I had a question come my way about my 30 yard western, so here is a bit more information.

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This is what I based the 30 yard western on, mostly photos with just a few actual measurements. The rest was scaled from all the photos.  

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My 30 yard is on the left, 20 yard in the center and a difco on the right. I also did a "smooth side" dual air 30 yard western but I did not print it out yet. 

One thing about 3D work is you can use parts from one and put it on another item if you do it right.

The lift cylinders are the same for both the 30 yard and the 20 yard.

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A zoomed in view of the underside and you can see some of the detail I incorporated.

I had more detail for the 20 yard and based all the parts for the 30 yard from that. Simply "cut and paste" no drafting the part twice.

I mentioned before that this is printed as one piece. This was done to reduce warping of the finer details.It also means the center frame has the screw hole in it to screw it to the body. But you don't need to do that of course.

If you zoom in a bit on the 20 yard's lift cylinders you may be able to pick out the hinge is warped. I tried to straighten it as I glued it on, but that did not work well. Some other modelers printing 3d print sprues for strength. But that means more $$.

Whether you print as one piece or several pieces, there just isn't a cost savings. Remember you pay by cubic centimeters which is the same in both cases.

Now a friend and I have considered making a master and then getting some one to make molds of the pieces and cast all of it in resin or possibly metal for the main frame.

For now the 30 yard is a project on hold compared to my 85 ton steeple cab, but I will get it all painted and detailed later this spring. 

I hope that provides a bit more information for those that are interested in the car.

Until next time,

Tim Schwartz