Another BREN-fan (introduction)

[erik3D]

Hi all, I'm new here (well, officially), and I'd like to introduce myself.
I'm a mechanical engineer by profession (for more than thirty-five years, oh dear), and deeply interested in firearms technology for even quite a bit longer.
My interest for the mighty BREN (amongst others) has even taken me to Nottingham quite a few years ago, where I was kindly allowed to fondle serial number 000001 itself.
What a glorious memory...sigh...

For a bit over a year now I 've been working on a highly detailed 3D CAD model of a MkI , purely for my own entertainment and education.
It has been quite a struggle without access to an actual gun, or even proper technical drawings of it.
However, this forum was a GREAT help to me, I've found wonderful nuggets of information here. So thank you very, very much for your generous contributions!

I've uploaded some of the resulting images to the photo gallery on this website, just keeping them for myself seemed such a waste.
If you do have a look, please keep in mind that my model isn't finished yet, and I know it is wrong in some places . But I may have missed some, so if you see any glaring, or even minute errors please do let me know!

Here's an example:
[IMG][/IMG]

fingers crossed I inserted it the proper way : )

Thanks again, Cheers!

Erik

Information

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[Woodsy]

Welcome Erik. Some very nice work there! The only error that I can see is the detail around the body locking pin on the right side, a very minor thing. I could send you a couple of photos of that area if you like. What is your model made from?

[erik3D]

Thank you Woodsy!
Photographs of details i got wrong are welcome indeed!
If by "what is your model made from" you mean a real material, there is nothing other than zero's and ones in it, because it only exists in my computer. It is a CAD model that I did my best to make it look like a real one : )
There are still some little bits and bobs missing, pins mainly, but most of it is there.
However, a few days ago I stumbled upon a drawing of a Mk2/1 receiver/body here in this forum, and finally I could see the shape and dimensions of the feed ramp, the area around the locking shoulder, and some other, until then, 'grey areas'. Assuming that those details are identical, or at least similar in a MkI I can now correct geometry that I had to improvise.
An early 3D model of that Mk2 body, still in white, is also in my gallery.
Sadly I filled up my allowed number of images rather quickly, so what I have now in my gallery will have to do for now.

[erik3D]

I've just filled up my second gallery with images that people here might find interesting enough. Hope you like them!
I've similarly modeled a Russian 56-A-212 (AK47), a Winchester 1893 shotgun, and more, but sadly there's no room for those.

[SNAFU22]

Hi erik3D, very nice. I have the equivalent of a neanderthal's degree in technology so, even though its not a dirt under the fingernails type of job, it looks challenging on another level. Can you animate it? Make certain operations functional? Could you print a realistic model from it?

[erik3D]

Sure, those models can be animated, but it takes a LOT of time to generate enough frames (images) for a long enough sequence at a decent resolution.
Only springs are somewhat troublesome, they, like all other parts, are rigid geometry, so for every frame a new spring needs to be created with a slightly different shape.
The models I make have 'real' dimensions (I use engineering-grade CAD software), so printing them at a reduced scale as they are will fail in most cases.
Thin wall thicknesses and details that are already small at full scale won't be printable, even on high-end industrial 3D printers.
Where I live (and in the rest of Europe I believe) printing accurate replicas of real firearms at full scale sadly is illegal.
But 2D images can be nice to look at and useful enough too.

[SNAFU22]

Thanks erik3D, that is too bad that you can't print a scale model to display. Even a solid plastic one? Still, I think your computer skills and artistic talents are impressive. I don't have any experience with virtual guns, but can appreciate the time and work you put in. When the Mk1 was made, a computer the size of a building would not have the power to do what you have.

[erik3D]

What I meant was that the 3D models I make are not suitable to be printed (much) smaller that full size.
Printing a scale model would require a thorough redesign to allow for the shortcomings of even the most expensive printers.
It would then no longer be as detailed and accurate as it is now, but it still could be a nice thing to have of course.
But it would be a LOT of work.

[Peter Laidler]

I would say that while your drawing is good, it shows a much later, say E serial number prefix onwards Mk1 A Bren. This was a much simplified gun. The progression from true Mk1 to Mk1A took place over 6 stages so far as I recall

[erik3D]

Thanks for your info Peter, I very much appreciate criticism like that.

I started my version tracing the line drawing in the background.
I nicked it from the inside cover of my copy of 'The Bren Gun Saga' (1986 edition).
That drawing, I think, is of a really early MkI.
The cuts and curves in front of the body of that version seemed too ambitious to model without proper drawings, so I went for a somewhat later, simpler shape.
Was a bit worried that the profile of the barrel shroud wouldn't be appropriate for a later MkI though.
There are more than enough photographs to be found showing this combination, but apparently that doesn't mean they left the factory like that.
Since you didn't complain about it being wrong, looks like I'm off the hook on that one : )

Now for what's inside, does what I have so far also add up reasonably well?
I know from looking at the Mk2/1 drawing that I found on this forum a few days ago that I need to correct some of my 'guesstimations'.
Relatively minor details, but I seriously aim to model it as accurate and complete as I possibly can.
That thing really is full of surprises if you like digging into mechanical stuff!

[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]