Looking to Print a Caboose...

[brokemoto]

The other 2 smoke jacks were under a piece of tape. They fell off their sprue during the wash/cure.

Ah.......thank you.  I shall be sure to look for them. 

You need to do nothing but assemble and paint. There is no waxy residue to remove. The last step the parts see is a wash in denatured alcohol so they are clean and ready to paint.

Thank you, again.

I did begin removing some of the pins from the raft, despite my not having a sprue cutter.  I used the trashy Xuron® rail nippers.    I cut at the base of the outer pins, close to the raft.  If you use the rail nippers, you must go very lightly.  Do not squeeze them hard.  Use barely enough force to squeeze them.  I was a bit ham handed on the second pin that I tried, so a very thin piece did peel off the inside of the shell, but, it will not be noticeable.  From the outside, the caboose shell is intact.  I did need my eXacto knife.  What happened was that as  I cut each pin, it resulted in something similar to a stair made of tree stumps.  I had to cut the remaining pin base at the raft so that I could get a purchase on subsequent pins.  I took my time and went ever so lightly.  This goes DOUBLE for the pins at the ends.  I saw the second one that I tried about to come to grief, so I backed off it, went a little more lightly and it was allright.

 The key here seems to be cut close to the raft, not the caboose.  I plan to follow that for kit Number Two by which time the sprue cutters should arrive.  As @SkipGear has indicated, the pins do tend to fall off the bottoms of the caboose sides as you progress.  If they stay in the way, you can push with a small screwdriver and they will come right off the body.  Do take care as you do this, though.

I did not cut the pins in the middle, so it is still affixed to its raft.  As @SkipGear 's directions (which are very good directions, in case anyone is interested) advise painting while it is still on the raft, I intend to do that as well as glosscoating when it is on the raft.  I am assuming that you must remove it from the raft to letter and dullcoat.  I am assuming that you file the flashing and nubs from the bottoms of the caboose sides after painting and glosscoating but before lettering and dullcoating.

Still, I am going to order the sprue cutters, as the end railings are delicate.  Something tells me that the rail nippers will not work well on those.  Another question on the end railings:  will it help the paint to stick if you take some fine sandpaper and sand ever...............so...................lightly?

These look to be really nice kits.  The wood caboose is really more like what I wanted for the era of my pike. 

[Chris333]

Sorry, but do not use a sprue cutter!! the resin will shatter and chip away at any direction. I use a cut off wheel in a Dremel or a Jewelers saw to cut away supports after they are cured. Most of the time I pull the support off while they are still soft, before curing. But to ship parts to someone you can't really do this.

Those videos you see where people are using sprue cutters are doing it before curing the parts while they are still soft.

[narrowminded]

Sorry, but do not use a sprue cutter!! the resin will shatter and chip away at any direction. I use a cut off wheel in a Dremel or a Jewelers saw to cut away supports after they are cured. Most of the time I pull the support off while they are still soft, before curing. But to ship parts to someone you can't really do this.

Those videos you see where people are using sprue cutters are doing it before curing the parts while they are still soft.

Absolutely!

[SkipGear]

The only thing I recommend using a sprue cutter for is removing the cage and supports from the handrails. The cage doesn't matter and the handrails supports are small and flexible enough that sprue cutters are the easiest way to remove them.

I think you guys saw the problem Lee had and are being a little overly cautious. None of the supports on the body except maybe the 4 on each end will leave any visible damage if handled incorrectly and even those with a slight sanding will not be visible. If you don't have a dremel, a fine tooth razor saw would work equally as well, just a little more work.

[SkipGear]

Oh, rail nippers are not sprue cutters. The angle of the grind and action of the cutters is completely wrong. They will do more damage than good. Xuron has a nice explanation on their website about the differences.

You can also look up what the high end modelers use for sprue cutters and get sticker shock. We have an $50 set of God Hands sprue cutters in the store that are touted as the best. We can't keep them in stock they sell so fast. When these guys building models have over 1000 cuts to remove parts and get a model ready, anything that makes the process easier is worth it to them.

[Mark5]

Props to Tony - this is one of the best 3D printed N Scale models that I've seen!

Mark

[SAH]

If you have the option a cut off disc is the way to remove the body and frame from the raft.  Cut closer to the raft than the part.  Most of the connections to the part break off cleanly in the process.  Eye protection is a must of course, as well as a dust mask (we have plenty of those lying around don't we) if resin dust is a nuisance for you.  That little saw posted earlier is pretty neat.  I think I need one.

For the end rails the tweezer style sprue cutters worked for me in all cases, except for roof handrails.  Of the six tries, only two were successful (did not break).  My technique or resin shrink causing stress on the parts is likely the problem.  Tony and I have exchanged PMs on this point.  The ARE fragile pieces, no doubt about it.

I've found no need to sand the end rail parts prior to painting.  The photo below show a completed part (two colors airbrushed) and the masking I did prior to painting the yellow.  Some touch up at the separation point is required.  Liquid mask might help.

Steve

[SkipGear]

Printed I-1 transfer caboose test model. Forgot the sunshade/awnings, already in the new print file.

http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/boC242.jpg




The I-5 variations will be next but will take longer. I have found a plan set with dimensions for the I-5 and I want to draw it as accurate as possible from the ground up.

[Chris333]

On a local FB group I belong to they talked about a B&O caboose down the street from my house that ran away and turned into a pile of splinters when it finally hit something.

[Chris333]

On a local FB group I belong to they talked about a B&O caboose down the street from my house that ran away and turned into a pile of splinters when it finally hit something.

Just found it. Wasn't a wood caboose. It was wagontop caboose #C2500. And the caboose wasn't a runaway. The caboose was being pushed ahead of the locomotive when a group of runaway cars hit it.

Well not a wagontop https://borhs.org/modelermag/modeler-50-201912.pdf   page 32 it started out as a wrecked wood car and was rebuilt. In 1979 is when is was wrecked again down the street from me.

[SAH]

Finally finished.  This was my first time working with resin printed material.  There is a learning curve for sure but once I came to grips with the brittle nature of the plastic it went pretty well.  Most of the techniques I usually use (with the exception of cutting the parts from the build raft of course) worked just fine.  It looks like the lighting washed out most of the weathering. 
Steve

[Angus Shops]

That’s a top notch piece of model building. Personally, I don’t think a train is a train without a caboose, and those are beauties.

[SkipGear]

Steve, those look incredible.

[SAH]

That’s a top notch piece of model building. Personally, I don’t think a train is a train without a caboose, and those are beauties.

I couldn't agree with you more.  Something special about railroading disappeared when the caboose came off.  I understand the economics and operational issues but I miss them just the same.

Thanks guys.  Given the sentiment above I always try to do a little extra for caboose modeling.  The handrails turn a good model into one I never tire of seeing.  My execution isn't always the best though.  Perhaps a set of etched details would be appropriate.  Tony?   

[TVRR]

Easily the nicest Caboose that I've seen. Want!