What do you want from 3D printing?

[Georgeconna]

1 hour ago, Westcorkrailway said:

Yer man Owen is very good. He is currently working on a full macmine junction station kit, Chetwynd viaduct kit, and even some GSR 6 wheel/Short bogey design….

Thet are but the 3D printed lines still are present so until that improves I am not willing to do the work to bring them up to Scratch. Was will impressed though with his items on show.

[Westcorkrailway]

2 hours ago, Georgeconna said:

Thet are but the 3D printed lines still are present so until that improves I am not willing to do the work to bring them up to Scratch. Was will impressed though with his items on show.

 

still not ideal yet, but getting there

 

you could make an excellent chetwynd viaduct from scratch building but the time involved would be astronomical. 3D printing it offers value for time for these very specific cases

 

i think I’ll be picking up that viaduct and make a small (yes small) single line diorama depending on how well the print turns out 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Robert Shrives]

I would like the Waterford box as it would be a complex build and happy to pay into the design. As I would not have the time and probs the skill set to do  it justice.  The box, platform and cutting side as I said on Facebook make for a good  diorama/ phase one of a bigger layout. 

Robert   

[jhb171achill]

Perhaps a “no-brainer” for 3D printing is the standard GSR concrete buffer stop. Many are still about, and they were widespread throughout the GSR system from the late 1920s.

[Georgeconna]

All you need then is to have Noch produce a Road Bowling figure throwing a bowl over it!

 

[Westcorkrailway]

31 minutes ago, Georgeconna said:

All you need then is to have Noch produce a Road Bowling figure throwing a bowl over it!

 

When they were lifting the track at the viaduct , they found loads of them road bowling balls stuck in the frames……more metal for the scrap man I guess!

[Mike 84C]

I suggested before printing could be used  for water columns or loco chimneys particularly the caps or maybe wagon underframes, older wagons Robert!,  there are still water columns standing at Dunmanway. So there could be more. How about platform awning brackets? Pain to make but they add a really nice touch to platforms , goods sheds etc;

[David Holman]

As above, though I guess any complex, solid shape could be useful, especially if several of them are needed for a project. So, for locomotives and rolling stock, things like buffers, chimneys, domes, safety valves etc. For buildings and scenics chimney pots, doors, lamps etc

 A lot of the above have long been available as castings of one sort or another, but these can be hard to get hold of, especially post covid, while suspect that 3D prints are lighter and therefore cheaper when it comes to postage.

[Mayner]

I have used 3D printing for resin printing and lost wax casting in brass.

I used 3D printed models as patterns for bass castings before realising my supplier can produce a pattern and mould from a 3D file https://morrisandwatson.com/casting/about-casting

The big question is whether the designer goes down (1) the Shapeways or i Materialise route to sell their products, (2) use a commercial bureau in the Ireland or the UK to print their models, (3) invest up to $100k in setting up their own print shop or (4) release their designs on a commercial (royalty basis) or (5) open source for people to print their own models.