3D printing suggestion - substations

[nkalanaga]

For those who've used them, would it be possible to print an N scale utility substation, the kind with the lattice beams and maze of wires?  Since everything in one is metallic gray, except the insulators, painting would be relatively easy, and the "wires" (bus bars?) are big enough they should print.  Not a great big one, for an entire city, but the kind that serves a small town, or small industrial park/large industry. 

For everyone else, would there be a market for such a thing?

[C855B]

You mean like this?: https://www.walthers.com/northern-light-power-substation-kit-8-1-2-x-12-1-2-quot-21-6-x-31-8cm

Unfortunately this is one of Walthers' many nice kits that are HO-only. As far as 3D printing goes, probably not. You can't print things "in midair", they require some manner of support. Resin printers (Photon) require actual supports we cut off, sintering printers (Shapeways detail) have a support wax that has to be removed in a manual post-process. Both don't work well for things like wires or other fine, long details. You might notice on 3D-printed loco kits, handrails are either on an etched-metal fret, or unusably clunky if printed.

If it were me, I'd print the transformers, chokes and other details, and build the framework out of styrene or ABS beams.

As far as a "large industry" substation, this pic from our hotel window at the 2008 NSC convention jumps to mind:



(Click to enlarge for the full effect.)

Model that? Sure!   

[Lemosteam]

Teoretically anything can be printed as long a material thickness, wire diameter requirements, etc. weer met in the design.  In N scale Ibeams and L Beams become so thick that itl lloks more like a 2x12 with 2x6's on the ends.

It would also be RIDICULOUSLY expensive, at Shapeways, and if you tride to resin print one, I imagine the maze of supports would be nearly impossible to, one distinguish from the irnwork, and two, remove without damaging the ironwork.  This in fact is the beauty of FUD, if you can live with the fuzzy surfaces which aren't too bad if you sandblast and prime them well.  Surface striation would also be minumal beacuse of the lack of curved surfaces.

Mike's example is just scary!    

In mine I used my etched cat poles for risers and CV bridge lattice parts for beams, and printed the electrical components, I am only considering adding a miimal amount of wires in there, i.e. from the structure to the beams to the electrical components and then to the transfromenrs and then up to the grid over the track.  maybe I can put a remote operated chip in a radioacive spider that spins copper wire,  :


Here is the example I used:

[Philip H]

run the "wire" with Berkshire E Z Line and you will be golden.

[Lemosteam]

run the "wire" with Berkshire E Z Line and you will be golden.

Ha, I'm lucy if I can get two fingers in there!  (Yeah yeah, TWSS)

[nkalanaga]

Thank you, everyone.  It sounds like it's NOT practical, due to the needed supports.  Good to know, if I have any other ideas!  So much for printing, in modular sections, an oil refinery!

Mike and John:  Yours seem to be more modern than the one I see regularly in Ashland, as they have solid H and I beams.  The one I was thinking of has older lattice beams, like the Walthers model, and would be a real pain to scratchbuild.