Then the skilled artisan heard about the time and effort saving benefits of 3D printing. In time Bruce perfected his art using traditional model making methods and earning a reputation for himself as a strong craftsman. From there the material is allowed to cool, taking on its new permanent shape.

The process he used involved heating the plastic until it is suitably soft, then wrapping the softed PETG around a precise car-shaped mould. The model car bodies are made of PETG plastic, a material which everyone is familiar with due to its use in soda bottles and common food packaging. Paterson originally hand-carved his moulds. The cars are usually models of actual automobiles, though some are purpose-designed for miniature racing. These are commonly written as 1/24, 1/32, and so on. There are three common slotcarsizes: 1:24 scale, 1:32 scale, and the HO size 1:87 to 1:64 scale. Most enthusiasts race slot cars that are commercially available to buy via retail, some build theirs from scratch to create their own car bodies and mechanisms from purchased or sourced parts and materials.

Pegs underneath the cars fit into slots that guide them around the electrified circuit. Slot cars are remotely controlled model cars that are used to race each other along model tracks. Now this world leading model maker has started to use innovative 3D paper printing for slot cars that replicate legendary vehicles of racing lore. Paterson has created more than 1,500 different car styles and 9,000 different decal sets. The company has crafted detailed models of legendary cars such as Ferraris, McLarens, Vipers, Aston Martins and many more in the huge range that you can find at their online gallery. Bruce Paterson is the proprietor of Pattos Place, a world leading source for model cars – both slot cars and model replicas.

3d print slot cars