A 3D CAD designed and 3D printed 1:12 scale model of a PreWarCar

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Wouldn’t it be nice to pass on a miniature version of your beloved car to, for example, your children or grandchildren? Not just the same model or type, but an exact replica. We came across George Zaidmann’s story in the pre-1940 Triumph Motor Club magazine.

In 2008 he saw a beautiful handmade1:8 scaled model of a Bugatti Type 35. He had just completed his 14/60 Vitesse Sports Special and decided to look into the possibility of making a scale model of it. He soon found out that this would be a very costly affair. Professional model makers estimated that if only one model was made, the cost would be in the order of £30K to £50K…

Time passed but George kept looking for alternatives. As he explains:

“Around 2013, I saw the first and rather primitive 3D printers being used to print objects and decided to look into this new form of ‘home’ manufacturing, hoping that I could use this medium to construct my model. However, I soon discovered that these printers were not technically advanced enough to print small parts in great detail and give them a smooth finish. Undaunted and patiently, I waited until the 3D printing industry had evolved enough to meet my expectations. The breakthrough came in 2019.

"The creation of a detailed model depends on several factors or disciplines:

1. The 3D CAD design

2. The 3D printing using the design

3. The painting of the parts

4. The assembly of the parts

The 3D CAD design

"To start with, I had to create a 3D CAD virtual model of my car. Needless to say, I was a novice at this and so began a search for a qualified 3D CAD designer. When I say ‘qualified’ I mean someone who had experience in designing complicated pre-war vehicles, which many of these guys did not have. It took me 5 months to find the rigt guy to take up the challenge. I had to take dozens of photos, along with accurate measurements of every part of the car, which was a very time-consuming operation. Each part was designed separately and put together as a whole. It took more than a year, and 130 hours of work, to complete the virtual model, but the end result was fantastic.

The 3D printing using the design

"The next stage was 3D printing. After consulting with several companies, I found that on the latest home printers it was possible to print small parts in great detail, but larger parts would pose a problem. Eventually, I found a highly specialised 3D printing company that printed my car from the CAD design in a material smooth enough to get a good finish when painted. Surprisingly, this stage was completed and returned within a week.

The painting of the parts

"Some parts were spray-painted and others were hand-painted. This part of the process took about 12 hours over a period of 4 weeks.

The assembly of the parts

"The assembly of the parts was straightforward, using superglue with a very fast curing time of about 3 hours, but carried out with a period of two weeks.

"The whole journey has been very rewarding. If in the (near) future it becomes possible to use hand-held scanners to scan the entire car, it will reduce not the only time but also the price of the model. For the time being, printing 'batches' of especially small parts that can be interchanged between makes and models can reduce the price and make the model cars more accessible to a wider range of car owners."

Making a model is a tremendously time-consuming job to make the model but if you look at the end result in the pictures you will see that is really is worth it. If you have any questions regarding the project, you can contact George, who will be happy to answer them.

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