# New patterns for my library II



## Oscar36 (Feb 23, 2019)

Wanted to do some hard surface modeling practice so decided to model one of my favorite USAF aircraft. I think it just looks mean and tough and its history validates that. 

F-4 Phantom fighter jet. 

I was lucky enough in one of my assignments that my office was near the flight line and aircraft parking area. I had a beautiful F-4 sitting there as part of my scenery. A wonderful view of military might and slick deadly beauty.

Did the model in about 3.5 hours. Which means ugly modeling and a ton of eyeballing shortcuts. That includes slapping some procedural materials (color) to the model. So not accurate to a real aircraft in any way but good enough for a simple cnc pattern. I did have a tough time getting a decent pattern from it due to the length and thin areas of the plane. No plans to carve this but a fun exercise.

Bonus image render for your PhotoShopping fun.


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## Cncest (Apr 26, 2020)

3.5 hours...You have skills! Well done.


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## Oscar36 (Feb 23, 2019)

*Wrought iron cross with wings*

Another new pattern. I will be carving this soon for my wife. I am going to laminate some maple on to walnut and then carve it so the maple is cut away leaving only the pattern.

Only modeled one wing and then mirrored. It was a ton of fun to model but pushing my poor cnc software to the limit. It can only import STL files of about 100 megs. A single wing was 120 megs. It only crashed twice before finally importing correctly as it cried a little.


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

A real plane is the Warthog.


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## Oscar36 (Feb 23, 2019)

Theo, I got to see them flying a ton until they moved to Davis-Monthan AFB. They are pretty awesome aircraft. 

I looked up my model and its hard for me to believe I made this over 5 years ago and then I looked at the geometry. Yup, 5 years ago.


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## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

Oscar36 said:


> Another new pattern. I will be carving this soon for my wife. I am going to laminate some maple on to walnut and then carve it so the maple is cut away leaving only the pattern.
> 
> Only modeled one wing and then mirrored. It was a ton of fun to model but pushing my poor cnc software to the limit. It can only import STL files of about 100 megs. A single wing was 120 megs. It only crashed twice before finally importing correctly as it cried a little.


Holler if you want a larger one cut, Oscar. Looks very good, btw!

David


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## Oscar36 (Feb 23, 2019)

David, thank you. I'll see how it comes out. I have to see if I have any maple left. My lumber source is the base and I don't even know if the wood shop is open yet.


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

Oscar36 said:


> Theo, I got to see them flying a ton until they moved to Davis-Monthan AFB. They are pretty awesome aircraft.


Got to see Cobras and C130 gunships in action in Nam, would love to see one of these in action, for real, rather than the videos. Wicked cool.


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## Oscar36 (Feb 23, 2019)

I don't believe I have ever seen a Cobra in the air. I saw a C130 testing their guns near Hurlburt Field once. That gun really lights up the night sky. Real purdy.

Now Apaches, I saw a bunch in the air. At some point I need to model one but I am sure it will take much longer than just a couple of hours. 

So far I've only modeled two helicopters: a Huey and a Kiowa.


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

Oscar36 said:


> I don't believe I have ever seen a Cobra in the air. I saw a C130 testing their guns near Hurlburt Field once. That gun really lights up the night sky. Real purdy.


Nothing quite like having a Cobra hover over your compound. Then drop about a bushel of empties from about a 2 second burst of fire at a close compound being attacked. At night used to be able to see the Navy compound, across the bay, getting hit, and cones of fire coming down from the gunships. Then when we were at Ahn Khe overnight used to watch the ground firefights along the perimeter - strange, those always seemed to be in the same area every time we were there. Top of the list, watched a fighter look like he dived straight into the ground, then about 20 seconds or so it popped up a mile or so down further, then a huge ball of napalm rose up behind him. Apparently there was a fair sized ravine over there. Fun place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there.


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## marecat3 (Nov 30, 2010)

You are good. It takes me a lot longer to do a model than that.


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## Oscar36 (Feb 23, 2019)

marecat3 said:


> You are good. It takes me a lot longer to do a model than that.


Mary, not good but after 6 years a bit faster now. 

I joined a friendly weekly modeling challenge and gave myself a time limit of 6 hours. Whatever I made had to be within my personal time. It forced me to learn shortcuts and good-enoughs. It really helped my modeling speeds. Now on the artistic side and pattern making side I am still learning. Making a 3d model look good in 2.5d is sometimes impossible.


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## marecat3 (Nov 30, 2010)

Well I don't do them that often any more. For a while everyone wanted them but I am working more on 3d for the laser now and that is a bit different working more with gray scale. Some day I might have more time to do more with the modeling, I hope. Right now my job consists of bookkeeping, all the office work, and all the designing for the laser and cnc router. I am tired lol


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## Oscar36 (Feb 23, 2019)

lol. You are busy. 

I bought a cheap Chinese ~40W engraving laser at the same time as my hobby cnc. I just didn't find the laser as challenging. Vector graphics or half tone for pictures didn't seem as much fun as modeling in 3d. My laser is sitting in the corner and hasn't been turned on for almost 3 years now. Not even sure of the status of the tube. 

I know you can do some really cools things with it, but you are right about more fun stuff and not enough time to do them all. 

You have to fit in drinking "little water" in there at some point of the day as well.


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## marecat3 (Nov 30, 2010)

Coffee mug sits on my desk all day and when the coffee is gone then I move to water. I am working on a 3d wolf howling at the moon, right now, it will be for the laser. Lucky I have till September to finish this one. The wolf looks pretty good but the moon needs lots of work.


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## Oscar36 (Feb 23, 2019)

Vodka translated from Russion is "little water". Now if you are talking a little Kahlua or whiskey in your coffee you are talking. Makes the day go so much faster.


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## marecat3 (Nov 30, 2010)

I don't think the boss would like me putting anything in my coffee other then creamer. Plus the computer screen would get very blurry. I am not much of a drinker lol


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## Oscar36 (Feb 23, 2019)

All great points! I am experimenting with retirement so only answer to the wife. 

But really curious on how you do your laser graphics so please post when completed. I never really got into advanced designs. I can set the different power settings for the different layers but I mostly did photograph image burning on wood. Haven't played with any of that in years.


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## marecat3 (Nov 30, 2010)

The walleye was one of my first ones. The boss loves to fish. The dolphin is for a charm for a necklace. The dolphin takes a lot of sanding because it is both sides. I will post the wolf when it is done


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## Oscar36 (Feb 23, 2019)

Mary, Wow. Those are really impressive and that walleye especially took some time designing. Both are beautiful.


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## marecat3 (Nov 30, 2010)

Yes the walleye did take some time. Thank you very much.


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## Oscar36 (Feb 23, 2019)

Just in case someone wants this model in their library. I have not carved it and not a great model. One of the downsides of modeling in 3d and not 2.5d for a specific model that is long and has thin surfaces. Different techniques for creating good cnc models but this was just a hard surface modeling practice session.


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## Oscar36 (Feb 23, 2019)

*Great pattern poor execution*

I think the pattern carved great but I on the other hand messed up pretty much everything you could mess up and end up with something. 

Started by re-sawing some maple. My band saw is under powered and my blade is getting dull. It did not go well. I ended up with barely 1/4 in of stock after planing. I then set the project dimensions too shallow for the pattern and not deep enough to remove the unwanted material. You can see where I didn't have a very steady hand with my dremel. Lastly I had the maple wood orientation wrong so my bit was slicing instead of cutting the material. The long shaving kept clogging my dust collection. It was a mess. In the end I got something.

My wife loved it but I am not super happy with myself since I should know better on most of the wrong things I did.

On to the next pattern.


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