin or metal cast models. Thanks to various Shapeways storefronts such as EBard Models there are a wide variety of alternatives to the typical standbys of GHQ and Panzerschiffe. I took a dive last year and ordered some printed 1/2400 scale ships. Overall I can say I was extremely impressed with the detail and price of these printed miniatures. 

Ghost ship - 1/2400 French Dunkerque class battleship from Ghukeks Miniatures at Shapeways.

Some stores offer either clear, higher detailed resin or less detailed opaque options. The less detailed option is of course cheaper than the clear. Much of the detail comes not from the material selected though but from the base model. Be sure to shop around - prices vary wildly from shop to shop on Shapeways and sometimes the more expensive option is not always the best. 

French ships after being primed - the two ships in the middle were printed with a less detailed option than the two on the ends, but their models were also less detailed.

What was very striking is the availability of inexpensive smaller ships. Its possible to get well detailed destroyers for prices that rival other extremely inexpensive manufacturers. 

Two IJN destroyers - both cost two dollars.

Two IJN battleships, the closest being a 3d print. The rear ship is a modified Panzershiffe model - I added some detail to make it appear less plain. Both cost less then 10 dollars.

Against more detailed metal models the prints hold up as well. Here a 3d printed Yamato and Fuso flank a metal cast Nagato in the center.

There are a few downsides to 3d prints. One phenomenon I've noticed is that there can be, with some prints but not others, a kind of sparkle effect when they are put under intense direct light. This rarely comes up during gameplay as thankfully I honor to tradition of gaming nearly exclusively in basements. If you are some sort of lunatic who wargames under a heat lamp, or god help you, outside under direct sun its something to be aware of. 

Another downside of prints (or maybe more of an upside of metal models) is that there is the need for guns to be supported, while on metal models they can be free-floating. These supports are easy to overlook when playing, but they do present an challenge when painting to try and hide them. This is a double edged sword however, as while they can look intrusive, they do prevent your barrels from becoming walleyed. I suppose it would be possible to try and file down or cut the supports out, but this leads to the third downside of prints.

Structurally the prints have some flex and feel strong, not brittle, but they will snap if pushed too far. When attempting to remove some supports on a seaplane crane, I was too vigorous a file and the entire crane snapped off. While this did make it easier to remove the flash, this is not the ideal situation. Again, if you are the kind of person who has grown used to simple straightening their masts when they get crooked, this is something to keep in mind.

Personally, I think the addition of greater detail at the price point is worth the risks of an occasional break or twinkle in the sun. Going forward I will be including 3d prints into my searches when I feel the need to expand either my Japanese of French fleets.