Jump to content
 

Shapeways BHDA take 2


Recommended Posts

Nope. The Shapeways HDA forum went quiet too so......just waiting I guess.

 

I would still like to use it but they need to sort these issues out and is that likely?

 

That's what I'm wondering, have they sorted themselves out yet? I've ordered a test wagon, and it's showing as in packing. Fingers crossed. 

Link to post
Share on other sites

The material I like, it is crisp and smooth and slightly flexible so it is almost a perfect material...IF....they can print it without all the bodge ups mine had, namely it being warped bananna style and them making a pigs ear of the support cuttings, both by cutting the model by mistake and it generally being a mess that we could do a better and cheaper job of.....like we keep asking them to give the option of self cleanup.

 

The no or almost no sprue rule makes things expensive though.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I've put a couple of picture on my thread of a 4mm tram recently printed in HDA which shows some of the good and bad points with HDA.  Interestingly it was one of the quickest parts of the order printed which may indicate that there were not many other HDA orders in the system - HDA was packed before FUD printed items had started the process.

 

04%204mm%20HDA_zpsvwpnmp59.jpg

 

Simon.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I've put a couple of picture on my thread of a 4mm tram recently printed in HDA which shows some of the good and bad points with HDA.  Interestingly it was one of the quickest parts of the order printed which may indicate that there were not many other HDA orders in the system - HDA was packed before FUD printed items had started the process.

 

04%204mm%20HDA_zpsvwpnmp59.jpg

 

Simon.

 

Now that is impressive - how tough are the cow catcher sections? Although the support remains are obvious, that is still infinitely better than a FUD print. Looks like my wagon bodies should pose no problem them. It's the FXD portion of my order that's holding it up too! 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Well the test lime wagon came back today, no good as a wagon model but very useful in gauging how best to redesign to take advantage of BHDA. It was printed somewhat diagonally so that the corner of a dumb buffer was touching the base and the opposite corner up in the air, this has led to the side that was uppermost coming out very smooth and detailed, but the ends are very badly stepped, and there are random support ends that look like random bolts in the woodwork, some along the solebar almost look like they should be there! I like the plastic material very much, it's got a nice ABS like feel, and is considerably tougher than FUD. 

 

I'm going to redesign and try again with a more normal wagon, which shouldn't offer too much of a challenge to those in charge of orientation. 

Link to post
Share on other sites

I've put a couple of picture on my thread of a 4mm tram recently printed in HDA which shows some of the good and bad points with HDA.  Interestingly it was one of the quickest parts of the order printed which may indicate that there were not many other HDA orders in the system - HDA was packed before FUD printed items had started the process.

 

04%204mm%20HDA_zpsvwpnmp59.jpg

 

Simon.

That literally looks injection moulded! Magificent

Link to post
Share on other sites

I kinda meant where some of the things on this thread are shown might be for sale.  :-/

 

Although appreciated anyway.  Maybe the idea is to release later after more testing and refining...I know that one!

Sorry I misunderstood that...as you replied to Simon BR Blue's general post regarding it's availability.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Would it be possible to see a pic?

 

I recieved an email about piloting BHDA with the supports left on.

 

As I am awaiting a massive order to arrive that includes the Furness J1 I might wait but I would also like to try it.

 

I'll get some up when I get chance, I've already been attacking it though to see how it behaves. 

Link to post
Share on other sites

As Shapeways are currently my least favourite company on the face of this earth at present, what better time to post some pics of the one BHDA item they have actually manged to print for me!

 

Here are each of the 4 sides of the Lime waqon I sent as a test. I deliberately left the V hanger to test it's strength. Now as I said before, the material is good, but the people who deal with it less so. It's hard to see in the pics, but the buffers at one end are slanted, because they have had to take the weight of the whole structure, the V hanger is too. The worst finish is on the one end - that particular end is so rough I'm sure I could grate cheese with it, the finish is pretty much identical to many of my needle files. You can also see on one side some of the random support nubs left in the planks. 

 

30007114446_d99ab1576c_b.jpgXT2S5079 by Alan Jones, on Flickr

 

29957656841_98e4a10f96_b.jpgXT2S5077 by Alan Jones, on Flickr

 

29747021120_282706c12c_b.jpgXT2S5075 by Alan Jones, on Flickr

 

29957735351_3613850464_b.jpgXT2S5073 by Alan Jones, on Flickr

 

Now having seen this you'd think something like the pink portions of this would be no problem?

 

29747045910_38122b5ac0_b.jpgGER 5 Plank by Alan Jones, on Flickr

 

Well apparently it is! Rejected! Seriously the BHDA department needs to get it's act together - as I said in my email to CS, they can print forklifts, biplanes and a shay locomotive, but can't manage an open box with some lumps on it? Ridiculous! 

Link to post
Share on other sites

One reason out of two why I'm saving for a printer. Still need to research more though. Making the right choice is a pig.

 

HDA has potential if they can sort these issues out. Also that nice fork lift looks like it is made of sprues so so...yeah.

 

Sides look perfect though.

 

How easy is the file texture smoothing out? I don't think it is unworkable, just needs the TLC and smoothing we always have to do.

Link to post
Share on other sites

One reason out of two why I'm saving for a printer. Still need to research more though. Making the right choice is a pig.

 

HDA has potential if they can sort these issues out. Also that nice fork lift looks like it is made of sprues so so...yeah.

 

Sides look perfect though.

 

How easy is the file texture smoothing out? I don't think it is unworkable, just needs the TLC and smoothing we always have to do.

 

Not as easily worked as Fud, the material is much tougher, more like working ABS plastic. FUD impefections tend to crumble up and are easily scraped with a wooden implement, In this the imperfections are 'moulded in' for want of a better term, so it's needle files, sandpaper etc to correct. 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Not the greatest of pics, but overall this has turned out not a bad little model - I've lopped off the cottage top and made it into a beat up open. (the lopped off bits were what I used to test the butanone procedure!) 

 

The inside of the end was very badly affected by the needle file effect, with some butanone and a mk1 smoothing finger it came up quite well. I did the outsides as well, but went a lot more gentle and there is still some patterning, but not readily visible unless you deliberately cross light it to highlight it.

 

I've reordered my rejected Cambrian and GER wagon bodies. Hopefully this material will prove it's worth! 

 

post-21854-0-44387100-1476374369_thumb.jpgpost-21854-0-04768500-1476374373_thumb.jpgpost-21854-0-98989700-1476374376_thumb.jpg

Link to post
Share on other sites

Must admit it is looking pretty perfect.

 

I'm still pretty sure any loco body I further try to print will likely ###### up or be rejected though.

Still want to get HDA as an option somehow.

 

Have you been playing with 3D Hubs? I have, and one of the pictures that came up was a Furness/Cambrian 4-4-0 shown in a screenshot suggesting someone's printed one on a formlabs printer.

 

I have just had this wagon body delivered from 3D Folkes (via 3D Hubs):

 

post-21854-0-49524100-1476962841_thumb.jpg

 

It was printed on a much lower end machine than BHDA, but the crucial factor is it was printed by someone who cares, the result being the finish is maybe not quite so crisp as BHDA but there were no support nibs to take care of at all, minimal warping and doesn't look like the print line cleanup will be anything as bad as the BHDA version. I only ordered on Tuesday as well and it was just received now, on Thursday.

 

With a quick light coat of acrylic from the airbrush to highlight the surface:

 

post-21854-0-93260600-1476962844_thumb.jpg

 

post-21854-0-01608600-1476962990_thumb.jpg

 

Bit of work on the end stanchion sides needed, and a light clean of the corner plates should do it. It required a teensy bit of filing in the corners of the side rails to get it to drop over the underframe (Which is FUD). 

 

That was using a Nobel 1.0 printer - my next experiments will be with a Form 2 which should be an improvement yet again. 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...