A Distressed Z Scale 52 foot Gondola

[Jesse6669]

Here's the un-distressed version all gussied up...   Btw the stencil is prototype, seems this was before they had the Conrail letters in hand wherever they repainted this one.

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[turbowhiz]

Thanks for the comparison, @turbowhiz

For me, the joy of the MTL 905 Z coupler on N scale equipment was the size of its box.  It was WAYYYY easier to appropriately mount to transition era equipment.

1) 1015 style box is bulky
2) 1015 style box was too tall in height, often kept the underframe too high or interfered with trucks
3) 1015 style box put the screw in line with the outboard axle in the truck.  So even if the box height worked out, the screw was a liability (and a shorting liability too if metal wheelsets and a metal underframe...  had to watch polarity of wheels on outer ends...

I know you're planning some boxes other than 1015 style, and the 1015 style is useful for easy loco conversion.  Just wanted to share that a nPossible in a smaller box, scale or 905 style, is going to be a lifesaver for me.

@Sokramiketes maybe you missed this:

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=54237.msg806574#msg806574

The launch "Scalebox" is a narrow outline box. I suspect even narrower then a 905 box, but I don't have one in hand to measure. I also supply a hat that fits over the top to match a 1015 outline, for direct 1:1 1015 box replacements in rolling stock. Primarily MTL, but there are other applications.

Z scale applications would benefit from a shorter shank and pivot matching a 905. I'll get to that at some point; Since a 905 is a pull to slink design, I expect i can fit everything in that outline without any compromise.

[Jesse6669]

NOKL modern version (with rebuild ends).  I put a pair of MT trucks w. couplers on this one, Full Throttle wheelsets.   

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[Jesse6669]

Z (close to) scale couplers test on the gons.  MT 903 on the left, CTS on the right.  These are a split shank/self sprung and will hold together but aren't automatic and don't auto-center.  I think a flat screwdriver will undo them, but still needs testing.  These are mostly for appearance;  Hopefully the Npossibles will be available at some point later this year.   (Edit-yeah I noticed one of the wheelsets is out on the left bogie)

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Here's what they look like stand alone.  3 pieces-- draft gear box/cover and the coupler.  There's a pin to locate the coupler in the hole for the screw, they are snug press fit, but a little Krystal Klear will hold them in a pinch...and water will release the KK.   

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[Sokramiketes]

@Sokramiketes maybe you missed this:

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=54237.msg806574#msg806574

The launch "Scalebox" is a narrow outline box. I suspect even narrower then a 905 box, but I don't have one in hand to measure. I also supply a hat that fits over the top to match a 1015 outline, for direct 1:1 1015 box replacements in rolling stock. Primarily MTL, but there are other applications.

Z scale applications would benefit from a shorter shank and pivot matching a 905. I'll get to that at some point; Since a 905 is a pull to slink design, I expect i can fit everything in that outline without any compromise.

Thanks, @turbowhiz I had missed, or at least forgotten, that showing.  She's a beaut!

I'll be in touch about some bulk parts so we can test on Modutrak.  I like everything you're saying about verticle gather power, and think these are also going to work well on our modular layout. 

[Jesse6669]

New test version of the "pre-distressed" gon with bulges incorporated into the 3D design. 



This is on the printer now, but (yikes) it is taking 23 hours to print likely due to the organic nature of the pattern on the sides.  There's probably a way to mitigate that--I think I can reduce the triangles in Meshmixer--but going to see how this test looks first. 

[Scottl]

Interesting it is so long to print.  Is it just a STL file that is sliced?  I might be missing something.

[Jesse6669]

Interesting it is so long to print.  Is it just a STL file that is sliced?  I might be missing something.

Yes, but a 52Mb STL file.

[Chris333]

Still print time is just how tall it is.

[Scottl]

Yes, but a 52Mb STL file.

I might be missing something, but STL file size does not seem to affect print time for me, not withstanding height.  A 53' car at 45 degrees takes me about 5 hours, 2.1 second exposures.  I thought the slice file that the printer uses is basically fully processed and is basically a layer by layer image, much like a video file.  I feel like I am missing something here with my inexperience with 3D printing.

[GaryHinshaw]

The print time is the number of layers times exposure time per layer, T = Nt (plus the time for the base layers).  So N could be large if thin layers are used to render the dents.  Is that the case here?

This is coming along nicely though.

[Scottl]

Right, I didn't think about the layer thickness.  Lesson learned!

[robert3985]

...and, the position of the print.  Tallness takes more layers, so more time.

The age of the printer has a bit to do with it too.  Later printers have a more controlled light source and are quite a bit quicker just because their light intensity is stronger than older machines, which decreases exposure time.

However, I am a bit surprised at the length of time it's taken the OP to print a z-scale car, even if printed straight up...I wouldn't have guessed it would take so long.  I've done some G-scale stuff lately that had to be printed straight up because tilting it made it too long for my print envelope's height (250mm), and I increased the layer thickness to 0.01mm since minute details weren't necessary in G-scale and to also increase the print speed...and it took around 8hrs to print.  Printing the same things at 0.003mm would have taken just over 24 hours...but, my prints were around 220mm high.

Extra details don't affect print time, nor does the width & depth since each layer, even if the entire build-plate is covered in parts, is printed for everything simultaneously.  I often cover my build plate almost completely with small rafts of parts, and my last print, since it was only about 10mm tall...including raft thickness, supports and N-scale parts...and with an extra-long exposure time of 3.75 seconds per 0.003mm layer...only took about 40 minutes to print.  I did a test print of one raft with five parts on it, and it took exactly the same amount of time as the second print with 135 rafts covering the entire print area with 675 parts.

If I remember correctly, a lot of AA will also increase print time, but even though I use AA, I don't apply "lots" of it because of the nature and size of the vast majority of objects I'm printing.

So, maybe @Jesse6669 's printing at the thinnest layer height and applying lots of AA because of the "organic" nature of the bulges in order to get rid of layer lines as much as possible.

Just sayin'...

I'll keep tuned to see the finished product because this is, indeed, an interesting thread!

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[Jesse6669]

Here's what the new version looks like off the printer and primed:   

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I gave it a light sanding and hit with some rust-brown.  I may have sanded slightly more than I wanted on one panel--one of the bumps took on a "flat" appearance.  But overall--I think this is good.  I can work with this.. 

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In re. the long print time: First, the model is tilted upward at a 61.2 degree angle as it's intended to be printed in 40 micron layers and that gives the best result.   
However... apparently I reset the settings to 20micron layers and for a totally different resin!  I had been looking up the settings for an old blend I used and Lychee Slicer remembered that resin's settings when I went to print this model--which were for a totally different resin.  This model shown was printed with Phrozen RPG resin but with Phroxen Aqua8k/Onyx blend settings!  Yet it still printed.  Odd!  I just re-sliced and it's now print time is down to the same time to print as the standard versions.

[robert3985]

...In re. the long print time: First, the model is tilted upward at a 61.2 degree angle as it's intended to be printed in 40 micron layers and that gives the best result.   
However... apparently I reset the settings to 20micron layers and for a totally different resin!  I had been looking up the settings for an old blend I used and Lychee Slicer remembered that resin's settings when I went to print this model--which were for a totally different resin.  This model shown was printed with Phrozen RPG resin but with Phroxen Aqua8k/Onyx blend settings!  Yet it still printed.  Odd!  I just re-sliced and it's now print time is down to the same time to print as the standard versions.

Ahh...that 'splains it!  I've had the same problem with Lychee, but discovered that the exposure time was way too long before I actually sliced the scene.  I keep several "Printers" saved with different settings for different resins, and discovered that recenly ALL of their exposure settings had been re-set to the extra-long exposure time.

Luckily, I wrote down each resin's settings on 3X5 index cards, so when I arrange, support and slice new parts, its easy for me to double-check and make sure my exposure time is correct for that particular resin before I slice and export.

By the way, I think you've really hit it with the distressed panels on your Z-scale gon!  Sharp photos are the harshest critic and your panel lumps look GREAT at a couple of hundred percent (or more) magnification!

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore