All things shiny - Printing in Brass

With shapeways making printing in brass a reality some test items were ordered a month ago, and today turning up in the post are side-frames and couplers. With the brain now working overtime with new ideas about printing the detail parts for the steamers. The J & Ja need pony trucks so that will be a focal point to get started, Plastic was never going to really work as the trucks are best heavy! Perhaps all the fittings to the boiler etc as well. 

Taken from shapeways about printing brass (See https://www.shapeways.com/materials/brass) 

Gold Plated Brass and Polished Brass both go through extensive hand polishing to give them a smooth, shiny finish. Polished Brass has a bright yellow coloring and, with 22k plating, Gold Plated models will resemble authentic gold objects. They are both perfect for jewelry and precious objects.

Raw Brass has a rustic matte look, with rough surfaces and some tarnishing (color spots). It is great for antique-looking objects, functional parts, jewelry prototypes, and metal models that you’d like to polish and finish yourself.

Brass models are fabricated using a complex five-step process. First, the model is printed in wax using a specialized high-resolution 3D Printer. It is then put in a container where liquid plaster is poured in around it. Once the plaster sets, the wax is melted out in a furnace, and the remaining plaster becomes the mold. Molten brass is poured into this mold and set to harden. The plaster is broken away, revealing your new product. Raw Brass is briefly tumbled. Polished and Gold Plated Brass are carefully cleaned and hand polished. Gold Plated Brass goes through a final electroplating process for an outside coat of 22k gold. Please be aware that polishing and plating can wear down or fill in very fine details and edges.

Like all brass, our Polished and Raw offerings will tarnish over time and may need to be polished.

The products right after arriving. The gold covered sideframes won't be painted, but glued to a likelike pa-1 chassis truck sides.. after I find one someone may be willing to sell :P

NZ120 DQ/QR Bogie Sides, Printed in Brass - Coated with 22k Gold (HDR)

NZ120 DQ/QR Bogie Sides, Printed in Brass - Coated with 22k Gold (HDR)

NZ120 DC Bogie Sides, Printed in Brass - Polished (HDR)

NZ120 DC Bogie Sides, Printed in Brass - Polished

NZ120 Brass NZR Couplers & the W Wagon (HDR)

NZ120 Brass NZR Couplers & the W Wagon (HDR)

Zm's giving the couplers a go

NZ120 Db Decals

Today sees the completion of actually getting around to printing decals (Stripes) for the NZ120 Class. 

I only had 4 sheets of White Decal paper & no transparent sheets, so white paper will work considering my printer is unable to print white.

The image is freely available for anyone wanting to give decal printing a go. The local modelling hobby shops normally have decal paper & the bonder (Sprays on decal after printing to seal). The idea is to cut the decal carefully using a fine pair of scissors, and leaving a tiny black strip... 

Once the standard railcar arrives I shall use the same technique.

Source Image, Free to download, NZ120 Db/Da Stripes

Printed & decal bonder applied

After application on the Db Class attached to the Da Class which also shared the livery

Perhaps I went a bit to heavy on the weathering, note the fruit salad Da lurking in the background.

DB class sporting some bling..

And also, The silver fern running around with front main LEDs running

NZ120 NZR Couplers

Firstly, The W wagons are slowly receiving couplers, I'm trialing scale nzr nz120 scale couplers. To make these work prototypically is certainly a challenge given the size.

NZ 10 cent coin helps illustrate size! 

As you can tell by the pics, my idea of prototypical nzr running with wagons needing to be facing a certain direction is not a big issue, 2 minutes of work if your keen will see them couplers changed. Or an excuse to include a triangle on the layout.
These things are tiny, The example first received from shapeways are printed in FUD, and are surprisingly strong enough for the job. However 2 more sets in brass will soon be arriving following the successful trial period.

Tiny screws are required... from a local jeweller.

Coupler movement is quite free..

Good ol Trackgangs couplers, very reliable and robust!

Ja with posing with W Box wagons

Weathering the DL, DXR & EF Class

Some more work on decalling & weathering the 3d Printed DL, DXR & EF (Class 30) Locomotives.

NZ120 DL Class

NZ120 DL Class

HDR, NZ120 DXR Class

NZ120 DXR Class

NZ120 DXR Class

NZ120 EF (Class 30)

NZ120 EF (Class 30)

Purchased from Russell at www.trackgangproducts.co.nz

Are MWW NZ120 DX Rear Grills.

Before

Directly After, Need to touch up the outside rim

Standard & Dl class

Work over the weekend sees a model in progress, the standard railcar.

The NZR RM class Standard railcars were a class of railcar operated by the New Zealand Railways Department in the North Island of New Zealand. Officially classified as RM like all other railcar classes in New Zealand, they acquired the designation of 'Standard' to differentiate them from others. They were introduced in 1938.

Sourced from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NZR_RM_class_(Standard)

Top View

Actual Prototype, image sourced from http://nzrailwaysrollingstocklists.weebly.com/rm---standard-of-1938.html

Also on the target list this weekend, the DL side-frames for my nz120 prototype. Fitted to the bogies and dusted off a bit.

Decals now applied to both sides of the locomotive

Decals now applied to both sides of the locomotive

Showing the side-frames better...

Also,
I've been doing more video rendering using 3ds max using the nz120 models. A result below.

Model Progress Report - Oct 2013

A quick update showing off progress on models, the last 3 photos are Jolon's brilliant job on detailing the 3d printed DQ.

The first clip shows some work in 3ds Max, re learning particle scripting again, fun times!

NZ120 EF

NZ120 AK Carriage

NZ120 AK Carriage

NZ120 AK Carriage with DL Hauling

Jolons NZ120 UD, DQ Class & Scratch Built DS Class

Jolons NZ120 DQ Class & Chassis with Sideframes attached

Jolons NZ120 DQ Class & Chassis with Sideframes attached

After further work on the DQ, Jolon submitted these shots!

NZ120 DQ Class

NZ120 DQ Class

NZ120 DQ Class

NZ120 DQ Class

NZ120 DC/DA/DBR Bogie Side frames Arrive

Ordered in Frosted Ultra Detail, and arrived just today are the new DC/DA/DBR bogie side frames.

Also will be available in Polished/Unpolished Brass for weight on the loco right where you want it!

The overall quality of the print is perfect, with cleaning up using toothbrush and paste under running water enabling me to produce reliable & clean models everytime. Although this trick works best for Frosted Ultra Detail.

HDR goodness, crisp detail! Now painting and attaching to the SD-7 Truck.

Sideframes attached to NZ120 3d Printed DA Class

Sideframes attached to NZ120 3d Printed DA Class

Backing up to the broken down & over used silver fern, Dc class sporting the new bogie side-frames

Only, at the last moment realised their is no coupler for it yet...