Hey everyone. Has anyone cast in resin or 3D printed a BFIST sight/laser designator to update a M2A3 into a BFIST? Ive seen a few here but all appear to be scratch built? Does anyone know of one available?
Thanks fo your input.
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I have built a couple, both by scratch. I drew up a tech drawing that may help you out. I haven’t seen any 3D printed.
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Gino, you’re always amazing. Thank you.
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A 3D-printed model is available (click here). The overall dimensions closely match Gino’s drawing.
I’ll post photos of the actual model later today.
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Very nice. I may have to get one and do another. One question, does the cover over the lens open to show it?
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Love it. Ordered one.
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Thank you so much, Rick!
Yours is in the printer as I write this. Will ship tomorrow (Monday)
Cheers!
Steve Larsen
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Good question and thanks for the interest! As designed, the model is solid with no moving or openable parts. [Edit: model modified to have a posable shutter - see posts below.]
I’d like to design it so that the shutter can be posed open. There are a couple of problems in offering the model with an open shutter.
- I don’t have sufficient authoritative references such as manufacturer’s drawings or good quality close-up photos needed to design the actual apertures or lenses within. All of my references show the shutter closed so that’s the best I can do presently. If any of you have access to authoritative (unclassified) references, please point me to them. Some good, close-up photos may be enough depending on what’s behind the shutter.
- The shutter itself is designed very thin in 1/35 scale, less than half a millimeter thick, and therefore will be fragile as will the hinges. Modelers would have difficulty removing it from supporting sprues without breaking it. Once on the model, it will be very susceptible to being broken off. 3D-printed resin is much more brittle than polystyrene. Thin 3D-printed objects break very easily. To offer a separate shutter that the modeler can pose open, it will have to be designed thicker to give it more strength.
For these reasons, the model is presently offered solid with a closed shutter.
Thanks again!
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AWESOME!!!
Ordered one too.
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There isn’t really much inside. The larger opening is just a lens. The smaller one has a lens deeper in and just looks like a black hole. I would be fine with a little thicker lens cover in order to make it openable.
These may help.
This is how I did my two.
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Excellent, thanks!
Design updated to include a separate, posable shutter. Test prints being done now. I’ll post photos once the models have been cleaned and post-cured.
All who placed orders will receive the updated design with the posable shutter. Here’s a rendering of the updated model.
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Awesome! I will definitely be ordering one now.
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How does this attach to the turret?
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It attaches onto the flat portion where the TOW fits, minus the raise/lower mechanism. You don’t really have to modify anything. It is a direct fit.
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Thanks, I’m not familiar with how the TOW attaches and will look that up.
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That is awesome. Thank you so much. This thread worked out really well.
And interestingly now that I’ve searched your sight this does show up on Scalemates, but sure didnt find it before.
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Thanks for updating to the open position!
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Thanks everyone! I hope that you all will be nothing less than delighted with the model.
For those ordering it, if you are unfamiliar with 3D-printed gray resin, click here to learn more about this material. 3D-printed gray resin is chemically different than injection-molded polystyrene plastic so behaves a little bit differently.
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Ordered. Can’t wait to get it. It looks awesome after seeing all the angles. Great job.
This is what is great about CAD and 3D printing. I have, on quite a few occasions, been able to have the designer modify the design to fit my needs better or correct a minor issue without problem. The designers are usually very happy to modify it and enhance their design. Being able to work with the designer and then quickly print the item is awesome. I am really liking the capability of CAD and 3D printing for smaller parts.
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