New 3D Printing Technology for N scale trains, need opinions

[Chris333]

Milking would be no fun.  But I’ll give it a shot.

 

[lashedup]

Stoopid spell check...

Welp. It can be done...

First pass using the stock settings on the laser with their Acrylic material (takes the guess work out of it)...


Then try two with increasing levels of power:


Test fit:


I had been thinking of doing this for a while, so I bought some samples of various light blues and light greens:


Power setting to get the right depth:


Color:




So, I'm just starting to futz with this stuff and have a LOT to learn still. There is a way to smooth the output using some defocus, which I need to play with. Also the very first try at a lower power setting produced smoother results and another option is to tell it to make two passes. So there will be a bunch of trial and error to get these dialed in. Individual windows could be done. The current material I have here is fairly thick (around 1/8") so I'll need to look at other sources and see what thickness is available.  I theoretically could do a whole side that could be glued in as well. All of this requires some careful measurements and drawings to get right. If the windows were all consistent sizes, then not a problem. But some passenger cars may have 4 or more different types/sizes of windows making it a fair bit of work.

Anyway, it can be done and is fairly easy.

[Lemosteam]

That's pretty awesome @lashedup !  I vote for individual windows all sprued together!  Full sides would be PITA, even if you did not consider shrink rates and tolerance accumulation.  Just a small flange around the outside and boom!

Try 0.075mm clearance all around the edge- its what I use for print clearance for part fit in my kits (sometimes less)

Also, shades could be simulated on the back side, even the bathroom shade pattern in this pic:   for PRR haters, lol.

[orionfield]

Hey guys, I'm sorry that I haven't been following the thread as well as I should have. To be completely honest, we're still trying to refine process tog et the results we want.  Our first batch of color printed NE-12 cabooses didn't turn out as well as I wanted as far as color accuracy, but I was happy with how clear the lettering turned out. We are working on refining the color and adding numbers to the next batch, which should hopefully be ready today or tomorrow.

[orionfield]

Even is this small photo the artifacts of 3-D printing are clearly visible. I guess this is not something I would consider adding to my collection of models.  But we all have different standards.

Absolutely right. We didn't print this at full resolution, since we are trying to get the colors correct first. The final version will be printed at 14micron resolution. So, although print lines are inevitable, they will be much less noticeable. Its an iterative process. Lots of trial and error to get things where we want them. I also want to be clear too, that the full color is just an option, and the parts are and will always be available uncolored, for those who want to paint them themselves.

[JMaurer1]

Just about anything that has the color molded into it LOOKS like the color was molded into it. Look at most Bachmann (especially older), Model Power, and Life Like rolling stock. They all have that same look.

[peteski]

Just about anything that has the color molded into it LOOKS like the color was molded into it. Look at most Bachmann (especially older), Model Power, and Life Like rolling stock. They all have that same look.

You mean that it looks like plastic, rather than a (painted) scale replica of the 1:1 object?  Yes, I agree.

Even MTL, even though they mold their boxcar shells in the same color as the finished model, they still paint them. Having the plastic the same color as the paint makes it much easier to paint and get good coverage. No primer is needed (minimizes overall thickness of the paint), and if some spots are missed or have light paint coat, those areas will still look good.  But a layer of paint is still needed to make the model not look "plasticky".  But in some instances, if the colored plastic is opaque enough, spraying a coat of Dullcote will make it look like it is painted.  Still, nothing beats a real pain finish.

[orionfield]

Just about anything that has the color molded into it LOOKS like the color was molded into it. Look at most Bachmann (especially older), Model Power, and Life Like rolling stock. They all have that same look.

I understand what you're saying, but its not actually printed in Green all the way through. If you sand it down a few layers, you will find that the plastic resin is actually white, and only the outer 2 or 3 layers are colored. I have an example at home (at the office right now) that I can take pictures of later, that I sanded to see how easy it was to remove the color.

[Chris333]

I would focus on letting us see something printed at the highest resolution instead of anything to do with color.

[wazzou]

I would focus on letting us see something printed at the highest resolution instead of anything to do with color.

+1

[JMaurer1]

I would focus on letting us see something printed at the highest resolution instead of anything to do with color.

+1 for me as well.

[DKS]

I would focus on letting us see something printed at the highest resolution instead of anything to do with color.

This. Definitely this. You may (or may not) have gathered from this thread that color reproduction is a distant second to 3D printing that approaches the quality of injection plastic. FWIW, for me color is of zero interest--unless your process duplicates the quality of paint and laser-based pad printing.

[JMaurer1]

+1 for me as well...again

[orionfield]

Okay, here you go. Here is some stuff at the full 14 micron resolution.

M88 Tank Retriever, N scale (right before I dropped it off my desk and broke off the exhausts and boom rest):

CBQ NE12 Caboose:

[peteski]

None of those photos are large enough to truly show the surface of the model. The white color of the models is not helping either.  I was hoping for some macro shot and a photo which is higher resolution (Railwire allows width of up to 1024 or 1280 pixels).