Dazzler Fan

"I have received a feedback about your complaint in the mean time, but I am afraid we can't arrange a reprint for this model. Quality of these supported parts were bad because of the design" In my experience I am with Ian's observation. I too think putting both parts on a sprue rather limited Shapeways options, and that is what they are referring to as "Design". The set-up charge is for a single STL, not for the number of pieces within it. They only prefer very small parts on a sprue.

Excellent final result: Congratulations! Painting and finishing will really show them off.

Worked on the original 16mm layout constructed by Nailsea MRC in the early 1980's. and I believe was given to Weston S/M Museum. Considered constructing Clevedon Town itself in 4mm years ago, but got distracted by other ventures.

I'm thinking the end section with a full depth of the skirt, and butting against the side skirts, with a nominal 2" x 2" block in each corner, screwed, would add considerable strength and stop a lot of whip. The arrangement you have does not appear to cash-in on using the strength of plywood, edgewise. May be someone else can see the same weakness.

Paul, what size are the wheels, Noel

Very nice.

Lovely job: Agreed the Blue is a bit light for Prussian Blue. Whose paint did you use, and what was the given colour?

Knocking a round hole for the base, is always easier than a square one,

Ian, A jig is already available with a suitable size drill or large size piano wire. While similar, a good method to make chain is to trap the end of the wire in a drill press chuck with a suitable size drill and hand turn the chuck with the wire building in along the length of the drill - if necessary, supported between the claws of pliers. Regards

You got problems in "O" with the duckets: I have the "OO" kit to build!

What came first from God - the track plan or the topography?

Nick, Thank you. I apologise for not being more specific, I took it as read that it was in the code, and not the language. Noel

Ian This project is very interesting to scratch builders. I see you share the stage with Bill Bedford at Shapeways. Checking STL files with Netfabb is available free on Cloud(Beta) (http://cloud.netfabb.com/) With the deposit method of the Reprap system, the current smallest extruder is 0.3mm - I do not know tolerances that can be achieved with the sintering method from powders. Some of the corrupt file problem may be this: There is a bug in Java (code) that does not deal correctly with STL files. The fix is at - (http://www.kwartzlab...rmat-converter/). Don't ask Kwartzlab questions on how to link it - with their own software, they don't want to know. Noel

Ian, Isn't 0.3 mm given as the minimum thickness ! Noel

I was given to understand that *.STL files are accepted by Shapeways from packages like Google's Sketch-Up. Ian, would you be willing to post a tutorial using say readily available Sketch-Up to produce the J-hanger spring?

Ian, Can the items be scaled to 4mm? Are *.stl files available for any of the items? Noel

Thank you Ian - I am not a CAD person. I already downloaded SketchUp and even with the very good tutorial videos, it will take time getting into it before I can produce anything that satisfies. With the add on for exporting STL file formats, this will be a very powerful tool for the scratch modeller. With examples such as yours, I would strongly recommend the set up to others.

What 3D software package do you use?

I read somewhere that the CAD software gives options for thickness to print. Waht 3-D drafting software do you use?

Ian, can you give some sample costings? There are several methods, and some are more expensive than others with powder etc..

I bet Max Williams at Lawrence Hill had something like that in stock. His was a most fantastic Model Shop for the scratch builder, right next to the railway bridge on Stapelton Road.

Very nice, would love to look throgh the library you found.

............. because the protoype has the same configuration of support members.

There is a similar tool for cutting strips of Formica for edgings, and that has two opposing wheels of the type used in glass cutters.

I have been researching and collecting for a number of years to build Box in 4mm, built the station building. I did a photo reconisence in the late 1980's, when several of the buildings on the northside, and the coal office on the south were still in use. I was interested in the culvert and cattle tunnel, because the view was to be from the North, with Box Hill rising in the background. I see a video on Youtube - of an HST125 cab view from Box to Bath that the scene has finally overgrown with dense woods down to the track bed. I was drawn as a convenient run to model between Middlehill Tunnel and the A4 road bridge. However, Cosham looks like a better option with the background rising steeply away from the trackside: interesting to see the coal siding served by Kilmersdon and Camerton Collieries.