I designed this and 3d printed it on my Afinia printer. It is based on a station in McLean, TX. This is HO scale, but I also did it in O Scale. Design and construction details can be seem at: http://nvrr49.blogspot.com/2014/04/phillips-66-mclean-tx-3d-printed-in-ho.html
Kent in KC
nvrr49.blogspot.com
Reminds me of some residences in the Del Mar Addition of Corpus Christi, Texas.
OK, I guess my next toy needs to be a 3D printer. In the meantime, I will see if I can master the required 3D drawing. My experience is with early 3D CAD programs where you more or less drew in 2D and then projected the Z axis. That I cna do. I did install Sketchup to try it but didn;t get very far yet.
–Randy
HO scale Frisco section house.
The basic structure was designed in SketchUp, and 3d printed on an Afinia printer, afinia.com. The house is based on plans for Frisco, SL&SF, section house published on frisco.org. More details on the it’s design and construction can be seen at: http://nvrr49.blogspot.com/2014/05/frisco-section-house-3d-printed-in-ho.html
Kent,
You’re making excellent progress on the development of 3D printed models. I was wondering though whether it might be quicker and easier to print the individual building components and then assemble them kit style? If you could include more detail information into each component design, wouldn’t the printer then be able to give you the desired detail resolution? Just a thought.
That’s what renegabe did and posted about in this thread:
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/228705.aspx
made a bunch of flat parts and then assembled it like a kit. I see places where it makes sense to use one method over the other, and also to combine methods to produce the finished model. Guess I need to get a 3D printer AND a cnc machine.
–Randy
I agree. The structures shown could have been built using traditional methods and materials, with the 3D technology used for something more complex, such as complicated ornamental brickwork or unique architectural details or windows.
Wayne
One use for 3D (as per Doc Wayne’s comment) would be making “restoration” parts- where you have a damaged built structure or an incomplete kit (as from a swap meet)- and you re-create the original, using either a remaining like part or by drawing a new plan view diagram of the original part. Perhaps this might work also in kitbashing, to create parts needed for detailing locomotives and cars…
Cedarwoodron
Actually, I was thinking that the computer files for individual flat parts would require less memory. The smaller files should then allow for finer detail information without overwhelming the printer memory. Would this be true?
The sum total should be the same. Memory probably isn’t a problem if you’re printing at home, but if you send out to someplace like Shapeways they do have limits on file size and polygon counts. The problem with having Shapeways print each wall in a separate order is that you’re going to pay a processing fee for each order, upping the cost.
Steve S
No, this was about a 5 hour print job, and memory is not an issue, and has nothing to do with the quality of the printed product. I did a 17 hour job over last weekend. I will be posting it sometime next month…hopefully.
The detail is finer in the Z axis, than the X or Y, so you would not get as fine a detail if you lay the walls down for printing. You can barely see the layering, and what you do see looks like weathering in the Z axis. Printed laying down, the layers look like stair steps.
Kent in KC
I 3d printed this on an Afinia home printer. The tile roof was made using the 1960’s era Vac-U-Form toy over forms that I 3d printed. Design and construction details, along with some more pictures can be seen at: http://nvrr49.blogspot.com/2014/06/barry-well-3d-printing-and-vac-u.html
Kent in KC
nvrr49.blogspot.com
Here are some bridges I designed and printed. Both HO scale. Design and construction details, along with some more pictures can be seen at: http://nvrr49.blogspot.com/2014/06/stone-arch-bridges-3d-printed-down-on.html
Kent in KC
nvrr49.blogspot.com
Had a barrel of fun this weekend at the Maker Faire KC. Printed and gave away a lot of barrels. They don’t photograph well in their natural state, but here are some pictures in primer.
Here is a link to some finished pictures.
http://nvrr49.blogspot.com/2014/06/barrels-wood-and-steel-ho-s-and-o-scale.html
Playing around 3d printing some glass blocks. This store front, based on a building in Memphis, was all printed. It is HO scale. Construction details can be seen at: http://nvrr49.blogspot.com/2014/08/memphis-store-front-3d-printed-glass.html
I will be doing a clinic on using SketchUp, the drawing program I design with, at the National Narrow Gauge Convention in a few weeks. I will also be doing one on using a personal 3d printer.
Kent in KC
Based on a prototype building in Chilhowee Missouri on the old Rock Island. Over 9 hours of total print time. Design and construction details can be seen at: http://nvrr49.blogspot.com/2014/08/chilhowee-state-bank-3d-printed-in-ho.html. I will be doing a clinics on designing in SketchUp and using a home 3d printer at the National Narrow Gauge Convention next week. This is HO scale.
Kent in KC
The basic structure was printed on an Afinia home printer, and the windows and doors were printed as shapeways. This is based on an early 20th century Gulf filling station. Design and construction details can be seen at http://nvrr49.blogspot.com/2014/09/hexagon-gulf-gas-station-3d-printed.html
Kent in KC
Based on the Cassville and Exeter depot at Cassville, MO. The basic building was printed in one piece and took 17 hours. Design and construction details can be seen at: http://nvrr49.blogspot.com/2014/10/cassville-and-exeter-depot-3d-printed.html
Kent in KC
nvrr49.blogspot.com
I saw an article in Forbes web site today that HP will market a 3D printer in 2016 that will have 5 micron resolution. They showed a picture of a refinery structure built with the prototype that looked near HO scale. The handrails were exquisite. One problem, the initiakl price will be near $150,000. Maybe it will come down in time.
For reference purposes, a human hair is about 25 microns. For $3,000 you can get SLA printers that will do 37 microns in the X and Y axis, and 1 micron in the Z axis (kudo3d.com).
Kent in KC
nvrr49.blogspot.com