Has anyone starter using these things, can you go to Staples or Kinkos and get some parts made. Also many years ago, there were fiber draw bars from some manufacture, does anyone remember whom, or if they are still available. would make my own but seems I can’t get the hole centered.
Hi brother Harris:
I do not know anyplace with three D printers, yet. They are coming, and my son tells me that home use ones will be avaible for less than $1000 can$ this summer. He has alreddy seen some good minatures made this way.
The real problem that I see will be getting a program to print what you want, compatible with the printer. Even more fun trying to write your own software to print some thing like a window frame.
Probably money to be made by some with more savvy than me developing these things.
David, Ont, Can
Ive seen one in action … they are pretty sweet.
It’s been discussed here many times. Staples is supposedly getting printers that use sheets of paper to build up models. Not very practical for our needs.
For best results, just send out your models to someplace like Shapeways, Sculpteo, or Moddler. Their high-end printers will have a much better finish than the DIY filament extrusion printers.
Steve S
Here’s one possibility: http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/661-600
And item 813 on the following list might also work: http://www.bowser-trains.com/docs/Prices/Bowser%20HO%20N%20Prices.htm See also item 6402 on the same list. There are also some brass drawbars starting at item 35112.
We have one at work. Good for prototyping, but the current technology, at least at a reasonable price, is a long way from the level of detail we usually expect in model railroading. Surface finish is way too rough. Also the time to print is a far cry from production speed. I can see where it’s going and in a few years could drive wholesale changes to a lot of things, but right now more for those interested in the technology itself than those interested in the product. Perhaps an MR comparision would be CTC-16 to today’s top line DCC.
They have machines that have the detail but like said many $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Whatever Shapeways uses is plenty fine a resolution for HO and larger, even N scale. Friend of mine was showing some building and signals he had done at Shapeways for his N scale layout - close up, unpainted, it wasn’t out of scale grainy at all. Once painted, they will look great.
–Randy
Hello Shorty,
I don’t know anything about the printers, but drawbars… I’ve made my own for several locos (steam) from .060 styrene in order to shorten the distance between loco and tender. For the “centering”, I drill my holes, then cut the styrene afterwards so my holes are “centered”. Otherwise, mine woudn’t be centered either. I don’t know if that helps.
Happy RR’ing!
Duane
Thanks Duane, I have done that, and with some success, even to close couple powered diesels. Just looking for an easier way, with the same spacing integarty. SH
BTW I think it’s “3-D Printer”, as in “three dimensions”. Regular printers only do two dimensions.
Gee thanks Stix