50% price increase on Shapeways FUD

[reinhardtjh]

I would like to make a suggestion to the guys trying this out. Instead of designing the car standing upright, lay it on it's side so that the flat side is in the plane of a layer and it should theoretically not show the raster lines (layers) as they are built. The side would be comprised of only one layer.

Tony,

 I think the problem with that is going to be supporting the opposite side (now the "top" as it lays on it side) while printing it.  I suppose supports could be designed into the piece and if used for a casting master it shouldn't matter if they remain. Otherwise they would have to be cut out later.  It will add to the cost due to more material being used.

  You also might be able to design a piece as 5 slabs (4 sides and the roof) laying flat and assembled later. Might have to contend with joint lines though.  But you could probably submit them as one file still and avoid the $5 setup fee for each side.

  John H. Reinhardt

[choochin3]

Thank you Chris for the answer to my question,I have never heard of FUD 'till this thread.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

The rastering looks a lot like the diagnal angles on M4D shells. I still think his material looks best, but it may be the 3D files have been optomised for his machine. One other option would be to make the file 20% larger and use a Naphtha reducer on the molds to shrink it back to N scale. That should reduce the effect by 20%. With a good spray of primer, you should be good to go without having to file it.

[DKS]

Your car is significantly smoother than the bus that I've got.  I'd say mine the 'bumpiness' or 'rastering' is at least double in depth as what you've got there.  Mine looks and feels exactly like the orange peel you get when you spray ModelFlex paint from too far away from your subject.

Are you sure it's FUD? I ordered his bus, too, and it's on par with the taconite car in terms of smoothness. Many of Stony's models can be ordered in a number of different materials, and you need to make sure to select FUD when ordering.

[Hyperion]

Are you sure it's FUD? I ordered his bus, too, and it's on par with the taconite car in terms of smoothness. Many of Stony's models can be ordered in a number of different materials, and you need to make sure to select FUD when ordering.

Well, I checked, and I stand corrected.

The bus (the one that I got) is only available in WSF, which is what I ordered.  I either didn't notice when I ordered or perhaps at the time was thinking it would be an interesting comparison between materials.  Either way, it's not FUD.  It also, for some strange reason, was designed without the front windows (and arguably most visible and important) cut out, though every other one is.  So not a great model.

[Chris333]

Guess I see the price increase for myself... I ordered 15 V-tippers for $25. Now I go there and add 15 v-tippers to my cart and they are $97.50 !!!    :-\

[John]

So, if I wanted to make a BQ23-7 cab for my Atlas B23-7s, how would one do that?

[DKS]

It also, for some strange reason, was designed without the front windows (and arguably most visible and important) cut out, though every other one is.  So not a great model.

Some of Stony's models are "works in progress" or "doodles" where he's experimenting with design. I believe there may be another version of the bus.

[bbussey]

So, if I wanted to make a BQ23-7 cab for my Atlas B23-7s, how would one do that?

John - you need a 3D Cad program to draw the solid files, as well as all the measurements for the cab.  Alternatively, if the model exists in another scale, you can take measurements from that with a digital caliper and convert to N.  A solid model generally is formed by extrusions and cut-extrusions based on sketches drawn on planes.  Visually break everything down into basic geometric shapes, rather than looking at the object as one complex part.  Every object on the planet, no matter how complex, consists of a series of rectangles, triangles, circles and ellipses (and their 3D equivalents).  You just have to train your eye to see them.

[Dave Schneider]

Guess I see the price increase for myself... I ordered 15 V-tippers for $25. Now I go there and add 15 v-tippers to my cart and they are $97.50 !!!    :-\

That is a bit more than a 50% price increase. That should take care of their problems with being swamped with orders. I know that my interest in these models has gone down significantly.

Best wishes, Dave

[Philip H]

So, if I wanted to make a BQ23-7 cab for my Atlas B23-7s, how would one do that?

If someone wanted to do these I'd be interested as well . . .

[lashedup]

So has the cost of Perfactory 3D printer output come down in the last year or so? Perfactory can produce objects that are nearly completely smooth. Mike Skibbe had a flat car output on one of these machine a few years back and the resolution and quality were really impressive. I'll have to get him to snap some pics.

-jamie

[daniel_leavitt2000]

I'll be up for a BQ23 just because it is so unique. I'm sure some saw run throughs on Conrail trackage.

[sirenwerks]

I kinda with Dave on this one, my interest just plummeted. It's one thing to make an error in calculations and realize you are under-charging and need to raise price to accommodate for the mistake; it's another to realize you're selling something people like and deciding to gouge the hell out of them.

[bbussey]

So has the cost of Perfactory 3D printer output come down in the last year or so? Perfactory can produce objects that are nearly completely smooth. Mike Skibbe had a flat car output on one of these machine a few years back and the resolution and quality were really impressive. I'll have to get him to snap some pics.

The resolution is excellent - but it's expensive, and you have to design your build supports properly so that 1) the model doesn't fall over during the build and 2) the supports can be removed without compromising the detail on the model.  I have a few pilot models rendered in the PerFactory resin, including the prototype for the ESM C&O well car:



And if you don't cure it properly via UV rays it will warp over time, which in fact this model has done.