Island Modelworks make sthe move to Shapeways

[kornellred]

I purchased NScale  MP54 and Pullman-Standard "Washboard" MU cars from Island Modelworks in the past couple of years.  While the models are fairly accurate, they are all very thick castings with visible longitudinal warp which cannot be dealt with in a less-than-frustrating manner.  Now that I know that IM is doing away with their N Scale offerings,  I am going to attempt to plagiarize these models and use certain components to make my own.  For my own use, of course - I do not have the talent to produce a model that would be acceptable for sale.

[ArtinCA]

Damn they didn't fix those lines yet . Their cutter must not be plum or the tip isn't flat and perpendicular to the shaft . Maybe they should only produce Milwaukee proto cars .

Richie, no one is getting your off the cuff humor.. Except those few of us that see it clearly.. 

[peteski]

I discussed Shapeways with Bryan Bussey (as I was drooling over his White Tower 3D printed building prototypes at the last Amherst show at the Big E).  Even their Frosted Ultra Detail (FUD) is still a bit coarse for N scale.  They also do not give you control of which way the object will be "printed". The orientation often makes a big difference in the final quality of the object.

[bbussey]

As with all of the rending methods, there are pluses and minuses.  I'm finding the ProJet3000+ resin (Shapeways FD/FUD) is best on small intricate detail, and has trouble with large flat surfaces.  Any flat surfaces rendered should be done on the Z plane to avoid visible layering.  Currently, I'm designing models in hybrid fashion, using the RP parts for the relief and etch brass for the flat surfaces.