Locomotion

Hi Frank There are various methods for smoothing 3D prints that you will easily find via searching the internet. So far I have only made a few simple parts in PLA and achieved a smooth surface by coating the parts with homemade "sprue goo," waiting for the goo to dry thoroughly and then sanding the parts till smooth. It is messy and time consuming though. It's also tricky to sand down the filler in corners of complex parts like the front panel of your tender, for example. There are threads on "sprue goo" and "Filling 'contour' lines" on Britmodeller forums. A resin printer would produce better results, unfortunately at present I don't have a suitable ventilated work area to accommodate one.

Hi Frank, Thanks for taking on such an ambitious project! Looking forward to following your progress. What product are you using to smooth out the printed parts?

Well done BB and BS, your model and diorama look terrific! Looking forward to the next joint project.

Thanks Steve

Thanks Dennis. I'll be confining my builds to 1/72, 1/50 and 1/35 scale static models, I also have The General locomotive in 1/25 scale that I bought back in 1982!

I haven't found any references to using 3D printers to produce modelling aids. I've been working on a version of the Miniart WWI omnibus for a while now, and those who have attempted it will know that there are many fragile parts. In the course of handling the model I managed to break the rear grabrail which has a fairly complex shape. I used my 3D printer to make a bending jig to produce the shape accurately, and after a few trials with copper wire: I made the final part in brass and attached it to the model: Since then I have made a jig to accurately reproduce a number of identical brackets: A jig for filing an accurate groove in a 3D-printed dome light fitting: And various drilling, shaping and assembly jigs: I hope that this post provides some useful inspiration, I'm sure that forum members will come up with many imaginative and useful solutions!

After a break from modelling of forty-odd years, I retired a few years ago and have taken up the hobby again. The level of detail and complexity of modern kits is way better than I remember them, not to mention the availability of after market detailing kits, weathering accessories etc. I am currently trying to improve my skill levels before tackling my stash of railway-related models that I have collected over the years in anticipation of retirement. Looking forward to learning from the many expert modellers on this forum.