Rabs Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 Out of interest - what is your 3d printer? I've just started using my B9 creator (see this thread: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/66521-and-who-says-that-home-3d-printing-cant-do-detail/) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Etched Pixels Posted January 13, 2013 Author Share Posted January 13, 2013 I'm using Shapeways for the printing. As its a business I need to know the materials I'm using have actually passed the appropriate safety tests for handing out to random adults as models within the EU. They also have a rather nice polishing machine to get the roofs smooth which is really the only bit that matters on quality for the etch over 3D print stuff. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 Sorry, crossed wires. I was asking kiwinewt what his printer was. Thanks for the reply though! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwinewt Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 Sorry, crossed wires. I was asking kiwinewt what his printer was. Thanks for the reply though! I hadn't realised that either... I'm building a RepRap - Prusa Mendel i2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 Cool, are you working in a larger scale? My extruder type printer would struggle with 2mm scale! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwinewt Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Nope - N/2mm. I'm going to start off my test prints with a 3mm extruder and then move to a 1.75mm extruder to do fine stuff like this Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karhedron Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 And a bit of GWR just in case everyone gets fed up of the Late and Never Early Railway... Hi Alan, Is the bullion van available for purchase yet? I have found a nice pic of one at the head of the CRE just after nationalisation so I would definitely be up for one when you start selling them. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Etched Pixels Posted January 17, 2013 Author Share Posted January 17, 2013 I have a complete set of the etches spare I think. You will need 2mmSA bogies and axles (including their 12.25mm axles with N wheels on for N track) to make it look sane because the real thing is very narrow. Drop me an email and we'll figure something out. Alan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Etched Pixels Posted February 6, 2013 Author Share Posted February 6, 2013 Something I've been meaning to tackle since the Stove R chassis appeared - the Midland six wheelers. Printed test shell (not yet with roof holes and compartments when relevant), etched sides and two layer etched ends with steps. Look ma no soldering 8) Also working on one of these, although I may go with photocard sides instead for this one. I still need to tackle the rather complicated ends. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Etched Pixels Posted July 13, 2013 Author Share Posted July 13, 2013 The car carrier is now mostly done. I need put the bits on the roof and do proper sides - the current set are paper rather than actual photocard sides. As with most of the 3D print I've been doing the bogies and the end detail is etched but done so no soldering is needed. I've also finished off the LMS bogie Palethorpes van. Again etched ends, etched ladders, 3D printed shell (which is just an open skeleton rather than solid ends or sides. The bogies are Farish and the other bits are standard LMS 50ft underframe parts. The Ocean Mail coach is also done. This I did a bit differently. The ends are not etched but fittings glued on - incredibly fiddly. Definite mistake and the M10 I'm building now has etched end overlays and steps. The sides are clear cellophane material with vinyls on top. The curve and the compartment walls keep the body nicely in shape. Thicker clear plastic turns out to be a real pain as it doesn't want to bend nicely and that plus vinyl becomes a very thick assembly. Dapol bogies, standard GWR underframe components and thankfully no roof ventilators! So far my conclusions: - etched, photocard or vinyl sides all work well with 3D print and avoid a lot of the surface quality and detail problems. - you can do basic 3D printed polished WSF ends but in N its really not fun trying to then attach end steps so etched end overlays are a big win and can be glued on simply enough. - With overlays you can also save a ton of money by making most of the sides and underfloor area open. It's easy to glue a block of card in if you need a false floor. So far I've put a real floor in the coaches. I may experiment with that too. - Its a big win being at assembly time to print with all the holes for roof ventilators and the like ready to go - FUD buffers work, but I always make them replaceable separate parts just in case I'm still experimenting in other areas. Printing the basic shell and roof as one is a big win for strength and ease of construction but does make painting the inside trickier. I've also tried printing compartments separately. This is handy as you can print say a generic 57ft bow-ended shell and fit the compartments to match the actual coach. In some standardised designs like many Midland and LNWR six wheelers you can also print half deep holes on the inside of the roof for all the standard vent positions and easily drill out the ones you need for each coach type. I've yet to experiment with a polished WSF body with FUD ends. It's on the TODO list. Another thing I found that surprised me is that while its easy to 3D print battery boxes in FUD the existing white metal ones are actually more useful as they add a bit of weight below the bogie pivot level. Alan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted July 13, 2013 Share Posted July 13, 2013 Hi Alan, I've been thinking about your baulk road. You say that FUD is too brittle for the chairs. I am wondering if my B9, which can do similar feature sizes and produces a semi-flexible product, might be able to do what you want. I'd be happy to try printing a bit if you don't mind sharing an STL file. Happy to discuss offline if it's of any interest. Best wishes, Robert Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Etched Pixels Posted July 13, 2013 Author Share Posted July 13, 2013 Would be interesting to see. If you've got a copy of openscad I can just send you the scad file that way you can play with the numbers and spit out various kinds of trackwork in theory. Nothing particularly secret or magic about it (and indeed to do proper baulk road not test baulks you'd need to correct all the constants to match the GWR trackwork (which I've got somewhere in the Broad Gauge Society data sheets). The hard stuff I've left for now - thats curved track ! Alan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Etched Pixels Posted July 23, 2013 Author Share Posted July 23, 2013 I was somewhat disappointed by the Farish autocoach announcement. I mean we've got a 70ft autocoach in N - quite a nice one so why Bachmann picked a very similar BR era one is a bit beyond me and its a nuisance for modelling many areas (notably much of South Wales). So back to the 3D print and etched overlay bits and I've started doing something about it and making myself an A44. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
min0me Posted August 2, 2013 Share Posted August 2, 2013 Would be interesting to see. If you've got a copy of openscad I can just send you the scad file that way you can play with the numbers and spit out various kinds of trackwork in theory. Nothing particularly secret or magic about it (and indeed to do proper baulk road not test baulks you'd need to correct all the constants to match the GWR trackwork (which I've got somewhere in the Broad Gauge Society data sheets). The hard stuff I've left for now - thats curved track ! Alan Hello, I too would be intrested in aquiring the STL/scad files for the 48ds to print this to O scale or even G at home regards, Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Etched Pixels Posted August 3, 2013 Author Share Posted August 3, 2013 Been finishing off some of the Gresley coaches - 3D polished WSF printed shell, etched sides and trussing, FUD buffers, and some white metal parts too + Dapol RTR bogies. I look forward to the day I can get the same quality of finish out of a 3D printer (especially in full colour!) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Etched Pixels Posted November 9, 2013 Author Share Posted November 9, 2013 Bit more work on the A44, been rather distracted by other projects but now have the sides, ends and compartment walls sorted so starting to put it together. Still need to do the trusses and a final 3D print with the roof vent holes and compartments integrated. The various handles have half etched holes on the back which I've not bothered with for the initial test. Also working on a companion A42 trailer to go with it to form a nice proper Welsh valley service set The other mixed media coach currently on the development pile is an Ironclad including Warner outside frame bogies (which also it turns out can be done with 3D print and overlays). Next job the coach sides. Not sure how I'm going to attempt the complicated flattening side of the brakes but for the others I plan to have a crack at vinyl sides with all the complicated early SR lining printed onto them. Need to fix the battery boxes a bit too - the size isn't quite right nor the position and they too need some etched detail overlays. Getting there bit by bit though. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Etched Pixels Posted January 25, 2014 Author Share Posted January 25, 2014 Been working on some more N scale bits produced this way. This one is the prototype for the LNWR six wheel third. Need to narrow the frames to take 13mm axles so I can put the proper 7mm axles in it, and also need to print the underframe details and the gas lamps yet. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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