yogi-bear

no worries, once you've scanned it, pm me, I'll get you to send the file to me and I can check and upscale it for you.

its basically a quality measure. DPI is dots per inch, the more dots, the better you can make your image. 300DPI is consider normal for general printing (brochures, posters etc) and 72DPI is/was typically used for computer screens etc, although I am sure with today's hi-def monitors and tvs that is changing. So when you scan the image, you should have an option to select the quality, and that should be a DPI setting. Most scanners go up to about 1200DPI, but that would be way more than needed. If you can't select a DPI, then just select whatever is the highest on offer. Also it's preferable to save out as a tiff file, but that will make it quite large, otherwise a jpg or pdf is the next preferable, png is the least preferable. Tif will have the best image information retention in the file, while formats like jpg and png will reduce the quality of the image, but that also saves on file space.

even better! should be ok to scale up then, but still scan at a minimum of 600DPI

do you have a scanner? thats pretty easy for me to copy, and I have found the SACHS logos online, just have to do the body panels parts

I think it's possible, and have done similar things myself, but like above has mentioned it's not exactly straightforward. I usually scan and remake the artwork in illustrator, although I would guess you don't have that program. You could do the same in Inkscape which is free, the basics aren't too hard to learn. If the decal sheet has any logos in it, you could google the logo with the term vector and will probably find it online. Scan the decal sheet at 600DPI as a minimum too, to get maximum information. After scanning I would take into photoshop as it has enhancing and artifcate removal tools built in, but there are online versions (some free and some paid) and they are quite impressive on what they can do now. another option is to scan the sheet and the use that or parts there-of to google image search for related images. I have been successful sometimes in finding hi-res versions that someone else has posted online. Any chance you can post and image of what you want to scan?

howdy, its been a while! yeah, slowly getting there, but improving the technique Yeah, I do need to get back onto those bodies and return yours with a few copies, haven't forgotten! The only thing I need to do now is sort out PC forming, and that shouldn't be too hard, I just have to finish off the dry box, which I am working on. thats an amazing channel, I'd seen one of his videos where he did the Al frame

3D printed a full scale version of @silvertriple Hunter protoype body in eSun ABS+ filament and run 5 vac forms with 1.5 mm ABS. They turned out well and this was little degradation of the 3D print. I think I could easily get 20 or more forms from it. Next step is white ABS and then try some polycarbonate

ok, managed to do a second test, this time full scale and printed in eSun ABS+ a couple of errors, but overall not too bad. I had planned to clean it up a little, but ran out of time and thought just do it! So I ran 5 forms using 1.5 mm hair cell ABS, a little bit of trouble getting the mold out, I need better grip on the underneath, but otherwise no real dramas and the all formed really well. The 3D printed mold is starting to smooth a little, but otherwise I think I could have kept going for 20 or more forms with out too much trouble. I'll start cutting them out over the weekend and take some better pics.

did some testing with a 3D printed multi-part mold of a Marui Hunter Prototype body that @silvertriple had drawn up in Fusion360. The Body has under hangs along the side, so a one piece mold won't work. For this test I used PLA+ for the mold and 0.75 mm for the body, the next test I will use ABS for the mold and body. I have a video on my thread about vac forming,

ok, some more minor updates. @silvertriple has been 3D modelling the Hunter Prototype body and kindly sent me a file 3D for printing. The body has under hangs on each side, so in order to vac form properly one option is to have the mold in a couple of pieces for easy removable. So this is a test of that. Silvertriple set it up so it's in 5 pieces. Two side pods, a front and back and a connector underneath. As it's only a test, I printing this at a smaller scale to save on filament and in PLA+. I'll only really get one or two goes, but it should show if the concept of the mold pieces works.

that 1/32 Hunter will be a pretty cool project, keen to see how it runs.

from the above posts, yes you can, and I have certainly got carried away with it. I think with a minimal bit of effort, you can achieve a decent result, but it will also depend on the shell you want to copy. That video linked about, he uses a pretty basic setup too and makes his molds with wood and filler. You can get hard plaster pretty cheaply almost anywhere on the planet. A basic vacuum box is pretty easy to make with basic tools and heating you can use an oven and maybe a heat gun, be careful if using an oven that you cook with though, plastics give off fumes. The brittle plastic you mention I suspect is PET, there is PETG which is pretty tough, but not as tough as polycarbonate and it may also come down to the paint used affecting the body. I've had some other old shells I found that ended up being brittle and I also suspect they didn't have any UV inhibitor in them as well, or maybe they were PVC based. With a basic setup, I doubt you'll be doing polycarbonate though, although some YouTubers reckon they are. PC is very finicky to deal with. Another material to try is ABS, pretty strong and easy enough to vac form. Another issue you might have, is if the body has undercuts. Tamiya deal with this by having a two or 3 part mold. Thats going one hard to replicate with plaster. I have been tinkering and intend on doing this year a version where the mold has a hard centre structure and a softer silicon out shell. Its very do-able, I am just trying to get the expense down, as there are a number of shells I would like to duplicate for myself.

that cover looks better on the hunter, its a shame they didn't continue with it

that motor cap is looking good

ok, I have some 1.5 mm polycarbonate and press brake (a manual machine to cut and fold thin metal), so thought lets give it a go! It turns out its quite easy to do, the polycarbonate doesn't mind at all, I was expecting it to go milky on the fold, but its all good,