Looking to Print a Caboose...

[peteski]

I didn't realize you could just rip the supports off.  I was under the impression that  you carefully have to cut them off, not to damage the actual printed item.

[Chris333]

It was @Mark W that suggested it. At first I was curing the parts then cutting the supports away. But before curing they are kind of soft and rip right away. After they are cured the supports tend to take a chip out of the model because the resin is harder. Plus without the supports I can do a better job cleaning the inside.

To clean I just put alcohol in tub and scrub with a chip brush.

There are a few parts that I didn't want to warp that I cured first. Then used a jeweler saw to cut the supports off.

[peteski]

Ah, you rip out the partially cured supports - that makes sense.

[GimpLizard]

The windows are a little thin 

Yep. Definitely going to have to beef those up.

[SkipGear]

Here is test #1. Now I wish I would have gone ahead and finished the drawing. It's perfectly fine as is.  Did have one support pull from a corner of the roof that caused a deformation but other than that, and missing the doors and windows, I'm happy with it.

[SkipGear]

I-1 Body is complete....now to work on the underframe and steps later tonight.

[GimpLizard]

Looking pretty good, Skip.

[SkipGear]

Here is Test 1 with paint, and test 2 fresh from curing.


I rotated the orientation 90 deg this time to make it easier to print 2 at the same time. The window mutton's failed on 1 window of each caboose this time so positioning has a bit to do with results also.

While it was printing, I got to work on the underframe.

[Maletrain]

At least in that picture of the blank end of the first test print, those board gaps don't look bad with the primer on them.

Boards are wider than the drawings show, but not wider than I found in some pictures of a few real B&O cabooses.

[SkipGear]

They are definitely wider than the pictures I have but it's a compromise. The laser cut kit I have is what I based my measurements off of. The spacing is wider on it also but looks good so I borrowed good enough from it.

Looking closer at the photos, the real cars may even have 2" wide boards on them.

[peteski]

They are definitely wider than the pictures I have but it's a compromise. The laser cut kit I have is what I based my measurements off of. The spacing is wider on it also but looks good so I borrowed good enough from it.

Looking closer at the photos, the real cars may even have 2" wide boards on them.

Ok, so the boards and gaps look decent, but you didn't reveal any specific dimensions, like the board width, gap width and depth?  What shape are the gaps?

[SkipGear]

Ok, so the boards and gaps look decent, but you didn't reveal any specific dimensions, like the board width, gap width and depth?  What shape are the gaps?

I've been doing my own tinkering. I'm drawing in MM because it is easier to scale in my head. Boards are 2mm wide, which makes a nice round conversion to 3 1/2 wide in N scale. Grooves are .15mm deep, .2mm wide (roughly .08" wide). This looked visually right to me, relative to what I know the printer can do. Will print a test tomorrow night. It may not be enough but it's worth a try. 

[SkipGear]

Third test is in the books. The body is good, switching orientation back gave me good window muttons and the board detail on the side is slightly crisper. The floor had a minor failure, not strong enough supports to print a large flat surface, reworking it now.

[peteski]

Third test is in the books. The body is good, switching orientation back gave me good window muttons and the board detail on the side is slightly crisper. The floor had a minor failure, not strong enough supports to print a large flat surface, reworking it now.

Thanks for reposting the dimensions.  I guess I should have gone back further and re-read the older posts.  Also I believe you meant to state that the gap width is 0.008", not 0.08"

[Chris333]

.0078"