We love scale
We love scale! We love finding that next accessory as much as the next guy! But everybody with the exception of the most dedicated have the same bodies to choose from. Getting a different hard shell body just is not as easy as it should be. We aim to change that with 3D Printing.
Our hope is that we can add a new model every two weeks and build a library of bodies scaled to 1/10th that can be fitted to existing chassis that are available on the market. With that being said our models are free of predetermined mounting systems but suggestion lugs may be present and it is at the soul discretion of the end user to determine the best way to mount a chosen shell to the chassis of choice. We would love to try to print each model that we design and attempt to identify which chassis it may work with best, however we have to admit, as of May 2018, that is not going to happen. Consider these models "beta" in nature, due to requests and a growing list we are finding a demand we did not anticipate. That all being said, below is our mission and what we value. Keep in mind this is a work in progress, we now have 3 of us working model design, web design, public relations and the like, but we will make mistakes, when you catch us in an error please message us on social media or email us via webrequest@scale3drc.com and we will do our very best to make it right. Lets change the face of Scale RC together!
Our Mission
We are determined to encourage a higher participation of the community in using 3D printing. When was the last time you found a set of never before seen hard bodies to choose from being provided by the manufacturers? We want to change the face of Scale RC. We want to encourage and give permission to the community to use our model files and create aftermarket accessories like the world has never seen. We need light buckets for some, bolt on sun visors over windshields, side boards for truck beds, custom hoods for some....or all, hinges for hoods, engine bays, interiors the list goes on and on. We have already stated that we will not provide everything with our file sets and you whom have had that conversation with us can back us up on this. We want to foster an ecosystem of inclusiveness that we can all benefit from. We want to create the lowest possible entry point for getting into 3D printing for our hobby as well as display to us all our Shapeways offerings and be confronted with the question,"Do I get a single model that's perfect and in a single piece that does not need assembly? or Do I get a printer, some filament and start learning to print?". The markup on the shapeways files is the same as buying the printable files on our site, you just get a far superior model that will require a lot less work.
An Honor system
We also encourage/give permission to those that own printers to print our bodies for those that ask, we only ask that you have them buy our files for themselves and provide you with proof of purchase prior to the print then charge them for the material and time, whatever your market will bare. Or you could also factor in the cost of a Thumb Drive, the files and then provide the Thumb Drive, with their copy of the files and purchase receipt on it to the end user. Keep in mind this is not permission for you the printer to keep a copy of the files printed for your personal use with each print request. For your personal use you should be buying your own copies of the file sets. We know this is all on an honor system and some will take advantage of us but we believe you should be able to print your body files as needed for yourself and others, have one of another color for each day of the week, we do not put a print limit on the print files. Just keep it fair, we are pouring our souls into trying to create a real alternative for all of us and provide the entry point that many of us can afford.
Its a solution
Is this the perfect solution? Not at all! The layers can crack, sometimes they don't print the way you expect and you can be sure it wont survive a drop off a 10 ft cliff. However to our surprise our first full model was printed with 1/2 of a 1 kg spool of filament to completion. That is $15 to $18 (based on $30.00 cost of the spool, you can find it for less) in filament over 5 days of printing.
You may ask, “What if I break it”? Its not the end of the world, there is no limit on the number of times you can print the files you purchase for yourself, just print a new one and now have a reason to try a new color scheme, work on those finishing skills or try those new prototype hood hinges you spent a month creating.....not that we want to see landfills full of incomplete or broken plastic bodies, so lets try keep this as responsible as possible.
and again the invitation is open,
will you join us?