Large Scale modeling -a 3D printing adventure

Hiram Maxim was one of a long line of American inventors who were unable to interest the US Government in their products, which were later embraced across the Atlantic. It was not his patented curling irons, mousetraps, or steam pumps he is best remembered for, but the granddaddy of all machine guns, the Maxim gun. The British eventually knighted him, and their Vickers MG was a direct adaptation of his design. Not to be outdone, Imperial Germany also adapted the design, dubbing it the MG08 (introduced in 1908). Belt fed, water cooled, reliable for its time, it would serve through two world wars. It would be modified several time to lighten it and air-cool it, now designated MG08/15, ultimately for use in aircraft where it became the de facto standard for Imperial German scout (aka "fighter") aircraft as a fixed, forward firing weapon. 

Originally manufactured by the Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken Spandau Arsenal, it became known as the Spandau by its enemies,  and the "nullacht funfzehn" by its users. So ubiquitous was it that nullacht funfzehn became a slang term for something uninspired, dull, unimaginative.

As a long time fan of WWI aviation, and more recently,  a dabbler in WWI living history, it seemed only right that I add a "Spandau" to my display of artifacts.  But despite their large production numbers and length of service, most were destroyed by the Victor's of several world wars. Rarity, notoriety, and the legal barriers for full auto firearms made getting an original out of the question.

But hey, it's the 21st century,  why not just print one?

I had no such printer, nor a file to print, but it helps to have friends who do.

A few weeks later I was picking up a box of plastic chunks which, when stacked together correctly, would resemble a full sized MG. 

Like all 3d printed items, they carry distinctive marks of having been printed in layers. This would be dealt with by sanding and auto body filler. Since there are no located pins, and the prints are not perfect, a certain amount of test fit, adjust, remove material,  re-test will occur. First up would be the four slabs that make up the receiver. 

The project would be printed in subassemblies, as some places would become inaccessible after assembly. After all of the 'body work" was completed,  E-6000 adhesive would be used to assemble the sections. The "barrel" was a length of 1/2 plain steel tubing bought at a local big box home improvement store. Painting was all done with OTC spray paint, primer (gray) followed by a dark metallic, followed by a bright metallic, followed by semi gloss black (originals were "blued" in an almost jet black formulation) which would allow for some natural looking wear to occur, accelerated by some 800 grit sandpaper.

(Assembled)

By studying both original and modern museum photos,  I was able to add some color where appropriate,  the cocking lever handle to all silver (paint completely gone) and a few additions to the aviation model, the interrupter gear on the bottom and the Klingstrom device on the side of Brass. Note, the Klingstrom device made one-handed loading and cocking possible, a big plus when you're also trying to fly your marginally stable aircraft and avoid being shot down,  simultaneously. 

To finish off the display, I used that 800 grit to put some light wear on all edges, and procured an original Maxim gun cloth belt, which will ultimately be filled primarily with, you guessed it, 3d printed 8mm dummy rounds.  

I built a crate to transport and protect my plastic nullacht funfzehn, which doubles as a sturdy display base when out in public.

If you're a modeler, the sky's the limit in what you can create without either major manufacturing support or mad scratch building skills. Try it, you'll like it!