Rapid Prototyping

In response to the "not enough posts" and "what's on my bench" threads, I suppose that it's time to speak up and start a thread about some modelling that I've been doing.

First of all.. let me say that I'm not particularly a kit builder, and I'm definitely not a painter. I'm a geek with a mouse, and a fairly deep understanding of "all things computer".

A couple of years ago, I ran across a company called Shapeways that will print RP models for about 10% of what other services charge. Initially, I had trouble getting the files to work, but back at Christmas, I found a new program that allows me to design 3d models in a manner that works well for me. Since then, I've been having fun.. designing something on the computer and then holding it in your hand is VERY rewarding for me.

In my opinion, Shapeways has an excellent business model. I design and upload items, and their system prices it out. The price you see is the price you pay. Shipping is included, and there's no hidden costs. It takes about 10 business days from placing an order to holding it in my hand.

They have also recentely started the idea of 'Shops'. I can place models in my shop, and then other people can order them directly. You pay with your PayPal account, and the item is shipped straight to you.. no Inventory or other concerns for me to deal or hassle with.

So, with no further ado.. www.shapeways.com/shops/stonysmith

=====
Shapeways has a number of different materials, the two main ones are a White Strong & Flexible (Nylon) material, and a Black Detail (ABS-like) material. Both materials have restrictions on how thin the walls of an item are allowed to be. That puts some constraints on what I can model, and how accurately I can be with my models.

The White Nylon material can be thinner, but the surface is rougher.. On the flat surface of a building, it's roughly akin to stucco, and I don't know that the finish is acceptable for using on things expected to be flat such as rail car sides.

The Black Detail material is what you've seen other people call "28 micron", except that they have recently also offered it in "16 micron" - it is pretty smooth to my old eyes, but if you drag out a magnifying glass, you'll see the lines that some people find objectionable in other RP processes. I've just received a few models in the 16 micron, and it's not bad at all.

Both materials respond well to sanding, but obviously you can only sand large flat areas.. some models have so much detail that you don't have any flat surfaces left to sand on, so you just have to accept the rougher surface.

=====
So, here's the rules. Come visit my shop, order anything you wish. Constructive comments are begged for. I am NOT a rivet counter, so some of the stuff here won't pass for those who are. This is not a "business" for me.. I have a day job that pays the bills very nicely. This is just a means for me to feed my HOBBY and acquire items for my layout that I can't find elsewhere.

YES, I do take requests. <grin> Many of the items in the shop are stuff that I would never put on my layout, but someone else has asked for. If you have something that you'd like to see, or if some item up there needs chainging somehow, just drop me a line and we can talk about it.

A quick note about thickness: the White Nylon material has a minimum wall thickness of 0.7mm (equal to 6.1 inches in Z scale), the Black Detail has a minimun wall thickness of 1.0mm (9 inches in Z scale). And before you ask, the Glass and Stainless Steel naterials have a minimum wall thickness requirement of 3.0mm which is 26 inches in Z scale!

That means that a row of picket fencing wouln't be workable, but a wall of larger stone blocks would be no problem.

=====
And, if anyone wants assistance in getting started with your own work at Shapeways, I'll be happy to share what I've learned. Allan Borg has already posted two of his creations here on ZCS.

Allan, they look great. What application are you using?

John K.

I got him started on TrueSpace. There are several good (free) programs out there, and several good (expensive) ones as well.

Some months ago, Microsoft bought TrueSpace, and turned it into a free download. If you can find it, you want version 7.6.0, not version 7.6.1 (long story)

For the mathematically inclined, I have been having a LOT of fun with a program called OpenSCAD ( www.openscad.org ), but it's probably only good for real bit-heads such as myself. (caution: computer programming involved)

Truespace www.caligari.com or Blender www.blender.org may be where you want to start if you're more of an artist type.