The Great Bear
Member
Hello, first post here in a very long time...
Over the past year I've been messing around with 3d printing for coach building in 4mm. Partly as I like a challenge but also due to the non-availability of the Slaters kits and my lack of abilility to construct a brass kit and do it justice. Also, this approach means rarer diagrams I can do as well. Initially I got prints from the likes of Shapeways and then 3d hubs but since the autumn I have my own resin printer, a Phrozen Shuffle XL.
So far I have been focussing on Toplights. 57' coaches just fit in the build envelope of the printer.
Here's a picture of the printer, with a print of an E85 56' composite in progress:
To hold body in shape whilst printing and curing, there are lots of props between the sides, which then I just pop out and sand away remnants:
And here's some shots of the last coach printed, an E82 56' brake composite. The body (with a coat of primer), all one piece:
More to follow in a moment...
Over the past year I've been messing around with 3d printing for coach building in 4mm. Partly as I like a challenge but also due to the non-availability of the Slaters kits and my lack of abilility to construct a brass kit and do it justice. Also, this approach means rarer diagrams I can do as well. Initially I got prints from the likes of Shapeways and then 3d hubs but since the autumn I have my own resin printer, a Phrozen Shuffle XL.
So far I have been focussing on Toplights. 57' coaches just fit in the build envelope of the printer.
Here's a picture of the printer, with a print of an E85 56' composite in progress:
To hold body in shape whilst printing and curing, there are lots of props between the sides, which then I just pop out and sand away remnants:
And here's some shots of the last coach printed, an E82 56' brake composite. The body (with a coat of primer), all one piece:
More to follow in a moment...