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LNER V2 4mm 3D Printed Body - Now in production


MikeTrice
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Hopefully these photos will help in discussions. These are of a reject body printed while my printer was playing up.

 

The recess in the body is at the moment dictated by the original Bachmann body:

IMG_3115.JPG.55a8ffa520cec16a7b0baa2dd7243c93.JPG

 

I have assembled the Comet chassis using the OO spacers. The chassis was designed as a replacement for the Bachmann chassis and as such it fits my revised body:

IMG_3107.JPG.b4271b383a2120194fa19d8dca21e3b6.JPG

 

There has been talk of the V2 splashers. They are present on the 3D print but as there is no outer edge as such any standard of wheelset should fit:

IMG_3108.JPG.4e89c23bf51877733ee53e1ec7041e96.JPG

 

The rear of the body aperture is wider than the chassis to allow for the Bachmann motor to fit. Using the P4 spacers on the Comet chassis the aperture is wide enough to take them:

IMG_3109.JPG.579196b23fde34f98ff68296b1c9a682.JPG

 

Note however that ahead of the motor cuttout the aperture narrows.

 

At the front the OO Comet chassis fits into the body mounting supplied to replicate the Bachmann mount (the apparent splaying of the guard irons is an optical illusion):

IMG_3110.JPG.bb2236b9574cee5c5329358147aba2a6.JPG

 

It has been pointed out previously that the Comet sideframes extend too high into the body which would not work in P4 however if the excess frames were cut off there it should fit with any additional alterations to the body other than revising the front fixing mechanism:

IMG_3111.JPG.4e8aa203bb17ff2e2eb2e2116cd48018.JPG

 

IMG_3113.JPG.76e70ee5ed9be1ea62881be8510b48eb.JPG

 

If I was to produce a P4 body for the V2 I would have to widen the aperture at the front and widen the original mount but this would mean you would not need to alter the chassis. Being too high the Comet chassis does unfortunately show where it shouldn't above the footplate. I have not seen the Branchlines chassis but if someone could PM me a scan of the sideframes, their thickness together with the width of the P4 spacers I will see how that might fit.

 

Hope these help.

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Well after a lot of false starts and material shortages production of my 3D printed V2 bodies has started:

IMG_3153.JPG.8cf2cdabf957258c4b95cf14d1fbfed4.JPG

 

Experiments to find a less brittle resin have proved impractical at present due to the general lack of resins so I have resorted to my original resin as experienced by Tony Wright. As can be seen from the photograph I cannot guarantee which colour resin will be available or even if the whole "kit" will be the same.

 

The body will now be available in 3 versions:

  • Bachmann replacement
  • Comet modified version for OO gauge (identical to the Bachmann version but with the front recesses below the footplate cut off - as Tony did)
  • P4 version (similar to Bachmann version but with wider clearance for P4 spaced mainframes. If the builder wants to use a Comet chassis unmodified they will need to file off the front recesses)

Please note that the P4 version will be produced after the Bachmann and Comet OO versions have been printed.

 

The kit will NOT come with instructions, not because I can't be bothered, but it will be easier to post notes later in this thread.

 

For those of you that have expressed an interest I will be contacting you individually by PM, following my posting of the assembly instructions, to confirm you are still interested and the version you originally requested is still correct. The PM will give details of payment method and will also request which address you want it sent to. People will be contacted as and when the models have been printed and in the order they were requested. I will also notify you when it has been despatched following payment. If anyone decides in hindsight that it is not for them and no longer requires a print I will not be offended. The purchaser is responsible for sourcing and fitting finishing details such as buffers, handrail knobs, handrails, couplings etc.

 

 

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Before starting I would like to iterate that 3D printed resin can be nasty stuff. When handling it in its raw state I have to wear gloves or it can cause an allergic reaction on the skin. The resin is hardened in UV light and will be supplied in this state. Once hardened it should not cause the same handling problems as its uncured state but should still be treated with respect and should not be ingested or left against the skin for long periods of time (for this reason it is generally unsuitable for the manufacture of PPE items). When sawing or drilling you should wear a face mask so as not to ingest the dust (Tony reported getting a sore throat after filing and drilling).

 

Tony also discovered that the resin can be quite brittle so do not be too rough with the mouldings. If drilling to open up holes increase any drill size in stages of no more than 0.5mm at a time. Both cyanoacrylate and epoxy glues work well. If a piece breaks off it can generally be refixed using cyanoacrylate. Halfords' primers work well on printed resin items. It is possible for resin prints to warp during curing. This can be fixed by putting the moulding into very hot water and manipulate into shape then hold under cold water to set it.

 

THis is what you can expect with the kit. A front boiler half and rear boiler half, a backhead moulding, a boiler joiner, two seats for the cab and two Westinghouse Lubricators. The Westinghouse Lubricators will be supplied on a sprue and will need to be separated to fit:

IMG_3118.JPG.69a78509b51d1191fa622278df8278c1.JPG

 

Both front and rear boiler halves have various cross braces in place to prevent warping. These should not be removed at this stage:

IMG_3119.JPG.406d7d1193a765142c70310b7027119b.JPG

 

If you have good eyesight you will note that each boiler half at the joint has a number of moulded depressions:

IMG_3126.JPG.2e471f580a2293873a185dd6263ecfd0.JPG

 

These are to give extra strength. These should be drilled with either a 0.45mm or 0.5mm drill to a depth of 2-3mm. Only the two outer holes are really needed:

IMG_3122.JPG.e3c37f0a687d6d768bd390ff4efcf1c9.JPG

 

With the holes drilled the joint ends can be flattened on a piece of 300 (approx) grade wet and dry:

IMG_3128.JPG.298e7235fc72f9797c3811031e675511.JPG

 

When both halves have been flattened check that they will mate and be in alignment. Now take two lengths of brass wire of a dimension to match the drilled holes and glue inot one half of the body:

IMG_3129.JPG.0324e6eba2306204c756cbd5f395304a.JPG

 

The joiner can be cleaned up and glued into one of the boiler halves, which one is up to you. Depending on the fit I have been known to use a peg to hold in place then using the long nozzle of the cyanoacrylate dispenser run a fillet inside the body around where the joiner meets the boiler:

IMG_3132.JPG.4a6090049b6221db26b5e72a02b4bc45.JPG

 

Once set try and offer up the second half and ensure it fits snuggly. I use cyanoacrylate but if in any doubt use epoxy instead to glue the two halves together. I immediately use a couple of paper clips to hold the two sides of the footplate in alignment then set aside to cure:

IMG_3134.JPG.82cb030d92072b22360b4f987bcdd5e5.JPG

 

With the two halves joined the seam can be filled using your favourite filler. Here I have used Humbrol:

IMG_3135.JPG.5571aa2021fe5232aae2f2425fe3c270.JPG

 

The filler can be smoothed using cheap nail emery boards followed by wet and dry paper. The body can now be turned turtle and the extra cross pieces removed with a razor saw:

IMG_3140.JPG.1fc79ade274921b80d1e024fdfb800de.JPG

 

The edges can be tidied up with the emery boards or a file:

IMG_3140.JPG.1fc79ade274921b80d1e024fdfb800de.JPG

 

With all cross pieces removed the lower cavity should look like this:

IMG_3141.JPG.d55cbc10b3530159db3ab3714c18d82e.JPG

 

On various locations on the body moulding there are some sprue feeds that will need removing. These can be carefully sliced through with a sharp scalpel. They will be found behind the chimney, the front of the whistle and there will be some on the sandbox fillers:

IMG_3142.JPG.c2769aaec87bc78b022015bf7d723660.JPG

 

The cab windows also have a couple. Start by separating the single point then the whole sprue can be snapped out leaving minor pips:

IMG_3144.JPG.29d99f52e20e002ca273ea09a31cc3df.JPG

 

File the remaining pips with needle files:

IMG_3146.JPG.5a591dda109f797a010c67b7b39b7ec9.JPG

 

The body can now be sprayed with primer. I use Halfords' filler primer which will also help smooth out any print lines that might be visible under magnifiaction. Any further filing and smoothing can now take place:

IMG_3151.JPG.b69ece95d6412e1da046597bb5f3da5b.JPG

 

Should it be required, further smoothing of the prints can be done using a fibreglass pen and the body resprayed. The body includes locations for handrail knobs and lampiron locations which will need drilling out.

 

Enjoy.

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Comparison showing the difference between the standard Bachmann body (rear) and the Tony modified Comet version (front):

IMG_3155.JPG.0129cbdec8fdaa02964ca6ea27c8032a.JPG

 

Something else I meant to point out if fitting a Comet chassis. The etched cross support is too far back for some reason (possibly to avoid shorting out the wheelsets) and will foul the body. The printed body includes a representation of the cross support in the correct position so builders have two choices with the Comet chassis:

  • Solder the cross piece to the chassis then cut off the extensions beyond the frames and keep the moulded representations.
  • Snip off the moulded representations and cut a slot in the body, or file the etching to notch it more, to accommodate the etching (as Tony did).

IMG_3157.JPG

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Really excellent. I first expressed an interest in the Bachmann version, but now I think it would be best to go for the Comet version, if it is not too late to change.

Thank you for your magnificent work.

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Hi Mike

 

If it is still possible, and you are willing to post to Australia, could I order a Bachmann chassis one.  No problems if not.

 

kind regards

Tony 

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12 minutes ago, drmditch said:

Really excellent. I first expressed an interest in the Bachmann version, but now I think it would be best to go for the Comet version, if it is not too late to change.

Thank you for your magnificent work.

Noted.

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8 minutes ago, trw1089 said:

Hi Mike

 

If it is still possible, and you are willing to post to Australia, could I order a Bachmann chassis one.  No problems if not.

 

kind regards

Tony 

I will investigate postage costs and come back to you.

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I know the following picture has already appeared on Wright Writes, but not everyone reads that..................

 

257929611_MikeTriceV228.jpg.6691fd1766408a1d046df0ff7e189432.jpg

 

Both these ride on Comet chassis. The further one has a South Eastern Finecast tender and the nearer one has a Bachmann one. 

 

The further one has a brass buffer beam because of my clumsiness in breaking the resin one when drilling out the holes for the buffers. 

 

These 3D-printed V2 bodies are really superb, and I recommend them without hesitation.

 

I do echo Mike's words about being careful in working the resin. Fortunately, my sore throat didn't last long, but I do recommend the use of a face mask now.

 

I think Mike should be congratulated for making these available. 

 

 

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On 08/07/2020 at 13:01, trw1089 said:

Hi Mike

 

If it is still possible, and you are willing to post to Australia, could I order a Bachmann chassis one.  No problems if not.

 

kind regards

Tony 

Looks doable but I would have to request an additional £25 towards the postage.

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Hi Mike

 

Thanks for that.  I might leave it then if that’s ok as it seems a bit of a waste to put such a great body on the older Bachmann chassis which wouldn’t even be worth the 25 quid.  I’ll have to stick with the Finney one I haven’t yet put together.

 

thanks very much for investigating though and sorry for wasting your time.

 

Cheers

Tony

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My body arrived this morning and was assembled in about 10 minutes. It couldn’t be simpler.

 

The main point of this post was because Mike had asked me to be a guinea pig for using the body on the later Bachmann chassis. In short, it requires a lot of work to fit properly.

 

The main modification was to make the gap under the boiler considerably wider, especially from the middle splasher forward. The front frames on the body had to be trimmed to allow the hook on the chassis to engage with the slot in the body and the drag beam had to be thinned considerably. There was a bar running below the footplate parallel to the drag beam that had to be snipped and filed off. The cab back head required a lot of filing to get it to fit in the cab and required the bottom to be trimmed to clear the screw for the rear pony truck. The front of the firebox required a little bit of thinning and in some cases I pared away some of the plastic from the chassis above and in front of the motor.

 

This may sound very damning but the body shape is excellent and most of these issues only apply if the later Bachmann chassis (which Mike hadn’t planned for) is used. It’s a huge improvement on the Bachmann one and I’d highly recommend these but be warned that they could require quite a bit of filing.

 

Although the body is much better than other 3D prints that I’ve seen, there are still a few ridges but I’m sure they can be cleaned off fairly easily with a fibre glass pencil.

 

39084DB6-9DB4-4740-88DC-20FD0BF9280F.jpeg.6e2c627aac66b0c7c4cc88f84b6b91e7.jpeg37355EE3-B199-4D18-8491-A980A2812B55.jpeg.f93462a00edb896b678796dcb79aaa39.jpeg

The body is quite hard to photograph at the moment so I’ll try and get some better pictures once it’s been painted or with a black background.44DBF560-9447-4E2C-8B27-1EA3B5EFE4D5.jpeg.425819bb4e981d327e77401367751d76.jpeg9A946FF3-ED3D-48B8-A367-214602A03C70.jpeg.76c6af707a11b29aaf287b8845fc93f4.jpeg

Hopefully in the last two photos you can see the (minimal) ridging

 

Jamie

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39 minutes ago, JamieR4489 said:

The main modification was to make the gap under the boiler considerably wider, especially from the middle splasher forward.

Thanks for this.

 

It appears to be 2mm too narrow based on the cuttout of the original body so it looks as if the later chassis is wider at this point than the original. The rear ridge at the back of the body parallel with the drawbeam I am seriously thinking of taking off.

 

I would be interested to hear in more detail the other changes you had to make.

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I’ve tried to mark the changes on the following photos to show exactly where I’m talking about.

 

From the middle splasher to the front of the firebox, I had to widen the slot by only a little bit (I would guess about 1mm).

5D8C3ADE-9F02-4125-94B9-CF810FC24A87.jpeg.d78b0a85e46508de202ce7cecd3d7ec7.jpeg

The front corners of the firebox needed a little but of filing and you can see the scuff marks on the bit of the chassis that was rubbing.

7CA3F89C-08B6-4D97-AF57-D190BCFC8320.jpeg.78802c5207bd9e86f1a25556f237ee54.jpeg6513A4D2-7BC3-43C6-A6DA-95B390CDBE4B.jpeg.232c066a2ca49d23c8417b1081c421d3.jpeg

I had to thin the draw beam so that it’s now around 1.1mm thick. I cut a slot for the coupling as I’ll retain the Bachmann one but this isn’t strictly necessary. The back head at source was too tall and slightly too wide. The width would probably just about be OK but I didn’t want to force it as I know the resin is fragile. I think the height needs to come off of the bottom because otherwise you lose the gauges. I filed material off the top simply because it would be quicker and it won’t show. As mentioned previously, I had to trim the bottom of the back head to clear the pony truck screw (you can see the screw in the next photo)

C9FAC100-CF92-4A5D-92A8-4D041DA21560.jpeg.8f978bb355ac336ff0b610c2527bf609.jpeg

I also took a bit of material off the chassis as I was worried I would weaken the drawbeam fatally.

B4F311EC-5A62-4FB2-AA98-C0039633F71F.jpeg.ac85ef6b23e1653284fab432d1dc8081.jpeg

The front frames had to be trimmed so that it’s 19mm from the front of the buffer beam to the back of the frames. I can see on the body that the frames were longer on the body when used with the split chassis. 

C098BB6C-56B8-446C-849F-E4E4625C2311.jpeg.4d37f39f8261e5a1631707fa65899710.jpeg

 

Ignore the triangular notches at the top. I was a bit heavy handed with the file.

 

Anything else, just ask and I’ll try and provide measurements.

 

HTH,

 

Jamie

Edited by JamieR4489
Clarity and better photo
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I received my bodyshell yesterday, very nicely packed in a strong box :) - many thanks Mike.

At first I thought that the alignment ring for the two boiler halves was missing, then I found it in the plastic bag of small parts; for some reason I'd wrongly imagined that the ring would be 1/2" - 1" long, whereas in fact it's maybe 3/16".  After looking at the above assembly photos again I can see my mistake :blush:

Mike - one two questions please, if I may:

1.  Could you show a location photo showing the installation of the Westinghouse Lubricators please, and do the seats simply glue to the sides of the cab using the tab?

2.  Do you have any brand recommendations regarding make(s) & type(s) of glue to use please?

 

Incidentally, if there is anyone out there who may be concerned about the presence of ridges in the print, if my example is anything to go by then you have nothing to fear - I'm amazed just how smooth it is :clapping_mini:  Very little in the way of preparation for painting will be required I'm sure.

 

Once again, many thanks Mike.

 

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