With the What applications do you think a 3D printer might have in Model Railroading? I would probably use it to make custom parts and depending on the size capabilities, even structures. I wonder if a guy were to invest in one (the cheapest are still $1500) what kind of market there would be to make and sell spare and custom parts to Model Railroaders. What are everyone's thoughts on the topic?
RJ
"Something hidden, Go and find it. Go and look behind the ranges, Something lost behind the ranges. Lost and waiting for you. Go." The Explorers - Rudyard Kipling
http://sweetwater-photography.com/
It's been covered here before. I'll see if I can find the link and post it.
They said there was a very wide range of printers and capabilities. However the general consensus was it's still not ready for prime time.
There were comments about resolution, and crude parts that still needed hand finishing. Although someone one here posted some wonderful miniatures work. I think he was a professional working with a professional grade 3D printer.
Don - Specializing in layout DC->DCC conversions
Modeling C&O transition era and steel industries There's Nothing Like Big Steam!
It looks like a wonderful new technology; but I'm with the general consensus, that it still needs a bit of development. Personally, I'm trying to save for an ALPS thermal printer to use with my 3D scanner, to produce decals for various models.
3-D printing is slowly gaining ground in Europe, although there are still some issues with the quality of the prints and the work involved to finish the products.
Take a look at this web page:
Model Railroading Products
t
Sir Madog 3-D printing is slowly gaining ground in Europe, although there are still some issues with the quality of the prints and the work involved to finish the products. Take a look at this web page: Model Railroading Products
I did not realize that 3d printing was that far along, The bodies of the tank steam engines look plenty detailed to me. I do not think one could add much more fine detail.
I expect the results will make a lot of the current technology such as molds obsolete, wonder what will happen with prices?
Odie(early pictures- there is video of the finished project on youtube)
How about a link? I'd be interested in taking a look.
void
It appears that all the samples on the link are virtual, at least the first few pages. I'd be more impressed if I saw photos of real objects.
I've seen photos of real items. Those, to sum up, are very good for things that would normally be under a car and covered with grime.
When 3D printing can produce a steam engine bell and a diesel air horn that I can't tell from a real casting, then it will definitely have arrived.
'Til then, it's a process of limited, but real, use. To me.
Ed
There are real photos of a lot of the Nn3 products:
http://www.shapeways.com/search?q=nn3
I've seen injection molded products that don't look as good as some of them.
The technology is amazing and it allows small companies to offer limited production runs of complex well detailed models without high tooling and start-up costs and offer them at reasonable prices.
The costs are based on the amount of material used to make a model. That is why most of the train items are in smaller scales. On another board, when asked if a particular N scale model could be made in HO scale, the creator answered yes but the selling price would have to be about 4 times as much.
The inexpensive 3d printers currently available are not capable of making most of the products offered through Shapways. Maybe those offered in a few more years will.
I tried to sell my two cents worth, but no one would give me a plug nickel for it.
I don't have a leg to stand on.
The high-end machines are capable of some impressive results. Check out the portfolio at Moddler.com.
http://www.moddler.com/portfolio
You could create body shells for engines or cars that aren't otherwise available. If you want a lot of the same item, you could use the printed part as a master for making molds.
Makerbot has released a new version of its Replicator desktop printer. They claim it has 2.5 times the resolution of their earlier version. It's difficult to tell from the photos whether it could be used for body shells.
https://store.makerbot.com/replicator2.html
Steve S
Odie To do a body shell worthy of passing the 6" away test, you are looking at a $120k+ machine like Architects use.
To do a body shell worthy of passing the 6" away test, you are looking at a $120k+ machine like Architects use.
The machine that Moddler uses costs a cool quarter-million. That thing must be running 24/7 just to pay it off.
This past weekend I saw (and held in my hand) a 3D-printed body shell for a British prototype double-decker trolley. Probably O-scale.
It had a noticeable "corduroy" texture to it, even on the sides where the layers from the print were built up.
The roof, which was arched, had "topo lines" where the layers gradually got smaller as the structure came to the top of the arch.
The owner said he planned to do some sanding and hoped with primer, etc. to be able to smooth the finish enough.
It was interesting in that the interior partitions were printed as part of the whole shell. That would probably make it difficult to use the model for a mold master though.
The model was designed in Germany and printed in Belgium, I believe. Didn't ask about prices.
Eric
I wish I was a headlight
On a northbound train
But was it printed on a low-end machine, or a high-end one? There are different processes that give very different results.
If you're designing a shell for a diesel loco and the printed part isn't smooth enough, you could use the printed part as a base, give it a good sanding, then add the hood doors, grills, cab and other details using parts from Cannon & Co. or Details West.
Odie FYI to those of you that think printing a shell out will be a cheap method of making bodies in HO scale...an HO scale body will consume upwards $100 in material on the machine I use if printed as a single body.
FYI to those of you that think printing a shell out will be a cheap method of making bodies in HO scale...an HO scale body will consume upwards $100 in material on the machine I use if printed as a single body.
The Moddler site used to have a price estimator (it appears to be gone). I typed in the dimensions of an HO 50' boxcar and I think it came to 50 to 60 dollars, or so. Not cheap, but for a one-of-a-kind model that isn't otherwise available, it's not outrageous.
The entire inside of the shell will be full of support material, which costs about $.12/gram.
Are you using an extruder machine? Most of the high-end machines lay down a thin layer of powder with each pass, so there's no need for support material. The powder is retrieved for reuse and doesn't add to the cost.
We used a $20K machine (2009 dollars) and produced an HO box car complete with 3-D details such as grab irons. The resin cost for the model was $400. That would have been converted into an IM mold for making bodies for low volume runs (less than 500 pieces).
In a few years, who knows what we can do.
Gidday RJ. Here's a link to a thread that includes 3 D print modelling by Mark Watson.
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/204976.aspx
Cheers, the Bear.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
you know personally I would give up 2-3 dcc and sound equipped locomotives for a 3-D printer like this one
http://store.solidoodle.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=59&product_id=56
To me this makes sense for $600 plus tax
build pieces for a freight car or a structure. The possibility's are endless!
cncsxbnsfrailway2 you know personally I would give up 2-3 dcc and sound equipped locomotives for a 3-D printer like this one http://store.solidoodle.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=59&product_id=56 To me this makes sense for $600 plus tax build pieces for a freight car or a structure. The possibility's are endless!
You could use it to make brackets for holding switch machines and stuff like that. But for a show-piece model, you wouldn't be happy with the resolution. the striations are clearly visible. See the Youtube video below. If you want a model for display, you'll need to send you 3D model to some place with high-end machines.
watch?v=3ZeWGGvbIhg