Nice looking bridge ! I'm

Nice looking bridge ! I'm working on a viaduct/bridge but nothing with 3d printing.

Very nice work

Very nice work

Wow, wow, wow!!!

It constantly amazes me what can be done with 3D printing if you have the patience to learn how to properly use it. What you have created is simply stunning and I love how it all goes together like a giant puzzle.

Great work Jerry!

I imagine there is a bit of a learning curve with 3D printing, but it looks like you really mastered it. I'm looking forward to more projects. Is that the Kankakee River in IL? Do you have a prototype photo to post?

I very much appreciate the

I very much appreciate the comments gents.  I do want to emphasize that I did the 3D design and printed the kit, and my friend Brian did the assembly and finishing.  It is his efforts that transformed this from a basket of parts to something that looks outstanding. 

For Hans, here are a couple of photos of the actual bridge that I shot back in July of this year.

You can also see a 3D rendering of this bridge in Google earth.  Here is the coordinates:

 41° 6'48.34"N  87°52'1.60"W

I'm also posting a link to my original blog posts, which document where I was on the learning process one month ago.

https://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/39866

You are all correct, there is a fair learning curve to get to the point of generating more than simple shapes.  It does take time, but there is a wealth of information on line to help overcome the learning curve.  I'm  not the sharpest tack in the drawer, so the way I look at it is, if I can figure this technology out, anybody can. 

When I made the decision to jump into a filament type printer (FFF), I did so knowing there was limitations to this technology.  Johnsong53 pretty much convinced me with what he has accomplished with a filament printer that I would not be wasting my money.  If you have not looked at his blog, it is worth spending some time with.  His buildings are outstanding. 

https://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/blog/24295

In the vein that I want to push this technology to the limit, I decided to do a "kitbash" of a GATC 4000 gallon tank car, based on a June 1994 article that bashed a 10000 gallon Tichy tank car kit into this beast.  This is still a work in process:

With the FFF printer, I have definitely run up against the limits of the process.  The grey plastic walkway is a Tichy part, the dome cover and vent valve are from the Tichy 4020 kit, and the AB brake system is a Tichy part also.  As in the article, I had to do some bashing to get a double end brake cylinder as used on this tank car.  Other Tichy parts that I intend to use are the handrail brackets, ladder, end inspection covers, handbrake assembly, grab irons where appropriate, and retainer valve. Oh, this will also be my first attempt at using Archer rivets. 

I'm going to try once again to utilize the fine nozzle to make the dome platform supports (the kit ones are for a 10000 gallon size, didn't work out for this kit without looking like crap due to a plastic shim), and see if I can't make the side handrail assembly. It is all drawn on the model, now I just have to see if I can get them to print acceptably. 

I'll blog further on the tank car in a separate post after I get more details worked out, and get the car through final assembly and ready for primer. 

I fully expect I will be adding a MSLA or DLP printer in the future, but I haven't tried everything I want to try with this technology yet.  I'm having too much fun with what I have now, and this has been a real enjoyable experience. 

Regards,

Jerry

Nice

Your 3d printed bridge looks great and will look even better when completed.

John

Modeling the ATSF Paradigm Division in N-Scale 

‪https://www.youtube.com/user/tanzj

Bridge looks great....

but for some reason my mind thought LA river....too much TV as a kid!  Kidding aside wonderful work.

Peace Bill

Jerry

Loving the bridge and the tank car. What printer are you using, and what is your layer height and nozzle diameter?

I'll probably splurge into resin printing within the next year, but I've been able to get good results on my Prusa with a 0.25 mm nozzle and 0.05 mm layer height. Takes forever for it to build, though.

Hi Juxen

I'm using a Prusa Mini.  Got it in June, so it doesn't have the new PINDA sensor on it.  Not sure if the upgrade would do that much for me, but will probably pop for it. 

The bridge was completely done with the 0.4 mm nozzle.  For the inner spine, which did not have a need of a fine surface, I used 0.15 mm layer height.  The only thing Brian did was light sand the bottom of the arch, which he also went thru the effort of weathering.  The rest of the pieces were done at 0.1 mm layer height.  I also picked up a trick on the Prusa forum and changed the final pass steps from 0.4 mm to 75% of the nozzle diameter, or 0.3 mm. The results are similar to an "ironing" option available in CURA, which cannot be done in Prusa Slicer (at least not in the latest version I have, don't know about any of the Beta releases). 

Everything on the tank car at this stage is also printed with the 0.4 mm nozzle, and 0.05 mm layer height.  Getting great results, but when I do the really small parts, I go in and manually decrease the print speed to 50%.  Otherwise, the corners round off, I get more "carryover" at the ends of the run, and the part looks like crap.  I am going to try re-running those parts with the 0.25 mm nozzle.

I'm thinking that my 0.25 mm nozzle problems are due to my lack of knowledge of Prusa Slicer.  I was going into the "expert" menu and physically changing the nozzle diameter, not knowing there is a profile already developed for "Prusa Mini with 0.25mm Nozzle", which changes a bunch of parameters.  Going to play with that today on a couple of details that I designed with that nozzle in mind, and try reprinting the brake brackets for cars 2 thru 6 (if it works). 

If you have any advice on the 0.25mm nozzle, I'm all ears.   

Regards,

Jerry

Excellent choice on the

Excellent choice on the Prusa! If I've got any advice, it would be to make sure that your smallest component is 1.5" in HO, or two passes with the 0.25 mm nozzle. As a test, I printed a scale framed wall section: 20' long, by 8' tall, with 2"x4" studs placed every sixteen inches, with a door and window included. It worked pretty well, but the end result was rather floppy. If you print small, you may want to build the assembly after printing, rather than trust the printer to assemble them correctly. It takes more time, but I can consistently get pieces that are 1.7" thick (in HO). Trying to do a single 0.25 mm bead doesn't work in the long-term, as it's just too fine to be sturdy.

For a final, flat finish, I've also found that using wood putty and sanding does wonders, but this only helps if you don't have much detail. On the flip side, if you do have detail, the printer usually does a good enough job to hide the fact that it's a printed part.

It may be more beneficial to print a jig, then use steel wire to form the brake brackets. They'll be more sturdy than a printed detail.

That’s a beauty.

That’s a beauty.

Is this for Brian as in Brian

Is this for Brian as in Brian Lingner?