N Scale Addiction

Grain Elevator Complex - First Step on a New Layout

2016-08-28T22:05:00.000-05:00

I have been thinking about a new layout a lot lately, and while I don't have the exact details solidified, there are a few things I know for certain. One of those certainties is that I am going to have a grain elevator as a major focal point on the new layout. I've been around grain elevators my entire life, and while Walthers does have a decent model, it falls short of what I consider to be a suitable structure for my layout. Much like my Orin Line years ago where I ditched the Walthers flood loader for a length of PVC pipe, I am doing the same thing again for the grain complex. Many grain elevators today are a combination of older concrete structures with more recent steel bins added for more capacity. Just watch corn and soybean harvest here in he midwest and you will see why that extra capacity is needed. Many facilities also have areas where they pile corn on a giant slab and cover it with plastic until they can get trains to haul it out during the winter months.

My design will be a combination of an older concrete structure, newer steel bins, and the typical tower dryer like the one you see in the photo below to the right of the concrete structure. Of course to complete the grain complex I will need a scale, grain sample probe, unloading pit for both trucks and rail, and various trusses and structure components to tie all of the pieces together.

Here is the elevator I haul to often in Council Bluffs. It's not a great facility in that it gets backed up quickly due to a single and slow truck pit (grey building to the right of the tower dryer). But, it does offer unique modeling opportunities. My grain complex will have a few design components from this site.

One advantage of being close to Council Bluffs is that there are multiple grain facilities to haul to. Southern Iowa Renewable Energy (SIRE) is a fairly new ethanol production facility that has multiple truck pits and a lot of capacity to get trucks through quickly. This is important during harvest when long lines can kill productivity. The photo below shows a newer modern facility owned by Bartlett in a different part of the Midwest. It is a good example of how steel bins are getting integrated into these commercial sized grain handling facilities, and not just individual farms. Note the rail load out and the 3 truck pits for unloading.

Ok, on to my N scale model. First I decided to start with 1.5" PVC and cut several sections of pipe 8" long. These bins will be about 100' in N scale. In order to create a nice seamless joint between each bin, I decided to run them through my table saw to make two flat sides.

Here you can see the PVC bins with flat sides, ready to be glued together in a line.

I used PVC cement to glue the pieces together, making sure I was working on a flat level surface so that the line of bins were perfectly straight.

Even though I tried to mate each bin to the next without a gap, I still had some spaces between the bins. I found an easy solution with a strip of .010 x .060" styrene. I simply cut them to the same 8" length of the bins and secured with CA, which bonds to both styrene and PVC very well.

Here is a close up of the bins glued together at their flat surfaces, and a strip of styrene to close the gap. I am not finished with this step, but it makes a very clean transition between the curves of each bin.

Here is a photo of a line of bins next to a loco and semi truck to give a sense of overall size.

In addition to the concrete bins, I also bought a length of 6" PVC pipe for my steel bins. The actual diameter is 6.625" which is about 90 feet in N scale. With a sloped roof to match the 100' height of the concrete bins, these will hold about 500,000 bushels each. These look fairly simple now, but I have big plans for these monsters. My plan is to wrap each with corrugated styrene sheet, add vertical stiffiners, wind rings, and other details. I also plan to design a roof that I can have 3d printed, although if that doesn't work or the cost isn't reasonable I may have to build it from scratch. Like I said before, the Walthers grain elevator will pale in comparison to what I have in store for this grain complex.

I'll throw this in for free. Looking back over my collection of locomotives, which has been large at times, I have only owned 1 Atlas locomotive. It was a BN SD60M, and about 15 years ago. It ran lousy and I sold it not long after I bought it. Everything else has been modern 6 axle diesels by Kato. Short story short, I bought this guy the other day for $50 and it runs very well, and am a bit excited to have something a bit different for a change. I still like modern, but I like when the UP still had red stripes on the sill, and patch units were still common. I think maybe I'll have to lock my era in the early 2000's? I now understand all of those modelers that have an interest in a specific era.

That's all for now. I guess this shelf layout idea that is finally coming to fruition is starting to pay dividends in more ways than I previously thought.

3D Printing - Far from Finished

2016-08-11T22:36:00.000-05:00

What a difference a couple years makes in this hobby. When I designed my first truck for 3d printing, there was a huge void in realistic trucks in N scale. I look around now and we have a lot to choose from, and more on the way.

I had ordered some models a few months ago in the new "extreme detail" by Shapeways, and never got around to finishing them. I haven't shared anything for several months, so thought I would shoot some photos and post them tonight.

Here is my triple axle Wilson cattle trailer. Yes, I agree that the Trainworx Merritt trailer is awesome, but mine is bigger....

You can never have enough of a great model. I need a packing plant to serve with this many trailers.

Here is the reefer project I started, finished, and then became bored with. Trainworx has a beautiful model of their own coming soon, but this version has horizontal ribs. I might try to complete a couple of these, but the painting is where man versus machine is so apparent.

A couple short extendable container chassis. I just need to get some paint on these guys.

Here is my complete East 39' Dump Trailer. The front axle is raised in case it looks a bit funny in the picture. This will be a good model for a construction scene or hauling aggregate to a cement plant.

A couple new trucks in the paint shop. My 379 Pete had a flat top roof, where this 389 has the taller cab roof for either a day cab version or with the Unibilt sleeper. This is also the same cab/sleeper combo that I used on my custom version 389 which is on the triple axle cattle trailer above. The lime green rig will have one of my bull bumpers applied for livestock service and the red will be a daycab.

It's About Time - Some New Layout Ideas

2016-02-15T19:13:00.000-06:00

It's been a very long time since I have spent any meaningful energy towards my N scale hobby. I guess addictions can fade over time. However, lately I've had a desire to get re-engaged in the hobby, at least in a small way. I revisited a couple layout designs that I drafted over the last couple of years to see if I could come up with something that would inspire me to start a new project. My garage is used for multiple things, and I didn't want another island style layout like my Marias Pass, which took up a lot of space. Instead, I am looking to do a shelf style layout in an "L" shape to optimize the wall space I have available. The main component on the left will be a 7' maximum length, with a width of 4' at the elbow of the "L". This can be conveniently built from a 4x8 sheet of plywood. I then have about 10' along the right side wall in which I can add an extension of 6' for some additional yard space.

I would like to feature my 3d printed trucks on this layout, as well as the lumber loads that I created a few years back. That gives me at least a start to my list of industries.

The current short list includes:

grain elevator with truck scale and unloading building for my 43' and 50' Wilson grain trailers and straight trucks
lumber centerbeam transloading area or simple truss building shop requiring lumber delivery
meat packing with loads of cattle being delivered in my Wilson cattle pots, and then cold storage and outbound beef in 64' reefer cars as well as truck/trailer reefer rigs.
small intermodal facility to feature trucks and utilize a pair of piggy packer loaders that I own.
other industries that I haven't decided on yet.

I like the idea of a major highway overpass stretching through the center of the layout. I haul grain to an elevator in Council Bluffs that is right next to and under interstate I-80 which gave me the idea. This would be a focal point for truck traffic as well as a natural view block to separate the layout into two sides.

I'll give these ideas some time to sink in and just maybe I'll be inspired to get the woodworking tools dirty again. Let me know what you think.

Time to Start a New Chapter

2015-07-04T08:49:00.001-05:00

I haven't posted on my blog for months, due to lots of other things going on in my life, and I seem to check email about once a month, so while I haven't been off the grid, it hasn't been far from it.

I thought I would post some exciting news from Trainworx if you haven't already seen it. I must say that when I first saw the announcements of Trainworx getting in the truck and trailer arena, it was bittersweet. I am excited that a major player is now getting serious about some popular and meaningful models for us in N scale. However, they have come forward with guns blazing, and seem to have replicated multiple truck and trailer models that I have designed for 3D printing over the past 2 years. I have always said that 3d printing had its limitations, and now that Trainworx has stepped up, they will be able to provide us great models, painted, and ready to use on our layouts, as well as a very reasonable price compared to a raw 3d printed model.

I do find it ironic that they are creating a 379 Pete with a Merritt livestock trailer. Hmmm, I wonder how they got that idea? I like to think that I had a lot of influence over their model decisions, but I guess it really doesn't matter whose idea it was in the end. I hope to see a lot more modern truck models from them and welcome other players into this space as well.

So what does this mean for me? Not sure. I get hot and cold on projects all the time, and lately, I haven't touched anything in N scale. I still do have many unique designs that no one else in N scale has replicated, so I don't plan to shut down my Shapeways shop any time soon. I never really intended this to be a business, but rather a fun way to finance my hobby. I would have put forth more effort otherwise. If I get an itch in the future I might try to design some new models. But ultimately, I think this might be the change that forces me to look at a layout again. I am certainly due for another layout project, and have carried many ideas with me since I sold my Marias Pass years ago.

Here is the flyer about the new Trainworx model. There are photos online circulating of other "in progress" models as well which include a wide variety of models we desperately need. I see the 379 Pete with Merritt trailer listed for under $30 on some online shops. That is a steal when you consider that my Wilson version costs about that same amount for a raw printed copy. Way to go Trainworx.

3d Print Quality - A Closer Look (some new things including my 53' reefer)

2015-03-23T22:03:00.001-05:00

I just got a new package from Shapeways today and thought I would share some close up photos of some of my latest designs. After a soak in Bestine, I rinsed the pieces off with warm water and while they were drying, I took some photos. Keep in mind that some of the parts are still damp, which tends to leave them with a more transparent appearance.

This 389 Peterbilt isn't a new design, but I did enhance some things. In addition, I have added a set of mudflaps as part of the grill and air cleaner sprue. They have a bracket already designed in, with a mounting pin that fits into a hole already designed into the frame. I am anxious to assemble one of these to see how they turn out.

My concrete block layered sandwich pieces turned out as expected. The detail is great.

This isn't my first 53' reefer print, but the first I am sharing. I tweaked the design slightly from the original, but the components are still pretty much the same. I wanted to show a close up of the rear door, as the detail is very clean. I have already assembled one of these trailers and they are a beautiful trailer. With no one else in the world making a modern reefer, I'm excited to be the first to do so. We desperately need them.

Custom Peterbilt 389. It's Getting Good.... Really Good

2015-03-21T22:40:00.000-05:00

I was anxious to get this beauty finished, so I rushed some of the details before letting them dry completely. However, I think it turned out really well. Surprisingly, this is my first Pete 389 that I have painted, and one of the latest models I have designed to date. This custom version includes the stretched frame, rear fenders, and custom taillight bar with shorty mud flaps.

The paint is Rustoleum from a spray can which seem to give me great results on these trucks, and very easy to use without a lot of clean up. I included a photo of the Peterbilt 386, 379, and 389 side by side to illustrate the subtle differences in these models.

Lastly, I am still perfecting my 53' reefer design, but thought I would include a teaser at the bottom of the page here.

Concrete Block on Pallet - Loads for Flatbed Trailers

2015-03-14T10:31:00.002-05:00

I had an idea proposed to me the other day, so I decided to make a new design. I have been thinking about suitable loads for my flatbed trailers, and pallets of concrete blocks is a perfect fit. I probably over-engineered the design, but I don't want the stack of blocks to look like one giant block once printed. So I decided to design individual tiers that could be printed and then stacked separately, including the pallet.

You can see here that I designed a pallet, top and bottom tier, and then 4 middle tiers that can be turned a quarter turn when stacked to "tie" them into the other tiers. I voided the middles to reduce print material. I also created a render of what the load will look like after assembly.

Peterbilt 386 Out of the Paint Shop & My Growing Class 8 Fleet

2015-03-07T22:33:00.000-06:00

My first Peterbilt 386 is fresh out of the paint shop. I decided to go yellow on this truck. The exhaust stacks are brass wire and aluminum tubing for the mufflers. The mirrors are brass wire for the brackets and styrene for the mirrors. The steps and fuel tanks were wrapped with aluminum HVAC tape. Overall I am pleased with how this model turned out. The newer front axle design makes assembly so much easier. Instead of trimming the axle and eyeballing each wheel for proper location, now I simply twist the wheel on until it bottoms out against the larger diameter shoulder. The custom made mirrors were also easy to apply with the #80 holes already printed into the cab. With these enhancements, I hope to be able to cut down on my time to finish a model, and increase the overall quality of the final product.

While it seems that I have finished only a small number of models, I am beginning to accumulate a sizable fleet. I now have a decent collection of class 8 trucks, with more planned. I hope to have a 389 to add to the fleet soon. Stay tuned.

Painting Wheels

2015-03-07T15:29:00.000-06:00

I have tried a few different methods of painting my wheels, and wanted to share my experiences and the method that I feel gives the best results, and the least amount of work or steps to complete. When I first started these 3d projects, I tried painting my wheels before assembling to the truck frame, after assembling to the truck frame, painting black first and then silver for the wheel, painting silver first and then black for the tire, primer first and then color, and no primer and painting color only.

What I have found is that primer works very well on the truck body and cab, but will just build up on the details on the wheels. So for my aluminum wheels, I use a rustoleum spray can and paint a couple of coats directly on the raw print. For steel rims, I still use primer, and then hand paint the rims whatever color I want.

What about timing of tires and wheels? Well, I find that painting silver first, and then hand painting the tire black yields the best results. I have designed the front tires with an exaggerated rim where it meets the tire so that a steady hand with paint brush can flow the paint right up to the rim and leave a nice crisp line between tire and wheel. The rear wheels are a little easier in that I just use a silver Sharpie marker around the inside of the rim to make a perfect line between rim and tire.

As I have posted before, my recent design revisions to place the wheels in a square pattern on the sprue rather than a straight line has seemed to influence the print orientation. I am getting my wheels printed flat now, which results in very clean prints. As you can see in the photos, the lug nut detail is present on all wheels. Take a look at my Kenworth T2000 and you will see that the quality of my wheels has come a long way from the early days.

Some Progress on My Kenworth T2000 and Fontaine Drop Deck Trailer

2015-03-01T23:35:00.000-06:00

I thought I would share some progress I am making on a couple of models. First, the Fontaine drop deck trailer is not new, but I never got around to finishing one for myself. This trailer model is the Fontaine Infinity which has a steel frame. I decided to paint the frame red to make it pop a bit. The trailer still needs a few details including DOT stripes, and maybe some toolboxes between the spread axles. Also note that this model has the appropriately sized lo-pro tires, just like the real one. I am already starting to think of dozens of load types to put on this thing.

My Kenworth T2000 is a new model, and this is the first of my truck designs with included mirror details. The mirrors come printed on a sprue which includes the wheels and tires. They have a small post on the end of the mirror bracket which fits into a hole on the side of the cab, which is also designed and printed into the model. I am surprised how much difference a small detail like this adds to the overall truck model. You will also notice how much cleaner the wheels and tires are in both printed detail and paint. Re-configuring the wheels in a square pattern versus in a long straight line seems to have influenced how Shapeways is printing these parts. So far, my wheels are getting printed flat, and very clean. This is now producing some fantastic results.

Pickup Trucks are Out of the Paint Shop - Silverado and Ram

2015-02-19T21:38:00.002-06:00

Vehicles are hard to paint! Enough Said.

Here is my first Silverado and Ram out of the paint shop. I am happy with the results, although the detail is hard to paint. It takes a very steady hand and very fine paint brush. The separate rims and tires worked perfectly. I'm getting a hang of this 3d design stuff.

Reefer Fuel Tanks & Traffic Barrels

2015-02-14T14:34:00.000-06:00

While I was designing my 53' reefer, I decided to take the fuel tank and add it to Shapeways as a separate detail. I know Trainworx makes a fuel tank, but it is a longer version. My design is a much more common 60 gallon tank that can be found on most modern day reefer trailers. My design comes as a 6 pack on a sprue. They are oriented upside down for optimal printing.

Another idea that I had was a simple traffic barrel for road scenes. I created these in a 12 pack, in clusters of 4 to a sprue. I think these took about 5 minutes to design, but I haven't seen these in N scale before.

20' Container Chassis Revisit

2015-02-09T22:20:00.000-06:00

It sure feels good to start finishing some truck and trailer models again. Of course I quickly get too many going at once and am overwhelmed by the amount of time it takes to properly finish just a single model. I recently bought a pair of my 20' container chassis, as I never actually had one to display here on my blog or on my Shapeways shop. It's a very nice model, and fits a 20' container perfectly. I designed the axles as a separate component so that they could be assembled in the extended position as you see below, or the collapsed position when not carrying a container. I think 20' containers are unique and have a dozen or so for my future layout, and these chassis will make a nice addition to a container yard or highway scene. Here is my original post about the chassis design.

I took the opportunity to also photograph one of my Kenworth K100's with mirrors and railings applied.

The container chassis are available in my Shapeways Shop

Custom Pete 389 - Now I'm Just Showing Off

2015-02-07T21:39:00.000-06:00

I have been so focused on designing new truck models over the past couple of years, that I decided to take a step back and look at the finer details of trucks in general, and find ways to make my existing designs better. I have already shared some of those ideas here on my blog, and now I thought I would get fancy and have some fun with my Peterbilt 389. I'm not a guy that really appreciates some of the extreme mods that truck owners make to their rigs, however, I know I can find some room in my collection for at least a few custom rigs of my own.

This rendering doesn't do this rig justice, but that is all I have at the moment. Once I get this printed, I will use styrene to cover the space between the frame rails, add some nice straight pipes like many of my other models, and a nice paint job to finish it off. A few details I want to note here are: the tall sunvisor, the rear fenders, and the custom rear bumper with shorty mud flaps, and of course the stretched frame. The fenders and bumper will be separate details added to the wheel sprue, so they can be painted and added after painting.

That takes me to my next design project. After designing this custom rear bumper including mudflaps, I decided that making a standard set of mudflaps that could be printed would likely be feasible. The key is to have these delicate items printed on a separate sprue so that they don't break off of the larger components between printing and finishing. I will be working on a standard "rear" very soon to be added to all of my existing trucks. That includes horizontal brackets, and maybe taillights, all in one detail component that can be printed, painted, and applied to any truck. Yeah, I know that someone else makes etched details like this, but what's the fun in that?

One last item before I close. I have a long list of models that I would really like to design, and I plan to get to them over the next several months and years. Like this custom 389, I start dreaming about separate doors that could be assembled in an "open" position, or how about a tilted hood with a Cat V8 to show off? The thing that gives us 3d designer guys a leg up on everyone else, is that the sky is the limit of what can be done in N scale. It all depends on how creative we want to be, and how much time we want to invest in a single model. Ok that's it for now.

Shapeways Package Arrived Today! Pete 386, Kenworth T2000, and Pickup Trucks

2015-02-02T22:41:00.000-06:00

Today I received a Shapeways package that contained a few new models. I soaked them for about an hour in Bestine and then had to get some primer going. I sure like grey primer better than white. It is so much easier to see in photos.

A few observations about this Shapeways order: I am very impressed with the quality of the prints. The items had very little waxy residue right out of the package, and cleaned up in a hurry. I spent very little time with a sanding stick on the items I shot with primer tonight. As intended, my updated wheel sprue configuration was printed flat, and the results are obvious. This particular sprue includes mirrors for the T2000, which turned out perfect. The T2000 cab is very well done, and requires some slight sanding prior to primer. I know there are still a lot of skeptics out there about 3d printing for N scale. I've had my share of disappointments in the last 2 years using Shapeways as a print service, however, if these truck models can't get you excited, then keep using those generic boxes on wheels that the other guys make. Ok, I digress....

I use Rustoleum primer in a can, and the items below have 2 generous coats. I find that this helps hide any textures that I missed with a sanding stick. After primer, I light sand the needed areas, and then paint with the final color. Two or three coats of color are usually sufficient.

I am satisfied with the way these models turned out, so I am going to make them available via Shapeways soon. One thing I didn't photograph here are the tires for the trucks. They turned out perfect, and are all attached to a sprue. Once painted, they may need a bit of honing to remove paint from inside the tire, and then they will slide over the rims to leave a nice crisp separation between rim and tire.

As always, I'll keep updating my progress as I get these things painted. I have a 53' reefer on order now that should arrive in another week.

My Shapeways Shop: Click Here

Kenworth K100 Cabover Update - In Primer

2015-01-31T14:11:00.000-06:00

I finally got around to working on my Kenworth K100 that has been sitting in a box waiting for my attention (next to the dozens of other models that are waiting patiently as well). My goal is to finish at least 1 of every model that I have designed so I have some examples to share on my Shapeways store. I also feel it is important that I take every design from beginning to end, so that prospective buyers can feel confident about buying a model. I have a hard time buying a model on Shapeways based only on a 3d rendering.

My K100 was designed with some specific finishing details in mind that are left to the modeler to add. If you have one of my K100's already, or plan to buy one, I will explain how I intended to finish this model.

First, the handrails could have been designed into the truck cab, but I felt it would look much nicer with a free standing detail made from wire. I use .010 wire on my trucks for mirror brackets and other details like railings. On the K100, there are 3 sets of brackets to hold the railing to the side of the cab, which I designed into my N scale version. I also designed a #80 hole right above the top set of brackets. Using a prototype photo, I bend a wire into a railing, that can be inserted into the #80 holes, and then glued to each bracket to hold it in place. It's a bit tricky, but it can be done. I use a #80 drill bit to clean out the holes after painting.

It seems like most cabovers in the 1980's had stripes or multiple color paint schemes. If someone wanted to spend the time to create a set of stripe decals for these trucks, that would be great. However, I plan to paint mine a solid color, or maybe two tone.

Cabover trucks generally have a large opening in the rear of the cab where the motor is located. I did the best I could on my model as I don't have any motor detail, and didn't want to leave a hole in the back of the cab and not have anything inside to fill it. I did leave two openings for exhaust and air cleaner details. The K100 has an air filter that is located on the driver side, which you can see on my model. The air filter is usually fed by a stack on the back of the cab to pull in cold air from above roof. The stack should be located on the rear of the cab, on the driver's side. If you plan to do a single stack exhaust, locate it on the passenger side of the cab. I plan to do dual exhaust on mine, which will be made from brass or aluminum rod. Each stack should have a 90 degree bend on the bottom which can then be glued to the inside of the cab. Refer to the photo below to see how a typical dual exhaust and air intake are configured on these trucks.

Here are a pair of K100's in primer paint. I used grey on these so I could get some better photographs. White is hard to photograph. These have 2 generous coats of primer, which I recommend. Thicker paint seems to give a smoother finish on 3d printed models.

If you want your own N scale Kenworth K100, check out my Shapeways Store: K100

Ready to Print - 53' Utility Reefer Trailer

2015-01-26T23:40:00.000-06:00

I started working on my 53' reefer again tonight and just couldn't go to bed until I finished it. Well here it is. You will notice some unique design characteristics with this model, and I will try to explain the various components.

First, this model will be expensive to print, so I tried to reduce the overall volume of the body. To eliminate warping, I added some reinforcements to the inside while trying to minimize material.

Second, based on experience, vertical surfaces with detail can yield varying results from Shapeways. I chose to design the rear door component as a separate piece. This should yield a cleaner print, while making the painting process easier. This idea actually came from my Pete 379/389 grill, as the design is very similar. The door panel has a rim that mates perfectly to the rear opening of the trailer body.

Third, the landing gear and fuel tank will print onto a flat surface that will fit into the underside of the trailer body, where I have included a ledge to aid in locating this detail. There is no reason to guess the location when it can be precisely located within the design.

Fourth, I eliminated the need for a piece of wire for the axles. The suspension component now has axles designed in, exactly like my trucks.

Lastly, I created a sprue to hold the 3 components pictured. My hope is that these pieces will be printed flat, which will yield the best quality prints.

There you have it. A few new design ideas implemented into this model. Time will tell if these will become best practices for me.

Who Needs a 53' Utility Reefer Trailer?

2015-01-26T07:15:00.004-06:00

I was cleaning up some old files the other day and ran across this 53' reefer that I had started and then moved on to something else without finishing it. I worked on it a couple hours today and thought I would take a look at a rendering. It still needs some work, but it is getting close to completion. I have 2 very nice prints of my UPS 28' pup trailer, so I know a box type model like this prints well, but it does get expensive due to the volume of material used. However, I have opted to keep the walls on the thicker side to avoid warping, rather than go cheap on the overall print cost.

I'll post some updates as this project progresses. I plan to use BLMA refrigerator units on these since they are already available as a separate detail. The landing gear and fuel tank will be printed on a separate piece that can be added after the body is painted. The sliding tandem axles will also be separately printed.

3d Truck Improvements

2015-01-24T12:32:00.001-06:00

I have learned a lot about 3d design and printing from the various models I have created, and am trying to incorporate enhancements to my new designs. I also plan to go back and add these same improvements to my existing models as I have time.

First, I realize that mirrors are a fairly critical detail for my trucks, and while my very first finished models had no mirrors, I began adding my own custom mirrors to my recently finished trucks. I simply use brass wire bent to the appropriate shape, inserted into a #80 hole that I drilled into the cab. I am amazed at how 3d printers can print a very small hole into a model like my truck rims, and I came to the conclusion that I could simply design my trucks with the hole already printed, ready to accept a piece of wire. This way, I can avoid damage to the model from my drill, or trying to hold the model while getting the hole started. The biggest benefit is having precision location every time. On a couple of my models such as the Pete 386, I designed a mirror assembly, and added these details to the wheel and tire sprue. I also added the appropriately located hole in the cab to accept the mirror.

Second, I recently uploaded a file of dual wheels and put them into a square pattern rather than a long straight line. I have had mixed results from Shapeways, as they like to print these long lines at various orientations, since they likely find extra spaces in the print tray for these long strings around other models. The wheels that get printed flat with the rim facing up are usually a very clean print. If they are printed on their side, they have texture. Since I changed the pattern, I have had great feedback on print results. So, now my wheel sprue pattern is rectangular, to promote flat print orientation by Shapeways.

Third, I beefed up my front axles, and added a shoulder that allows the front wheel to slide to the accurate location. Up to this point, I have had to trim the axle and eyeball the spacing of the front wheels. I now realize that I was making things much harder for myself in the assembly stage.

I know there are probably many other things that I will discover in future models, but wanted to share what I am beginning to incorporate into my designs now. As always, I am open to feedback and suggestions on how I can make these better.

Kenworth T2000 - I'm on a roll

2015-01-18T08:39:00.001-06:00

Here's my Kenworth T2000 nearly ready to print. After creating the rendering in Shapeways I found a couple more details that I would like to add before printing.

I am also going to add the mirror assemblies as a printed detail with this truck due to the particular style that makes is suitable to print. I plan to add the mirrors to the sprue that holds the wheels. The arm or bracket on the mirror will have a pin on the end that will fit into a matching hole in the cab door. While I have been using a small drill bit to make holes for mirrors on these trucks, I am going to start adding the hole to my designs so they are printed that way. I am actually surprised how small of a hole can be printed in a Shapeways model. Of course they may have to be cleaned out with a piece of wire or drill bit, but at least the location of the hole will be perfect every print. These are the types of enhancements I keep thinking about as I design more trucks.

Silverado and Ram - Ready to Print

2015-01-13T22:28:00.000-06:00

If you are wondering what happened to my Silverado and Ram projects, here is an update. I received a pair of Silverados from Shapeways and they turned out as planned. I added a bit more material at the axle locations since the wheels wanted to bow outward from only being attached to the body of the truck at the top corner of each wheel. I also found no tires in the package so decided to connect them via a sprue. Now that the file is updated, I will combine both the Chevy and Dodge into a file and print a pair as you see below. I will update again once I have the final prints.

Peterbilt 386 - Starting the New Year on the Right Foot

2015-01-11T23:03:00.000-06:00

Well, I guess I felt inspired after that last post, and decided to design a Pete 386 before I went to bed tonight. The great part about this design is that I recycled almost everything here from my existing Pete 389 model. The hood is the obvious difference between the 2 models, in addition to the lack of external air filter canisters.

There are many configurations for the 386 like most trucks, so I used the sleeper from the 389 model, left the fuel tanks exposed, and plan to mount my exhaust stacks behind the cab like the example pictured here. Also, like my 389, the sleeper is a separate piece so this could be built as a daycab, or I could use my other sleeper designs to make other configurations.

N Scale Addict 3d Models - Time to Reflect

2015-01-11T15:05:00.000-06:00

I was doing some end of year organization the other day, and was looking at my total sales of 3d printed models through my Shapeways shop. First, it is hard to believe that is going on 2 years since I designed my first model, which happen to be a simple grain box for a straight truck, followed by my Wilson grain trailer, which really started it all for me.

Since April of 2013, I have sold ~700 models through Shapeways. Keep in mind that I offer some of these models as a 2 pack, which only get counted once at Shapeways. I have also sold a lot of models through ebay, so I am guessing my count is north of 1000 so far.

Shapeways doesn't give me details as to who ordered my designs, but does share the country destination. While the majority are going to homes here in the states, I was quite surprised to see the following countries on the list too: United States, Germany, Australia, Switzerland, Mexico, Austria, Canada, Norway, Denmark, New Zealand, Portugal, United Kingdom,

I never quite know the overall impact of a project like this when I decide to venture into something new, but 1000 models does give me affirmation that while 3d printing has its shortcomings, the types of vehicles that I am designing are interesting to many in the hobby, and will likely continue for years to come.

The funny thing is that this all started due to a personal need for truck models. I never really intended to make this a business, and don't really consider it a business even now. However, the service that Shapeways provides just happen to solve a personal N scale issue, and allow me to make these models available to others without much extra work.

I appreciate everyone that has purchased my models, shared photos of their own finished models, provided feedback and comments, as well as gripes about some of the undesirable characteristics of 3d printed models.

My goal for 2015 is to continue to design new models that are interesting and needed by the N scale community. I also plan to catch up on my own finishing, as I still have a handful of models where I don't have a painted version to share. Oh, and I would like to start a layout if I can get around to it.

Here is a peak at some of the models that I would like to tackle this year:

Kenworth T660

Kenworth T2000

Peterbilt 385

Peterbilt 386

Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins - Almost Ready to Print

2014-12-17T07:07:00.000-06:00

I made some more progress on my Dodge Ram. It still needs some clearance lights and maybe a couple more details, but it is getting very close to print ready. My Silverado should ship to me today.

3d Printed 28' Pup Trailer - I Got It Right This Time

2014-12-14T21:42:00.004-06:00

I posted several months ago the initial results of my 28' pup trailer design to go with my Mack Vision and Trainworx 28' pup trailers. I was a bit short on the overall height, and while I fixed it soon after, I didn't get around to ordering another print until recently. After soaking overnight in Bestine, I took several photos of the result. I haven't ordered anything from Shapeways in awhile, as I have been idle in N scale overall, and I already have enough unfinished 3d printed stuff to fill an ice cream bucket. I was very pleased with the quality of this last batch of models. I would imagine that like many companies, the quality of product continues to get better, or they just hire more people in their customer service departments to handle complaints and returns. I am convinced that perhaps the quality of FUD (frosted ultra detail) is getting better? Anyone else out there wish to comment?

Anyway, it is hard to photograph white objects without getting too much exposure, but I think these shots give enough detail to illustrate the quality of the sides. There is a very minor texture on the sides, but keep in mind I haven't touched these with any sandpaper or tools. The horizontal rib is crisp and the detail on the back door is very nice.

I designed this model much like the Trainworx version where the top "box" is one piece, and the frame is separate. You will notice a slight bow in the frame which is not an issue, as the top has a shoulder where the frame can rest and get glued to form a solid and square trailer. I made the model walls as thin as possible to reduce the overall cost of the print.

If you want to order your own, they are now available on Shapeways