S&S AXIS Coaster Model

I’ve been interested in model making for a long time, but have always been intimidated to dive into it, as I’m not very proficient working with my hands. I’ve always felt much more comfortable behind a computer. After dabbling with 3D printing during the lockdowns associated with the coronavirus pandemic, I started to imagine how far I could push the medium. While some model makers might consider 3D printing “cheating” or some other form of heresy, I saw it as an approachable introduction to an intimidating craft.

As a long-time fan, I wanted to take advantage of the resources allocated to me at S&S Worldwide to create an intensely accurate recreation of a roller coaster vehicle. One might assume that with official models and a 3D printer, you take the models, press the magic “go” button and WHAM, a model appears before your eyes. Unfortunately, not so.

I spent months of on-and-off effort scaling, adapting, and strategically combining parts to make everything printable, while still making it appear true to the reference material. I chose to use real hardware wherever I could to make it appear more like a model, and less like the typical blobs of plastic most 3D prints turn out to be. My favorite parts of the finished product are the plexiglass “window” showing off the spin damping system (yes, the passenger compartment can spin), and the craft ribbon emulating passenger seatbelts.