[X] My Assistant

[vjkane]

As some of you may know, NASA has released 3D-printable files for many of its spacecraft and a few planetary bodies and surfaces (your own 3D model of Vesta, for example). I suspect that I'm not the only one here who would like to have a collection of high-fidelity spacecraft models.

I'm wondering if anyone here has printed these models? Many seem to have problems the prevent them from being printed with several commercial services I've checked with using any of their printing models. For example, the solar panels on the Juno model are too thin as are the edges of Cassini's high gain antenna, its booms, and the shields around its thrusters among other parts.

The Curiosity model does appear to be printable, and a number of people have printed out the 50 parts or so and assemble them (see here). Curiosity is on my list, but I'd like to print some of the other models, too.

Does anyone on this board have the experience with 3D printing to suggest specific printing companies who might be able to handle fine models? Or tricks of printing or materials? Or perhaps you've spent the time to building up your 3D editing skills and have editing the problem areas to create printable files?

Thanks!

[djellison]

So I don't yet have a printer of my own (I have a Cobblebot kit in a box - but it's unlikely to come together as a great printer... and a Micro3d printer on the way) but I've played with a few at work (Tinkererine...great. Makerbot...awful. Flashforge Dreamer...great with PLA..tricky with ABS)

A MASSIVE word of caution about the models here : http://nasa3d.arc.nasa.gov/models/printable

Cassini, Dawn, Juno, Kepler, LRO, MESSENGER, MRO, Pioneer, Rosetta, Stardust, TDRS and Voyager...they're very very NOT printable. The Eyes on the Solar System team ( I used to be a member of ) supplied them to the 3D model repository as Blender files for use as an animation asset for people to play with. Sadly a year later the people behind that website went "File...Export STL" and called them printable. They're just not.

When that happen I tried to 'drown' them out with these : http://nasa3d.arc.nasa.gov/search/ellison/3dprint : that I know are printable ( as I've printed them all on a Tinkerine or Makerbot at work )