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Blefuscu

1/14 drivers for Tractor Trucks

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Hi, I've been a reader of the Tamiya Club Forum for some years but only just signed up - in part to "To create, share and promote my work", to hopefully get some feedback too, and to learn a bit more about printing designs myself.

I've been designing driver figures for my new S770. I only have two designs so far but it was my aim to sell a few and perhaps ease the burden of my hobby. I notice a few people have shapeways stores here. However, when I looked into this for my models, the costs seem to be astonishing. Maybe it's a design issue on my part. I did some replacement parts years ago for my Clodbuster and the price was ok so I wonder if there is a mesh issue and shapeways thought they were 8ft tall or something. In any case, I have printed some with JLCPCB for now and am really happy with the quality.

Without a shapeways store, I thought it would be fun to make a website. It turns out that wrangling wordpress to your will is much less fun than I imagined, so that it isn't quite working yet. I think I'm allowed to share it here though, right? https://blefuscu.co.uk/

This is quite a struggle for me, as I find self promotion very difficult... but, if you were interested in one my models, I have lashed up an Etsy shop for now and there is at least a link to that on my site.

The software I currently use is Blender, which has been interesting at times. Cleaning these meshes for printing after free sculpting was a painful/learning experience. However, Blender does let me float somewhere between 3D modelling and 3D sculpting which I like, even if it's arguably not as good as either task. I'd like to learn freeCAD or fusion360 one day, but for now I'm just interested in what others are making with them... that seems like the better road for more functional RC parts.

Anetas and Accessorys.JPG

Aneta_A_001.jpg

Aneta_B_003.jpg

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Thanks!

That's high praise to me: I love the look of Farming Simulator. I just wish I had the time for it. I picked up FS19 ages ago and it has just been sitting in my library ever since.

I guess have enough problems with ETS2 and Snowrunner!

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Nice work, @Blefuscu !!  
 

Matt Hicks made Wendy for the M38... what is your figure's product name?   

Also it's going to take quite a bit of talent to paint the figure like you did..  For those that are interested, would you be selling a painted version?  I think part of the issue is the painting. :wacko:

 

IMG_Apr242021at92417AM.thumb.jpg.0be96b109eaf37dff4ab425894c5a31b.jpg

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Thanks!!

Her name is 'Aneta'... Hopefully she'll have a friend soon. A test print of 'Felipe' is on his way in the next week or so.

Wendy looks fantastic, Matt really captured something there! She makes me want an M38.

I've been thinking about selling painted models but there are a couple of doubts in my mind. Firstly, while I have the talent... I'm not so sure I have the speed! I need to take a run at a batch of them and cost it out. I'm going to look at it in November when I have a bit more time. The other issue I'm worried about are the cab dimensions for other vehicles. I have an S770 and a couple of parts sets of other cabs to measure up to - and I assume most cabs are alike as Tamiya only have one driver figure - but there are other considerations like competition for space with sound and light systems to worry about. I'm pretty sure Mr Tamiya 56536 gets hacked about a bit to fit into some of these vehicles. (That's partly why I kept Aneta as a parted model kit.. although it also means you can swap her heads round.)

Well, I'l try painting some up in November and we'll see what happens!

Thanks again for your support... at the moment Etsy are providing the opposite of support so it's nice to get some encouragement!!

 

*edit* I see Matt's Wendys are painted but unassembled... so maybe I could try it that way.

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Sounds great, @Blefuscu!  

Wendy has some range of movement which is very helpful when aligning her hands to the shift lever and steering wheel.  So that range might interest other vehicle owners to try placing Aneta onto their non-tractor vehicles...(?)  

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Yes, It's always helpful to have some wiggle room. The fact that she's aimed at a specific vehicle is helpful too.

I was asked on Etsy if I'd scale up my drivers for 1/10th crawlers... but there are so many interiors, and such dubious intepretations of 1/10th scale, that I'm not sure a static driver figure would be of use to anyone. (although I'll probably try it one day, even it only fits my dodgy scratch built Hilux)

Aneta does have a bit of range too, the shoulder joint is masked by the seam of the jacket/ t-shirt.. Although she could really use pegs in her joints like Wendy. They look much stronger and easier to position. Aneta doesn't need to be half as tough as Wendy though. I can't see her smashing through many sand dunes.

I'd love to see how she looks in a Lesu excavator. I'm going to need to sell a quite a lot of models to see that for myself! Hopefully someone will try it and send me a photo.

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