Locksley Posted April 24, 2020 Share Posted April 24, 2020 So I've decided to start something new to ease lockdown boredom now Handsworth Goods is pretty much done. I picked up a pair of Billy Bookcase shelves from the free spares bin at Ikea just before the whole Covid debacle with the intention of putting up shelves in the pantry. Now you and I both know that's never going to happen so I commandeered one for a new project. Obviously the shelves are very compact so I went for a slight variation on an Inglenook, unfortunately having to use Hornby settrack (eurgh) due to The Great Peco Track Shortage of 2020, but to be perfectly honest it works fine. The other thing I've had in the back of my mind for a while was to build some form of dock/quay/wharf/canalside layout so figured that was a decent place to start. My better half is from Ellesmere Port originally and I ended up down a serious rabbit hole a few weeks ago after discovering the Britain From Above archives had some superb aerial shots of Frost's Mill that once stood just minutes away from where some of her family still live. Drawing inspo from this, and a few other areas around what is now the National Waterways Museum, I started to form a rough plan in my head which I then mocked up in Tinkercad - the eventual plan being to 3d print as much as I could on my Anycubic Photon. The idea is to have a rather dominating section on the right loosely based on part of Frost's Mill, with the rest of the buildings being pure fiction, but hopefully quite aesthetically pleasing. More to come! 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Locksley Posted April 24, 2020 Author Share Posted April 24, 2020 (edited) Track laid and tested, all works well and is surprisingly fun to operate, even with all my stock being fitted with 3 links. I formed some half baked plan in my head of 3d printing the canal side as sections that hook over the edge of the shelf. Working with the very limited build area on the Photon I was able to print each section at around 115mm long, which resulted in 7 sections, the 2 end pieces being slightly shorter. I also found a very basic narrowboat on Thingiverse which I detailed up before printing. Turned out quite nice I think, though not particularly prototypical. Edited April 24, 2020 by Locksley 8 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Locksley Posted April 24, 2020 Author Share Posted April 24, 2020 It's all just a load of bollards really. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Locksley Posted April 24, 2020 Author Share Posted April 24, 2020 First couple of buildings were knocked together quite quickly due to working from home at the moment. On my lunch breaks of course. First up, some sort of warehousey thing to form a block at the right hand end. 11hr print, two halves with a downpipe to hide the join. I then threw together a little tin hut I found on a photograph taken a bit further up the canal in 1910, plus a yard crane based on one outside the Shroppie Fly pub in Audlem, not a million miles from E.Port. 9 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Locksley Posted April 24, 2020 Author Popular Post Share Posted April 24, 2020 Now onto the biggie - Frost's Mill itself. The logistics of designing this thing to allow it to be printed on my Photon were a nightmare, but I got there in the end and I must say it was well worth it. Each floor is separated into 3 sections, along with a loading dock and wall at the bottom, plus a couple of canopies, the larger of which that goes over teh loading dock is still to be printed. It's certainly going to be every bit as imposing as I hoped it would be working out to around 38cm tall. I started with a print of the topmost parts, just to see how the writing would come out. Rather nice as it happens. Then I moved onto the ground floor, the first print of which ran out of resin 9hrs 30 into the print. With half an hour left... Luckily the centre section was usable but the other 2 had to be binned second print went well though! 20 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 25, 2020 Share Posted April 25, 2020 Alex I am looking forward to seeing another one of your builds coming together. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff P Posted April 25, 2020 Share Posted April 25, 2020 Wow...you are a wizard with the 3D printer. This is going to be an outstanding project. Best, Jeff 3 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechnicArrow Posted April 25, 2020 Share Posted April 25, 2020 Certainly an unusual method of model building! It seems pretty speedy, and makes adding the masonry detailing easy. The boat looks tidily messy (if that makes sense); I think a few pillars with a beam down the middle to support a tarpauline would finish it off. I'm going to enjoy watching this build progress! 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium SteveyDee68 Posted April 27, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 27, 2020 This is all looking very nice indeed, and is an excellent advert for 3D printing as you make it look simple (I know it isn't!). Every time I work in a school on supply, I try to befriend the Materials Technology teacher in the hopes of some free tuition on the necessary software, or even better access to the actual equipment! A recent school I worked in had 3D printers, laser cutters and even a 3D scanner (albeit not a big one), so the next generation are certainly being introduced to this new technology. Have you thought about about making your mooring bollards available to buy?! Very nicely done! Steve S 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Locksley Posted April 28, 2020 Author Share Posted April 28, 2020 11 hours ago, SteveyDee68 said: This is all looking very nice indeed, and is an excellent advert for 3D printing as you make it look simple (I know it isn't!). Every time I work in a school on supply, I try to befriend the Materials Technology teacher in the hopes of some free tuition on the necessary software, or even better access to the actual equipment! A recent school I worked in had 3D printers, laser cutters and even a 3D scanner (albeit not a big one), so the next generation are certainly being introduced to this new technology. Have you thought about about making your mooring bollards available to buy?! Very nicely done! Steve S Thanks Steve! It's honestly not that difficult, I use Tinkercad which is about as simple as it gets and is essentially just building things out of different shaped blocks. I may offer the bollards and some other stuff for sale at some point, perhaps after lockdown. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Locksley Posted April 28, 2020 Author Share Posted April 28, 2020 (edited) A few more buildings designed and printed. First up a dilapidated little workshop of sorts, printed in 2 halves. Unfortunately both halves came out a little warped, though luckily it's not very noticable. And I also fitted the wall which will form the leftmost structure, all the way to the backscene. All that's left now is the warehouse building that will sit at the front. Unfortunately the print I did of it yesterday failed so I have another printing as I type. That will mark the entirety of the ground level buildings meaning I can start to get some groundwork down. Oh I also weathered up this little beasty. Edited April 28, 2020 by Locksley 16 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 28, 2020 Share Posted April 28, 2020 (edited) Alex your 3D printer really does come in handy when modelling small buildings and various line side items. Really nice progress. Edited April 28, 2020 by Guest Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold simonmcp Posted April 28, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 28, 2020 On 24/04/2020 at 20:51, Locksley said: First couple of buildings were knocked together quite quickly due to working from home at the moment. On my lunch breaks of course. First up, some sort of warehousey thing to form a block at the right hand end. 11hr print, two halves with a downpipe to hide the join. I then threw together a little tin hut I found on a photograph taken a bit further up the canal in 1910, plus a yard crane based on one outside the Shroppie Fly pub in Audlem, not a million miles from E.Port. That brings back memories, I used to drink in the Shropie Fly in the 70's, they used a long boat cut in half longitudinally as the bar, too late for the period you're modelling I suppose. Beautiful work on the buildings, canal side and crane. Simon 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mega_mort Posted April 28, 2020 Share Posted April 28, 2020 Reading through this has lead me to spend most of today in Tinkercad as I'm getting a 3D printer later in the year and this has just proven how much of a useful tool it is to a modeller. Just wish the stuff I've been making in Tinkercad looked half as good as the stuff you have made. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium MAP66 Posted April 28, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 28, 2020 You certainly have a skill for turning a structure from a photograph or your imagination into very realistic models. They all look superb, 3D printing is certainly something I would like to dabble in but I need to wait until more space is available, which is some time off yet. Excellent work on weathering the Ruston as well. All the best Mark 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Locksley Posted April 29, 2020 Author Share Posted April 29, 2020 14 hours ago, mega_mort said: Reading through this has lead me to spend most of today in Tinkercad as I'm getting a 3D printer later in the year and this has just proven how much of a useful tool it is to a modeller. Just wish the stuff I've been making in Tinkercad looked half as good as the stuff you have made. Thanks! You'll pick it up soon enough, Tinkercad is super easy to use. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Locksley Posted April 29, 2020 Author Share Posted April 29, 2020 Bit more work done on getting the Das claydown last night, and I finally got the last ground level building printed after 2 failures (turned out it was simply an error with the sliced file). Detailed up the crane a little too. Hopefully I can get the rest of the clay down tonight and then start painting soon 9 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium SteveyDee68 Posted April 29, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 29, 2020 Hi Alex You are making brilliant progress on your layout (whilst I fumble with bits of card!) but wondered if I might ask - are the point levers functional? Did you make them? If not, where did you get them from? Cheers Steve S 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium ELTEL Posted April 29, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 29, 2020 In the past I have used the ones from Knightwing but they are unavailable even direct from Knightwing So I am also after a few for a project. Terry 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnd Posted April 29, 2020 Share Posted April 29, 2020 5 minutes ago, ELTEL said: In the past I have used the ones from Knightwing but they are unavailable even direct from Knightwing So I am also after a few for a project. Terry Have you looked at the Peco website I sure ive seen some on there . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Locksley Posted April 29, 2020 Author Share Posted April 29, 2020 2 hours ago, SteveyDee68 said: Hi Alex You are making brilliant progress on your layout (whilst I fumble with bits of card!) but wondered if I might ask - are the point levers functional? Did you make them? If not, where did you get them from? Cheers Steve S Hi Steve, they're just a pair of Peco 009 Dummy point levers I've had knocking around for a while, they're actually quite nice. I did have a pair of the working Caboose Ind. ones left over from a previous project but for the life of me couldn't remember where I'd put them. No doubt somewhere incredibly safe... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
col_kilgore Posted April 29, 2020 Share Posted April 29, 2020 (edited) Hi , Some fantastic prints on show , can I ask which model printer you have please as I'm seriously thinking of splurging out on one . I know its an Anycubic photon ( a brand I have seen recommended on many youtube videos ) but I have seen two different models on Amazon and am not sure which one would be best ? Is yours the Photon S or Photon Zero ? Edited April 29, 2020 by col_kilgore Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium ELTEL Posted April 29, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 29, 2020 2 hours ago, johnd said: Have you looked at the Peco website I sure ive seen some on there . Thanks I am after the individual levers as used in the engine shed or goods area by the shunter. I’ll probably make my own Terry Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Locksley Posted April 29, 2020 Author Share Posted April 29, 2020 (edited) EDIT - Duplicate post. Edited April 29, 2020 by Locksley Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Locksley Posted April 29, 2020 Author Share Posted April 29, 2020 (edited) EDIT - Triplicate post somehow... Edited April 29, 2020 by Locksley Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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