4/22/2020
I’d been thinking of doing a few tank models for some time and the German Panther has always been one of my favorites. I went through a phase as a teenager when they were all I wanted to make. So – I downloaded a great collection of 1/100 scale tank models from Sketchfab. The detail is excellent for the intended scale and the designs are made for ease of printing on FDM printers. That said I couldn’t resist seeing what one would look like printed in 1/35 scale (my armor scale of choice) and painted up.
The lack of futzing around with the design in order to get it to print decently – was very refreshing! Some aspects of the design are overly simple for a 1/35 scale print but that didn’t stop me from thoroughly enjoying the painting and weathering of my budget Panther. To minimize the need for print supports, I split the hull so I could point the front and rear ends up while printing. I did the same with the turret. You can see the seams pretty easily in the primer only pictures. In all – just 4 pieces! OK, Six if you count my replacement front MG barrel and the heated & stretched sprue antenna. She may not win any awards but I like her all the same. I’ll probably build more from the 1/100 collection though I may experiment with adding detail and minor alterations.
I had intended to include a link to the collection download but I couldn’t find it anymore on Sketchfab. Don’t know if it’s been pulled or if it’s just me…
Meta: Ender 3 pro print example, Ender 3 pro print sample, 3D print, 1/35 scale model, WW2 German Panther tank, 3d printed tank