Marbelup Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 What is the experience of the group members regarding 3D printing of window inserts? I am thinking of designing some for the S Scale diesel I am working on. Fortunately, all the windows are flat and vertical, so I should be able to get a reasonable surface finish. i.materialise have a Transparent Resin material which looks like it would be worth a try. It is relatively expensive but the window parts will only be small compared to the overall loco. Are there any other transparent materials which are readily available from online 3D print bureaus? Any thoughts on how much smaller to make the windows compared to the window openings to allow them to be easily inserted and glued? I might try 0.1 mm smaller, but I could also do another set 0.2 mm smaller on the same sprue, to see which works best. I was planning to use Microscale Kristal Klear as the glue because it dries clear. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delichon Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 I have settled on Shapeways Transparent Detail which is much cheaper although it has a slight yellowish tint (not noticeable when installed in the finished model). As for clearance, in HO I leave a scale 1" all round (ie just under 0.3mm) which is normally satisfactory although for small windows there is a bit too much slack. For some complex windows (eg with angled faces) I may just shrink the design by a few per cent. Materials other than Prime Grey (my usual choice for bodyshells) may require different clearances. Trial and error may be the best approach though. It is best to design the window as a solid block of material as if it is hollowed out this will be visible. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marbelup Posted February 14, 2013 Author Share Posted February 14, 2013 Hello Delichon Thanks for the reply. I have designed my window "sprue" and uploaded to both Shapeways and i.Materialise. Yes, there is quite a price difference so I will give Shapeways a try. I have done 2 sets on the sprue with difference clearances, so I will see which works best.As the windows are quite small, I tried 0.1 mm and 0.2 mm clearance all round. Here is my design. The tiny windows are for "portholes" in a door. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marbelup Posted February 28, 2013 Author Share Posted February 28, 2013 I have received my glazing back from Shapeways. The ones with 0.1 mm clearance all round were too tight, so used the ones with 0.2 mm clearance. I just posted photos in another topic, see: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/8147-3d-printing-class-25-parts/?p=963510 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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