TheGampMy first build, premiered yesterday at the NYC Model Transit meet in Parsippany.
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That is a really nice looking model.
Well done!
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Nice model!
What scale, HO?
And the meet, was this the one that used to be at Rutgers?
A buddy of mine may have been there with his custom-painting business.
Eric
Hi Kevins et. al.My first build, premiered yesterday at the NYC Model Transit meet in Parsippany. I sent my CAD file for the shell off to Shapeways and had them do it in FUD, same for the grabholds, safety gates, horn, and antenna. I used the shell as a mold master and cast copies in resin. I used a regular 3D printer at my local makerspace for the chassis, molded it, and cast it in low-melt tin-bismuth alloy for weight. I recently bought my own printer and did the sideframes on that.
I've done a few 3D printed projects through Shapeways, all in On30. They're mostly locomotive kitbashes, however I also 3D printed some concrete 'feet' for the water towers I'm scratchbuilding.
No. 8 was my first foray into 3D printing. It started as a Bachmann On30 2-6-0 tender engine. The cab, smokestack and front pilot are all 3D printed. The smokestack is in White Strong and Flexible, with the rest in Frosted Ultra Detail. The saddle tank was done with PVC pipe and styrene.
No. 11 is almost completely 3D printed. The body, frame and roof were done in White Strong and Flexible, with the details (grilles, window frames, headlights, etc.) in Frosted Ultra Detail. The grab irons and ladder rungs are made out of copper wire. The mechanism for this model is from an Athearn Blue Box GP40-2.
No. 10 started as a Bachmann On30 2-4-4-2 tender engine. I 3D printed the side tanks and cab, as well as the side steps and an extension for the cab floor. The platform at the front was built from styrene and copper wire. As usual, the handrails are copper wire, and the cab door handles are leftover castings from building no. 11.
The Location: Forests of the Pacific Northwest, OregonThe Year: 1948The Scale: On30The Blog: http://bvlcorr.tumblr.com
It may not save money, but it does save time. I made this hopper car:
http://shpws.me/P966
It would be much cheaper to make them out of cardboard and stripwood like I did previously - but that took a lot of time!
- Kevin
Check out my shapeways creations! HOn3 and railroad items for 3D printing:
https://www.shapeways.com/shops/kevin-s-model-train-detail-parts
I need to give this a try, because if I can 3D print the tops for my covered hopper conversions (from open hoppers - exactly the way the prototype did it) complete except for the grabs and latches, I could turn out a fleet of them in no time. The Micro Mark wood roof stock fits perfectly but there's a lot of prep work with multiple coats of sanding sealer and sanding it just to get the basic roof part ready. I have yet to churn out all the parts to built up the hatches, which then have to be laid out properly spaced and glued up.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Yeah - something to do when on a business trip on the road. It's something I can do inside while the babies nap. And yeah, you don't need expensive or comlicated software. Most of my things I used Tinkercad which runs right in Google Chrome.
Hello to another Kevin...
Yes, I have been designing things. I downloaded a free software package that seems to be good enough. It passes time in hotel rooms when I am away from home.
So far I have not had anything printed yet.
Anyone else out there designing things to be 3-d printed on shapeways? It's fun! I've found it to be another way to get involved in the hobby.
Kevin