Weekend Update 2021/05/16

[GaryHinshaw]

Thanks for the suggestion .. I will once I finalize the design .. it won't be as fancy as the trainworx or lemonsteam design .. ..   I'm going to play around a little to see if I can draw up the coupler pocket in tinkercad .. will see how it goes .. I have to pay for that printer somehow

As long as you're going to the trouble of printing a frame adapter, you should definitely include a pocket with it.  I can send you some .stl files that could help get you started.  You'd have to adjust the dimensions to accommodate your coupler of choice, but it's dead simple to do in TinkerCAD.

By the way, I'm not sure why your frame part looks so "soft" but it looks like you printed it flat and that the side we're seeing in the photo was the bottom of the print.  Might I recommend that you rotate the part by 45 degrees before you add supports and slice the model.  You can get much sharper corners this way, and if your voxel resolution is good, you won't notice the layers.  One tip though: with this approach, it's helpful to set your z layer thickness equal to your (x,y) pixel size.  For example, on my Mono, the (x,y) resolution is 51 μm, so I set my z layer thickness to 51 μm (instead of the default 50 μm).  This really helps keep aliasing to a minimum for surfaces that are ±45 degrees off vertical, which makes it easy to get sharp surfaces on all 6 sides of a part with mostly cubic geometry.  All of my conversion parts have been printed this way.

[CRL]

Everyone got that? 😳







Why do I suddenly feel like a chimpanzee about to be strapped into a Mercury/Redstone? 🤔

[Chris333]

For example, on my Mono, the (x,y) resolution is 51 μm, so I set my z layer thickness to 51 μm (instead of the default 50 μm).  This really helps keep aliasing to a minimum for surfaces that are ±45 degrees off vertical, which makes it easy to get sharp surfaces on all 6 sides of a part with mostly cubic geometry.  All of my conversion parts have been printed this way.

I never even thought of this.

[Tom L]

Looking good Tom!  A bit of information that came up after the instructions were printed, was that Pullman records showed black roofs and unpainted wood roofwalks as delivered.  If you're doing a later simplified scheme, then no worries.

I read that somewhere.  It must have been black above the rivet line then?  It doesn’t seem apparent in photos.

I’m thinking simplified scheme though.  From pics I’ve seen, it appears that in the mid fifties and beyond, just CGW reporting marks was pretty common.

@Sokramiketes , what about the simplified scheme with Chicago Great Western spelled out above the reporting marks but no medallion? How common was that, if at all?  There is this pic from an article in the CNHS Modeler, but I’m not sure if the medallion is not there or just faded away.

Tom L
Wellington CO

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[Chris333]

I thought the 1 in PS-1 just stood for "boxcar"?

[John]

As long as you're going to the trouble of printing a frame adapter, you should definitely include a pocket with it.  I can send you some .stl files that could help get you started.  You'd have to adjust the dimensions to accommodate your coupler of choice, but it's dead simple to do in TinkerCAD.

By the way, I'm not sure why your frame part looks so "soft" but it looks like you printed it flat and that the side we're seeing in the photo was the bottom of the print.  Might I recommend that you rotate the part by 45 degrees before you add supports and slice the model.  You can get much sharper corners this way, and if your voxel resolution is good, you won't notice the layers.  One tip though: with this approach, it's helpful to set your z layer thickness equal to your (x,y) pixel size.  For example, on my Mono, the (x,y) resolution is 51 μm, so I set my z layer thickness to 51 μm (instead of the default 50 μm).  This really helps keep aliasing to a minimum for surfaces that are ±45 degrees off vertical, which makes it easy to get sharp surfaces on all 6 sides of a part with mostly cubic geometry.  All of my conversion parts have been printed this way.

Thanks for the offer Gary .. as far as looking soft .. I printed this one flat just to see if my measurements are close -- which on the photon cut my print time to 45 minutes or so .. Once I get the final design cleaned up I will adjust the print angle .. oh and thanks for the tip on the resolution settings .. I will definately give that a try .. thanks

[John]

One tip though: with this approach, it's helpful to set your z layer thickness equal to your (x,y) pixel size.  For example, on my Mono, the (x,y) resolution is 51 μm, so I set my z layer thickness to 51 μm (instead of the default 50 μm).  This really helps keep aliasing to a minimum for surfaces that are ±45 degrees off vertical, which makes it easy to get sharp surfaces on all 6 sides of a part with mostly cubic geometry.  All of my conversion parts have been printed this way.

The specs for the photon  -- so if I follow -- I should set the Z for 47?

Technical Specifications
    ● Printing Technology: LCD-based SLA 3D Printer
    ● Light-source : UV integrated light（wavelength 405nm）
    ● XY DPI : 47um (2560*1440)
    ● Y axis resolution : 1.25um
    ● Layer resolution : 25 ~ 100um
    ● Printing speed : 20mm/h
    ● Rated Power : 40W​
    ● Printer size: 220mm*200mm*400mm
    ● Printing volume : 115mm *65mm *155mm (4.52″*2.56″*6.1″)
    ● Printing material : 405nm photosensitive resin

[garethashenden]

I thought the 1 in PS-1 just stood for "boxcar"?

It does. There may be Pullman built cars, and Pullman may have tried some new things with them, but they're not PS-Anythings.

[GaryHinshaw]

The specs for the photon  -- so if I follow -- I should set the Z for 47?

Technical Specifications
...
    ● XY DPI : 47um (2560*1440)
    ● Y axis resolution : 1.25um
...

Correct.  (I assume that second line should read Z axis resolution, not Y.)   You could also make it any integer multiple or divisor of 47 and keep aliasing low, but larger would be noticeable and smaller (e.g. 23.5 μm) is overkill and would take forever to print.  For reference, here is a grab from my slicer software:



(Sorry for all the Tech Talk in Weekend Update.)

[wcfn100]

I thought the 1 in PS-1 just stood for "boxcar"?

PS-1 - Box
PS-2 - Covered Hopper
PS-3 - Open Hopper
PS-4 - Flat
PS-5 - Gondola

Jason

[jpf94]

Work starts on my Briggs kit of a C415. Chassis built up and fitted with a Zimo MX616 decoder.

Any tips, I'm doing 3 of those kits right now.

Joe

[Philip H]

I made a sign for an important industry:

[CRL]

If located in Baton Rouge, LA… shouldn’t it be “Shaman in the Swamp Rail Services”? 🤔

[Maletrain]

Where did "Baton Rouge, LA" come from, since "the woods" in which this Wizard now resides is in NJ?

[Philip H]

Where did "Baton Rouge, LA" come from, since "the woods" in which this Wizard now resides is in NJ?

That's where I'm modeling.  Expanding the @DKS empire requires localized subsidiaries.