Resurrecting a 'Dead' Project.
'Previously in Milgeek...'
I have to go back just a wee bit with this project as it's been sitting on my 'to do' shelf gathering dust for a while now. So here's the story so far in pictures...
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| Above: Assembling the original 3D printed model parts, with a strengthening rod inserted inside the components. Printed on my Flashforge Adventurer 3. |
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| Above: Once glued together and sanded the model looked pretty seamless. |
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| Above: Primed with 'filler putty' spray... |
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| Above: The base paint coats...So far so good! |
So there we have it, that's where I got to and all seemed to be going well. But then...
Ooooops! That's Torn it!
After all that careful assembly and work to disguise the joint in the two piece blade, I only went and dropped the model didn't I ! 😡
It dropped right on the point, snapped the point of and broke the blade in half as well. Honestly, my first thought was that was that and I was - initially - despairing and nearly gave up on this one. But...
[Unfortunately, I did not have the presence of mind to take a photo of the broken model after the accident. You will have to take my word for it that it was bad... I was gutted!]
After leaving the broken model for a while I eventually got in the right head space to be keen on salvaging the job. I kinda had to start from the beginning again, re-join the broken blade and then make a new point (the chipped part had gotten lost to the carpet monster) out of Milliput putty.
My main concern was whether I would be able to hide the joins - again - this time as the cracks were a little rougher this time. But I was surprised that the pieces fitted together perfectly, which only minor cosmetic filling to smooth out the fracture lines.
Once the filler was completely dry, the sanding began...A lot of sanding! 😄
Anyway, I reckon it was worth it as when I finished I could barely see the join. And once the paint layers were applied I was optimistic that the model would be as good as new.
A Revamp And A Fresh Lick Of Paint
As I had to do a repaint I decided to revise my original idea for the paint job. My first take on a Fairburn Sykes dagger model was one of the 'bare metal' finishes - a steel blade and a brass hilt (as per this reference photo of an original WW2 FS dagger)...
But this time I decided I would go with a more conventional black out scheme. The black commando dagger is a classic version of the 'FS' in popular culture...
So, before I went mad with the black paint I thought I'd just give the model a quick coat of 'spray putty' filler, just to make sure I've got rid of any tell-tale breaks of layer lines from the original 3D printing.
Once I had a smooth base to work with I then applied the satin black spray coat (all rattle can sprays as my airbrush is still in storage, but I was still pleased with the quality of the finish). I talk about the result here in this workbench update video...
I'm very pleased with how this repair turned out and glad I didn't abandon this project.
So, we are back to square one again as I have to decide how I with finish off this model and how I will display it. And that's what I will cover in the next instalment of this project.
As I mention in the above video, I have also had a rethink about how I plan to display this model when it is finished (soon hopefully). My original idea was to design and 3D print a custom stand for the model like this...
But I have now decided - as explained in the video to go with another design. And this is what I intend to cover in the next instalment on this project.
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