What's on your 3mm workbench

[maridunian]

A little fettling to fit the 0-8-0 chassis, noted so the fettles can be incorporated into the design, then the Nasmyth was off to the Isopropyl alcohol bath to soak for a few hours, interspersed with some light scrubbing with an old toothbrush. A more thorough scrub after that, then into hottish (70°C) water and washing up liquid for an hour or so to finish. Shapeways' recommended cleaning process is given here. 

 

 

Buffer beams fitted and chassis shortened, the body shell is now ready for its first light coat of primer.

 

This will show which areas need their layering filling and smoothing. In this material I use primer as filler (brushed or sprayed depending on the area), scraping dry primer off the ridges (which are in their designed positions) using a scalpel blade as the intervening valleys are filled. 

 

Mike 

[Robert Shrives]

Thanks to the 3D print experts a couple of TTA tanks make progress - thanks to Mike at Maridunian. 

 https://www.shapeways.com/shops/maridunian-models?section=TT Wagons&

 

Tank is 25mm cable conduit - 60mm with printed dome ends and chassis - buffers and coupling hook are attached to chassis and are easily cut and glued into waiting holes - saves getting knocked in production or transit. Or allows adding cast society ones.  In pics Chassis has been cleaned and primed , the barrel epoxy resin in place with weights added - this was glued between the ends fitted to chassis this ensures correct position of ends.  

 

Underframe view.  Like the real thing the chassis has been used on airbraked  box wagons - POA/ MTA versions.

 

Work to progress top details, ladders, couplings and wheels in hand and then black finish plus grot.

  

[Robert Shrives]

Tanks and POA open progressed: 

 

 

Ladders a little bit of a compromise as close to limits for 3D printing and needing to be robust enough. A brass version also possible but these are test builds and will fo for now, just to add top valve and off to prime. Then fit wheels and sort coupling mounts. 

 

Weight added in side barrel but for POA liquid lead in the underfame spaces seems the best idea for empty wagons.

[maridunian]

That's most of the Class A livery on my own TTA.

 

 

Top platform and ladders to fix following the markings. 

 

Mike 

Edited May 4, 2021 by maridunian

[Robert Shrives]

TTAs in later years on fuel trips were a black and grot livery  as shown below will need to garnish with transfers and couplings  but a good fun few hours with a basically drop together kit, only had to slot W irons to allow 20mm axles to pass and clip into deepened holes - no bearings on these to see how it works but the POAs will get some on next batch.  The tanks will be a short rake so loco can pull easily - no real drag it has to be said. 

Play spot the own goal!

In the harsh foolights on the cat walk!  

They look the part and fill a big gap in the market for 3mm AB freights - The use of the chassis for MTA/ POA wagons also a big help for current scene , The POA can be slotted to form a Mullet spent ballast.   I guess a bogie tanker and FNA nuke flask- keeps food warm ! would  keep me very happy if not broke.     

[bradfordbuffer]

2 hours ago, Robert Shrives said:

TTAs in later years on fuel trips were a black and grot livery  as shown below will need to garnish with transfers and couplings  but a good fun few hours with a basically drop together kit, only had to slot W irons to allow 20mm axles to pass and clip into deepened holes - no bearings on these to see how it works but the POAs will get some on next batch.  The tanks will be a short rake so loco can pull easily - no real drag it has to be said. 

Play spot the own goal!

In the harsh foolights on the cat walk!  

They look the part and fill a big gap in the market for 3mm AB freights - The use of the chassis for MTA/ POA wagons also a big help for current scene , The POA can be slotted to form a Mullet spent ballast.   I guess a bogie tanker and FNA nuke flask- keeps food warm ! would  keep me very happy if not broke.     

Thanks for the tanks! ...sorry! TTA look well....its a shame 3mmer's  need to go through shapeways this sort of kit would be nice though the society! Bit of chicken and egg .....need talented designers to do it cheep enough for society but thay also need there cut! Time is not cheap! Production could be sourced to happy helpers! (do2mm chaps call them elves or pixies?) Just need half a dozen print 'farmers' to run off a production run with society providing consumables for a return of set number of bits!....profits go to 3mm for next project! Modelers get slightly cheaper kits and according to this platform better results than shapways

And if paying for postage would spend more on 3mm shop stuff...win win! 

Exciting times.....not seen this much stuff on this sight in 3mm ever!!

More activity. more exposure. More modelers. More.........

[Robert Shrives]

Bradford Buffer, 

 

Shapeways offer a reasonable service and a cost and at a time when home printers were in early development offered a "safe" option.  Home printers have moved on but still at the VHS/ Betamax  stage of which will win out as the primary system, resin or filament based.  Lenny at Lincolnloco has invested and it shows  but as you say time is the devil.   

I have when displaying 3D prints at Warley shows always said it is not a cost saver but gives variation.  In N and 00 for much you get an rtr model and swap the body - so it can be expensive. In 3mm with a lot more home building costs might be lower but the easy make chassis is a holy grail - in more ways than one.

 

Until then we are beholden to groups or talented souls to make life that bit more achievable. To these folk I raise my hat.

Robert          

[maridunian]

14 hours ago, Robert Shrives said:

TTAs in later years on fuel trips were a black and grot livery  as shown below will need to garnish with transfers and couplings  but a good fun few hours with a basically drop together kit, only had to slot W irons to allow 20mm axles to pass and clip into deepened holes - no bearings on these to see how it works but the POAs will get some on next batch.  The tanks will be a short rake so loco can pull easily - no real drag it has to be said. 

Play spot the own goal!

In the harsh foolights on the cat walk!  

They look the part and fill a big gap in the market for 3mm AB freights - The use of the chassis for MTA/ POA wagons also a big help for current scene , The POA can be slotted to form a Mullet spent ballast.   I guess a bogie tanker and FNA nuke flask- keeps food warm ! would  keep me very happy if not broke.     

 

Thanks Robert. I've made a couple of mods to the TTA chassis, adding axle-point channels at the bottom of the W-irons and cutting away some of the brake-hanger fitting:

 

Hopefully this won't weaken the structure too much. FIne detail plastic does bend, but not by very much!

 

I'll update the MTA, POA and separate chassis designs later.

 

Mike

 

[Robert Shrives]

Mike,

very quick or much midnight oil burnt! and will make future builds much easier - which given how easy these have been does make it a reall drop together affair.

 

The render does show how neatly you have got the buffers tucked into the design.  Miles ahead of anything I can do.   

The domes and walkways while clearly connected here did arrive loose in the bag, so the barest of clean up required.  A new saw and use of mitre block ensured tank section easily cut from a freebie offcut. 

 

When the design mojo gets you again I look forward to seeing what happens!   

Robert  

[maridunian]

On 20/04/2021 at 20:35, maridunian said:

Apologies if this retreads a path that's been walked to exhaustion.

 

I've been playing with a Berliner Bahn/Zeuke V36 to see what potential its chassis might offer. 

 

 

The short answer is 'quite a bit'. The motor at the rear drives a small gearbox at the front, which in turn drives a brass screw that runs the length of the chassis. This offers the chance to move axles about - each sits in a 2mm square slot in the polystyrene chassis block. 

 

Here's a minimal change, swapping the jackshaft with the forward axle to produce an 0-4-0 which brought Hudswell Clarkes to mind. 

 

 

Not a scale model of course, and lots of surgery still to do, but looks to me like it could be a really useful engine!

 

Mike 

 

Meanwhile, back in the 20th century, my vaguely Hudswell Clarke-ish shunter is coming along thanks to razor saws, files, plasticard, a whitemetal chimney (!), Emery paper, etc, etc. 

 

 

New buffer beam facings to add next with properly spaced and sized buffers at the right height. Plus couplings... 

 

Mike 

Edited May 4, 2021 by maridunian

[maridunian]

That's my Class A TTA more or less done.

 

 

Markings mostly Cambridge Custom Transfers (Esso 35T Class A sheet) with generic numerals and home printed Hazchems. 

 

Mike

 

Edited May 6, 2021 by maridunian

[Robert Shrives]

Mike, 

Transfers gone on a treat , Mr Isherwood of this parish will be pleased!     The other wagons off the back of the TTA chassis - the POA have now been built and wheeled passed the paint shop and on the final bits and bobs. 

 

I wonder If I ought to make a wagon repair shop to display, along with a diesel fueling point.. 

[bradfordbuffer]

3 hours ago, maridunian said:

That's my Class A TTA more or less done.

 

 

Markings mostly Cambridge Custom Transfers (Esso 35T Class A sheet) with generic numerals and home printed Hazchems. 

 

Mike

 

In 3mm ....brill ...are thay the alternatives ladders or standard? Can feel my bank balance taking a hit!

[Robert Shrives]

Hi 

Ladders came like that in the kit and are available as a sprue of 10 as well - something for a TEA project !  I did wonder at the myriad of ladders in photos - it seems every builder of these tanks had a house design of ladders - some curved or made of angled straight sections but the point of bending varied. As did the cat walk on top.

 

I suggest 3mm  brass signal ladder would give the material of choice for futher variations. 

 

Let the wallet take the hit ! 

Robert 

 

 

[maridunian]

On 26/04/2021 at 16:26, maridunian said:

A little fettling to fit the 0-8-0 chassis, noted so the fettles can be incorporated into the design, then the Nasmyth was off to the Isopropyl alcohol bath to soak for a few hours, interspersed with some light scrubbing with an old toothbrush. A more thorough scrub after that, then into hottish (70°C) water and washing up liquid for an hour or so to finish. Shapeways' recommended cleaning process is given here. 

 

 

Buffer beams fitted and chassis shortened, the body shell is now ready for its first light coat of primer.

 

This will show which areas need their layering filling and smoothing. In this material I use primer as filler (brushed or sprayed depending on the area), scraping dry primer off the ridges (which are in their designed positions) using a scalpel blade as the intervening valleys are filled. 

 

Mike 

 

Here's the first coat of primer applied. 

 

 

The layering produced by the printing process is most pronounced on the side tanks.

 

 

I've started to remove primer from the ridges, stroking across the surface with a scalpel blade. You could sand (800 grit), but retaining a flat surface is tricky. 

 

 

After a few minutes gentle scraping you can see we're getting towards a smooth surface. 

 

Once I've checked over the whole surface I'll reprime lightly, avoiding build up around fine details by masking these off. 

 

Mike 

Edited May 6, 2021 by maridunian

[maridunian]

20 hours ago, bradfordbuffer said:

In 3mm ....brill ...are thay the alternatives ladders or standard? Can feel my bank balance taking a hit!

 

Hi - yes, as Robert says, these are the ladders included in the print. They can be filed or sanded a little thinner, but with obvious consequences for strength. I offer replacements in Versatile Plastic (Nylon) which will need a few coats of primer and rubbing down (400 Grit), but it's tough enough for layout models that might collide with something Mazak-chassis'd. 

 

Mike

Edited May 6, 2021 by maridunian

[TT-Pete]

Hello All - having recently completed an HO scale project I thought I'd dip my toe back into TT again next and had a hunt through my project boxes for something I fancied.

I bought this GEM whitemetal King class from the second hand shop at a 3mm Society meet over 15 years ago as a restoration project.

 

Not being either hugely into kettles or the GWR is probably why it has languished in the cupboard for so long, but it was the fact that it has been fitted with the Tri-ang late model open-spoked wheel chasssis that particularly attracted me.

So far I have given the chassis a clean and some oil  and it now runs very smoothly. I've replaced the plastic pony wheelsets with metal ones and repaired/fitted the leading axlebox/spring hangers (which the previous builder had made a hash of, not realising that you have to file quite a bit of metal off the pony chassis block to get them to fit and had tried to force them on) and found a body retaining screw.

 

I'm now working on the tender, drilling out the axleboxes and chassis to take pin-point bearing metal spoked tender wheelsets.

 

[Silverfox17]

31 minutes ago, TT-Pete said:

Hello All - having recently completed an HO scale project I thought I'd dip my toe back into TT again next and had a hunt through my project boxes for something I fancied.

I bought this GEM whitemetal King class from the second hand shop at a 3mm Society meet over 15 years ago as a restoration project.

 

Not being either hugely into kettles or the GWR is probably why it has languished in the cupboard for so long, but it was the fact that it has been fitted with the Tri-ang late model open-spoked wheel chasssis that particularly attracted me.

So far I have given the chassis a clean and some oil  and it now runs very smoothly. I've replaced the plastic pony wheelsets with metal ones and repaired/fitted the leading axlebox/spring hangers (which the previous builder had made a hash of, not realising that you have to file quite a bit of metal off the pony chassis block to get them to fit and had tried to force them on) and found a body retaining screw.

 

I'm now working on the tender, drilling out the axleboxes and chassis to take pin-point bearing metal spoked tender wheelsets.

 

The big issue for me was the chimney looked wrong so I made a larger copper one. 

 

Garry 

[TT-Pete]

1 minute ago, Silverfox17 said:

The big issue for me was the chimney looked wrong so I made a larger copper one. 

 

Garry 

 

Garry, I have a whitemetal double chimney replacement at the ready...

 

[maridunian]

11 hours ago, maridunian said:

 

Here's the first coat of primer applied. 

 

 

The layering produced by the printing process is most pronounced on the side tanks.

 

 

I've started to remove primer from the ridges, stroking across the surface with a scalpel blade. You could sand (800 grit), but retaining a flat surface is tricky. 

 

 

After a few minutes gentle scraping you can see we're getting towards a smooth surface. 

 

Once I've checked over the whole surface I'll reprime lightly, avoiding build up around fine details by masking these off. 

 

Mike 

 

Another coat of primer applied - different brand with a satin finish... 

 

 

That's smooth enough for me! 

 

Mike

 

[bradfordbuffer]

1 hour ago, maridunian said:

 

Another coat of primer applied - different brand with a satin finish... 

 

 

That's smooth enough for me! 

 

Mike

 

Nice rivets on buffer beam...it bring it to life

[Golden Fleece 30]

I am now in the process of making a "Tri-ang" TT Evening Star. The body is a Tri-ang Britannia (I know not quite correct) and the chassis is my own etch using the XT60 motor. Due to size and looks I have had to use Romford wheels for this but the tender is all Tri-ang still, metal wheels will be fitted later. The body is now down to the correct height after making the chassis last night, it was designed for Jinty wheels so larger ones put it a little high, fitted the motor, tender coupling and folded up the front pony truck. Also cut some of the firebox base off but needs some more removing to clear the rear wheels. The body and tender are in quite good condition finish wise so I may well leave the paint finish as it is to match a standard Britannia. I will fit a better smoke deflector though and looking at making a double chimney from some etches I have yet to draw.

 

Garry

[whart57]

You've got quite a challenge there, Gary, getting that to go round Triang radius curves. I see you have three axles with flangeless wheels but there must still be a lot of over-hang at the ends of that long set of frames.

[Silverfox17]

37 minutes ago, whart57 said:

You've got quite a challenge there, Gary, getting that to go round Triang radius curves. I see you have three axles with flangeless wheels but there must still be a lot of over-hang at the ends of that long set of frames.

I did a 9F with this chassis and the smaller Tri-ang Jinty wheels, 3 sets flangless still, a few years ago Wim and that went around Tri-ang curves. There is a little overhang but as I am not having to use the buffers to push it should not be a problem. I think the 0-8-0 Z class has more overhang.  With the spacing of the flanged wheels it probably will not be much different to a Britannia, something to look at tonight for a comparison. 

 

Garry 

[Golden Fleece 30]

5 hours ago, whart57 said:

You've got quite a challenge there, Gary, getting that to go round Triang radius curves. I see you have three axles with flangeless wheels but there must still be a lot of over-hang at the ends of that long set of frames.

Here are the results Wim.  Test done on Tri-ang small radius curve with a buffer attached with each loco having its nearest point touching the buffers.  The Britannia has the largest overhang both front (BF) and rear (BR) which are slightly different to each other.  The 9F front and rear overhangs are the same but less than the Britannia.  The SR Z has the same front and rear but slightly less still than the 9F.  The arc looks the same but you will see that is because of the greater length of the 9F loco puts it further forward.

 

Garry