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Manchester Central, CLC & GN Warehouses & Castlefield Viaducts


Ron Heggs
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Stubby47, on 10 Feb 2014 - 23:43, said:

I wonder how long it would take, not to mention how much it would cost, to 3D print this in one piece...


The supports would take more material than the roof structure, and look like a fakir's bed of nails

Could a 3D printer bed accommodate a 2200mm x 850mm x 350mm build ?

I know the cost of the styrene used in this build is well over £400

It would take a lot less time to print, than the build time to date Edited by Ron Heggs
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I wonder how long it would take, not to mention how much it would cost, to 3D print this in one piece...

 

There's plenty of potential in it for a failed print.  You wouldn't want to be 90% through printing this and then have a big nondescript blob of plastic appear.  It might be a good idea to use 3D printing for some sub-assemblies though.  The transverse beams, for example.

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I think the way Ron has tackled this job is the best combination of cost, time and material choice (IMO). 3D printing is constrained by maximum job size and cost. Soldering it all up in wire(?) - maybe, but you would need to be pretty good at fine intricate work. Printing sub-assemblies on the cutter and combining them - then creating the full model, way to go.

 

I admire the ambition behind this build. I have no room and probably not the patience to do something like this, but boy, do I enjoy hanging on for the ride!

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Ian,

I quite agree - Ron's method is by far the best option.

I was just curious, wondering if 3D could be used for something this ornate.

 

I guess it's a mindset - once you breakdown the sheer complexity of each of the buildings /bridges into smaller parts, it's just a case of repeating the chop-chop-chop, stick-stick-stick process until a masterpiece appears.

 

Stu

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Yes, it's definitely a great big cutting and sticking exercise - it reminds me of a time some sixty years past when I used to build models of some of the local churches out of matchsticks  :scratchhead:

 

A modeller's greatest asset is patience

 

Somehow, this post has conjured up an image of mighty cathedrals and abbeys in impossibly intricate detail.   :mosking:

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Hello Ron,

 

have you found the Cameo cutter to be any help in this build, for some of the "beams". Or do you think that the old way works better for you?

 

Having been involved in building a large station canopy in 7mm I think that I know how hard the job is.

 

ATB

 

OzzyO.

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Hello Ron,

 

have you found the Cameo cutter to be any help in this build, for some of the "beams". Or do you think that the old way works better for you?

 

Having been involved in building a large station canopy in 7mm I think that I know how hard the job is.

 

ATB

 

OzzyO.

 

Hi, Ozzy

 

On this most recent roof section the approx. saving in time is about a week. That is only using the cutter to produce 51 transverse beams. In total there are 255 transverse beams, so if the cutter had been available at the beginning of the build, I could have saved about 5 weeks work. The 18 main span beams could also have been produced in 4 sections of 3 layers each, saving a great deal of time

 

A  task for the future is to try and re-design the cross-bracings on the remainder (3.5m still to go and this the section in the garden) of the Castlefield Viaduct, to enable the cutter to be used to speed up the construction a little

 

Cheers

 

Ron

 

PS. A test on a styrene build for use in the garden resulted in complete shattering due to enbrittling -  it was not even in sunlight - UV ?

Definitely going to need a suitable coating, if one is available

Edited by Ron Heggs
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Ron

 

PS. A test on a styrene build for use in the garden resulted in complete shattering due to enbrittling -  it was not even in sunlight - UV ?

Definitely going to need a suitable coating, if one is available

 

Hello Ron,

 

if you did a test on some plasicard using different types of primer you may find out that one will have a better result on stopping the UV Etc. light. But try it with the adhesive that you use on it as well.

 

HTH

 

OzzyO.

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fitting the braces on the underside is a bit tricky

 

Quote of the Month...?! 

Not sure I would even have the eyesight to see where they went let alone glue them in exactly the right place each time!!

 

Thanks for sharing Ron; your updates never fail to amaze me...

 

 

David

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Quote of the Month...?! 

Not sure I would even have the eyesight to see where they went let alone glue them in exactly the right place each time!!

 

Thanks for sharing Ron; your updates never fail to amaze me...

 

 

David

 

Hi, David

 

The placement of the braces is quite straightforward -

 

post-10633-0-14966900-1392159970.jpg

Each brace fits between the beam flange, the vertical beam strut and the over arch tie

 

Just need nimble fingers and quick wipe with the solvent - I do have the benefit of wearing my modelling glasses which focus 9" to 15" - Have to be careful looking for the solvent though

 

Cheers

 

Ron

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A modeller's greatest asset is patience

And, it seems, the stubbornness to shrug off a heart attack because "there's a lot left to do"

 

Just returned to your thread after an absence of several weeks to find you've been through the mill Ron. Hope you're well on the road to recovery; it doesn't seem to have slowed you down at all!

 

Here's to many more informative and entertaining build posts.

 

All the best

 

Phil

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And, it seems, the stubbornness to shrug off a heart attack because "there's a lot left to do"

 

Just returned to your thread after an absence of several weeks to find you've been through the mill Ron. Hope you're well on the road to recovery; it doesn't seem to have slowed you down at all!

 

Here's to many more informative and entertaining build posts.

 

All the best

 

Phil

 

Hi, Phil

 

Thanks for those kind words

 

The REPAIRS are done, and I'm back at WORK (Modelling) although still slightly tired with the side effects from the pills

 

The next week or two should see some progress on a number of fronts

 

Cheers

 

Ron

Edited by Ron Heggs
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, thought you was going to test the roof, with empty wine bottles.....

 

Don't collect empties - placing bottles on their sides would cause a little unstable loading

 

Painting has been put off for today, as it is a little breezy

 

Cheers

 

Ron

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uccessful test completed -

 

attachicon.gifIMG_0461.JPG

 

attachicon.gifIMG_0462.JPG

 

attachicon.gifIMG_0464.JPG

 

Not many load tests of station roofs use locomotives

 

Two Britannias, Two Black Fives, a Standard 9F and an A3

 

... now to paint this roof section, and fix all four sections together

 

Hi Ron

 

The load test with locos is pretty impresive, it lacks that certain something that we have been used to when you use full cans of amber nectar.

 

Cheers SS

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