TheSamba.com :: View topic

Sun Aug 21, 2022 10:53 pm

das20v wrote: Happy New Years everyone. A few minutes ago, I discovered that Revell is making a T1 Samba in 1/16 scale, to be released in September 2015. I don't know if it's a Barndoor, but it probably is. They released a new 1/24 Barndoor model recently.

Disapointing, because that was the goal of this project exactly, in 1/16th scale, before they even released a 1/24th version. If I had more time to work on this project, I could have completed this much sooner. I will carry on with finishing the engine at least, and go into making some of these available. I am sure the engine will be way more accurate than Revell's version, unless their designer has been following this forum!

I have built the 1/16 Revell Samba and I also have their panel van. The engine detail in this kit is disappointing. Also the kits are based on 1963(ish) model so not much of BD there. In my opinion the absolute best kit to use if you want a nicely detailed early engine and transmission is the Tamiya 1/16 Kubelwagen. I built the Kubel recently and took lots of silicon molds of the engine/transmission. I'm planning to do a 1949 BD prototype in the near future so the molds will come in handy.

Mon Apr 07, 2025 1:10 am

das20v wrote: This is a sample of the rear engine lid. I did this in Solidworks, and the output will be 1:16 scale. The sheet metal thickness is thick (0.320" in real life size), but will end up being about .020" thick in 1:16 scale due to model building materials and strength required. I appreciate any help I can get, this forum is a wealth of info for this project already, so I'll try not to bother everyone with questions too often.

What a great thread! I don't know how I missed it first time round. I stumbled on it whilst looking for dimensions of a barndoor engine lid (fur building a full sized one in steel). These appear to have been supplied for this thread, but I cannot locate them anywhere - can anyone help me out with a copy please? Did this model ever get finished?

Cheers, Dave

Thu Jul 17, 2025 2:12 pm

Undis wrote: I have built the 1/16 Revell Samba and I also have their panel van. The engine detail in this kit is disappointing. Also the kits are based on 1963(ish) model so not much of BD there. In my opinion the absolute best kit to use if you want a nicely detailed early engine and transmission is the Tamiya 1/16 Kubelwagen. I built the Kubel recently and took lots of silicon molds of the engine/transmission. I'm planning to do a 1949 BD prototype in the near future so the molds will come in handy.

I also have the Tamiya Kubel. A much better engine than Revell, but this one is supposed to be better than that one. I am going to bring this project back to life.

Thu Jul 17, 2025 2:16 pm

bally wrote: These appear to have been supplied for this thread, but I cannot locate them anywhere - can anyone help me out with a copy please? Did this model ever get finished?

Cheers, Dave

Sorry Dave, the activity on this CAD model has been dormant for over a decade, and sad news in my follow-up post. Thank you for the kind words.

-Eric

Thu Jul 17, 2025 2:47 pm

Hello all,

This project started over 12 years ago. It was very ambitious of me, but I was determined. I tend to be a perfectionist, but there were 2 things that bothered me.

1) This was a virtual experiment with the help of some really REALLY good guys from all over the world. I knew I wasn't making the model as accurate as it should be, and the further I got into it, parts weren't matching up how they should, and certain things didn't look the way they should. Once you get too far in, it is hard to go back and make corrections without screwing everything else up.

2) The work I was attempting was ahead of the current technology curve. At least from the amateur standpoint, it was extremely cost-prohibitive to purchase the needed cutting-edge equipment for a silly Barn Door model.

So after coming to the conclusion that I should halt efforts until a time that I can use new technology and new techniques to not only continue, but to actually finish. I stored the CAD model on an external hard-drive for safe keeping, and there it sat for a decade.

Then disaster struck! I lost the power supply for the hard drive, and looked around for a plug that matched. I found my Dymo printer had the same plug, so I tried to use it. It ruined my hard-drive. OOPS!!!! Voltage was double of what it should have been. Lesson learned, don't be a dummy like me. Long story short, I spent a large sum of money with a data recovery "expert", which was unsuccessful. A decade of data and files is now gone, including all of the work here.

But the good news:
1) I will start over from scratch
2) Better technology is available now
3) New techniques

Yes, it is painful, but I will start over from scratch. Everything. And from here and onwards, I will keep duplicate backups.

On the technology front, I have an extremely accurate 3D scanner now. And I know how to use it effectively. I also have a good 3D printer. I will start searching for local-ish artifacts to scan (body panels, interior, engines and engine parts. Hopefully there's something in my area to work with. Otherwise I still have all my emails from a decade ago from all the help I received.

And that old way I was using photos and lots of guesswork, now I have some new (proven) techniques to use photos to extract shapes and dimensions. Photos don't lie. I am able to remove the perspective effect, as well as flattening of surfaces to obtain true edge profiles, etc.

I can't wait to get back on this, but I now have a young daughter, so spare time will be hard to find. But I will.

Thank you to everyone who has helped me in the past (you know who you are), I started reaching out via email about my data loss.

Check back on this once in a while guys!

-Eric

Thu Jul 17, 2025 5:42 pm

Good to hear this news! But also sad to hear this news!

Thanks for the update Eric, be good to see the future progress of this project!

Thu Jul 17, 2025 6:49 pm

Have a look at my GrabCAD. May be of some help.
https://grabcad.com/the.nova.scotia.barndoor-1

Most of the lower chassis is there in dimensional accurate models. Starting upper body now and will add parts as I restore my bus. Plan is a complete bus model when I complete the restoration.

What cad software will you be using? I would be interested in scan data to help verify some complex parts.

Thu Jul 17, 2025 7:44 pm

sgellis wrote: Have a look at my GrabCAD.
I did!

Wow, we need to have a chat. All of this would have been my next bit to tackle after completing the engine. Excellent job!!!!

I need to find someone nearby that has a Barndoor so I can start scanning.

Sat Jul 19, 2025 5:17 am

Wow Eric, so sorry about your lost data. I think many of us have lost data from time to time. But yet another reminder to: as I say to my engineering design students "back up, back up, back up". Some of my colleagues tell me "but it's in the cloud you don't need to back up". I say bull, just back it up anyway. Yes technology is better and better everyday but I will recall having family photos on a Microsoft cloud based storage and I was unable to gain access permanently. I love the scanner idea as that technology has been improving also. Some of my students are using scanner software on their phones and they said they are having good results. I have refrained from ordering hand held scanners because they were too low in resolution but I may try some of the phone models that my students are using. What type of scanner are you using or are others here using?

Very happy you have a child now and that you got up, dusted yourself off and going back to the project. BTW I'm very happy with Bambu 3D printers and my school just bought us a Makerbot Method XL printer with dissolvable support filament. But this week my students (summer classes) informed me that even the cheapest Bambu printer can support disavowable support filament which I'm investigating.

Keep up the great work, it's very inspiring.
Linda

das20v wrote: Hello all,

This project started over 12 years ago. It was very ambitious of me, but I was determined. I tend to be a perfectionist, but there were 2 things that bothered me.

1) This was a virtual experiment with the help of some really REALLY good guys from all over the world. I knew I wasn't making the model as accurate as it should be, and the further I got into it, parts weren't matching up how they should, and certain things didn't look the way they should. Once you get too far in, it is hard to go back and make corrections without screwing everything else up.

2) The work I was attempting was ahead of the current technology curve. At least from the amateur standpoint, it was extremely cost-prohibitive to purchase the needed cutting-edge equipment for a silly Barn Door model.

So after coming to the conclusion that I should halt efforts until a time that I can use new technology and new techniques to not only continue, but to actually finish. I stored the CAD model on an external hard-drive for safe keeping, and there it sat for a decade.

Then disaster struck! I lost the power supply for the hard drive, and looked around for a plug that matched. I found my Dymo printer had the same plug, so I tried to use it. It ruined my hard-drive. OOPS!!!! Voltage was double of what it should have been. Lesson learned, don't be a dummy like me. Long story short, I spent a large sum of money with a data recovery "expert", which was unsuccessful. A decade of data and files is now gone, including all of the work here.

But the good news:
1) I will start over from scratch
2) Better technology is available now
3) New techniques

Yes, it is painful, but I will start over from scratch. Everything. And from here and onwards, I will keep duplicate backups.

On the technology front, I have an extremely accurate 3D scanner now. And I know how to use it effectively. I also have a good 3D printer. I will start searching for local-ish artifacts to scan (body panels, interior, engines and engine parts. Hopefully there's something in my area to work with. Otherwise I still have all my emails from a decade ago from all the help I received.

And that old way I was using photos and lots of guesswork, now I have some new (proven) techniques to use photos to extract shapes and dimensions. Photos don't lie. I am able to remove the perspective effect, as well as flattening of surfaces to obtain true edge profiles, etc.

I can't wait to get back on this, but I now have a young daughter, so spare time will be hard to find. But I will.

Thank you to everyone who has helped me in the past (you know who you are), I started reaching out via email about my data loss.

Check back on this once in a while guys!

-Eric

Mon Jul 21, 2025 2:01 pm

I would recommend Freecad as the software solution. It is free, open source, and allows you total control locally. Use Github to host offline files. Make yourself a two or more drive RAID (redundant array of inexpensive drives) for local file access, but keep your Github files up to date.

Here is a Youtube interview I did about Free Open Source CAD software relating to open source 3D printing: