N scale "What's on your workbench?"

Mark Watson Oct 28, 2009

  1. Massey

    Massey TrainBoard Member

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    Sure… just come on over!
     
  2. Massey

    Massey TrainBoard Member

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    Here is the “nightmare” before paint, but fully assembled. (There is a moon but it’s not going to be painted the same color so I have not glued it in yet.

    EFF2A581-508D-4B46-85F1-A6106AD2C50F.jpeg
     
    Last edited: Aug 18, 2021
  3. Shortround

    Shortround TrainBoard Member

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    Ah! I knew I had seen it.

    No cake. I'm on a diet.
     
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  4. logging loco

    logging loco TrainBoard Supporter

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    Massey, I have zero experience or knowledge of 3D printing.
    Is that full thickness, or hollow underneath?
    How many watts is the printer draw?
    And if you don't mind my asking, what is the approximate material cost of resin for printing that one scene?

    Thanks!
    John
     
  5. Massey

    Massey TrainBoard Member

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    Watts… not sure, never calculated it. The printer is a Ender 3 V2 and the print took 41 hours 34 minutes. I have 20% fill so not hollow, but not solid either. It used about 1/3 of a 1kg roll of filament. It was the largest thing I have printed to date. So the cost would be less than $5 since I paid about $20 for the roll of filament. I am going to run this again in all black and that filament was about $30 for a 1kg roll so it will cost about $6 for that print.

    I have printed about 50 40’ containers so far and that has cost me about $5. Commercial containers are about $25 for 3. Now granted the detail is a bit better and they are already painted, but the ones I have been printing are for a container yard and detail isn’t as big of an issue. Small things like tunnel portals, bridge pads, and abutments will cost me pennies to make myself, and I get the options of scaling them however I see fit for my model.
     
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  6. logging loco

    logging loco TrainBoard Supporter

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    Thanks Massey,
    So the filament is like a thread, not a liquid resin?
    Sounds very economical.
    Can you post a picture of the bottom?
     
  7. logging loco

    logging loco TrainBoard Supporter

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    PHOTO CROPPING TABLE

    Has anyone used an old school photo cropping table as a sort of DupliCutter?

    1629340741700838354013505928044.jpg

    I found this photo cropping table at a thrift store, a whole $4.00. It measures 14"x17" overall.

    The back side has an adjustment for border width. A Fiskars rotary mat slid under the frame to the boarder stop, leaves zero clearance under the fixed edges of the frame. This will keep sheet goods from going under the frame to the boarder stop.

    16293432685433351631448543349251.jpg

    I've been working on some ideas for mounting a few tools and fixtures on a board the same size as the catch tray of my watchmakers bench. It would be interchangeable with catch tray. I could slide the tray out, slide the fixture board in and be dimensioning walls or strip wood without digging through drawers to retool.

    It might be a couple months before I get back to this but I will post an update.
     
    Last edited: Aug 19, 2021
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  8. Massey

    Massey TrainBoard Member

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    So in the case of this printer the medium that I print with is a spool of plastic. It’s about 1/8th inch in diameter and it is melted and extruded onto the build surface. This is just one type of 3D printing, it good for larger things, and has more strength than the resin type. And speaking of resin type printers, they use a liquid that hardens when exposed to UV light. I also own this type of printer, but I don’t use it for large things, it’s better suited for high detail items. The resin printer can create some really detailed models, but the resin is not as strong as the PLA is.
     
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  9. freddy_fo

    freddy_fo TrainBoard Member

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    S4 complete with decoder swap. Runs butter smooth now at slow speed. Replaced the plastic grating over the nose vent with a metal etched section cut from some box car roof walks I had. A little panel line detail added as well to the vents and louvers for some added depth

    20210819_101902.jpg 20210819_101800.jpg
     
  10. freddy_fo

    freddy_fo TrainBoard Member

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    Here's another DCC conversion. I forgot I had this Kato M250 which is part of a set I bought new a decade or so back. Never ran as I'd already converted to DCC when I got this but I thought it was kind of unique so I had to get it. Pretty straight-forward install where I was able to re-use the factory light board with some surgical cuts to the wire traces, add a jumper then wire from the cab back to the container section. One of the few installs where I didn't have to add my own lights for the effects I wanted so that sped things up a bit. I still have to add a light decoder to the other end of the train which is a dummy unit version of this engine.

    Right now I'm using an ESU micro-next18 lokpilot but plan to swap it out with their sound decoder once I get another in hand. I finally get to see this work after 10 or so years of ownership lol.

    20210819_183441.jpg 20210819_180907.jpg 20210819_181036.jpg
     
  11. freddy_fo

    freddy_fo TrainBoard Member

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    Having just got in some lighted signals I was chomping at the bit to go through a dry run of setting up a couple to see if I thought of everything I needed to get it all working via the DCC bus. I'm getting everything ready for a new layout I like to get this all planned so I can minimize surprises as I'm going through the build process.

    I use the ESU Cab Control command station which contains presets in the accessory screen for all the different types of signals I plan to use. That is a good first step. Next is the signal decoder. I stuck with ESU for two reasons: I already have the lokprogrammer hardware/software which makes setting up the decoders a cinch (kind of... once one gets the hang of it) and the second reason being that again they have all the presets in the lokprogrammer for the signal types I plan to use.

    So with all that it's a simple matter of firing up the programmer software then dragging and dropping the different presets on the screen where one can then follow the resulting wiring schematic or customize lighting outputs such as when a block signal and distance signal need to be setup to work in tandem. There was a bit of trial and error to start as this was my first time going through the process but mostly due to terminology and english not being the first language of whoever authored the manual.

    Once the decoder is programmed I move it over to the command station, create the signal using their presets in the accessory panel and done... simple as that. Later I can add in block detection for the signals I want to automate.

    20210821_072728.jpg

    Now that I've gone through the setup and am a bit more familiar with the signal decoder I'm finding that it can also be used for other layout lighting with or without special effects in place of NCE light it decoders I normally use. NCE has a few more built in effects but most can be simulated adjusting parameters in the signal pilot programming interface.

    Summary: I have everything I need to get the signaling on the layout except a few more signals which are on backorder.

    This setup is really slick and the signals themselves are top notch.

    Yard shunting signal:



    Yard exit signal:

     
    Last edited: Aug 21, 2021
  12. Massey

    Massey TrainBoard Member

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    So the other day I got some parts from Kato… but you already know that, I posted about it on the “Latest Purchase” thread. Well the other day I installed the new light board and a new coupler on the train wreck that is my Kato TGV Thalys. Well tonight I installed a decoder into the locomotive. It was NOT plug and play like it should have been. This set has lived a pretty rough existence so I had to basically rebuild the locomotive electrically, and secure the light board with capton tape. I finally got it good, so I decided to put the entire 10 car train on my little loop… and then the locomotive struggled to get around the loop. Once it got back to me, I found a truck that didn’t look right, and sure enough a bent wheel. Great… one more thing to repair.
     
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  13. freddy_fo

    freddy_fo TrainBoard Member

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    @Massy... crap! Are you going to get all new axles for the truck or just the one that is bent? Maybe the insulation (plastic insulation ring) on the wheel has gone to poop?

    I did a DCC upgrade to a steamer that I hadn't ran in years. Get it all installed and pickup was horrible. As I was taking it apart to investigate I noticed some of the plastic covering the pickup plates (engine and tender) looked a little melted. Then my memory came back that it had shorted on the track and fried the contact strips which is why I shelved it. This was over 10 years ago and back then I had to go through the dealer for parts which none were ever able to get for me. Now the manufacturer sells parts direct and fortunately I was still able to order what I needed. Super lucky as the pickup systems are usually the first thing to sell out and become unobtanium for these older locos.
     
  14. Massey

    Massey TrainBoard Member

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    So the axle itself is bent, the wheel is all good as far this has no traction tire or anything like that on it. The truck frame seems fine now that the axle is out of it. I’m hoping to just have to replace the one bad axle but we will see what I can find.
     
  15. logging loco

    logging loco TrainBoard Supporter

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    You know the old saying,,

    "One bad axle ruins the bunch!"

    (Sorry I couldn't keep that to myself.)
     
  16. jlundy46

    jlundy46 TrainBoard Supporter

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    Applied decals and mirrors on the tractor.
    Dsc_0004b.jpg
     
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  17. nscalestation

    nscalestation TrainBoard Supporter

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    One of the things that I really like about Micro-Trains products is that you can always get replacement parts for them.
    When I noticed that a hatch had gone missing from one of my favorite covered hoppers I ordered some spares from the factory.
    TBWOYW25Aug21a.jpg


    These came un-painted, about 15 in a small bag. I found a close enough match in my selection of paints.

    TBWOYW25Aug21b.jpg


    After painting and installation, the covered hopper is ready to be returned to service.
    TBWOYW25Aug21c.jpg
     
  18. Hardcoaler

    Hardcoaler TrainBoard Member

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    That's really neat. I like the slowed pace of the signal aspect changes, with realistic dimming and brightening sequences just like the real thing. (y)
     
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  19. freddy_fo

    freddy_fo TrainBoard Member

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    Yeah, I'm super pleased with how well it works... ESU did an excellent job to the point where I see no need to change the default settings other than setting up night mode (that had some cool surprises too). Originally I was going to use all semaphore style signals but I had to try these more modern versions and glad I did... not to mention they are also less spendy lol.
     
    Last edited: Aug 26, 2021
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  20. freddy_fo

    freddy_fo TrainBoard Member

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    Sound upgrade complete in the Kato M250. Added in a TCS power pack to help with dirty track spots. Zimo 8mmx12mm speaker/enclosure makes excellent sound/presence. I couldn't find video of a 250 sounding it's horn so I did a little extrapolating with other Japanese locos which many seem to use similar horns as to here in North America.

    20210829_110734.jpg

     
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