Hi,
I'm just joined cs.trains and this is my first post.
I have found it difficult to find much in the way of Model RR O-Scale 3D *ready-to-print* items anywhere on the internet. HO, N, Z yes... but, not O.
I am a retired software developer so I can get around the internet pretty well. I am very well aware of thingiverse and like websites... still, ready-to-3Dprint O-Scale is rare.
Is it acceptable to give/share not-for-sale, free, non-copyrighted O-scale .stl/.svg files with the modeling community here (HO could resize the files if they like)? Would cs.trains like to have a library of ready-to-print files for their members?
I have a word doc with what I have (I named it O-Scale Catalog) but I don't want to attach it... lest I make some angry.
dennis
I guess by now you have figured out your first few posts are delayed.I’m into CAD (since 1985) using DesignCAD 20 and it doesn’t do 3D and I don’t have a 3D printer so I haven’t looked into 3D so far. I could upgrade to 3D pretty cheap. Your O scale drawings could be easily converted to any scale in a 3D CAD program.Awhile back I was kicking around making a 3D drawing of an Athearn Diner interior but found it easier to scratch build it because I only needed one diner. By the time I did the upgrade and the printing costs it was well over my hobby budget.I do almost all of my scratch building drawings on my CAD and post them on my Google Drive accessible to the public, you could do the same. I make all of my drawings 1:87 scale for easy full size templates for my scratch building. I also post them on my blog along with schematics and Arduino Sketches. Mel My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
Hi Dennis,
Welcome to the forums!!
I did a quick search of the Shapeways site and was surprised to see that they didn't have a section for O scale train parts on their marketing page. That didn't sound right, so I did a general Google search for O scale 3D printed train parts and one of the first listings was Shapeways!
Here is a link to their O scale listings:
https://www.shapeways.com/marketplace/miniatures/trains?tag=o%2Bscale
I'm not sure if you have already seen the listings.
Cheers!!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Dennis,
While I don't have an answer for you, I want to welcome you to the forum. As Mel said, your first few posts are moderated, so they take a while to appear. That goes away pretty quickly.
As far as posting some share items on the forum, you might want to email Steve Otte, the moderator. He can answer you.
York1 John
York1As far as posting some share items on the forum, you might want to email Steve Otte, the moderator. He can answer you.
The easiest way to get in touch with Steven Otte is to send him a Personal Message (PM). To do that, go to the top of the General Discussions page and click on Steven's picture beside the first post. That will bring up his profile and there is a "Start Conversation" icon in the upper right.
If he sends you a PM back, you will have to monitor 'Messages' which is under your name on the top right of this page. He may choose to answer directly on the forum.
Why not just resize models that are in other scales? You can easily scale up any model to O scale in any modeling or slicing program. That’s what makes 3D modeling and printing so versatile.
-Peter. Mantua collector, 3D printing enthusiast, Korail modeler.
the previous poster said it all, you have to reslice the figures anyways, so scaling adds another click, and very little time ..
Actually a print parts library isn't a bad idea. With little printers like the anycubic that do a nice job, a library would be helpful.
two 3D cads are really designed with printing in mind. Sketch up And tinkercad
shapeways is a bit of a bear to negotiate when looking for scale stuff. Sometimes you have to look for the the general scale ratio and others by the scale name. I find a lot of interesting parts to add to the must buy list that way. Definitely the future for small production runs and decreased warehousing
shane
A pessimist sees a dark tunnel
An optimist sees the light at the end of the tunnel
A realist sees a frieght train
An engineer sees three idiots standing on the tracks stairing blankly in space
Maybe i am out of touch but i was under the impression anything drawn in 3D cad was full size in the drawing then scaled down for printing. So if an I beam was 22' long you drew it 22' long which makes it easy for dimensions because there is no scaling like us engineers used to do with a scale ruler three sided with several scales on it. Then the software scales it down for 3d printing of the part. I almost bought a 3d printer so I could easily make PRR signal bridges but then thought about the learning curve for the software and scrapped the idea. I also have no idea how delicate the finished structural work would be and does the plastic cover with paint or does it bead up. Too many unknowns for me but it does have potential
I seriously doubt MRR or Steve would want to get involved. Far too many issues.
Sorry.
Robert
LINK to SNSR Blog
Yeah, I don't see MR getting involved with that. If you want to offer up designs to people for free, stick them on your personal web site. Advertising things for sale here is not allowed, but free things seem to be OK as long as you are not advertising a business. There is a huge thread full of pictures of various vintages that you can scale and print to make signs for on structures or billboards that's been around for years. A general thread on "cool 3D models to print yourself" is IMO nothing different, though the powers that be may see it different somehow.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
I think one of the issues with using full scale drawings that are then scaled down is that small thin parts, such as pipes, in the full size become impossible to print to small scales on cheaper printers. I know my son-in-law tried to print me a radio tower. The cross pieces that were true to scale were so thin they didn't print correctly.
Same witht he reverse, scaling up from a smaller scale. The smaller details will have been oversize to make them work in the smaller size - when scalled up from N or HO to O, they will be grossly oversized. So it's not quite as simple as just scaling up or down, it also takes some skill to adjust for things like that.
York1 I think one of the issues with using full scale drawings that are then scaled down is that small thin parts, such as pipes, in the full size become impossible to print to small scales on cheaper printers. I know my son-in-law tried to print me a radio tower. The cross pieces that were true to scale were so thin they didn't print correctly.
JohnIf you still want a tower make your own from brass ladder stock, I buy my brass ladder stock from Oregon Rail Supply (#142), Precision Scale (#31327) or Integrated Signal Systems (B117).
My tower guy is tweaking a VHF antenna on the top of my 130' HO scale tower. Mel My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
rrinker Same witht he reverse, scaling up from a smaller scale. The smaller details will have been oversize to make them work in the smaller size - when scalled up from N or HO to O, they will be grossly oversized. So it's not quite as simple as just scaling up or down, it also takes some skill to adjust for things like that. --Randy
Yes, exactly.
RR_MelIf you still want a tower make your own from brass ladder stock, I buy my brass ladder stock from Oregon Rail Supply (#142), Precision Scale (#31327) or Integrated Signal Systems (B117).
Mel, I eventually ordered one from Shapeways for just a few dollars. That was when I first started my layout. Mine is not nearly as tall or as impressive as yours.
Today, I believe I would attempt to make my own.
Holy Moly... I posted this almost 3 years ago. I don't recall seeing any responses so I wound up making the 3D files available from my home server. I recently moved them over to an online forum as my server was continually slammed. There are around 180 O-Scale items available... with 100 or so of them having the original CAD files as well as the .stl(s). It's not just about re-sizing an .stl to fit a particular scale but more importantly the abilty to modify the CAD file.
You can use a multiplier in cura from one scale to another. Go online and get the table. Then if the print is sized for HO you enlarge it by a certain percent from the table. They have it organized so you can do any scale.
Don't know about modifiying a cad file. For cura it has to be a stl file. You could probably go to the site for designing 3d prints.
(edit- just noticed your post about this being 3 years old so you are already aware)
Follow this link and search for "model railroad", it searches all the 3D STL file websites. Many of the STL files are free to download and use. Read the disclaimer on the file concerning reselling the printed products. They are fairly open about sharing.
Trending 3D models free to download | Thangs
"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination."-Albert Einstein
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