Construction on my small layout has sort of stalled in the past few weeks, partly due to work and other stuff I've needed to do, but also partly due to a new facet of the hobby I just found. After a sale on Amazon, I find myself the owner of a new Anycubic Photon 3D printer! I knew a lot of you use shapeways to 3D print various parts, but I didn't really like the the cost of each individual part and then waiting for those parts to be shipped to my home. Plus, and this was the biggest point - why would I outsource the fun of using a new gadget to someone else?! So I received it last week, and I started digging through Thingiverse for things to print while researching 3D software, techniques and as much online help as I could find. Couldn't really find anything I wanted in n-scale, so I figured out how to use Meshmixer and scaled down stuff I liked to the appropriate scale. And so, after the obligatory Anycubic lattice cube test print, I loaded a Bulldozer and printed away! Really? I thought this would be much more difficult! It's just a generic bulldozer that was originally scaled for 1:100 downloaded from Thingiverse. The detail is fairly impressive considering the size - the cabin's supports are 0.5mm x 0.7mm (about 1/32")! So, I wanted to see how much finer I could get the detail... A Fleetmaster 10 wheel truck with sleeper cab. Again downloaded from thingiverse and rescaled and edited for geometry errors in Meshmixer. I also thickened the rearview mirror frames. Originally these were about 150 microns thick (umm, 0.00590551 inches?) and I felt that might be pushing it. So using Meshmizer I increased the size of those supports to about 250 microns. They are incredibly fragile, but they printed! Surprisingly, even the wheel nut detail printed, but other details, such as the door handles were lost. I also printed a chassis trailer... And I just finished printing the 53' container to go onto that trailer - its still attached to the build plate and requiring post-processing... I'm really glad I bought this thing, it's impressive what I can be printed, and there's some satisfaction in having it printed it myself, even if I didn't author the 3D models themselves. Next, I have to read up on painting - I've not painted miniatures in a long time!
I just got my Photon this week and have been having a blast. I've had a filament printer for a few years but the details possible with the Photon just blow me away. If you want to dabble in designing, Tinkercad is a good first step.
Congrats to both of you! I picked up a 2nd Photon a couple weeks ago taking advantage of those Amazon sales as well. I can tell you after nine months of printing with it, it still blows me a away of what we're able to produce now at home. Lesson learned is always push it to the limit as far as details go, you never know if it will do it unless you try. First couple months with it I though no way it could print "this," but after trying I usually find the printer will print it. It's nice that we're free to try it, unlike Shapeways that puts a .6mm restriction on you, for example. The other thing I love is the materials cut well, sand well, drill well, and take paint well. Now, if someone can figure out how to get that CLIP technology on these things that would put me over the moon. There are limitations of course to what it can do, but I don't care one bit. It was a great investment for my tinkering habits! -Mike
I debated for very little time between an FDM and Resin printer. I just couldn't see able to do anything N scale with the filament printer, and the price between them doesn't seem all that different. Honestly, two weeks ago I thought these printers were thousands of dollars. Then came the Photon. Still, 600$ CAD isn't entirely cheap so I figured I'd start saving money towards buying one later on. One Amazon lightning deal later (480$ CAD), and I'm happy. I figure to show off this little fellow earlier today... It's from a series of HO scale construction workers someone uploaded to Thingiverse. I re-scaled one of figures to n-scale. From a foot away and painted, I guess he's going to work out just fine. On the other hand, the 53 foot container was a failure. It printed fine, but curing under the UV light, the walls warped and "splayed outwards". Next time I'll add some internal baffles and increase the wall thickness. I'm still experimenting with what works and what doesn't!
This thread makes me whoozy with envy (I've been leaning towards resin)... I may have to go on the Ramen and get me one by X Mas!
I'm one of those using Shapeways! I know they have problem handling some of the miniatures when cleaning so instead of finding a new way to clean they have started rejects models that have thin walls and thin support wires when cleaning. I have had many model printed by them and most under there min wall size but it seem when printing the second time it get rejected. I have been thinking I could save a lot with Material and shipping If I printed my own! I will have to check this out myself!!I've been using Shapeways since 2013!
And TIME. Now that they're running a premium price for acceptable turnaround times, if you're just trying to design something, test fit/design, tweak and repeat that process could take a few months. Now you can do it in a day. That's one of my biggest wins with this thing.
Well, turnaround for me isn't yet a day. An afternoon spent tweaking model in meshmixer, orienting model, generating supports, waiting for the print (4-6 hours), then cleaning up. It is a lot of work, but satisfying. I figure my afternoons spend in the 3d programs will decrease as I get more experience. Right now I spend a lot of time reading help and viewing tutorials! Ill try and find that thread, sounds interesting.
Anycubic is running regular "flash" sales on Amazon for the Photon. Got mine for $368 2 weeks ago. I understand that if you add it to your wish list, they'll email when they run another sale.
I started doing 3D printing of products for Nn3 and Z as well as some detail parts for N. I will be adding more N and HOn30. My biggest push has been making a complete running mine train from small battery style mine locomotive on my own very miniature chassis, to the cars, the code 40 rail and switches, N mine equipment, and whatever else surfaces. Then some Box Cabs and various critters in each of those scales. Here are some pics of the first cars I've done, Nn3 or Z Tippers with true link and pin couplers as well as an insertable coupler to connect to Nn3 or Z MicroTrains standard knuckle couplers. There is a long and short version right now with a lot more to come. These are the short tippers sitting on my own Code 40 Nn3 track with a concrete mine portal face. This is just a small sample of what will be available to folks. For size perspective there is an N scale GE 44 tonner with a two bay hopper in the background and the tippers are approximately 3/4" o'all length. The tipper cars have separate hoppers for realistic display as well as ease of painting. And a coupler to adapt to standard Z couplers or just to be used for convenience. The coupler functions nicely as an adapter but is not automatic coupling. It needs to be set in place. And then the longer version in gray to the rear. They are sitting on a piece of Rokuhan Z track while the shorter version in the front is sitting on a piece of Nn3 Code 40. That track will be available in Z, Nn3, N, and HOn30, all with ME code 40 rail. This has been some major fun for me, making huge progress on the finishing touches to make a complete package to complement the locomotives that I've been developing. The power truck that makes such a small operating train possible was a several year effort and it's all finally on the home stretch. An excellent running underground mine train on true Code 40 Nn3 track with true Code 40 turnouts... and more. I'm pretty excited about it all!
Yes it does. Not just the finish but the extreme fragility too. Shapeways FUD wouldn't begin to stand up to handling with some of the fine detail that these have nor would the finish be acceptable. These are quite nice with good detail and available as small run specialty items that would never be produced until now as the volume isn't there to support the conventional manufacturing methods. In the complete line there are still a lot of machined parts involved too but for the components just like those shown, this process allows this product to finally be viable. Also with plenty of options to keep it fresh.
Here's a couple of pics of my first tests using clear green resin that came with the Photon. They're primed with grey enamel after curing. I'm testing the Anycubic Grey as I type, to eliminate the need to prime. N Gas station detail parts I Z Scale café interior N Scale Store shelves
Oh man this is great now I just need to find someone interested in making some extra cash . As i can't do CAD and my disability income prevents me from getting one. Wouldn't need much basically just ho 1970's truck cabs of trucks not made. Or maybe a few ho cars Those parts look fantastic everyone
If you search around sites like "Thingiverse" you may find some things that are interesting with free downloads of the print files. If you find something you like you may find someone to print it for you. The real hard, time consuming work would be starting from zero on a design that's that involved.
LOL. Yeah, that's the filament versions I've been doing. I hope to replace them all with the new resin versions ASAP.
Do you remember where you got the stl for the shelves and stuff from? Also the cafe? I could really use those and would like to give my (filament) printer a try. Thanks Sven
