We will continue exploring the
impact that 3D printing has had on our hobby
in this hands on clinic. We will
design a small part (large building would
take too long to print). After you
have designed it we will spend the next 4
days printing it out. Bring your
laptop and have the 3D Builder application
from Microsoft downloaded on it. If
you have problems with the application, we
will help you with it before the clinic
starts. If we do not get it printed
before the convention closes, I will bring
your design home and print it out.
This should be a unique experience for the
clinic. Looking forward to seeing as
many of you in Cleveland as possible.
Charles Bartel, BTOC President
For those of you reading this introduction, let me tell you a bit about myself
and the rationale for putting together a series of articles which I hope might
get some of you seriously thinking about exploring 3D printing as a way to
enhance your garden railroad.
In
the 2019 elections you elected me as
President of the BTOC.
I want to thank you for your trust in
me.
As we go through this turbulent time
of 2020, we have seen our conventions, train
shows and even club meetings cancelled,
leaving us with free time to work on our
trains.
And that time has been spent in
exploring 3D printing and developing a model
of a chemical processing plant named BLB
Solutions.
I have learned a lot and will be
putting together a series of articles to
discuss various aspects of the process of
generating a model using this new
technology.
Prior to retirement 3
years ago, I worked for Moog Inc. as a sales
and application engineer in the Industrial
Division.
I started as a production engineer
with a background in circuit development for
a variety of products from fish finders to
fighter aircraft radars.
At Moog I was exposed to lots of
industrial environments and had the
opportunity to see many railroad activities
around these plants as well as in the local
communities that I visited.
These trips filled my head with “what
ifs” on duplicating some of the things I saw
for a model railroad (not yet into G scale
in this time period – just armchair
railroading).
My hobby interested
started back in 1944/45 when my grandfather
gave me a prewar Lionel train set.
For 16 years this was my hobby,
putting together Plasticville buildings.
I cut up outdoor Christmas lights to
light these house up (and in a few cases,
melted them down!).
I learn to wire a layout with sidings
and do block control so that I could have
more than one engine on the layout.
When married, my wife bought me an HO
set which then became my primary interest
having left the Lionel train at home with my
brothers.
As an engineer I was
constantly looking at tools to advance my
model buildings of which two technologies
rose to the top of my interest.
One was the small CNC machines for
cutting out wood with thickness for making
walls in HO buildings.
I finally purchased one, but for the
time being it sits in the hobby room
collecting dust!
The other was 3D printing.
Several hobby suppliers begin listing
these machines with publicity that would
lead you to believe this was a technology
that had finally achieved home hobbyist
applicability.
I have a son who is a true
technocrat and invest in new technical toys
as they appear on the market.
He too was intrigued by 3D printing
and begin an earnest evaluation of available
printers.
He cautioned me not to invest in one
up through 2015 as he did not feel they had
achieved reliable performance in the price
range the was reasonable for the hobbyist.
(Note that in this time period,
expensive printers were being introduced
into Industry to make prototype parts as
well as complex parts that could not be
manufactured any other way.
But these machines started in the $
10,000 range, were large, and the material
was expensive.)
In
2015, he found a printer under $200 that sat
on a tabletop and had some significant
capability.
And so the plunge began.
I purchased two of these machines and
started down the design and print road.
I printed doors for a warehouse,
windows for a custom building (NYC freight
house) and other items to enhance a display
model for shows.
I have now had 5 years experience in
3 D printing which combined with that of my son, gives me about 11 years of practical
experience to draw from for a series of
articles.
Between my son and I, we have 7
printers, two of which are running almost 24
hours, 7 days a week making a 3D printed
train set consisting of a diesel and three
cars that hold shot glasses for a unique
conversation train when entertaining.
The
current articles include:
The
articles in development include:
-
Materials for Printing
-
Thoughts on Details to
Make a Model Realistic
– building materials such as
brick, wood, metal and how
to model these
-
Developing a Simple
Model
– Files for printing will be
supplied as part of the
series
-
Developing a Complex Model
– multi stories, footprint
larger than a print bed
-
Combining Other
Material to Make a Realistic
Scene
Additional articles will include comments
from others on their tricks and tips that
they submit for publishing.
Here or some pictures that may give the
reader some ideas.
click to
enlarge |
click to
enlarge |
click to
enlarge |
Two
pictures of
inside
details, a
desk, file
cabinet,
table and
some motors.
The third
one is a
diesel based
on a USA
Diesel
switcher.
|
As we go through these articles, please feel free to
reach out with your questions and comments via my email,
cbartel@roadrunner.com.
I will endeavor to respond in a
reasonable time once received. If they are comments,
please include a note allowing me to use these as
appropriate in future articles. If you wish to call me,
my cell number is 716 583 1146. I will accept calls
between 10 am to 9 pm EST Monday through Saturday.
Sunday is a family day and I will not normally answer
the phone. If possible, 10 am to 1 pm is the most
convenient time. 
Introduction
to 3D Printing 
