Mike Hopkins
Member
I have been working on this project for quite some time now the whole thing is designed in Fusion 360 using the sheet metal function as well as solid modelling for 3D printed for castings and coach bodies.
I was at first going to do the whole thing by 3D printing the chassis bogies and bodies but after a numerous attempts at trying to perfect a method of joining roof and chassis halves together put the project down, my Formlabs printer wasn't big enough for the job. What I had built was put to one side and as time passed I noticed the chassis, body side and roof were all distorting, more than a year had passed and I decided it was time to revisit this project, this time I was etching the chassis and with the purchase of an Anycubic Photon Mono X I could print the roof and coach sides in one piece with out joins.
I accidently dropped one of the first build coach bodies it hit the table from where I was moving it from and only from a short height it smashed into 6 pieces. The resin had become brittle after only approx a year and a half so I offer this warning to anyone using Formlabs standard resins for bodies of wagons, coaches, engines etc the life expectancy isn't that long, the engineering resins have a longer life expectancy.
Anyway back to the project, I've not actually started building yet but have sent the CAD files to PPD a week ago and after I received the quote placed the order for the etches yesterday.
My 3D printer is going mad printing the Wax Resin prints for castings whilst I write this post, they will be sent for casting in brass early next week.
This is a render of Diagram 134, it's what I'm starting with. Both the coaches are the same so I'm only paying for one etch master for the chassis as I want to make sure I have got all the slots and bend widths correct before I send other coach chassis for etching
![D134-01.png D134-01.png](https://www.westernthunder.co.uk/data/attachments/158/158117-428dc21f73df26b7a1301de87657ca17.jpg)
A view of the chassis assembly
![D134-02.png D134-02.png](https://www.westernthunder.co.uk/data/attachments/158/158118-9ff01e1a908aa1eb8cef180021823faa.jpg)
Here are some screen shots of the etch pattern from Fusion 360 and the final CAD file in this sequence is from QCAD as you cannot colour the drawing in in Fusion, so I need someway of arriving at a the correct information for the etching company.
![D134-04.png D134-04.png](https://www.westernthunder.co.uk/data/attachments/158/158119-dd3d80ba4fa0db0709b8c522120bcc1a.jpg)
![D134-05.png D134-05.png](https://www.westernthunder.co.uk/data/attachments/158/158120-4c91a91f3436c07bbf97d385e5ec9510.jpg)
![D134-05b.png D134-05b.png](https://www.westernthunder.co.uk/data/attachments/158/158121-d99d47e25670b15fc56703d435b0c66f.jpg)
Hopefully the build starts here in two or three weeks when the etches and castings have been produced.
If anyone wants to know more about sheet metal in Fusion 360 I can start a topic in the CAD section there is a slight issue with this though, it has been discovered you cannot export a drawing in the right file format unless you have purchased the full version or you know someone who has and is willing to do it for you.
I know not everyone knows me but I'm willing to help with this if you require.
Finally a couple of renders of other coaches in the pipeline after this one.
![GNR-Coach-01.png GNR-Coach-01.png](https://www.westernthunder.co.uk/data/attachments/158/158124-c65c8a6cd21c89bbc75fa5ad321b01e5.jpg)
![GNR-Coach-02.png GNR-Coach-02.png](https://www.westernthunder.co.uk/data/attachments/158/158125-835b9a80ef8bde282f336271639e31aa.jpg)
Mike
I was at first going to do the whole thing by 3D printing the chassis bogies and bodies but after a numerous attempts at trying to perfect a method of joining roof and chassis halves together put the project down, my Formlabs printer wasn't big enough for the job. What I had built was put to one side and as time passed I noticed the chassis, body side and roof were all distorting, more than a year had passed and I decided it was time to revisit this project, this time I was etching the chassis and with the purchase of an Anycubic Photon Mono X I could print the roof and coach sides in one piece with out joins.
I accidently dropped one of the first build coach bodies it hit the table from where I was moving it from and only from a short height it smashed into 6 pieces. The resin had become brittle after only approx a year and a half so I offer this warning to anyone using Formlabs standard resins for bodies of wagons, coaches, engines etc the life expectancy isn't that long, the engineering resins have a longer life expectancy.
Anyway back to the project, I've not actually started building yet but have sent the CAD files to PPD a week ago and after I received the quote placed the order for the etches yesterday.
My 3D printer is going mad printing the Wax Resin prints for castings whilst I write this post, they will be sent for casting in brass early next week.
This is a render of Diagram 134, it's what I'm starting with. Both the coaches are the same so I'm only paying for one etch master for the chassis as I want to make sure I have got all the slots and bend widths correct before I send other coach chassis for etching
![D134-01.png D134-01.png](https://www.westernthunder.co.uk/data/attachments/158/158117-428dc21f73df26b7a1301de87657ca17.jpg)
A view of the chassis assembly
![D134-02.png D134-02.png](https://www.westernthunder.co.uk/data/attachments/158/158118-9ff01e1a908aa1eb8cef180021823faa.jpg)
Here are some screen shots of the etch pattern from Fusion 360 and the final CAD file in this sequence is from QCAD as you cannot colour the drawing in in Fusion, so I need someway of arriving at a the correct information for the etching company.
![D134-04.png D134-04.png](https://www.westernthunder.co.uk/data/attachments/158/158119-dd3d80ba4fa0db0709b8c522120bcc1a.jpg)
![D134-05.png D134-05.png](https://www.westernthunder.co.uk/data/attachments/158/158120-4c91a91f3436c07bbf97d385e5ec9510.jpg)
![D134-05b.png D134-05b.png](https://www.westernthunder.co.uk/data/attachments/158/158121-d99d47e25670b15fc56703d435b0c66f.jpg)
Hopefully the build starts here in two or three weeks when the etches and castings have been produced.
If anyone wants to know more about sheet metal in Fusion 360 I can start a topic in the CAD section there is a slight issue with this though, it has been discovered you cannot export a drawing in the right file format unless you have purchased the full version or you know someone who has and is willing to do it for you.
I know not everyone knows me but I'm willing to help with this if you require.
Finally a couple of renders of other coaches in the pipeline after this one.
![GNR-Coach-01.png GNR-Coach-01.png](https://www.westernthunder.co.uk/data/attachments/158/158124-c65c8a6cd21c89bbc75fa5ad321b01e5.jpg)
![GNR-Coach-02.png GNR-Coach-02.png](https://www.westernthunder.co.uk/data/attachments/158/158125-835b9a80ef8bde282f336271639e31aa.jpg)
Mike