New Z project with a twist

[Catt]

My newest Z scale purchase from Shapeways came with a definite twist.Anybody have any thoughts on how to eliminate it?

[randgust]

I've seen warping like that myself, but only after painting.   A diesel shell I ordered 'cupped' in all directions after painting with Badger, which was a heck of a surprise.   Didn't soften or dissolve it, but it did warp it.

[up1950s]

Return it to Shapeways and let them and the designer get bent out of shape .

[Catt]

Have already contacted Shapeways and the designer is the one that first noticed the twist.

[loyalton]

Did this get the full Bestine soak yet?; hard for me to tell. I wonder if residual wax or varnish was the problem.

Is this FUD? The designer might make a trial in the newer FED.

Last(?) resort for the designer might be to add strut-like, sprue-like rods to bridge the steps in the floor. Those would be trimmed off like sprues by the buyer/you, of course.

[Catt]

Took the car out of the bubble wrap set two trucks on the rails and plopped the car down on them and took the pic you see.I know how to take the twist out of the car but that requires a permanent load.

I took 5 more pictures at Shapeways request (they really only wanted a few) and sent them to Shapeways so they could see if there was someway to eliminate the twist.

Oh and I don't use Bestine there is a gas furnace and hot water heater in this room.I use plain ol Isopropyl alcohol to clean my Shapeways projects.Plus warm water and Dawn that is.
 

[nkalanaga]

What is the prototype for that car?  I don't think I've ever seen a depressed-center centerbeam before.

[Catt]

If my memory serves me right it is the long version of a National Steel car (I think that is the right name).I spent 3 hours last night looking for the pics of the prototype but could only find the shorter version.

I finally found my prototype pic. 

[Catt]

Shapeways is sending me a reprint,after studying my pictures they figured out what wentand are correcting it.

By the way Stony now has the car in N scale if anyone is interested. I plan to buy a couple if I have room on the new much smaller Grande Valley Railway for a lumber yard or team track.(can always use more rail cars right?)

https://www.shapeways.com/product/DL7MUJZAN/depressed-centerbeam-nscale?li=shop-results&optionId=57308106

[nkalanaga]

Thank you!  It makes sense, as there's plenty of room under the floor on such long cars.  I see a fair number of centerbeams on the NS, but know that I've never seen one of those.  It would definitely stand out.

I'd buy one, but it would look a little out of place in 1974...  I think the only ones around then were the few the NP had, and I don't remember ever seeing one of those, even though I lived near, and my father worked at, the NP's Pasco yard. 

[nscaler711]

Catt, i need more pics of that cars prototype!! 

[Catt]

nscaler711 said, Catt, i need more pics of that cars prototype!! 

Me too, but I can't find the page again where I got the pic.

[jimmo]

Oh and I don't use Bestine there is a gas furnace and hot water heater in this room.I use plain ol Isopropyl alcohol to clean my Shapeways projects.Plus warm water and Dawn that is.

My experience with an isopropyl alcohol soak was that it caused my thinner FUD parts to swell. One part was a flat roof as part of a assembled structure and it caused it to bow upwards--actually it was kind of a plus. Not so much for the other parts however.

[Catt]

There's a reprint of the Z scale car coming and I just ordered two of the N scale versions along with another of Reese's CSX -3 cabs since I just happen to have a spare GP40-2 needing some TLC.

I will photo them in the raw just like the Z scale version up the page.Plus I think I have figured away to take the twist out of that one without a permanent load.

[Catt]

  got my reprint today no thanks to the Flushing,New York USPS.As you can see in the picture ,no twists or turns.O yeah I also got two N scale centerbeams,plus one of Reese's Sponge Bob (-3) cabs.(not pictured)