alanbuttler Posted November 18, 2014 Author Share Posted November 18, 2014 Aha! I was wondering what you were up to when I saw those drawings and photos over on Flickr. I like the idea of doing this in small sections with cutaway scenes. As you say it will be a big project so breaking it down like that should help focus work and maintaining motivation. It will also allow you to stop after the first two dioramas if your grow sick of it, and still have achieved a finished product. The works look magnificent in the sunshine. It seems from Wikipedia that there's a health centre in parts of the works now - you could exhibit the model there once finished (if you dare!). I did consider it Mikkel, though I think the Cambrian Heritage Railway museum might be possible, or in the station. We'll see It's an inspirational place to wander around, even though it no longer serves its original purpose. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanbuttler Posted November 18, 2014 Author Share Posted November 18, 2014 Hi there Alan I'm not a modeller but your model of the Loco works is superb, it makes me feel as though I am back there, which I was between 1957 and 1963 as a boilersmith apprentice. The picture taken of the five men in the boiler shop, the two to the left were my colleagues Arthur Kynaston (boilersmith) second from the left Don Rees (Apprentice boilersmith) the gentleman in the middle was the boilersmith chargehand. (who's name I can't remember) However I do remember he used to pop into the boilershop in morning when I first stated there after he had retired, so the photo is pre 1957 but no older than 1952. I don't know from what year your model represents, but at the time I was working there, the gas works was the plant & machinery workshop with the electrical repair workshop at the back. If there is any information regarding the works I can help you please contact me, however to my regret I have no photo's. John Dyke Hi John, your post has really made my day, I've been hoping I could be in contact with someone that worked at Oswestry and to read your post was a huge surprise! Your information on the gas works is of great use as I have no information on that building at all, only a couple of photographs from Reg Storer. I would be interested in anything and everything from your experiences at the works, if you are sure you wouldn't mind giving me the time to convey it. I'd like to get as much of the day to day life feel into the model as is feasible. Thank you for putting names to the photographs, I always thought it a shame that they weren't recorded with the collection. They are stored at the National Library of Wales at Aber. I'm keen to bring this model to life as much as I can so having names for faces is part of that. One photo depicts the former Cambrian Rlys loco BR No.855 so I'm thinking it's 1952 - 1954. I'm modelling around 1954-1959 as its the period I have the most material for - mainly from the works registers which are in the National Archives at Kew. Thanks again for taking the time to get in touch, I'm sure the model will be much richer for your information. Alan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanbuttler Posted November 18, 2014 Author Share Posted November 18, 2014 (edited) Quick update as I've not had a lot of time online lately - I'm in the process of moving back to Mid-Wales for a few months so things have been a little hectic! However I was able to spend a few days with Tim Horn last week getting some preliminary cuts of the works made. Tim's expertise in laser cutting is invaluable, his input really has transformed this project. Here's a few shaky captures on my phone, these are a few test cuts as Tim perfected the laser cutter configuration. I'm hoping to be back again soon to get a dry run cut, without brickwork to see how everything will fit together, in particular the raised floor in the works, the traverser and the inspection pits. And one last bit of news - I've settled on P4. Over the next few weeks a High Level pannier chassis build and a Comet Dean Goods should appear on this thread, gulp...! In the mean time I'll be using these test cuts to perfect how I'm going to paint and weather the interior. Edited November 18, 2014 by alanbuttler 12 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 Alan This is a super project, and your 3D and laser work is outstanding. I continue to follow with great interest. Best Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanbuttler Posted November 18, 2014 Author Share Posted November 18, 2014 Alan This is a super project, and your 3D and laser work is outstanding. I continue to follow with great interest. Best Simon Cheers Simon! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffP Posted November 19, 2014 Share Posted November 19, 2014 Excellent work, very inspiring. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanbuttler Posted November 19, 2014 Author Share Posted November 19, 2014 Excellent work, very inspiring. Thank you Jeff, much appreciated! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffP Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Alan, did you teach yourself CAD, or is it something you have learned for a job? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Focalplane Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Alan I am most impressed with your progress. The learning curve was steep but you seem to be reaching a level plateau of productivity. Exciting times to see the research starting to bear fruit. The Comet chassis for the Dean Goods is fairly straightforward and in P4 should be easier than in OO. You may complete yours before I do mine at my present rate of progress. Painting won't start until the New Year due to travel and family commitments. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanbuttler Posted November 21, 2014 Author Share Posted November 21, 2014 Alan, did you teach yourself CAD, or is it something you have learned for a job? Hi Jeff, I'm self taught, only been using Sketchup for about 18 months now. Originally I'd turned to it to help visualise a signal box I was attempting to scratch build out of plasticard, then later I returned to it for the same purpose with the works. Only later did I have the idea that I could use it for laser cutting! I used to use CorelDraw many years ago so working with vector lines again was quite straightforward, I've used photoshop for many years so taking on Illustrator wasn't too much of a leap - with a good book to get going. I started out as a draughtsman when I left school - Rotring Isographs and a drawing board style! But then gradually started getting more work on AutoCad. That was 22 years ago now and I've been working in IT pretty much since then, though not in a design capacity, networks are my thing. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffP Posted November 24, 2014 Share Posted November 24, 2014 Ah.........an expert then. I can use a rotring pen etc, but that's where my development stopped. Didn't even do Tech Drawing at school...I had to self-teach. I was at a Grammar School where they thought an extra language would be of more use. I did German, have never used it but TD would have been a bonus...go figure. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanbuttler Posted December 5, 2014 Author Share Posted December 5, 2014 (edited) Hi all, another quick update, not much to report other than I've built the B9 with the assistance of a friend. Took us about 3 hours and it went together like a dream! I'll have some more details on the construction, calibration and test prints soon. Edited December 5, 2014 by alanbuttler 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twright Posted December 5, 2014 Share Posted December 5, 2014 Looks great, love the touch of the oswestry shed plate. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanbuttler Posted December 16, 2014 Author Share Posted December 16, 2014 The last few days I’ve been trying to get some test prints out of the B9 Creator I bought back in September. To say its been a challenge is an understatement, however the support and help I’ve received from the B9 community has helped me progress from tomato soup to something physical. My first prints were a complete failure – nothing curing in the resin at all, nothing floating around. Experimenting with higher exposure settings resulted in some layers appearing, but they’d detached themselves from the build table and were floating around in the vat. After some more hair pulling I’d realised I’d calibrated the build table wrong, then retried with the higher exposure settings and voilà! Something was created, just visible on the base of the build table under the excess resin. There are a number of post print steps that need to be carried out, removing the print from the build table, cleaning with 70% isopropanol, putting into an ultrasonic bath and curing in a UV oven. Once I have some decent prints to share I’ll explain a little more of the process, in the mean time here is my catalogue of errors! That last print, the text is pretty impressive - 0.05mm high!!! 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanbuttler Posted December 21, 2014 Author Share Posted December 21, 2014 (edited) Hi all, After a week or so of tinkering I've had my first successful print from a B9 Creator v1.2 HD. This model is capable of 30 micron xy axis, though with quite a small build area at that resolution of 57.6 mm (2.67″) x 32.4 mm (1.28″) x 203.2 mm (8.0″). By tilting your 3D model you can however print slightly larger objects. In September I'd had Tebee's Welshpool & Llanfair Beyer Peacock & Co 0-6-0T printed on a Statasys Objet Edan 260V, at 200 micron xy and 16 micron z. I figured this print would set a bar to measure against once I'd got the B9 operational. So far, with a little more tweaking I think the B9 comes out better with less striping and improved detail, the material is also much tougher. B9C v1.2 & Stratasys ObJet Eden 260 Test Print B9C v1.2 & Stratasys ObJet Eden 260 Test Print Some jewellers on the B9 Creator forums have been having good results with a 1:1 mix of the B9 Red and Cherry resins, so that is the material I've started out with at 30 micron XY and Z. Over Christmas I'll be trying the same print with pure Cherry and Spot-HT. It's been quite a learning curve to get something productive, mainly because a UV filter hadn't been removed from the projector assembly which meant to get anything to print I had to use much higher exposure times. Thankfully B9C support were able to quickly identify the issue and from that point onwards I've been able to print using default settings. I think I'll try for longer settle times on the next print as I think these will help to reduce some traces of lines in the print where the resin has been curing as its still settling. B9C v1.2 Test Print - WLLR 0-6-0T B9C v1.2 Test Print - WLLR 0-6-0T B9C v1.2 Test Print - WLLR 0-6-0T B9C v1.2 Test Print - WLLR 0-6-0T Edited December 21, 2014 by alanbuttler 14 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanbuttler Posted December 21, 2014 Author Share Posted December 21, 2014 Forgot to mention that this took about 8 hours 30 mins to print. Once the print finishes the build table raises up out of the resin vat ready to be removed. The orange perspex windows in the printer hood stops any light getting in so the model can stay there happily with excess resin dripping off. You can then prize the print off the build plate with a spatula. The print is then cleaned with 70% cleaning alcohol, 5 minutes in an ultrasonic bath and then finally 2-3 hours in a UV oven. It's taken a while to get into the swing of things with the workflow, but I'm learning as I go - the workshop looks like a scene from Breaking Bad, I'm not sure if that's good or bad...! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Focalplane Posted December 22, 2014 Share Posted December 22, 2014 Most interesting, Alan. How much space does all the associated equipment take up in your workshop? Do the oven, ultrasonic bath, etc. come with the B9? The Earl/Countess looks very good! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanbuttler Posted December 22, 2014 Author Share Posted December 22, 2014 (edited) Most interesting, Alan. How much space does all the associated equipment take up in your workshop? Do the oven, ultrasonic bath, etc. come with the B9? The Earl/Countess looks very good! Hi Paul, thanks, its early days but out of the box it seems to be producing results way better than I imagined. I've got everything set up on 2 desks in a garage, one 'wet' desk for cleaning with the alcohol, the ultrasonic bath, straining used resin etc and one 'dry' table for the printer itself and the laptop. I use small plastic garden trug's for moving things around so I don't get resin everywhere, they are nice and easy to clean out. The other equipment is additional, thankfully not too expensive to get hold of - Ultrasonic cleaners are about £30, the UV box is designed for nail curing/drying and they are about £15. The rest of the implements you can usually find in the house, silicone spatula for helping to get the resin out of the vat, old credit card or similar for helping to remove the print from the build table, squirty bottles for the alcohol etc. I'm cleaning out the old resin today and will be retesting the print with Spot-HT resin which some modellers have found to have even better levels of detail. Rabs uses this, you can see some of his N gauge creations here More to come shortly Edited December 22, 2014 by alanbuttler 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Focalplane Posted December 24, 2014 Share Posted December 24, 2014 Thanks, Alan, those photos really help and I am glad the extra items are relatively inexpensive. My independent research suggests you have indeed got hold of the right machine for the job. These are exciting times! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffP Posted December 24, 2014 Share Posted December 24, 2014 Damn! That's good!!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanbuttler Posted December 28, 2014 Author Share Posted December 28, 2014 Happy Christmas folks! I've come out of my pork pie and port coma and got on with some actual modelling, no computers involved! New entry on the detailing blog here - 5726 - Pipework and pullrods 5726 - Detailing progress 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanbuttler Posted January 2, 2015 Author Share Posted January 2, 2015 Happy new year another update on the 5726 front, http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/1519/entry-15368-5726-steam-heating-pipes/ 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PaternosterRow Posted January 3, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 3, 2015 Super duper detail, Alan Just love that pipe coupling/join halfway down. Can't wait to see this lovely model in situ in the works. Think progress on the print stuff is marvellous - you're going to turn out some spectacular work on the basis of what's already been produced so far. Happy New Year. Mike Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanbuttler Posted January 3, 2015 Author Share Posted January 3, 2015 Cheers Mike, its still early days with the printer and I'm getting to grips with it, needs a bit of planning now for how best to use it to its full capabilities. I've had some success and some outright failures with it, bit of a steep learning curve but the results are hopefully going to continue to be very good. There won't be any progress on the works building or laser cutting for a while yet, so loco detailing and kits will be my focus for a while. This evenings efforts have been some small parts for the 57xx and some for the white metal 74xx: 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffP Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 There won't be any progress on the works building or laser cutting for a while yet, Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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