Shapeways

I ordered some custom 3D printer models from Shapeways a while back.  I have to be blunt about my Shapeways adventure.  I placed my order with them and was patient to wait the allotted time of three weeks for my package to arrive.  The three weeks stretched on to a month and a half, at which point I decided to contact Shapeways customer service and inquire about my purchase.  Shapeways apologized for not filling my order on time, and asked me to wait a little longer for the models to be made.  I agreed and waited another two weeks, but unfortunately Shapeways was not able to fill the order.  I contacted them again and asked for my money back.  Shapeways was quick to refund my money via PayPal, and sent me the models I had ordered for free as a way to apologize for being so late in making my models.  I have to thank the Shapeways Customer Service department for turning a bad situation into a positive experience.

 

 

 

I'm writing the second part of this review to answer some of Adrenal Booster's questions about the quality of Shapeways miniatures. 

 

 

To begin with I have to say that Shapeways is not a miniature making company.  They don't work in metal or resin.  They do work in plastic, several different types of plastic.  When you order from Shapeways you can choose what kind of plastic you want their 3D printers to use during the creation of your models.  I used the cheapest plastic available, so the miniatures I received did not retain a crisp edge.  The matterial I ordered has the initials MAT:WSD, this matterial looks and feels like spun plastic.  MAT:WSD will not stick if you use crazy glue, you will need to use plastic glue to make the parts stick together.  I also ordered some clear plastic bits made from MAT:FUD, these bits feel solid and have more detail than the MAT:WSD. 

 

 

 

The bigest item I ordered were cannons made from MAT:WSD, which I use as Kannons for my ork army.  The MAT:WSD wasn't the best matterial to reproduce this kind of complex model.  Some of the model parts did not print out, and the detail of the cannons were dull, with a melted look to them.  I had to use some polystyrene rods to fix the axle, and I used plastic glue to put them together.  I was able to put the cannons together and paint them with my airbrush. 

 

 

Shapeways took a month and a  half to deliver my models.  I called them to complain about how much time they were taking to finish m order.  The Shapeways customer service ladies calmed me down, and hooked me up by refunding my money and sending me my models for free.  I thought that was cool.  I personally will not be buying miniatures from Shapeways again, but I don't discourage other gamers from using their 3D printers to make some pieces for their armies.