A snapshot in time. A glimpse of the Plettenberger Kleinbahn in 1/22.5 scale.

[Bernhard]

When faced with challenges like this, I sometimes wish I could shrink myself down to 1:32 (or 1:22.5).
Nicely done!

Bernhard

[finescalerr]

Good heavens, Bernhard, don't do that. My cat might eat you! -- Russ

[Hydrostat]

Warning! Text may seem snotty and boring!

Some time ago, on June 24, 2025, at 11:06 AM, I received a package containing numerous printed parts, which underwent various treatments over the following days, weeks, and months. Some supporting structures had to be removed...,




a few boards here and there had to be added...




some primer and paint as well...,




oil paint was applied unprofessionally and with unusable tools...




imitation rivet heads had to be gilded...




and the whole thing had to be glued together on the underside using the positioning aids...




just to present the results between sandpaper and enamel.




In addition to the seating and dining areas, there were also clock bodies, vases, and something head on.



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Speaking of head on - macro shots are really painful.




A lot of smoothing and painting was necessary to achieve this result with some glued-on cardboard, a self-printed decal, and two pairs of glasses. I'm glad I'm staying away from human figures. My highest respect to all figure painters!






To achieve smooth surfaces on the vases, holes are provided in the printed parts, allowing them to be clamped and sanded in a small drill, and in some cases even painted.




This resulted in a very nice cross-section of the ceramic aesthetic of the 1950s, from ashen to bright pastel colors.




Some of it was also done with self-printed decals:



I wanted to try it out and see what was possible. It's working:




This process is also well-suited for dishes:




This is what my work table currently looks like, but everyone reading this probably knows a similar sight from their own experience.




And for anyone who's now wondering — like me — what's the point of all this? Here you go:












The other two shop windows are also stocked; we're still working on the depth of field.










Cheers,
Volker

[finescalerr]

There is no longer any doubt: You have completely lost your mind.

But there sure ain't nothin' wrong with your modeling. It is overwhelmingly acceptable.

Russ

[1-32]

Hi Volker.
Your application has been accepted.
You can start on Monday.

[Bill Gill]

Volker,
You may have lost your mind, but you definitely have found your touch stocking the store!!!!
 

[Stuart]

Wow, wow and more wow. 

[Barney]

I defiantly have seen a workbench look like that many times - The bits and pieces for the shops Is a Bit of a mind blower feature
How are your eye balls doing after all these miniature masterpieces
Barney

[nk]

This is absolutely fantastic!!

The Zeiss heads had me flip over to YouTube to watch Kraftwerk - The Robots

[lab-dad]

Looks just like the junk stores I'm dragged through by my lovely wife..

Mj

[Hauk]

Fantastic work. A great example of what can happen when great technology meets great talent.

But to spoil the good mood: What do we really know about the longevity of resin 3D prints? This is the kind of work that belongs in a museum to be enjoyed by generations of miniature enthusiasts (I have no doubt that the fascination for miniatures will remain). It will be a pity if the resin prints start to disintegrate within a couple of decades. 

[Lawrence@NZFinescale]

A little reading suggests that the lifespan of prints may be nowhere near as long as we might hope or assume.

On the other hand I've been doing this for over 10 years and have yet to experience a problem.

Resin type, curing, clean up etc can impact longevity apparently.  If you want things to last a long time then that should be a factor in resin selection.

Environmentally, the things that tend to impact prints are heat cycles, uv, moisture cycles, oxygen and similar.  All of these will be minimised by a bit of care and a good paint job. It's certainly something to consider.

I have no doubt that passive, non-functional parts will survive better than parts subjected to stress.

My gut feeling is that 3D printing is probably a good technique for typical modelling uses, but not of 'archival' quality if one needs things to really last.  On the other hand, media like styrene are not everlasting either.

[nk]

Fantastic work. A great example of what can happen when great technology meets great talent.

But to spoil the good mood: What do we really know about the longevity of resin 3D prints? This is the kind of work that belongs in a museum to be enjoyed by generations of miniature enthusiasts (I have no doubt that the fascination for miniatures will remain). It will be a pity if the resin prints start to disintegrate within a couple of decades. 

In the museum community there is a great deal of work on this front as printed parts are used in natural history collections to replace lost bones, artists are using printed parts etc etc.

Searching the conservation literature gave me a list of 60+ articles on 3D printed parts. All this is to say museums/art galleries are looking into it seriously. Here is one article that came out this year:

Title: Considerations in acquisition of 3D-printed art
Author/Creator: Hamilton, Emily, Oleksik, Peter.
Journal Title: Journal of the American Institute for Conservation, pp. 138-152,  v. 64, n. 2 (2025)

Abstract
3-D printing (also known as rapid prototyping or additive manufacture) is increasingly common and technically sophisticated, and is used in art and design, industry, and consumer applications. Museums and collectors are now acquiring works made using this technology, though their preservation needs are not fully understood. This article provides an overview of the technology and related terminology, review of related conservation literature, and introduction to current efforts for the care of these works. Discussion includes the formulation of collaborative working practices, documentation during acquisition, and consideration of periodic reprinting. Case studies include a pre-accession checklist developed at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) and the reprinting of select components from Altar/Engine (2015) by Tauba Auerbach (b. 1981), which is made of 3-D-printed nylon and plastic on a table of aluminum, wood, and paint, at the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York. Though 3-D-printed works may be found in science, history, and other collections, this study will focus on works of contemporary art and design.

[Hauk]

In the museum community there is a great deal of work on this front as printed parts are used in natural history collections to replace lost bones, artists are using printed parts etc etc.

Searching the conservation literature gave me a list of 60+ articles on 3D printed parts. All this is to say museums/art galleries are looking into it seriously.

Very interesting! Are there anywhere articles of this kind can be read for free?

[1-32]

Hi Volker.
Very cool