3D Printer

[Keith Hayes]

I took the afternoon off to do some not so glamorous room prep in anticipation of extending the High Line.

In the mean time we have an intern at the office this summer who brought his 3d Printer in for us to evaluate:

It is rather like a robotic glue gun. The spool at the top is the material which feeds into the print head on an x-y-z gimbal.

So far the resolution is too coarse for my model work. Interestingly, it is possible to download files for the orange parts on the printer, making this somewhat self-replicating. At least if you can make the part before it breaks.

"Open the pod bay door, Dave."

[Ken Martin]

You are right that style is a little crude, however there are some that print finer.

I bought one a couple months ago and while a little rough I have done some HO stuff, a couple caboose interiors, a vertical boiler, a crate and a name plate, plus some non-railroad stuff.

A couple of building sides haven't worked out as well as I would have liked.

Ken Martin

[Keith Hayes]

I was able to craft some 3d parts over the holidays, and they arrived today.

I was able to get the Freight Depot doors to print correctly, and the windows came out especially nicely. The millions are extremely fine and the spruing worked well too. No excuses not to start the Freight Depot this weekend!

Another part I have been meaning to make is a saw horse for the car shop crew. These came out a tiny bit large, but what the heck? The make working on cars so much easier for the little guys. (I posted these parts in my Poverty Flats store on Shapeways if you want to purchase a set of your own. They are both in S and O scales).

[Jim Courtney]

Just visited your Shapeway's site. That 1:64 freight door is fabulous!

Is it feasible to reduce the large scale Fort Logan parts to 1:64? I've always hankered to have a depot for Estabrook or Dome Rock.

Jim

[Keith Hayes]

Jim, I can look into it. If I shrink the parts, the scroll work in the pediment will be lost for sure.

[Jim Courtney]

The scroll work is the best part.  So's probably not worth your time.

Thanks, Jim

[Keith Hayes]

Jim, your wish is granted. The parts posted to Shapeways: who will be the first to order a window or door to see if the scrollwork renders? I also posted the Idaho Springs cast iron water tank columns in 1/48, along with a new part for the base of the roof bracket for the Romley depot.

Otherwise, I spent the day painting track (not terribly exciting), and after I cleaned the paint off the rails, I ran trains. 75 puttered around the yard, and even ventured onto D&RG rails to switch the Arkansas Valley Smelter. The current keeper makes a difference in operation, along with cleaning the rails with a scrap of hardboard and a light application of radio parts cleaner.

[Jim Courtney]

Getting my Shapeways order together now.  And that new bracket for the Romley depot also appears to have been used at Baileys.

Thanks Keith!!

[Mike Trent]

Try a McConnell stack..... The world needs more of these.

I cut off the stack part of the casting and used instead a cut off PSC casting The diamond is very close to the UP drawing, and the results are great.

I don't know who cast these, Rob Smith had both of the ones in this picture, and I don't know of any others.

[Paul R.]

Mike,
Leadville shops makes a brass stack in S,Keith I sent an order for roof bkt etc in S, will be handy Paul R

[Robert McFarland]

I wish Leadville Shops would do a Nesmith stack in On3 like the one they are advertising in Sn3.

[Chris Walker]

I just done some, printed up myself a Brakewheel  



with my bender and welder