Rob R

Chaps, Looking at the above photos of last years event, there seems to be a shortage of LOUD shirts. Was this due to inclement weather in North Africa and the Med? Rob R (desparately rummaging through the local charity shops for suitably LOUD clothing....)

Pasty free year was it?

Below is a list of S Scale layout appearances for 2023. Please come and make yourselves known to the operators, we won't press gang you into re-scaling (but you will be more than welcome to come and dabble in the 1/64 world). As always, Life, the Universe and Everything can waylay the best laid plans so please do check if you are travelling some distance just to see one of these layouts (I am sure the shows will still be worth the visit even without the S Scale bit). Rob Edit:- Richard Barton will be bringing Arcadia to Uckfield - 21st & 22nd October 2023

Sorry about the tardy reply. TinkerCad can't do boiler fittings, at least I haven't seen any done, but for plain and simple boxy things it is quite good. I suspect as I get better with Fusion, TC will fade into the background, but they all need time and practice - there is no magic pill. :-( Rob

Something Whitehaven, Cleator and Egremont ish?

This is the youtube I followed, found on RMweb somewhere (Great Fusion 360 thread?) Lofting with guidlines No sound on it but you might get some clues for how to do it in FreeCad. Edit Just had a quick google, there seems to be lots of youtube tutorials on lofting in Freecad Rob

Safety Valve cover to match. Time for a work break now....

Just started a crash course in Fusion 360 this week. A workmate I am on shift with this week is quite proficient at Fusion so in the quieter moments I have been playing, Dome for a Londonderry and Lough Swilly Sharp Stewart 0-6-0t (5ft 3in gauge) for a possible excursion to the Emerald Isle. Drawn at 1/32 with much use of the "undo" button. 🙂 Rob

Aidan, No floor and no roof. There are far better materials for floors and roofs than printed resin and it saves a load of printing hassle. The S version will be printed complete sides/end/solebars with a suitable ledge on the inside to mount the floor. The G3 version will be in 6 pieces - ends/ part side in a u shape x 2, 2 doors and 2 solebars (if they fit the printer) all assembled around a 3mm ply floor. The 7mm will hopefully fit the build plate in one piece like the S version, if not I will have to break it down like the G3. The chamfer may not show in S but you might notice if it's not there if you see what I mean? It will certainly show in the larger scales. Rob

Spalding and Bourne Railway Gloster van of 1868. For an SSMRS member but in 3 scales, S, 7mm and G3 G3 version tacked together with more detailing bits to add. Rob

A quick snapshot of the first test print of Timbers' latest files. You may note a change of resin (again!). This is the Eono "Red Wax" colour water washable. Eono is Amazons' own brand. It is quite thin and runny but the detail prints very well with little shrinkage. I do find it is a bit brittle though so although it is "ok" the search continues for something better but water washable - if there is such a thing. Rob

A hard lump of dried resin got trapped under the build plate part way through a print and punctured the FEP, probably a failed support from a previous run. The liquid resin has eaten it's way through the black sealing strip around the edge of the screen and run through. Sod's law applying, it was at the end with the power lead which was soaked in resin. A screen test showed a load of black lines across the screen. I am hoping it will still work when it dries out - a screen test 30 mins later showed a different pattern of lines - but a new screen is £32 from Amazon (genuine Elegoo) and 15 mins to fit when it gets here tomorrow so ordering one wasn't too painful. If the old screen lives then I have a spare in stock. It could of been worse, it was relativly contained to the top of the printer rather than the floor....... One of those things, screens are meant to be consumables after all......... R

Timber, Thank you for latest files. The links work ok which is more than can be said of my printer at the moment. Ho Hum. New screen winging it's way from Amazon. Runny resin may print better but it goes much further when you get a hole inthe FEP.🙁 Rob

I have been playing with printing the saddletank at different angle etc to try and get the supports off the visible faces and have a nice smooth top ready for Timber's latest version with the rivets on the tank top. The best result so far is shown below. 45 degrees on the long axis, 0.025 layer height and lots of heavy supports, especially on the inside to stop it bowing in. It still needs work on the supports as there is a bit of distortion at the front bottom corners but I will have another go when I get some more WW resin (or change to the IPA washable stuff already in stock - not decided yet). Rob

I was just watching through the youtube of the last SSMRS Zoom call and someone (Jim?) commented on having to completely redo the supports to a print model when making even a minor modification. If you are using Chitubox you can save a "Project" at any time, I usually do it just after slicing and saving as a .ctb file for printing. The "project" is saved as a .chitubox file and you can open it and carry on editing the supports from where you left off and then save as a "project" again, under a new file name if required, and also save as a .ctb for printing. You can do the same in Lychee, they call it a "scene" but it works pretty much the same way. Rob

Thank you Timber. Perfect timing as I have 2 of the previous version on the printer as I tripe 😀 Just playing with angles to get the top to print nicely ready for the updated version. Report later in the week. R

The WW green isn't absolutely perfect as resins go but it does give a much sharper print. The downside is it also shows all the printing imperfections. I have a couple of bottles of ipa washable resin to play with but I need to reorganise the workroom a bit to fit in the 2 stage washing before that happens. I have seen photos of some very good prints done on the M2pro and I am wondering if a lot of the issues I have been getting are resin related. Only one way to find out. R

My apologies, I should have posted this earlier for the benefit of those not attending the SSMRS zoom meetings (not a member? Come on in. We don't bite 😉). APL13's LNWR Brake Van (V6) printed in Elegoo water Washable Transclucent Green resin and given a quick squirt of red oxide primer. Not cleaned up before painting so it does look a bit shabby. Also the better resolution of the resin showed up a few drawing issues (which is why I didn't bother to clean it up fully) which APL13 has since corrected. Rob

Hi Timber, Both links work now but the first link is to an S scale .obj file (519Mb!!) with supports, the same as the .stl file on the second link? Rob

Thank you. I shall have another go tonight. Rob

Timber, Neither of the links work for me. The first says "no preview available, File is in owners trash" The second says "Access denied". I can still access the Albion Dome file on the other thread so I suspect it is settings at your end. Rob

Brilliant. Want 2. Maybe 3 (I might need a 5' 3" version as well)

I am using the same resin in my Mars 2 Pro. Print settings are the default settings as set by Chitubox (which match the Elegoo recommended settings on their website) with the exception of the exposure time for the bottom layers which I have reduced from 35 seconds to 15 seconds and 0.03mm layer size. This morning's print of APL13's LNWR Dia 16 Brake Van. The layer lines disappear under the first coat of paint, they are more visible because of the transclucent resin. Rob Timber, Are you putting the rivets on the tank top?

That is looking great. I can't wait to get one (or two) on the printer. Rob

Looking good.