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Etched loco chassis


Chris Higgs
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Having had some (correctly sized) Dean Goods etched artwork sitting around for a number of years but frustrated at how long it would take to test etch, test build, repeat, add castings, get criticised for not designing it carefully enough  :scratchhead:  etc, and then to only sell a handful, I have decided to go down the 3D-printed route instead. There is still a bit to do (the difficult bits to be honest) but I have put it up on Shapeways for people to look at

 

https://www.shapeways.com/product/PT7JT3263/2mm-dean-goods?li=shop-inventory

 

hint: press the 3D button on the Shapeways screen, it's much more enlightening.

 

post-1605-0-18070600-1500024608.png

 

Chris

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Hi,

Very good looking render, have to say I could not find a 3D button - hovering over image produced nothing- sorry nodoubt missing the obvious, I can see 3D button on other folks ages however ?? 

 

I guess if it was printed in a metal bearing material it would gain mass for traction uses? 

 

Robert 

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Hi,

Very good looking render, have to say I could not find a 3D button - hovering over image produced nothing- sorry nodoubt missing the obvious, I can see 3D button on other folks ages however ?? 

 

I guess if it was printed in a metal bearing material it would gain mass for traction uses? 

 

Robert 

 

The 3D button should be top-right within the image box.

 

It would gain mass if printed in metal, but be complete c**p as far as the print resolution goes. The boiler is hollow for the addition of a weight, which if you use something really dense might well weigh more than the whole body printed in some mid-weight metal as used by Shapeways.

 

Chris

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I can't find the 3D button either but otherwise looks very promising.

 

Regarding traction, weight shouldn't be a problem as the boiler can be filled as with an etched body. The weight of etchings is negligible so it won't make a lot of difference. A copper tungsten slug (as used for making darts) in the boiler combined with a weighted tender would be fine.

 

Jerry

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Having had some (correctly sized) Dean Goods etched artwork sitting around for a number of years but frustrated at how long it would take to test etch, test build, repeat, add castings, get criticised for not designing it carefully enough  :scratchhead:  etc, and then to only sell a handful, 

 

Chris,

 

Ooooo... you have a 2mm Dean Goods etch artwork to hand? I'd prefer that to any 3D printed job - far more satisfying to make! Just the etch would do me, the round bits I can make myself. I'd be interested in a couple of sets. Please consider making these available as a set of 'scratch-aid' parts.

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Chris,

 

Ooooo... you have a 2mm Dean Goods etch artwork to hand? I'd prefer that to any 3D printed job - far more satisfying to make! Just the etch would do me, the round bits I can make myself. I'd be interested in a couple of sets. Please consider making these available as a set of 'scratch-aid' parts.

 

No, I don't have it to hand. I've still got to finish several parts of it, add tabs, lay it out, find room on part of a sheet, wait two months, find out the tiny errors that creep in, repeat the above steps two or three times, then there is something 'to hand'. And still there are massive sandboxes, a firebox, dome, chimney, safety valve, cab backhead to be thought about. 

 

Whereas the 3D print will probably take about another day to finish it.

 

Chris

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I did find the 3D button where Chris said it was.  Most impressive (but no use to me, sadly).

 

I must try and find time to get my head round 3D CAD!  :scratchhead:

 

Jim

 

I think there must be some browser issue with Shapeway's 3D functionality if some can see it and others not. If people can see the 3D buttons for other things on Shapeways, perhaps try searching for 'Dean Goods' on the site, trather than using my direct link. You never know, it might work. Or try a different browser?

 

What you see as a 3D model has simply been done as a series of intersections of 2D planes. As a mathematician I love it. Not only that, but as it totally parameterised, I could just redraw those 2D planes for another loco and out would pop a different body.

 

Chris

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What you see as a 3D model has simply been done as a series of intersections of 2D planes. As a mathematician I love it. Not only that, but as it totally parameterised, I could just redraw thos 2D planes for another loco and out would pop a different loco.

Like computer speak and electronics, advanced mathematics is a foreign language to me.  I lost the plot at 'imaginary numbers'!  (square root of a negative number for those not in the know)   :dontknow:

 

Jim

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Very nice Chris will it become available. Also what about a chassis ?

 

Dean Goods are one of those classes with a lot of variations S2, S4 round topped boilers short and long smokeboxes then later the Belpaire fireboxed ones. Is it much easier to create the different choices for 3D prints?

 

Don

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Very nice Chris will it become available. Also what about a chassis ?

 

Dean Goods are one of those classes with a lot of variations S2, S4 round topped boilers short and long smokeboxes then later the Belpaire fireboxed ones. Is it much easier to create the different choices for 3D prints?

 

Don

 

The chassis has been done for years. I just never got around to making it available.

 

Variations are easy enough in 3D prints. However the reality is likely to be that most sales come from BR-era models which means a Dean goods in its final form.

 

Chris

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I agree most people would be interested in the later versions. I was just interested in the possibilities offered by printing compared to etching. Presumably if you make the body available from shapeways you would make the chassis available too.

 

Don

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No, I don't have it to hand. I've still got to finish several parts of it, add tabs, lay it out, find room on part of a sheet, wait two months, find out the tiny errors that creep in, repeat the above steps two or three times, then there is something 'to hand'. And still there are massive sandboxes, a firebox, dome, chimney, safety valve, cab backhead to be thought about. 

 

Whereas the 3D print will probably take about another day to finish it.

 

Chris

 

Well, thanks anyway Chris. I appreciate there is a lot to sort out with etchings. All I need is the flat etched parts for a Dean Goods, not a complete and perfect "kit". All the rest I can sort out myself. Seems I will have to design and get my own etched.

 

Personally, I find no satisfaction in a 3D printed model. Horrible material too. I like scratchbuilding, kit building and good old-fashioned model-making. 

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Well, thanks anyway Chris. I appreciate there is a lot to sort out with etchings. All I need is the flat etched parts for a Dean Goods, not a complete and perfect "kit". All the rest I can sort out myself. Seems I will have to design and get my own etched.

 

Personally, I find no satisfaction in a 3D printed model. Horrible material too. I like scratchbuilding, kit building and good old-fashioned model-making. 

 

As far as the loco goes all you really need is a correct footplate plus the N Brass parts.

 

It is the tender you need to be worrying about.

 

Chris

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I agree most people would be interested in the later versions. I was just interested in the possibilities offered by printing compared to etching. Presumably if you make the body available from shapeways you would make the chassis available too.

 

Don

 

The round topped firebox would indeed be easier to do in 3D than the Beplaire, however every Dean Goods had a Belpaire firebox by 1927 so you are in effect talking pre-group (or the GWR equivalent) for a round-topped one.

 

Chris

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It is the tender you need to be worrying about.

 

Chris

There's a very useful article on building the various GWR tenders in the 2mm Magazine about (I think) Dec 2015-Jan 2016.

I seem to recall that the author also made some of the masters available for others to use via N Brass castings. Things like tool boxes, brake and water filler standards, filler cap and so on. There was a useful few notes on the various GWR tool boxes that I copied down hence my remembering it.

Oli

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I have finally managed to produce a 'proper' Belpaire firebox from the CAD software I use, by which I mean tapering fron to back and with rounded front, and so am progressing once more on boilers for the LMS 8F and Black 5. This should provide a more refined alternative to the whitemetal versions supplied with the Association Black 5 kit and the 8F I did myself. I am not sure just how much detail I will add to these.

 

This one is a sloping throat 8F boiler ('long firebox' to the unwashed).

 

post-1605-0-61432500-1500714635_thumb.jpg

 

https://www.shapeways.com/product/YY7E7Q2HN/2mm-8f-boiler

Edited by Chris Higgs
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Can see the 3D thing on the Shapeways image of the Dean Goods OK. Nice. Question: do you think you might get a problem with the thickness of the material reducing the space inside the splashers, so possibly fouling the wheels?

 

Cheers

Nigel

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Can see the 3D thing on the Shapeways image of the Dean Goods OK. Nice. Question: do you think you might get a problem with the thickness of the material reducing the space inside the splashers, so possibly fouling the wheels?

 

Cheers

Nigel

 

The thinnest these can be made is 0.5mm, rather than 0.25 for etched ones. So there will be 0.5mm in total in width to add. And 0.25mm in height. Obviously I will space them further out rather than risk fouling. We'll have to see who that looks as is probably will be necessary to do the same for the cab as that is flush with the rear splasher.

 

Chris

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  • 1 month later...

The GWR changed tenders often, sometimes twice a year. Some nerdone out there will probably know the complete sequence of tenders that ran with 5098. And the date the double chimney was fitted.

 

Chris

 

Turns out I was not wrong.

 

http://www.brdatabase.info/locoqry.php?action=locodata&type=S&id=5098&loco=5098

 

You'll want to be getting the correct tender no on its works plate won't you? The Collett 3500 fitted for nearly two years is an interesting detail.

 

Chris

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Turns out I was not wrong.

 

http://www.brdatabase.info/locoqry.php?action=locodata&type=S&id=5098&loco=5098

 

You'll want to be getting the correct tender no on its works plate won't you? The Collett 3500 fitted for nearly two years is an interesting detail.

 

Chris

Well found Chris, Castle paired with a 3500 tender is my favourite combination and being late GWR period means it will sit well in St Blazey shed which is where it's likely to run when not in my cabinet. But what livery - shiny post war 'Great Western' on the tender or tired GWR shirt Button?

 

Jerry

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Well found Chris, Castle paired with a 3500 tender is my favourite combination and being late GWR period means it will sit well in St Blazey shed which is where it's likely to run when not in my cabinet. But what livery - shiny post war 'Great Western' on the tender or tired GWR shirt Button?

 

Jerry

 

Ex-works "G crest W" would look great. My personal favourite and correct for a post-war Castle.

 

This was a Collett 3500, the one Peco modelled when they did their 2251. Not the Churchward 3500.

 

I'm not sure if I have ever seen a photo of one of these behind a Castle. There is a photo and drawing of one behind the prototype Hall in the Russell book, and elsewhere behind Stars, Saints and Granges.

 

This is something like it - actually this is welded replica body and is not mounted on Collett frames

 

http://www.theaylesburynews.com/images/7821_at_Loughboro1.jpg

 

Chris

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Next up on the list of 'tenders for the 2251' is the ROD. This one has nice smooth sides and rear, so should be easier to get a nice finish on.

 

post-1605-0-60203300-1516479721_thumb.jpg

 

post-1605-0-93686100-1516479781_thumb.jpg

 

post-1605-0-77956800-1516479808_thumb.jpg

 

post-1605-0-41799200-1516479829_thumb.jpg

 

A nice prototype photo of the Intermediate tender has just been posted on another thread, I am thinking of having a go at that relatively rare bird next.

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