timbowales
Western Thunderer
Well, it arrived this morning. As it is not 7mm details and pictures will appear in my thread Cwm Gwendraeth BachHaving read this thread I've just ordered one of his Taff Vale brake vans, only in 4mm
Building a PHFmodels 3d-printed wagon in S7
- Thread starter NewportRod
- Start date
simond
Western Thunderer
Interesting, Bill.
my experience is that it is absolutely possible to print axleguards in FNG, and they can look excellent too, but resilient, they ain’t. Now, maybe I’m clumsy, or I’m unlucky, or both, but it’s just too easy to break resin prints. They fail in a brittle manner, like china, and if you haven’t lost any bits they’ll superglue back together, like china, but I don’t want to be trying to fix axleguards.
maybe if the axleguard, axlebox and spring were printed as one, the combination would be tough enough.
but for me, the right applications for 3DP are those where the object is either never loaded at all (eg, a scenic bicycle) or is quite chunky and free of thin sections (an axlebox, toolbox, chimney or dome). I have seen beautiful 3DP loco cabs, and I wonder how long til it gets a knock, and ends in tears. I’ve been playing with 3DP iron cattle wagons on and off for a year, they look great, but they have to be thicker than scale or they just break.
the Trotec that I used for my cattle van axleguards is 0.8mm so about 1.4” thick, or twice what it should be (3/4” scales at 0.44mm) and is decidedly tough, it will flex more than plasticard before taking a set. I still think the best material is etched NS, but the Trotec is convenient for proving the concept.
ymmv
Simon
John Duffy
Western Thunderer
ABS provides an excellent balance between flexibility (and resilience) with detail quality. SWW print our axleguards and other more vulnerable parts in ABS. 3D printing should be more than sufficiently resilient to stand up to model railway - including exhibition - handling.
John
John
James
Western Thunderer
If @Broadgauger or anyone else wants to test the durability of 3D printed wagons, I'm sure the NRM layout could assist.
Broadgauger
Member
I'm more than happy to send you a kit to try - but you'll need to supply the wheels! I print in ABS like resin so doubtless the wagons will last forever. As long as you kep them in the shade . . . PM me and I'll sort something out. Or send me some wheels and couplings and I'll assemble and paint??? I moved from Acomb a few years ago otherwise I would have strolled round and hand delivered it!
. . . it won't just end up in the gloat box will it?
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Broadgauger
Member
Brimming over with enthusiasm from Rod's build and some subsequent whatsapping (or maybe "what's occurin' " given Rod's background) I have added a few variations on the theme of short, 5 plank dumb buffered wagons.
The basic design lends itself to inside and outside strapped variants with plain, raised and curved plank ends. A request for something suitable for the Pembroke and Tenby Railway spurred things along.
Would there be any interest in pre-formed, drop in loads for these? Barrels, bricks, crates etc?
I was also commissoned to do Pembroke and Tenby brake van in 4mm. The orders will flood in for that.
Andrew
The basic design lends itself to inside and outside strapped variants with plain, raised and curved plank ends. A request for something suitable for the Pembroke and Tenby Railway spurred things along.
Would there be any interest in pre-formed, drop in loads for these? Barrels, bricks, crates etc?
I was also commissoned to do Pembroke and Tenby brake van in 4mm. The orders will flood in for that.
Andrew
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timbowales
Western Thunderer
That brake van does look tempting, you naughty thing
magmouse
Western Thunderer
The 5-plank wagon looks great, and I like the optional ends.
The only thing I would say about the 5-plank is it has a through-plank over the door (in other words, the door doesn’t go all the way to the top of the sides). This adds strength, and is characteristic of mineral wagons - those for merchandise had full height doors. Loads such as barrels and crates wouldn’t make much sense in a wagon of this type, though they might be of interest to go in other wagons.
Nick.
The only thing I would say about the 5-plank is it has a through-plank over the door (in other words, the door doesn’t go all the way to the top of the sides). This adds strength, and is characteristic of mineral wagons - those for merchandise had full height doors. Loads such as barrels and crates wouldn’t make much sense in a wagon of this type, though they might be of interest to go in other wagons.
Nick.
Broadgauger
Member
Thanks for the insight Nick. Sigh. I hadn't noticed that detail. Back to the drawing board . . . maybe.
Andrew
Osgood
Western Thunderer
Broadgauger
Member
But that just means the doors are wrong. Doesn't it? I'll release these as RTR in OO with wheels etc. soon. Purchasers of those models are pretty forgiving. Thankfully.
Osgood
Western Thunderer
I think a better description would be grateful - that you have gone to such effort to make these kits available.
Broadgauger
Member
Anyone for a Pembroke and Tenby ready to run OO brake van.
The underframe reflects the finesse of Rovex from the 1960s - much like Pembroke and Tenby continue to reflect Britain in the 1960s. Obviously this was just an experiment . . .
The underframe reflects the finesse of Rovex from the 1960s - much like Pembroke and Tenby continue to reflect Britain in the 1960s. Obviously this was just an experiment . . .
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timbowales
Western Thunderer
Will it take EM gauge wheelsets?
Broadgauger
Member
Yes - maybe. I can't pretend to know enough about standards. The Chinese wheelsets I use are cheap but prety accurate. There is room to puh them out on the axle between the W irons but not sure about wheel profile or whether there are a hundred and one options in EM. It wouldn't be as siple as droping in a 'standard' UK axle as the ones on the model are 25.4mm over pin points. And 12.5mm diameter. But the model is based on a single photo so inaccurate wheel diameter may be the least of anyone's worries. I will add it in various forms to ebay - body parts, RTR with footboards. RTR without.
I'm excited at the prospect of thousands of sales now of P&TR stock now. I'll start adding the Vale of Neath BG models too. Bonanza.
magmouse
Western Thunderer
Well, yes, but that’s a simple tweak to the model for future prints, isn’t it? And since you’ve gone freelance with your alternative ends, you could add to the options a version with full height doors - keep the grooves and extent the two hinges on the door up by one plank’s worth.
I am very tempted by one or two of these as PO wagons for a fictitious coal merchant on my 1908 layout. I need the piggy bank to refill a little though - not least because I bought a couple of your Gilvach quarry wagons…
Nick.
NewportRod
Western Thunderer
Thanks Nick, that's helpful information.
Even building the wagon I hadn't noticed that. In choosing the kit to be the basis for my model of the Edwin Baker wagon I should have filled the gap between the planks. My error.
Bill Bedford
Western Thunderer
"Standard" resins have a lot of inert filler, which makes them brittle. As others have said, ABS-type resins are more forgiving. Engineering "tough" resins are even more resilient but more expensive. Setting the print's exposure too high, ie over exposing the resin, will also tend to make the model brittle.
Broadgauger
Member
I think the ABS resins are pretty forgiving. I dropped the curved end wagon down to 4mm and the results are okay - sanding down the little pips is going to be the biggest chore.
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