The Boneworks

[ge_rik]

Some of you may recall that I created a new siding at Bulkeley Station so I could install another lineside industry. After some deliberation, I decided it would house a boneworks. One actually existed in the area near my railway and so I felt its existence on the line could be justified. I'm not sure I've ever seen a boneworks modelled in any scale and so I quite like the idea of having something a bit different.

There are no clear images of the boneworks near here apart from this photo taken from the top of the brickworks chimney adjacent to the boneworks (Beeston Castle is in the mound in the background behind the chimney and the tower of Peckforton Castle is just visible on the hill to its right).

As you can see, it seemed to have comprised a series of large corrugated iron sheds.

I did a bit of investigating and discovered there was a bone and flint mill in Stoke on Trent which is actually still in existence as a museum. The building looks far more interesting than our local boneworks and so I decided to transplant it (or something similar to it) in Bulkeley.

Rik

 

[ge_rik]

The first job was to survey the site at Bulkeley station beside the new siding, to figure out what sort of space I'd have.

I reckoned I could squeeze in a building about a metre long by around 30cm deep. It would be modelled in relief, as I did with the brewery.

So, I cleared the area and dug a shallow trench for the building's foundations.

This was half-filled with rubble and shuttering placed around. I used the same shuttering for the platform edge as I used for the loading bank on the opposite siding - waste-not ...!

A 3:1 mix of sand and cement (plus some concrete dye) was trowelled-in, smoothed off and left to set.

Rik

 

[dunnyrail]

Some of you may recall that I created a new siding at Bulkeley Station so I could install another lineside industry. After some deliberation, I decided it would house a boneworks. One actually existed in the area near my railway and so I felt its existence on the line could be justified. I'm not sure I've ever seen a boneworks modelled in any scale and so I quite like the idea of having something a bit different.

There are no clear images of the boneworks near here apart from this photo taken from the top of the brickworks chimney adjacent to the boneworks (Beeston Castle is in the mound in the background behind the chimney and the tower of Peckforton Castle is just visible on the hill to its right).

As you can see, it seemed to have comprised a series of large corrugated iron sheds.

I did a bit of investigating and discovered there was a bone and flint mill in Stoke on Trent which is actually still in existence as a museum. The building looks far more interesting than our local boneworks and so I decided to transplant it (or something similar to it) in Bulkeley.

Rik

Nice building Rik, lots of lovely bricks waiting to be pressed into Foamboard. Looks like you will be needing a Canal to go with the Mill Stream?

 

[ge_rik]

Meanwhile, I sent off for some PVC foamboard and tried drawing some window-frames in SketchUp.

The SketchUp frames looked fine on the screen, ......

....... but no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't get them to load successfully into my slicer software (Cura). Cura complained they were unprintable as they weren't manifold (which means there were holes in the drawing). I tried various methods are repairing the drawings but all to no avail.

In the end, I consulted Google and discovered a great little online 3D package called TinkerCAD. The problem with SketchUp seems to be that, although it is an extremely powerful and versatile program for producing 3D drawings, it was developed before 3D printers became available and hence its drawings are not really appropriate for 3D printing (unless there are some techniques or tools of which I am unaware). TinkerCAD is designed specifically for making drawings for 3D printers and so, after a bit of "tinkering" I produced the drawings for the three types of window needed.

The large (6' x 12') window for the engine room (which incidentally contained a Watt beam engine), had to be split as it was too large for the printer bed.

The drawings imported into Cura and were sliced straight away with no problems!!

TinkerCAD is actually designed (by AutoDesk) to be used by teachers with children and hence it is quite easy to use. It does mean it has limitations but I found the drawing environment to be quite intuitive and the learning curve a heck of a lot less steep than SketchUp - though, of course, a number of the concepts and techniques are transferable.

Rik

 

[ge_rik]

I have just finished printing out the widows.

Because I have a very cheap printer (or maybe I'm just no good at setting it up properly), I have to do a fair bit of cleaning-up after printing. But the windows do seem to have turned out OK.

As you can see from the photo of the original, I've reduced the length of the building by one set of windows. This should give me sufficient room to model the engine house.

The shuttering has been removed from the cast plinth and, while the concrete was still green, I carved the upper surfaces of the edging stones. I resisted the temptation to carve individual cobble stones over the rest of the platform.

.

Now the windows are done, I have started marking-out the walls on the foamboard - and now comes the mind-numbing job of scoring the bricks!!!

Rik

 

[ge_rik]

Nice building Rik, lots of lovely bricks waiting to be pressed into Foamboard. Looks like you will be needing a Canal to go with the Mill Stream?

Actually, I'm quite looking forward to doing the brickwork as this building has an interesting variation on English bond brickwork. Instead of alternating rows of stretchers and headers, it has three rows of stretcher bond followed by one row of headers - and then, of course, there are the arches over the upper windows.

I'm substituting the siding for the canal in the original - at least that's the short-term plan

Rik

 

[playmofire]

Looking forward to seeing this grow, and marking out bricks must be quite therapeutic and a job where you can sit back at the end of the day and see exacly what you've achieved.

 

[Rhinochugger]

Are you going to introduce scale smell, Rik?

 

[ge_rik]

Are you going to introduce scale smell, Rik?

Only by accident!

Rik

 

[Paul M]

Are you going to introduce scale smell, Rik?

There's always someone

 

[Fezwig]

Hi Ric,
Found this on explore georeferenced maps and did a swipe thingy me on my tablet, it shows the out line of the buildings, may be of use to you.

View attachment 271399

 

[dunnyrail]

Meanwhile, I sent off for some PVC foamboard and tried drawing some window-frames in SketchUp.

The SketchUp frames looked fine on the screen, ......

....... but no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't get them to load successfully into my slicer software (Cura). Cura complained they were unprintable as they weren't manifold (which means there were holes in the drawing). I tried various methods are repairing the drawings but all to no avail.

In the end, I consulted Google and discovered a great little online 3D package called TinkerCAD. The problem with SketchUp seems to be that, although it is an extremely powerful and versatile program for producing 3D drawings, it was developed before 3D printers became available and hence its drawings are not really appropriate for 3D printing (unless there are some techniques or tools of which I am unaware). TinkerCAD is designed specifically for making drawings for 3D printers and so, after a bit of "tinkering" I produced the drawings for the three types of window needed.

The large (6' x 12') window for the engine room (which incidentally contained a Watt beam engine), had to be split as it was too large for the printer bed.

The drawings imported into Cura and were sliced straight away with no problems!!

TinkerCAD is actually designed (by AutoDesk) to be used by teachers with children and hence it is quite easy to use. It does mean it has limitations but I found the drawing environment to be quite intuitive and the learning curve a heck of a lot less steep than SketchUp - though, of course, a number of the concepts and techniques are transferable.

Rik

Just looked at the Tinkercad software (sorry to hi-jack your post for a bit), but it appears to be available for the iPad. This is a very interesting option with the possibility of Apple Pencil use though there have been a few issues on upgrades which are bing worked on.

 

[a98087]

Looks very good so far, just one question, are you going to model the beam engine, as it might just be viewable through your nice windows

Dan

 

[ge_rik]

Looks very good so far, just one question, are you going to model the beam engine, as it might just be viewable through your nice windows

Dan

Possibly. I might see if I can get the old Airfix kit, otherwise I might have to scratchbuild one. As you say, it will be highly visible in the engine house.

Rik

 

[ge_rik]

PS Just found a very nice looking model beam engine on Thingiverse. Not sure if my printer will be up to printing the 54 parts with sufficient precision, but if not I could always turn it into a static model

Beam Engine by cabbageheart

This is my working beam engine model. I will probably make another one using different colours. If you like this kind of thing then have a look at my Traction Engine model.

www.thingiverse.com

Rik

 

[Northsider]

Actually, I'm quite looking forward to doing the brickwork as this building has an interesting variation on English bond brickwork. Instead of alternating rows of stretchers and headers, it has three rows of stretcher bond followed by one row of headers - and then, of course, there are the arches over the upper windows.

I'm substituting the siding for the canal in the original - at least that's the short-term plan

Rik

Just like the Kensington Canal, then?

 

[Rhinochugger]

Only by accident!

Rik

So all you need now is an ice cream cart - ground bones provided gelatin which was used in early types of ice cream

 

[beavercreek]

As usual Rik, your build is a craftsman at work.
Although I have built my structures from plastic, wood and foamboard I haven't made any concrete pads for them to sit on as I always worried that I might want to move things around and would have to demolish any concrete base. But I can definitely see the benefit of a solidity.
With my wood, foam board and a few plastic builds I have used thicker rigid foamboard fixed to the buildings for the bases so that the buildings can be lifted away easily (it also helps to keep rot away from the wood buildings).
I am watching your build with extreme interest and am boning up ( ) on the industry that you are creating!

 

[ge_rik]

Just looked at the Tinkercad software (sorry to hi-jack your post for a bit), but it appears to be available for the iPad. This is a very interesting option with the possibility of Apple Pencil use though there have been a few issues on upgrades which are bing worked on.

As it's an online tool, I assume it would work with most operating systems and browsers - but don't quote me on that ....

Rik

 

[Jasper]

I'm not sure I've ever seen a boneworks modelled in any scale and so I quite like the idea of having something a bit different.

I'm sure I've never seen a boneworks modelled.

I'll be following this thread with interest! (cue financial jokes)