Fallout T60 from SANIX3D (1/6th scale)

[skahtul]

Most of the figures I print are at 1/8th when it comes to scale as it seems to be large enough to get some good detail and make painting really fun, but not so big that you can't find any place for it. Late one night I decided to print of something in my STL stash, the T60 from Fallout. I went through my usual process of scaling it up a bit (many of the files from SANIX3D are at 1/10) except that I was not really paying attention. As I was getting the parts ready for the printer I could not figure out why it seemed that I could not fit as many as I usually could, I figured maybe the T60 was just a large model. Nope, as soon as I printed off the first set, I realized I had scaled it up to 1/6 which is quite a jump. My T60 towers over my Master Chief

The T60 is just a bit over 20" tall.

Well, nothing to do but to keep printing, enter my new P1S. This machine is my new favorite printer, period. I even enjoy it more than my resin prints at the moment. I was able to print the entire base at a speed and quality my Elegoo FDM printers could only dream of... The other huge benefit is that since the printer is so precise, the supports come of easier than even my Prusa Mini.

This base turned out fantastic and really opens up an entire new world for possibilities of some larger builds I want to do in FDM. I love my resin printers, but large chunky and or square prints are not always easy in resin.

 

[skahtul]

After the usual mixing of epoxy and clamping, it was time for some gloss. I printed up just the top part of the display stand and glued it to a piece of wood so that I would have an easier time while painting and weathering.

I really have a hard time getting a perfect gloss coat with the air brush so I usually hit the parts that need to be shiny with some Tamiya Black. The only issue I have is that you need to be careful as just like the AS-20, it put's down such a smooth layer that paint adhesion can be a bit of an issue.

 

[skahtul]

Time to lay down some shiny

I prefer using the Xtreme Metal series over my Alcaldes for anything that I plan to not clear coat and handle directly. These paints seem to take oil and other weathering medium no problem.

Factory new with a fresh coat of Duraluminium! I find I use this when I am looking for something that is pretty shiny, but a few steps down from Chrome.

I followed this up with some Brass from AK Interactive and then some Mr. Metallic GX Metal Dark Blue and finally a few random shots of chrome to finish it off. When I am laying down paint for these types of projects, I like to vary the colors as I think it helps to bring out the detail and sets me up well for weathering as I am not just working with a single large canvas.

The overly blue arm is the one I printed for testing. One of the huge advantages of working with 3D prints, is that you can print extra parts for testing, in this case I was testing the different paints and eventually used it to test weathering.

 

[skahtul]

Now it's time to give the base some attention. I have played through some of the games and watched the TV series. It's a very eclectic universe and I tried to capture some of that in how I painted the base.

 

[skahtul]

Almost time for my favorite part, weathering! It's literally the only reason I build these, I really like the assembly and initial paint, but I am 100% here for the weathering, every time.

The gun was painted with my number one favorite color and paint of all time, Mr. Metal Color Dark Iron. It you have never used this paint before, you should pick some up and give it a try. It's the most forgiving metal paint I have ever used, and it's a metallizer which means you polish it to get the final finish. This has a few advantages, it goes right on over primer, no gloss cote needed, it's almost indestructible and the best part is the polishing. For items like this with a lot of details, you polish all the high spots and then the darker/grittier color stays in all the crevasse. It's really a fantastic paint. I used the bronze color on the lady on the front of the base.

A bit of hand painting to get ready for the weathering:

I really wanted to use oils for this but could not really get it to stick so I broke out my usual suspects, Tamiya weathering sets, Archive-X and some pigments.

 

[skahtul]

All done.

 

[skahtul]

If anyone has some tips for weathering chrome or shiny models, please share (or know if any good videos, I have found a few, but not a ton)! I really struggle with getting it right. The paint is so shiny and smooth that anytime I try to do a wash, it just bubbles up on the surface. I think I have an okay method down for the surfaces but I can never get it to flow into the panel lines to bring out some of the details.

I also don't like to just slop on a huge thing of oil paints as it really kills the shine and for me, takes the tone down way too far.

I have an entire stack of aircraft and all my Mando related builds sitting in my stash as I just can't seem to get a good technique down.

Anyway, thanks for reading!

 

[StevenBills]

What a great writeup! How long would you say this took you, from slicing all the parts to the final weathering? And that's certainly high praise for the Bambu printer! FDM has come a loooong way in the last 10 years, that's for sure! Your paint and weathering skills are top-notch, sir!

SB

 

[skahtul]

What a great writeup! How long would you say this took you, from slicing all the parts to the final weathering? And that's certainly high praise for the Bambu printer! FDM has come a loooong way in the last 10 years, that's for sure! Your paint and weathering skills are top-notch, sir!

SB

Ha, agreed on the printer, I did zero prep on that base just painted it right off the printer...

Printing/prep was a good two days worth of work. That base printed in less than a day and then the rest was done on the Jupiter and Saturn in just a few prints.

I guess there was an added day if you count my mess up on my first print. That was the first time I let the vat run out of resin, an expensive mistake at $65 a bottle...

Paint and assembly was a solid three days, and I mean full days. Family was out of town so I just hammered it out. One day for primer and gloss paint. I like to let the gloss sit for a full 24 hours. Then it was onto the shiny bits and final weathering.

The way these files are designed, other than the legs there was zero putty needed, he does an amazing job of cutting things up in such a way that you can work on everything separate and then throw it all together, really a top notch designer.

For example instead of just slicing the hands flat at the wrist like many designers do, he does it so they are keyed internally and the cuff goes over the wrist, hence, zero seam.

Thanks for the kind words!

 

[starks]

This is so great! The way you have faded in the separate metals give such depth to the finish.

Regarding weathering chrome effect paints.
Theyre basically a silver leaf floated in a resin so any over coating dulls them off as it tarnishes the leaf. Makes it harder for products like Alclad that aren't meant to be cleared.

Because I have to paint chrome effect on automotive wheels I usually have alumaluster or Alsa chrome effect on hand. These are meant to be clear coated and while they still dull slightly once cleared, they hold up much better. The trick is to let what youre painting , once chrome effect applied, sit for a day or at least overnight, you can then give it a rub with a microfibre to polish it up a bit then clear coat.
From here you can weather all you like, personally I use water based acrylics, sometimes I'll add detergent to break surface tension or add a drop of white glue to help adhesion, or both.
But you can also scourer some of that weathering back off that brings you back to your fresh clear coat and you achieve more clean metal finish coming through.

Just some thoughts.

Cheers,
Josh

 

[skahtul]

This is so great! The way you have faded in the separate metals give such depth to the finish.

Regarding weathering chrome effect paints.
Theyre basically a silver leaf floated in a resin so any over coating dulls them off as it tarnishes the leaf. Makes it harder for products like Alclad that aren't meant to be cleared.

Because I have to paint chrome effect on automotive wheels I usually have alumaluster or Alsa chrome effect on hand. These are meant to be clear coated and while they still dull slightly once cleared, they hold up much better. The trick is to let what youre painting , once chrome effect applied, sit for a day or at least overnight, you can then give it a rub with a microfibre to polish it up a bit then clear coat.
From here you can weather all you like, personally I use water based acrylics, sometimes I'll add detergent to break surface tension or add a drop of white glue to help adhesion, or both.
But you can also scourer some of that weathering back off that brings you back to your fresh clear coat and you achieve more clean metal finish coming through.

Just some thoughts.

Cheers,
Josh

Thanks, this is great! And its funny you mention breaking the tension. I had literally read about adding a bit of dish soap a dew weeks back and didnt remember that until I was making this post

I am going to repaint my test part and five those a try. I really like working with the water based acrylics, the oils can be tricky and take days to dry, but I always felt they added just a touch of realism in certain situations.

I will have to experiment more with the clears for sure. I am always a bit afraid if the weathering attacking the base coat over time.

Thanks!