Weekend Update 3/4/12

[up1950s]

[wcfn100]

I got my first order from Shapeways and I'd have to say that even with the banding issues, it's still pretty cool.

(all pictures have been overexposed to show detail)







The one thing I learned is when working with small parts, make multiples in the same drawing.  I had done the caboose sides with the thought that would be the cheapest way.  But with the setup charges for the materials, they ended up being the same price as if I did the whole caboose (which I'm going to order tonight!).

The banding obviously sucks.  I'm wondering if a good coat of Future allowed to dry flat/level could minimize the effect.

Regardless of that, I'm encouraged enough to put effort back into drawing for when the technology gets better (so hopefully they don't change the file format on me )


Jason

[Chris333]

I keep hearing you can scrap FUD with a flathead to get rid of the banding, but that is bodywork. And you can't really tell how bad it is till you paint it.

[wcfn100]

I keep hearing you can scrap FUD with a flathead to get rid of the banding, but that is bodywork. And you can't really tell how bad it is till you paint it.

I can see that working if you can scrape the same direction as the banding.   And as much as I want to paint these right now, I know those bands will look awful.  I'll try the Future on one of the caboose sides and then I can compare the two.


Jason

[Puddington]

So, lest you didn't know, the Puddington Valley Division was once an independant railway and as such, retains it's "PVR" road markings. The PV Division is like the E&N and the International of Maine Division of the CPR and as such does "own" (for accounting purposes) some rolling stock.

All this said because once in a blue moon, the General Manager of the PV Division has been known to get frustrated with Montreal HQ and will "feed his need" on the used equipment market..... the "very used" equipment market.

Such it was in 1972 when he bought ten 50' double door boxcars to ease the issues with the Domtar Containerboard mill's chronic shipping problems. These cars were used exclusively between Puddington Valley and Vancouver's port for water bound linerboard and ran light back to Puddington Valley. One of these ten cars became the famous "Littl' Puddy.

(Littl' Puddy,  the car that travelled around the world from 2006 - 2009, running in 12 countries and on over 90 pikes.....a few of the local gentry here hosted her....)

Littl' Puddy was painted bright white and red by some rather drunkin shop hands and that incident ended the repainting of the remaining 9 50' DD's.. they have worn their "as purchased" livery ever since, albeit with PVR road numbers....

Given that history, I set out this week to add a couple of 50' PVR cars in the 2000- 2009 series...

Years ago I bought a huge lot of decals from a company going out of business, 20 different road names, 1000's of decals....I got "curious" what I could do with them...

After hitting the Morning Sun guides I found an eastern road that had a large number of 50' DD's and would have been in a position to sell a few... I picked a couple of liveries I liked, differentiated by paint colour and set out to create a couple of "ridden hard and put away wet" cars that would proudly bear the PVR monikar.....

Paint, decals, weathering and the lot......... here's what we got.....



Built as part of a 125 car series in 1956, this car, last known as EL 66743 is now hauling containerboard to vancouver.....



A 1959 offering, this car, the former EL 67109 bears yellow stripes on it's doors, indicating like it's sister, that it is in defined service to mill shipments.....

I really "beat the crap" out of these old beauties, trying to simulate what the Division might have gotten for a few thousand dollars.... I like using "foreign road" cars in PVR service as it adds variety to my pie's liveries and give me a chance to model a road I might not otherwise have considered.....

[up1950s]

Jason , is the banding on the inside as well ? Maybe it would be easier to add the details on the inside face and make that the outside face . I think the hardest part is wall shape and window openings anyhow . How ironic would it be if we ordered from them the mirror image of what we actually wanted so we could use the side they didn't touch .

[wcfn100]

Jason , is the banding on the inside as well ? Maybe it would be easier to add the details on the inside face and make that the outside face . I think the hardest part is wall shape and window openings anyhow . How ironic would it be if we ordered from them the mirror image of what we actually wanted so we could use the side they didn't touch .

Yeah, there's still issues with the inside but that's a good thought.  On the trailer home the big flat part of the roof is perfect, but then you see the stepping on the pitched part.  I think that has to do with resolution/stepping.  The side walls however get more of a cross hatching pattern like Chris's Z scale car showed.  That falls under the way the car was built.

I think. 

The great part about this is there are tons of people using Shapeways and complaining about all of this and most don't really give a ***** if it's just issues with the material, they expect it to be perfect or at least better.  So I think you will see improvements happen at a good pace.  Honestly, I was thinking this technology was still 5+ years away (factoring in price).  But this isn't bad.  I'm impressed with the strength of the FUD material and I guess I wouldn't be surprised if there was some new really affordable material or process within a couple years.  One thing that could hold it back is that companies may not want to obsolete their own machines so fast that they don't get paid for.

I should be getting the White Tower this week, so it's be interesting to compare the two.

Jason

[M.C. Fujiwara]

Started getting the foam flying & shaving in the suggested shapes of the scenery for the Shoofly Free-moN module:



Also put the rubber bitty bumpkin bumpers on the end of the detachable extension so cars don't take a 666 scale-foot plunge to the concrete:



[They're so nervous and "on edge" that they're frozen in place!]

Just got today a lovely big package from Scenic Express filled with all sorts of weeds and grasses, so hopefully it will be easy being green.
Have a groovy weekend!

[chuck geiger]

Taggart: The surveyors say they may have run into some quicksand up ahead. Better check it out.
Lyle: Okay, I'll send down a team of horses to check out the ground.
Taggart: *Horses*?
[hits Lyle's head]
Taggart: We can't afford to lose any horses, you dummy!
[Taggart spots Bart and Charlie on a hand-cart sinking into quicksand]
Taggart: Oh, **** Quicksand!
[Lassos the hand-cart and drags it but not the men out of the quicksand]
Taggart: Dang, that was lucky. Doggone near lost a four hundred dollar handcar.

[sirenwerks]

Nice single-wide, Jason.

[wcfn100]

Nice single-wide, Jason.

Thanks Bryan.  Of course all of this is just a test run for the real prize. 




Jason

[rogergperkins]

@wcfn100 = Jason,
Your post about Shapeway have peaked my interest.  I want to model a 1908 frame structure that was a combination hotel and restaurant.  This looks as if it might be the way to do it to achieve the desired details.
Thanks, Roger

[Dave V]

No trains so far this weekend...  Been detailing the Mustang.

[wm3798]

Let's see, you'll need a cab signal box, one of those radio antennae, class lights...  How about weathering?  Are you using vodka washes?

[flight2000]

I finished this one up this morning for a guy that wanted details, details, and more details on a GP30u.... 

This one was an undecorated GP30 that received the BLMA treatment along with a few other things.  The porch mounted ditch lights were an interesting twist that I haven't messed with before.  Both are LED type made by Streamlined Backshop Services.  The micro-wire was a pain to see for soldering, but I seem to have survived...    I also moved the headlights to the nose with fiber optics.

Brian