F2Andy Posted October 29, 2017 Share Posted October 29, 2017 I am thinking abut the possibilities of 3D printing now the price of printers has come down, but are the cheap ones good enough? My first project would be a body for an N gauge EMU. With that in mind, is a resolution of 0.1 mm good enough? What is the best material to use? Is it worth (or even possible) to use a transparent material so the windows are built in? Anything other factors I need to be aware of? Any recommended printers? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpgibbons Posted October 29, 2017 Share Posted October 29, 2017 I'd suggest you start by using Shapeways before committing to your own 3D printer. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F2Andy Posted October 30, 2017 Author Share Posted October 30, 2017 I appreciate that is one approach. I was guessing people around here had printers themselvers and could give advice on the hardware. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium eldavo Posted October 30, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 30, 2017 Clear material will be challenging. The cheaper fused filament printers at 100 micron resolution will not give you good results in N gauge without a large amount of post printing rework. IMHO you will need an SLA printer using resin to get anything with good detail. It won't be cheap. Cheers Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F2Andy Posted October 31, 2017 Author Share Posted October 31, 2017 Okay, transparent was just an idea, so I will abandon that. From what you say I get the impression the resolution is only part of the question, and the quality depends on other factors too, is that right? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rdr Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 i have a pla 3d printer (extruded plastic), and wouldn't really consider it good enough for O gauge. SLA printers (resin) are going to be a must for this and are still pretty expensive for good ones, and you'll still have a mottled finish. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rdr Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 what you have to consider is the way the printing works. The common extruding printers lay a line of plastic that is built up in layers like a log cabin, and you can see each layer. An sla printer builds up the model by fusing resin with a laser spot after spot, so ends up with a spark eroded or mottled finish. This is the better of the two and is a lot stronger as well, but it's really slow and still pretty expensive, especially if you want an item bigger than 5" (125mm) in any direction. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegavs Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 I use a Wanhao i3 plus in gauge 3 and have had some very good prints but it would be to course for N gauge. Resin is the way to go but more expensive for sure. Look at the Wanhao i7 lots of people are using it to print masters for jewelry. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F2Andy Posted November 1, 2017 Author Share Posted November 1, 2017 How about something like this (link from one of the sticky threads)? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CTC-SLA-3D-printer-Stereolithography-SLA-Factory-direct-low-price-UK-stock-/322512520547?hash=item4b173e8563:g:htMAAOSwdjNZCER3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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