Wagon 50 (was prototype diesel loco.)

[Hal Farsed]

I've been mucking and messing about with this for a while but I finally got it as far as it is going for now. I decided that I would try to print a loco and here it is. I made so many mistakes with it and in the next few days I will list them. The elastic bands are there to hold it together as one of my mistakes was to forget how to screw the body on!!

If it ever gets a name it will be MARVIN.

 

[PhilP]

Liking the look of that..

How about super-magnets, to hold the body on?
You can epoxy them into the body, and chassis.

PhilP

 

[David1226]

Liking the look of that..

How about super-magnets, to hold the body on?
You can epoxy them into the body, and chassis.

PhilP

That sounds like an attractive idea

David

 

[Paul M]

That sounds like an attractive idea

David

David........

 

[Hal Farsed]

Lessons learnt after first attempt to print a locomotive.

• Do not use two small motors with each axle driving a worm gear. They will fight each other and bring the loco to a stand. Use one big motor driving a worm out of each end. You know, like all the manufacturers do. (Obvious really, but worth a try.)
• Ensure that the design includes a method of securing the cab and the bonnet of the locomotive to the footplate.
• If you intend printing the bonnet horizontally from the bottom up, make each layer about 0.1mm to lessen the effect of layering. Also do not print the doors and any other protruding bodywork. Print these separately and glue them on at assembly.
• Avoid printing the chassis in four pieces. If the chassis is printed in one or two pieces then assembly will be easier and more precise.
• For strength and for ease of assembly, use tabs in the joints (eg cab corners) not just butting joints together. (Although, the loco seems strong enough.)
• The chassis design is good. The motor assembly, or inner chassis, just drops into the outer chassis. This is simple and it works.
• Do not fix axle boxes on to the outer chassis until you can see where the centre of the axles are!!
• The sandboxes are horrible. Amend this design.
• The window rims are quite thick. Minimise.
• The bonnet lid turned out well and looks good.
• I could not get the cab roof right. Tried printing both laterally and longitudinally. Used longitudinal print but layering evident still. Roof interior was impossible to make look good too.
• Print exhaust stack on cab front.
• Handle on chassis side doors were fragile and both broke off. See item 3. Print separately and glue doors on at assembly.
• Humbrol filler works well.
• Triangle on cab rear is not necessary. Or desirable.
• The unbraced Plastikard used for the footplate is bending! (Use thicker Plastikard or brace it or print footplate.)
• Ensure a hole is made in the cab front for wiring!
• Ensure bonnet has no bracing that will interfere with the wiring.

Not sure when, as it it getting warmer, soon (!) but I will hopefully learn from this and incorproate the above into the next effort. Thank you for reading if you got this far!

 

[JimmyB]

John, It still looks good, and, as with most of my projects, to learn, and hopefully this will help keep the brain working a few more years

 

[Technocrat]

I've been mucking and messing about with this for a while but I finally got it as far as it is going for now. I decided that I would try to print a loco and here it is. I made so many mistakes with it and in the next few days I will list them. The elastic bands are there to hold it together as one of my mistakes was to forget how to screw the body on!!

If it ever gets a name it will be MARVIN.

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Marvin?
As in the Martian?
Seriously, he looks very good. I really must find a "practical" 3-d printer...

 

[Greg Elmassian]

From the hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy more likely.

Greg

 

[Hal Farsed]

Marvin?
As in the Martian?
Seriously, he looks very good. I really must find a "practical" 3-d printer...

I was thinking of the Paranoid Android in the Hitch Hikers Guide To The Galaxy. But looking at a picture of him, I am not so sure. My printer is just a Flashforge Adventurer 3. I am considering another with a bigger build plate but Chr*stm*s is a Long way away....

 

[Technocrat]

From the hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy more likely.

Greg

I hadn't thought of that in years. Thanks!

 

[Technocrat]

I was thinking of the Paranoid Android in the Hitch Hikers Guide To The Galaxy. But looking at a picture of him, I am not so sure. My printer is just a Flashforge Adventurer 3. I am considering another with a bigger build plate but Chr*stm*s is a Long way away....

I have not thought about that in years. I loved the series in high school and college. Used to listen to it at the nerd table...

Yes, it is. A 3D printer is on my list as well. Sadly, what I know of the various machines is lacking. What is a good source to learn about what is out there?

 

[Hal Farsed]

Well, I looked in all sorts of places but if you ask 100 people youll probably get 80 odd different opinions! (Try googling for 3D printer forums or somesuch) So I made a list. I wanted it enclosed because it was going in a garage and I thought that for temperature stability an enclosure would be better. I thought that 150mm x 150mm x 150mm build area would be big enough. Its not really but I am managing. I wanted a machine that I could plug in and start work. From what I can tell the 3D printing folks love to fiddle about and make improvements to their machines. I am not interested in that*. I want to load it with the programme, press a button, go for a nice cup of tea (or six), and collect the result. The FFA3 does that (Mostly!). I also note the flipping price of it has risen by about fifty quid since I got it, here in England.

*Having said that, I might be getting a glass plate for the build area instead of the supplied aluminium/plastic one. But thats it! (Honest!)

 

[Technocrat]

Well, I looked in all sorts of places but if you ask 100 people youll probably get 80 odd different opinions! (Try googling for 3D printer forums or somesuch) So I made a list. I wanted it enclosed because it was going in a garage and I thought that for temperature stability an enclosure would be better. I thought that 150mm x 150mm x 150mm build area would be big enough. Its not really but I am managing. I wanted a machine that I could plug in and start work. From what I can tell the 3D printing folks love to fiddle about and make improvements to their machines. I am not interested in that*. I want to load it with the programme, press a button, go for a nice cup of tea (or six), and collect the result. The FFA3 does that (Mostly!). I also note the flipping price of it has risen by about fifty quid since I got it, here in England.

*Having said that, I might be getting a glass plate for the build area instead of the supplied aluminium/plastic one. But thats it! (Honest!)

Thank you sir. You said the price went up by BP 50. Do you mind if I ask the original price?

 

[Hal Farsed]

I got it for 280 its now 330. SWMBO bought it last November for me crimble pressy.

 

[Hal Farsed]

Another print finished yesterday. This time its a small flat wagon (my 50th wagon in "commercial" use). I printed the chassis in two halves, the bed in two halves. on top of the bed I stuck three 10 x 10mm blocks full width and coffee stirrers for the rest of the bed. The wheelsets are Accucraft out of the 32mm ones supplied with their wagons. It has yet to have brakes fitted. The loads are from some Mamod site whose name escapes me and the chains are off some of SWMBOS old costume jewellery that she donated. These will have to be rusted up at some point. There are mistakes with it. But I am on it. Total cost? As the wheels were "free" its less than a tenner.