3D Printing in 2mm Scale

[Sithlord75]

For what it's worth - one of the buildings for my DJLC entry.  It's a 3D printed carcass (on a cheap Aldi Australia Cocoon PLA Printer) with Plastruct brick sheet laminated over and trimmed.    Roof is Ratio tiles.  The rest is various bits of Evergreen styrene.  Windows glass with vinyl stickers cut using a Silhouette Cameo cutter for the glazing bars.  It's not bedded in, because to get it from Here to There (fingers crossed for June 2021) it has to pack down and so it sits on, not in.  When it comes back, and stops travelling by plane, I'll sit it in.  (And yes, one of the bits of glass cracked, and not in a prototypical way!)

 

I had considered paper, but my eyes find paper too flat and need the relief to "believe".

 

 

Cheers

Kevin of Oz

 

[nebnoswal]

thanks to Sithlord, I've joined the ranks of the 3D printing.  First wagon to be attempted (succesfully) is the S&DJR 10T covered goods.  I initially started using Sketchup, while easy to use, I encountered a few issues so I moved onto Fusion 360, which seems to be goto program here.

[nebnoswal]

3D printing is bubbling away downunder.  Given a challenge from Jerry, I made an attempt at a S&DJR 6 wheeled brake van.  Photos were limited, and accessing the drawing took  some time.  Its been through several incarnations as new information was received.  Its currently sitting on a 2mm MR 6 wheel Brake chassis.

 

[Lacathedrale]

Presumably anyone looking to get into DLP 3D printing is hanging on for the Photon Mono 2K at this point?

[-missy-]

On 18/09/2020 at 14:40, nebnoswal said:

Given a challenge from Jerry, I made an attempt at a S&DJR 6 wheeled brake van.

 

Crikey!

 

Is there anyone NOT doing work for Jerry at the moment?

 

Julia.

[njee20]

1 hour ago, Lacathedrale said:

Presumably anyone looking to get into DLP 3D printing is hanging on for the Photon Mono 2K at this point?

There are loads of options. The Elegoo Mars 2 Pro is already out and equivalent to the Photon Mono. Then there’s the Photon Mono X and the Elegoo Saturn which are both bigger print volume. 
 

Or frankly the original Photon or Mars which are just such an absolute bargain at the moment (at ~£130 or £185 respectively) it’s all I can do to not buy another one. 

[queensquare]

1 hour ago, -missy- said:

 

Crikey!

 

Is there anyone NOT doing work for Jerry at the moment?

 

Julia.

 

To be fair, I didn't instigate this, I just helped out with prototype info and said I'd have one if it came to anything.

same applies to the SDJR fruit and milk van that Tom E has just test printed. Both projects started down under, my involvement is prototype information.

So none of them are working for me but if people choose to do SDJR/MR prototypes then I will do all I can to encourage it!

 

jerry 

[Lacathedrale]

On 21/09/2020 at 13:53, njee20 said:

There are loads of options. The Elegoo Mars 2 Pro is already out and equivalent to the Photon Mono. Then there’s the Photon Mono X and the Elegoo Saturn which are both bigger print volume. 
 

Or frankly the original Photon or Mars which are just such an absolute bargain at the moment (at ~£130 or £185 respectively) it’s all I can do to not buy another one. 

 

I'm still seeing the original Photon for £270 on Amaon - where should I be looking? It may seem that a photon plus the upgrade with the twin rails  is a good choice at this point?

[njee20]

Elegoo sell through Amazon, much better to buy Anycubic direct or through Ali Express.

 

Anycubic site, Photon is $199.

 

AliExpress, Photon is £136, shipped from the UK.

I've got a Photon with the twin rail z-axis upgrade, and my stock Mars is better. I use the Photon for printing bogies and smaller things, but the Z-axis is markedly worse if I print full bodies. Plenty of people have superb results out of the Photon, and frankly mine worsened with age, but I've been disinclined to resolve it, as I just find the Mars better. The Photon Mono SE looks good, but I'd sooner buy the Mars 2 Pro. There's no right or wrong frankly.

[Valentin]

What would be considered an optimal thickness for a 3D-printed locomotive / wagon / carriage body shell with no bottom side?

[Sithlord75]

On 28/09/2020 at 16:54, Valentin said:

What would be considered an optimal thickness for a 3D-printed locomotive / wagon / carriage body shell with no bottom side?

We tend to try for no thinner than 1mm - and ideally thicker if you can manage it.  We've found that putting some bracing in, even if you plan on cutting it off after the print is fully cured, is a good idea if no bottom.

[-missy-]

Here is a handy tip folks....

There are many supplier websites about that can supply 3D models.

 

 

 

These are two I use frequently for work purposes. Traceparts is a great search engine for component 3D models. WDS is a great source for jigs and fixtures if you are looking for something to hold that awkward bit of stock material.

 

These can be downloaded, rescaled, and printed without much fuss.

 

J.

[Lacathedrale]

Does anyone have examples of 3D printed coaches? i'm wondering if it may be an expedient way to build up a stock of pre-group vehicles but I have heard concerns (as mentioned above re: minimum wall thickness) around look of things like glazing, and so any material evidence would be greatly appreciate.

[Sithlord75]

These are free lance narrow gauge (so 6.5mm track) which I glazed with Krystal Clear.  The wall thickness is the aforementioned 1mm.

[Lacathedrale]

Very nice - presumably the floor/solebar/sides and ends are one piece, the roof another (brass?) and a slot-in chassis underneath?

[Gareth Collier]

I've numerous 3D printed coaches covering the SECR and GER all made available by Simon Dawson on Shapeways with a link to one here: https://www.shapeways.com/product/B3M8LG4WY/o-148-secr-6w-pushpull-coach-first-1?optionId=64981384

 

I don't have any photos of the SECR ones to hand but here is an example of a GER one:

 

Building is very simple as it all comes in one piece. The only additional parts here are the handrails/door handles and buffers although the print does come with buffers, I just prefer turned brass ones as it's easy to snag and snap off a printed buffer. 

To get it up and running I solder up 2mm SA W-irons like below (ignore the wheelset). I attach them to a false floor and slide them between the printed W-irons which just happen to be the exact width for a snug fit.

 

The sides are very thin and are glazed with acetate sheet.

 

 

[Sithlord75]

2 hours ago, Lacathedrale said:

Very nice - presumably the floor/solebar/sides and ends are one piece, the roof another (brass?) and a slot-in chassis underneath?

Sides, interior and solebar one print.  Runs on a Microtrains Nn3 boxcar chassis (which needed a bit of filing as I had mucked up the measurements).  Roof another print with pilot holes printed in it with plastic gas light fittings from the association shop (I think Ultima originally).  Footboards from scrap etch and staples.

[Ian Morgan]

This is the ex-NLR 4 compartment First that ended up on the Isle of Wight (one compartment was down-graded when it arrived on the island). In Freshwater, Yarmouth and Newport Railway ownership it retained its varnished teak livery, with the company Garter in the middle of the coach side.

 

The body is from Etched Pixels. The body sides and roof are a single 3D print, including door handles and grab rails. I have mounted it on the correct David Eveleigh chassis. The beading is a bit too pronounced, but I can live with it. I initially fitted glazing behind the window cutouts, but I have since filled the window spaces with UV cure glue/filler to make them more flush.

 

 

Edited June 23, 2023 by Ian Morgan
re-loaded images

[Lacathedrale]

I'm convinced! Thank you all,

[justin1985]

10 hours ago, Gareth Collier said:

I've numerous 3D printed coaches covering the SECR and GER all made available by Simon Dawson on Shapeways with a link to one here: https://www.shapeways.com/product/B3M8LG4WY/o-148-secr-6w-pushpull-coach-first-1?optionId=64981384

 

I don't have any photos of the SECR ones to hand but here is an example of a GER one:

 

 

This looks amazing Gareth! How did you do the lettering?

 

Justin

[Gareth Collier]

10 hours ago, justin1985 said:

How did you do the lettering?

 

In a previous life I dabbled in 'OO' and still have a few sheets of HMRS Southern/LSWR  transfer sheet 9. There are numerous 'luggage' transfers which are handy as are the small numbers.

[rue_d_etropal]

Quote

I've numerous 3D printed coaches covering the SECR and GER all made available by Simon Dawson on Shapeways with a link to one here: https://www.shapeways.com/product/B3M8LG4WY/o-148-secr-6w-pushpull-coach-first-1?optionId=64981384

 

I don't have any photos of the SECR ones to hand but here is an example of a GER one:

 

Building is very simple as it all comes in one piece. The only additional parts here are the handrails/door handles and buffers although the print does come with buffers, I just prefer turned brass ones as it's easy to snag and snap off a printed buffer. 

To get it up and running I solder up 2mm SA W-irons like below (ignore the wheelset). I attach them to a false floor and slide them between the printed W-irons which just happen to be the exact width for a snug fit.

 

The sides are very thin and are glazed with acetate sheet.

Thanks Gareth, your ideas on internal fitting of wheels is exactly what I have been trying to tell people about.

[Valentin]

They say "Less is More".

 

 

I have seen 3D designs having a support for every single bit of their downwards facing surfaces. I did multiple prints of the same model at different orientations, resolutions, antialiasing settings. for some of these prints, I used the aforementioned approach; for the rest I manually added far less supports, choosing only the points where I considered necessary. I couldn't see any major difference in the final product, apart from the time consumed with removing the supports, between the two approaches.

 

So, why some modellers choose to add so many supports?

 

3D printer: ANYCUBIC Photon S

Resin: ANYCUBIC Green Translucent (came with the printer)

[justin1985]

8 hours ago, Valentin said:

 

So, why some modellers choose to add so many supports?

 

 

I think balanced support is much more important than number of supports - but thinking through how that will play out through the print process can be tricky on some shapes (especially closed shapes at angles) - so it can be tempting to just pepper hidden surfaces with as much support as possible. I certainly have had prints I've rejected because insufficient supports led to flat elements of designs coming out far from flat (e.g. bottom edge of wagons looking banana shaped). 

 

I certainly tend to cover the hidden bottom of wagons, for example, with lots and lots of supports - but on an object that doesn't have an obvious hidden face that would provide much support, I'm much more discerning in placing fewer supports more carefully. 

 

J

[richbrummitt]

Does anyone have RCH/GWR axle boxes ready to print? Preferably 9” journals but anything is better than nothing. 
 

I’m in need of some because I didn’t think through the horse box chassis that I’m building. They’re too far along to go for the etched ones. It seems to be one major type the 2mmSA shop doesn’t yet have to hand for print.