REPLIKANT TECHNOLOGIES [ MORE REVIEWS ] [ WEBSITE ] [ NEW STORIES ]

Built Review
135
Plastic Chairs & Crates
Plastic Chairs (357001) & Plastic Crates (357002)
  • move

by: Mario Matijasic [ MAKI ]

Introduction:

Replikant Technologies is one of the most positive surprises for me this year. The company made a big impact on the modeling scene with their 1/35 scale tire sets which all received excellent reviews, however it is their 3D printed accessory sets that are initiating a dramatic change in the model making process.

Usually, 3D printed pieces suffer from several drawbacks, the biggest being printing imperfections. These imperfections are tedious to clean and the process can easily result in fine details getting lost. Replikant Technologies entered the 3D printing world in cooperation with their partners at S&C3D, dedicated to improve the process and reduce printing deficiencies to a minimum. After several technological breakthroughs each resulting in a slightly enhanced printout, Replikant now offers one of the best 3D printed products on the modeling market.

Review:

This review covers two 1/35 scale accessory sets produced by Replikant Technologies: Plastic Chairs (#357001) and Plastic Crates (#357002). Both sets are to be officially launched and Replikant was kind enough to send me samples for a preview. The complete Plastic Chairs set consists of 2 chairs, and the complete Plastic Crates set consists of 6 crates, 3 pieces of each crate type. Also, both sets include a small booklet with info on how to prepare the pieces for painting; a very useful addition for most of us who don’t have any experience handling 3D printed parts.

Upon first inspection, I was overwhelmed. The pieces are small and very delicate with the intricate contours wonderfully delivered in scale, featuring loads of details all around, far exceeding anything possible to produce in resin. The printing lines on the pieces are miniscule and visible only under high magnification, so most modelers might even say there is no need for cleaning the pieces before priming and painting them. However, although the 3D printed pieces look really good, their surface is still not as “clean” as that of pieces cast in resin, and some tiny printing imperfections might show under a coat of primer. That is why I decided to follow the info given on the booklet and get optimal results with the pieces. The procedure calls for light sanding and priming the pieces (I used thinned Mr Surfacer 1200 applied with a soft brush). The second round of cleanup consisted of sanding with finer grit sandpaper and priming again (this time I used an airbrush). After the cleanup, I painted the pieces with Gunze acrylics, applied gloss coat and a thin wash, and finished the paintjob using a matt coat. The end result is very impressive in my opinion.

Conclusion:

Both sets from Replikant Technologies covered in this review are very impressive 1/35 scale accessory sets. Although I had my doubts regarding 3D printed parts, the samples I received proved to be very nice: delivered using state-of-the-art 3D printing technology additionally improved by Replikant and S&C3D to minimize imperfections in the printing process, the pieces feature extremely complex shapes and the level of detail impossible to produce in resin. Although the surface of these 3D printed pieces still has to be prepped for painting, the end result is well worth it.

These sets should be a great addition to any modern day diorama. Also, with 2 chairs in Plastic Chairs set (#357001) and 6 crates in the Plastic Crates set (#357002) and the price of only 9,60 EUR and 8 EUR, respectively, these set present a great value for the money.

A big thanks to guys at Replikant Technologies for this review sample.
SUMMARY
Highs: Nicely delivered using high-resolution 3D printer and with tons of tiny details, these chairs and crates are a true work of art. The complex shapes like these are impossible to produce in resin.
Lows: A cleaning procedure is needed (several sanding and priming steps) to prep the surface of the pieces for painting.
Verdict: A must have for every 1/35 scale diorama builder. Highly recommended.
Percentage Rating
90%
  Scale: 1:35
  Mfg. ID: 357001 & 357002
  Related Link: Replikant Technologies website
  PUBLISHED: Sep 29, 2015
NETWORK-WIDE AVERAGE RATINGS
  THIS REVIEWER: 93.37%
  MAKER/PUBLISHER: 93.75%

Our Thanks to Replikant Technologies!
This item was provided by them for the purpose of having it reviewed on this KitMaker Network site. If you would like your kit, book, or product reviewed, please contact us.

View Vendor Homepage  |  More Reviews  

About Mario Matijasic (Maki)
FROM: CROATIA HRVATSKA

You wonder how did this addiction start? I was a kid when my dad broght home a 1/72 Concord airplane; we built it together as well as couple of other airplanes after that. This phase was just pure fun: glue, paint, decals in no particular order... everything was finished in a day or two. Then I disc...

Copyright ©2021 text by Mario Matijasic [ MAKI ]. All rights reserved.



Comments

It was a pleasure writing about these... these were the first 3D pieces I had in my hands and I was very impressed. Stuart, the pieces are much more sturdy than they appear, but be careful with chair rear legs. Mario
SEP 29, 2015 - 07:57 PM
LOL! so the 1/35 scale ones break their rear legs off just like the real 1 to 1 plastic chairs do?! Good warning Mario. Thank you
SEP 29, 2015 - 08:30 PM
These are perfect for use outside an Iraqi cafe.
SEP 29, 2015 - 09:13 PM
That is supposed to be the weakest point of the 3D chairs. Replikant did some additional postproduction magic on both the chairs and the crates, making them much tougher in their final iteration. Mario
SEP 29, 2015 - 10:12 PM
These chairs and crates are great.. and not only for cafe's.. a lot of small store owners around these parts put a couple of chairs outside their stores to sit on with friends who top by.. and the crates would look real nice next to MENG's soda bottle vending machines Stuart.. what's a glass fiber pen? Hisham
SEP 29, 2015 - 10:23 PM
Hisham, I'm not Stuart, but I can answer that one. LINK It is literally a pen with a tip made of fiber glass bristles, like an automatic pencil. Useful for small area, fine sanding of cleaning. Useful for cleaning up soldering.
SEP 30, 2015 - 12:04 AM
Thanks for the explanation, "not Stuart" Hisham
SEP 30, 2015 - 01:00 AM
Thanks Mike! Yes. (I love this website! lol) First learned of fiber pens from Jerry Rutman's postings on Armorama. Note that most keep a small cup of water nearby to dip the fiber pen during use so that you are not breathing in glass fibers as they wear away. Use it wet. All the best
SEP 30, 2015 - 07:11 AM
By Antonio Casas - Modeller LINK
OCT 26, 2015 - 07:28 PM
   
ADVERTISEMENT


Photos
Click image to enlarge
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
ADVERTISEMENT