About those stems...

[daniel_leavitt2000]

The supports look line used opportunity to me. I wonder if one could design the support to both "support" the intended model and as a model itself...

Phone poles.

N scale people (with an indent above the head to know where to take the sprue cuter).

Hydrants.

Cactus.

Trusses to be used on over passes.
Corn rows.

[MK]

Trees!

[Mark W]

I like the concept!  But there's a few practical limitations.  The support trees aren't just helping form over/under hangs on a part, they're literally ripping each layer free from the FEP.

Also, for N Scale at least, a 30 dollar 500ml bottle of resin goes really far!  Even considering you end up discarding about 40% of what is printed, as those platforms/supports.


That being said, I think those transparent green supports could be easily used as telephone pole/power line insulators!
And I've been using the platforms as paint palettes when painting the figures. 

Cactus actually might be possible to form out of supports too. 


Let's keep this train of thought moving and see if some other ideas come out! 

 

[rodsup9000]

Also, for N Scale at least, a 30 dollar 500ml bottle of resin goes really far!  Even considering you end up discarding about 40% of what is printed, as those platforms/supports.


That being said, I think those transparent green supports could be easily used as telephone pole/power line insulators!
And I've been using the platforms as paint palettes when painting the figures. 

Cactus actually might be possible to form out of supports too. 

 I printed a logging truck and removed a few supports and added some. In the ones I added, I did the cactus type support twice, but I threw away the platforms.
I'll be saving them now and like the idea of using them for paint palettes and other ideas.

[peteski]

That being said, I think those transparent green supports could be easily used as telephone pole/power line insulators!
And I've been using the platforms as paint palettes when painting the figures. 

Wow!  A perfect idea which has been in front of our noses all this time.  Why not actually print a passel of green N scale insulators using the green resin?!  Or go one step further and print entire cross-arms with insulators?  Then the cross-arms can be painted, leaving insulators clear green.

[C855B]

Wow!  A perfect idea which has been in front of our noses all this time.  Why not actually print a passel of green N scale insulators using the green resin?!  Or go one step further and print entire cross-arms with insulators?  Then the cross-arms can be painted, leaving insulators clear green.

Genius.

[rodsup9000]

Wow!  A perfect idea which has been in front of our noses all this time.  Why not actually print a passel of green N scale insulators using the green resin?!  Or go one step further and print entire cross-arms with insulators?  Then the cross-arms can be painted, leaving insulators clear green.

 I'll give it a try and it'll be in the goody box for you.

[chessie system fan]

Mile marker posts...whistle posts...fences...modern RR crossings...Borg cubes...

[Mark W]

I'll give it a try and it'll be in the goody box for you.

I threw together a group of 12 beams, but I'm all out of the transparent green resin.  PM me your email address and I'll send you the file. 


https://i.imgur.com/1WwwdkQ.jpg

[rodsup9000]

I threw together a group of 12 beams, but I'm all out of the transparent green resin.  PM me your email address and I'll send you the file. 


https://i.imgur.com/1WwwdkQ.jpg

 Done

[peteski]

I threw together a group of 12 beams, but I'm all out of the transparent green resin.  PM me your email address and I'll send you the file. 

Wow, that was fast! Nice!  But the way they are drawn won't it be difficult to remove them from all those thick bars support the thin cross-arms?  Or are the "gates" between the supports and cross-arms fairly thin cross-section?

I also have a question on the design in general: Why does the printed object have to be spaced fairly far from the base of the printout?  Ir is this done strictly for the ease of removing those supports?

[Mark W]

BTW, Mark, the crossarms came out great. I'll try to get some pics up tomorrow of them.

@rodsup9000 can't wait!

...won't it be difficult to remove them...

I also have a question on the design in general: Why does the printed object have to be spaced fairly far from the base of the printout?  Ir is this done strictly for the ease of removing those supports?

There are break away tabs.  If done before curing, they should practically fall off. 

There are a few reasons for the gap.  I find spacing the actual part 4.5mm off the plate allows the platform and supports to form and normalize before printing of the part begins. The first several "bottom" layers are exposed for much longer to ensure plate adhesion, and as the build switches to the shorter exposure time, funky unexplainable things can happen.   The gap also allows resin to drain better as the print is built.  And finally, yes, longer supports makes removal safer and easier; less tension at the contact points.  And as mentioned, removing supports before the cure process is even better.   

[rodsup9000]

There are break away tabs.  If done before curing, they should practically fall off. 

   On the first batch I printed, I was using a medium stiff paint brush to clean them and some came off with the brush action.
 

 removing supports before the cure process is even better.   

  I have about 40 palettes/platforms that I went on ahead and did the post print cure. Then I have another 20 that were just cleaned and dried.


  I really need to learn how to take good photos. These will have to do for now.



 

[peteski]

There are break away tabs.  If done before curing, they should practically fall off. 

There are a few reasons for the gap.  I find spacing the actual part 4.5mm off the plate allows the platform and supports to form and normalize before printing of the part begins. The first several "bottom" layers are exposed for much longer to ensure plate adhesion, and as the build switches to the shorter exposure time, funky unexplainable things can happen.   The gap also allows resin to drain better as the print is built.  And finally, yes, longer supports makes removal safer and easier; less tension at the contact points.  And as mentioned, removing supports before the cure process is even better.   

Thanks for the explanation.

[Mark W]

Awesome!  Do the insulators have the groove profile as well?  I'm hoping one can wrap EZ Line exactly as would be done on the prototype. 


Since I don't plan on buying any more clear green any time soon, I'll just make this file open-source.  If anyone wants a copy, just send me an email.  Maybe I'll post it on Thingiverse too.