3 D Printing 16mm models

[SimonWood]

My latest effort....

Drawn in TinkerCAD and printed off.

Terrific looking van Rik - and the finish is impressive!

[SimonWood]

An FR-ish Tipper because I drew it up from photos not actual drawings and I know some bits aren't quite right.

Wonderful model Philip - like the details; very crisp.

[SimonWood]

I am starting to think about ridge tiles and window frames.

This is really starting to take shape - can't wait to see it finished and in position!

[FWLR]

[quote="Trevor Thompson" post_id=157472 time=1605464192 user_id=2202]
The station roof is still printing.

Another 6 panels printed and the second roof glued into position:





Now that is very, very impressive. I wish I had looked at the thread before all of this goings on with the forum...
I haven't been, well I have, interested in 3D printing because it looked to hard to do, but having recently had a member make me a kit to build and looked at the excellent quality of the parts, I am now seriously considering buying a 3D printer even if it means going into debt , an £80 printer is still more than I can afford and cheaper than that haven't had very good reviews.

Also I am still not sure what programs would work with my MacBook Pro. I know members who are into 3D printing have said that they alter the programs to try and get some better results and they have been successful in doing so.

Your station however looks just like a kit that the so-called professionals sell, but even better. I very well thought build of I am sure will be one of the best stations to be seen.

Now that I have found and started to read this thread, I will start from the beginning. Philliply's wagon looks just as impressive by the way and made without any plans is even more impressive.

[Trevor Thompson]

I also like the fact that Rik and Philip in particular are adding to this thread.

When I started it I commented that I couldn’t find anything on 3 d printing. I can now as I follow particular authors threads. As an example I found Riks thread on the Bone works and the 3 d printed window frames and beam engine.

I hope that what we are doing here makes it easy for others to find!

[FWLR]

Phillip in particular is very accomplished at 3d printing, as is Rik's. But you take yours to a different level Trevor.. Though everyone who do make 3D models are very good and it does inspire me to look into for information on printers and how easy they could be for me to try my hand at it. I did look and download the Fusion 360 program, but wow, what a lot of for me, confusing things you need to know.


I won't bore you with my explanation and wouldn't know were to start.....

[-steves-]

Phillip in particular is very accomplished at 3d printing, as is Rik's. But you take yours to a different level Trevor.. Though everyone who do make 3D models are very good and it does inspire me to look into for information on printers and how easy they could be for me to try my hand at it. I did look and download the Fusion 360 program, but wow, what a lot of for me, confusing things you need to know.


I won't bore you with my explanation and wouldn't know were to start.....

Try Tinkercad, it is literally child's play as that is what it was designed for. Clearly at my zero cad experience level, it's perfect for me, I am getting on well with it, as is Rik. Some of the things we have designed in there are quite complex now we look back at them.

[Trevor Thompson]

I would second all of that.

I am convinced that the 3 D printer is a valuable part of our hobby, and its value does depend on being able to design your own creations.

Tinkercad gets you started, and can take you quite a way - so what is to dislike?

Fusion and sketch can be challenging to get into and having succeeded with Tinkercad then perhaps you will eventually have the desire to work your way into it. Or perhaps by then something else will have taken over.

And the printer? It is more important to get a start - and if its an £80 printer well so be it. My wife suggested this morning that I would be wanting another bigger printer for Christmas - and well I think Im doing OK with what Ive got - so the answer was no not really- I seem to be managing with this one!

Trevor

[Trevor Thompson]

The station building is now complete apart from painting.

The roof is on the ridge tiles glued in place and the window frames printed. Oh and that chimney pot looks a bit tall but I think it isn't so different from the real thing:

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The windows are just pressed into place at the moment.The windows have recesses built into the back of them so that I can insert pieces of glazing material. But paint first.

So what next?

Let me take you back to the photos in the 16mm association Ffestiniog booklet, and in the Spooner Album as well. They all have pictures of Tan - y - Bwlch station with a horse drawn vehicle in front of the station building. As far as I can work out it belonged to the Oakley Arms Hotel and was there to meet the trains. Its the local bus!

I think it is a "Wagonnette". Which is an open private bus to seat 6 passengers in the back. This is my attempt at a wagonette:

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The horse is from Thingverse, but the carriage is my own creation.

So lets try to print it!

Trevor

[ge_rik]

That looks fantastic, Trevor. I really admire your SketchUp skills, having been there, tried it and given up.

Rik

[SimonWood]

That's a beautiful drawing Trevor - I am looking forward to seeing it translated into ABS!

[FWLR]

Thanks guys for your very kind replies. I am learning already about how 3D printing would change my little world of modelling. I never thought it would be that complicated though, but I have now joined Tinkercad and I am just started to go through the tutorials. It looks simple enough, but without a printer all I can do is save whatever work I do....

The station looks fantastic Trevor and has for the correctly named "Wagonette"...

You have blown my mind with that drawing...

Just hope we can keep our forum and then I can learn more from you guys who are the best.....

[FWLR]

Fantastic news on the forum too...


Thank you Steve.......

[Paul_in_Ricky]

but without a printer all I can do is save whatever work I do....

There are several companies that will print your designs for you.
You can output a .stl file and upload it into their quotation pages online and see how much it costs. If the price is acceptable you can have the items within a couple of weeks. It's worth playing with different configurations of parts in your design if you choose this approach, minimum pricing levels can make it sensible to make sprues of many copies that will cost the same.
Also worth noting that some companies can print in materials like metal that aren't really possible at home.

[FWLR]

Hi Paul,

That is good to know, but I would like to try and get my own printer because that's the whole point of doing 3D printing isn't, to get what you want cheaper than you can buy online or on the high street.

You all continue to astound me with the printing you do and someday... I would like to get to the same level has you all. But will continue to ask members on here to help out with anything I need until I get around to getting a printer. And hopefully any or part of the money goes into keeping our forum alive....

[Andrew]

That is good to know, but I would like to try and get my own printer because that's the whole point of doing 3D printing isn't, to get what you want cheaper than you can buy online or on the high street.

Maybe not the whole point - personally I'm interested in learning this stuff because it should enable me to create things that either I can't make/obtain any other way, or where the method and material really lends itself to the project, or perhaps where accuracy is really important, never a strong point of mine using traditional techniques.

It is a steep learning curve though - I taught myself some basics a few weeks ago but haven't used it since, and now I'm trying to pick it up again I find I've got to re-learn it from scratch! The various video tutorials online are pretty good though, and I'm in no hurry... Good luck with getting to grips with it all Rod, have fun!

Andrew.

[FWLR]

You know how slowly I do things Andrew. I haven't looked at the Tinkercad site since last looked yesterday, just haven't the time. Where does it all go.....

[Trevor Thompson]

I have made a first attempt at printing the body of the wagonette!

Of course I should have known better than to just jump in and print the SCALE drawing. Two basic errors. Firstly the parts are extremely thin - not too thin to print but extremely delicate. Far too delicate. But it brings home just how lightly built this sort of thing was. After all its engine was only 1 horse power!

Secondly I tried to print too much as a single component. It printed but it was very wasteful in filament. So firstly as it came out of the printer:

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and with most of the supports removed:

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You can see that the upright sides are breaking, and a bit which should support the drivers bench has fallen off.

So I am going to apply some common sense and make it in smaller sections so that flat planes sit on the bed. That is after I have modified the components to add thickness. I will share the results shortly!

[ge_rik]

A lot of supports in evidence and, as you say, it looks a bit flimsy. I do tend to slightly over engineer my models where I can.

Rik

[FWLR]

It looks as if it may need to be done like a kit build. But fantastic effort though, but a bit wasteful on material. If and when I do get a printer I would need to be so careful in not having too much waste I am thinking.

Is it normal to get a lot of waste and when you do. Do you make a lot of adjustments to the program to get less..