Most challenging craftsman kit?

[DaWolf85]

Very nice work Jon. I too enjoy making the plans as much as building the model. I do all mine by hand, as I have no idea how to use a CAD program.
I thought I knew that model, Mike. I think I may have that kit sitting somewhere or at least one very similar.

I feel bad for you. CAD is fun.
If I ever was to scratchbuild a structure (if it ever happened, it'd most likely be a bridge - I like bridges), I'd model it on CAD too, esp. as CAD can give you figures on how strong something will be and you don't need to tape the thing together to see what it'll look like. I wish I could use my school's 3D printer (prints a bunch of layers of material until it becomes a 3D object, takes forever though) to print out a model just for once but I very much doubt anybody would ever let me do such a thing.

 

[Jon NFL]

I like bridges, too. Came across the Pegram truss and liked the uniqueness of the design. Researched and visited the one in Ohio (there are only a few in existence). Used the CAD to detail and then printed to build.

 

[tomstockton]

DaWolf85 said...

I wish I could use my school's 3D printer (prints a bunch of layers of material until it becomes a 3D object, takes forever though) to print out a model just for once but I very much doubt anybody would ever let me do such a thing.

Can't recall for sure which one, but one of the latest issues of either MODEL RAILROADER or RAILROAD MODEL CRAFTSMAN had an article on a company in Europe that will let you do exactly that -- design a model using a 3D CAD program, then they print it out for you, using their 3D printer. The article had two different items that the author had made - a pair of trucks, and a passenger car (or something like it). If I recall correctly, the trucks worked out to about $3 or $4 for a pair, and the passenger car was somewhere around $100. The author also commented that as the technology improves, the prices may come down -- but also noted that once the CAD work was done, the cost depended upon the size of the item being printed -- the bigger the item, the more it cost... and there was no price break for multiple copies -- if the first one cost $100, then the 10,000th one would also cost $100, with cost being determined by the amount of the printing material used.

Still, it was a very interesting article! I'm at work, on my lunch break now... if no one has chimed in by the time I get home from work, I'll find out where that article is and pass the info along.

Regards,
Tom Stockton

 

[DaWolf85]

DaWolf85 said...



Can't recall for sure which one, but one of the latest issues of either MODEL RAILROADER or RAILROAD MODEL CRAFTSMAN had an article on a company in Europe that will let you do exactly that -- design a model using a 3D CAD program, then they print it out for you, using their 3D printer. The article had two different items that the author had made - a pair of trucks, and a passenger car (or something like it). If I recall correctly, the trucks worked out to about $3 or $4 for a pair, and the passenger car was somewhere around $100. The author also commented that as the technology improves, the prices may come down -- but also noted that once the CAD work was done, the cost depended upon the size of the item being printed -- the bigger the item, the more it cost... and there was no price break for multiple copies -- if the first one cost $100, then the 10,000th one would also cost $100, with cost being determined by the amount of the printing material used.

Still, it was a very interesting article! I'm at work, on my lunch break now... if no one has chimed in by the time I get home from work, I'll find out where that article is and pass the info along.

Regards,
Tom Stockton

I can see why it would cost so much -- 3D printers cost about $10,000
Still, though, if I wanted to make just one thing, I'd rather try to convince my teacher to let me use the 3D printer here for free instead of paying $100 to use that company's one!

 

[rlundy90]

I have no idea what a 3d printer does but I know I would still draw most of my plans. I just enjoy it too much. The next thing I build will be of my own design but not sure what it will be yet. I do know it will be in O or possibly even G scale. I am starting into On30 and a friend of mine has a garden layout in desperate need of a staion I hear. I think I have decided on the kit I will buy. My eyes are sore from looking at the new O scale sawmill Sierra West is bringing out. I think this will be a fairly challenging kit especially the painting and weathering. The machinery kits are the nicest I have seen. From the pics it looks very impressive. I just hope my pocketbook survives. It comes out in three parts so that will help a bit.

 

[tomstockton]

3D printers...

If I understand it correctly, this is how a 3D printer works:

Once the part is designed in a 3D CAD (computer assisted design) program, the printer looks at the 3D image to be printed. It then starts at the lowest part of the object to be printed, "sees" the cross-section of the part, then "prints" the parts of the object that are in that two-dimensional cross-section. The "ink" the printer uses is not really ink -- it is a material that is sensitive to ultraviolet light. After printing the first layer, the printer shines the UV light to harden the "ink". The printer then prints the second layer... exposes it to UV light... prints the third layer... etc., etc., etc.

I'm not sure how thick each layer is; if I understand correctly, there are different settings, and/or there are printers that will print different thicknesses of "ink" -- kind of like the difference between a thinned wash and a relatively thick latex house paint. The thinner the "ink", the finer the detail -- and the longer it takes to print each layer.

I'm sure that what I've said here is missing quite a bit of detail, and there may well be parts I don't know about and haven't stated. But this is my understanding of how a 3D printer works -- and I think having one would be about a million kinds of cool!!!

Regards,
Tom Stockton

 

[DaWolf85]

3D printers...

If I understand it correctly, this is how a 3D printer works:

Once the part is designed in a 3D CAD (computer assisted design) program, the printer looks at the 3D image to be printed. It then starts at the lowest part of the object to be printed, "sees" the cross-section of the part, then "prints" the parts of the object that are in that two-dimensional cross-section. The "ink" the printer uses is not really ink -- it is a material that is sensitive to ultraviolet light. After printing the first layer, the printer shines the UV light to harden the "ink". The printer then prints the second layer... exposes it to UV light... prints the third layer... etc., etc., etc.

I'm not sure how thick each layer is; if I understand correctly, there are different settings, and/or there are printers that will print different thicknesses of "ink" -- kind of like the difference between a thinned wash and a relatively thick latex house paint. The thinner the "ink", the finer the detail -- and the longer it takes to print each layer.

I'm sure that what I've said here is missing quite a bit of detail, and there may well be parts I don't know about and haven't stated. But this is my understanding of how a 3D printer works -- and I think having one would be about a million kinds of cool!!!

Regards,
Tom Stockton

The thread that our printer uses is 0.02" thick.

Anyway. If we want to talk about this, we probably should get our own thread and stop hijacking this one.

 

[CNR Glen]

My most challenging Craftsman kit would have to be JV models Lucas sawmill. The structure wasn't so bad but I had to scratchbuild all the machinery inside myself:

While not a craftsman kit build this CPR water tower probably my most challenging that I can think of, It's made of cereal box cardboard and typing paper (except the shingles and spout)

 

[rlundy90]

Nice work on the structures Glen. I remember the build thread for the sawmill on another forum. I am in the process of building Keystone's Danby Sawmill. Looks pretty much the same, but comes with the machinery.

 

[mdcustom]

Ron:

Most challenging but also the most fun and rewarding is a total scratch built structure. Way too much fun putting in all the rafters on top of the scratch built 64' trusses.

This is the stock house under construction for the Cranberry Iron Works circa 1920. Piece is being built in Sn3 and while compressed slightly is still covering a base plate of 44"x69".

Matt Dillow
MD Custom Models

 

[GandyDancer]

I got into model railroading because of all the model building required. I built one plastic kit and then a wooden one. I was hooked. I would like to know what you guys think is the most challenging craftsman kit. I always like a good challenge as well as the best bang for my buck.

This is in the structures thread, so do you mean just buildings or also rolling stock / locomotive kits? Then, do you mean ones currently in production or in general?

Ambroid Kits
Proto-2000 8000 gallon tank car
Red Caboose 8000 gallon tank car
Branchline Heavyweight Pullman
Grandt Line D&RGW drop bottom gondola
Central Valley wood-frame sprung passenger trucks
McKean Centerbeam lumber-flat
Micro Engineering viaducts
AHM O-scale 0-8-0 with motorizing kit
Fine Scale Minatures - Cooley's Old Rose Mine
Bowser 4-6-6-4 or 4-8-8-4 w/super detailing kit & brass tender.
Keystone HOn3 2-truck shay with powering kit

 

[Blacksheep]

Ambroid Kits
Proto-2000 8000 gallon tank car
Red Caboose 8000 gallon tank car
Branchline Heavyweight Pullman
Grandt Line D&RGW drop bottom gondola
Central Valley wood-frame sprung passenger trucks
McKean Centerbeam lumber-flat
Micro Engineering viaducts
AHM O-scale 0-8-0 with motorizing kit
Fine Scale Minatures - Cooley's Old Rose Mine
Bowser 4-6-6-4 or 4-8-8-4 w/super detailing kit & brass tender.
Keystone HOn3 2-truck shay with powering kit

That last one always looked like a nightmare to me. I used their powering kit for a different model and read the description and instructions for the keystone. LOL, Its a sweet looking model but its not for me.

 

[railBuilderDhd]

I think the hardest would be scratch build a building yourself.
Dave

 

[blownoutcylinder]

rlundy90 I got a couple more here----this is Hogg's Mill in Thamesford ON. The complex is pretty old--the back portion is the oldest part--typically buried under all kinds of bush/trees. It is currently being slowly worked on and, looked after---hence the smile--You're on Candid Camera signs---

 

[rlundy90]

Awesome pics Barry. Thanks. I may be able to use those.

 

[deemery]

I'm new here... The hardest craftsman kit I've attempted is still under construction. It's a 6-stall stone roundhouse from the old Model Masterpieces Colorado Midland kit (4 stall base kit and one of the extra stall kits; the prototype was 10 stalls.) I have a thread on this marathon project on Another Forum: http://www.kitforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1007

I think this would have been easier to scratchbuild in the long run, but now that it's assembled, the worst is over and the fun part (painting and detailing) has begun.

dave

 

[Cjcrescent]

The hardest craftsman structure I ever built was the old lumber mill from SSLtd in the 80's for a friend in Mobile, while I was living there. I believe it was the Jennings (or Jensen?) Lumber Company.

The combination of wood, plastic, and metal parts was a real challenge, esp since there wasn't the choices of adhesives we have today. It also wasn't helped by the fact that there wasn't enough material to build all the roof trusses and supports as described in the instructions. The kit was rather expensive, costing even more than comparable FSM structures, and having to purchase additional material to complete it properly just added to the problem of assembling a very complicated structure. Hardest structure I've ever built.

 

[rlundy90]

Jennings Lumber is sitting on a shelf in my hobby room. It does look like a tough one to build but the instructions seem pretty good. I also have the timber gantry which looks like a tough one as well.