How easy/expensive would it be to print figures 18 inches tall for my garden

[TEAMYAKIMA]

I have an insane project in mind - I accept it's insane so let's not discuss that - as a vanity project, I would like accurate statues of me and my family (18 inches tall) in my back garden and I assume someone could do it, but who and how much are the questions.

 

I already have me and my family in HO on my layout, but how to scale us up?

 

 

 

[Michael Hodgson]

3D printers tend to be restricted in terms of the size of object they can print.  The cost obviously increases as stuf gets larger.

 

If you want a lot of mini-mes in the garden, save yourself some money and get the family to dress up as garden gnomes. 

[TEAMYAKIMA]

4 minutes ago, Michael Hodgson said:

3D printers tend to be restricted in terms of the size of object they can print.  The cost obviously increases as stuf gets larger.

 

Yes, I realise that is a problem, but it's a vanity project and so I'm prepared to limit it to just me. 

 

 

[Enterprisingwestern]

 

To do a 1 piece print would need an industrial machine and cost megabucks I would imagine.

A 4mm container takes 9 hrs 40 minutes on my machine, so you'd be in for a long wait if you did the figures in sections.

 

Mike.

[Dungrange]

I note that the Modelu website states that they can do prints of you up to 1:12 scale.

 

https://www.modelu3d.co.uk/body-scan/

 

Unfortunately, it sounds as though you're wanting something around 1:4 scale.  I suspect that you could ask if they know who could do a larger print.  They may be able to do the scan for you, but then would need to outsource the printing to somewhere else that has a larger 3D printer.  Obviously the cost will be in hundreds of pounds.

[eldavo]

The figures could be printed in sections cheaply on an FDM printer BUT you would need a good quality scan to work from.  The Modelu figures are great but they own the scan data so you would have to either strike a deal with them or get yourself scanned again.  The printing is not really the expensive bit, it's the scanning and associated processing.

 

Cheers

Dave

[Arun Sharma]

4 hours ago, TEAMYAKIMA said:

I have an insane project in mind - I accept it's insane so let's not discuss that - as a vanity project, I would like accurate statues of me and my family (18 inches tall) in my back garden and I assume someone could do it, but who and how much are the questions.

 

I already have me and my family in HO on my layout, but how to scale us up?

 

 

 

Not difficult at all. An Artec Leo scanner will scan people in sufficiently high resolution for that purpose. Commercial polyjet 3D printers could probably print you in a couple of stages - Even my Elegoo Mars 2+ could print you in four stages. Cost of resin would be about £60 at cost [say, 2 kg?] but commercial charges for printing run to about £6-00 per cc [i.e., 200 times the home print rate] though for large figures which can be made hollow inside, that total sum would come down quite dramatically. 3D print bureaux have software which will happily hollow out figures and generate a minimum of support material inside so as to keep costs down.

The only real problem is the scanning and loads of folk [including me] have such scanners. If you want to use a commercial agency with a Leo scanner, then try www.europac3d.com or www.central-scanning.co.uk

 

I've used both for various 3D work in the past and both are able to scan and print. though I should point out that if I do the scanning it would be somewhat cheaper!

 

[Jonboy]

Never used one but commercial options exist such as: https://mini-you.co.uk/mini-you-2/

Edited October 30, 2022 by Jonboy

[PaulaDoesTrains]

Assuming you've got the 3D scanned files you print them in sections and glue the sections together. Cosplay fans do that.