Troy's Midnight Abbey Mythical RR 3rd Edition

[troyphoto]

Time for an update. It's 3D printing time.

As stated above, I've been busy watching the Bambu P1P 3D printer.

I thought I was doing good to get a .2 nozzle. But... I didn't do enough homework on them, and just let the Bambu Studio software use the defaults.

I ended up with a clog.

Bah. I couldn't clear it, so the old .4 nozzle went back on.

Here are a couple of photos with sections printed on either the .2 nozzle or the .4 nozzle optimized for detail:

Which is which?
I'll post the answer at the very bottom of this post.

I decided that an optimized .4 nozzle is good enough. The prints are slower to finish, but it looks good to my naked eye, and even with some magnification.

Here are the settings suggest by claude AI for the Bambu, using the .4 nozzle with a .1 layer height

Claude responded: Bambu Studio Settings for Maximum Detail — Architectural/Scenic Models​

Bambu Studio Settings for Maximum Detail — Architectural/Scenic Models
0.4mm nozzle, Elegoo PLA

Quality Tab:

• Layer height: 0.10mm
• Initial layer height: 0.1mm
• Line widths: leave at defaults

Strength Tab:

• Wall loops: 4
• Infill density: 20–25%
• Infill pattern: Grid

Quality Tab — Wall Generator:

• Order of walls: Outer/Inner

Quality Tab — Seam:

• Seam position: Aligned
• Smart scarf seam: Enabled

Speed:

• Outer perimeter: 25–30mm/s
• Inner perimeter: 40–50mm/s
• Infill: default

Everything else at Bambu defaults.

These settings prioritize surface detail over speed. Expect longer print times — that's the tradeoff.

Here's a set of 15mm ACW gaming figures. I've got a bit of headroom to increase the size of the figures in comparison to the house. But I don't have any "HO Scale" figures in hand. So I used my 15mm

And here is the fully assembled mansion (level one only) to get it's footprint within the curve at the west end of the peninsula:

Here's a rough idea of what I'm planning for this end. A spur line to enter a cavern under the mansion, but we'll have a viewing "access window" along the outer edge of the peninsula to see the cavern unloading facility for the mansion above.

THIS IS A ROUGH APPROXIMATION. I wanted to get in idea of high high to make the cavern.

That's a four inch gap between zero level and the bottom of the foam above. Track is on a woodland scenics foam roadbed, on top of a 1/2 foam riser. Caverns will need detail on the floor, so a rise makes sense.

The outer 20 inch loop will be open air, visible to all, and used for continuous running.

Oh, and the 3D printer images. The .2 nozzle is on the left, while the .4 optimized settings nozzle output is on the right.

 

[DeaconKC]

The .4 is turning out very good looking stuff. I still use a .4 to even make miniatures. At the detail setting, I am pleased with results, especially for terrain.

 

[Kusojiji]

Yeah, clearing clogs out of nozzles is a pain. I crank the hotend up to as high as it can go, use pliers to grab it and remove it from the machine, then use a wire to try to push it out. Takes a few times, but I do finally clear it. By then, the swear jar is overflowing.

 

[troyphoto]

I now have tortoise machines coming in.

Somewhere on Trains.com, I knew that Gerry Leone had a video on installing some push button things he liked for his [begin announcer voice] "Tortoise machines, by CIRCUITTRON!" [/announcer voice]

I finally found the video:

And, the buttons are called Touch Toggles by Berret Hill.

Here's the page with the controller and toggles as one package.

Direct Base for Tortoise machines | Berrett Hill Shop

You'll need a 12V power supply, also available at BH.

This one looks easy enough that I (might) avoid letting any blue smoke out!

 

[traiNscale]

should have checkd in here first, before asking in the coffee thread

iam also still on my 0.4 nozzle but i have a 0.25 nozzle on my side, for starting to get into miniature printing.
atm my 1:35 scale figures are printed with the 0.4 nozzle and i have to say they look really good.

but if i go smaller in scale i think i will have to use my 0.25 nozzle. does anyone here has experience with trying to print H0 figures with FDM?
Or is this maybe too much?

 

[troyphoto]

should have checkd in here first, before asking in the coffee thread

iam also still on my 0.4 nozzle but i have a 0.25 nozzle on my side, for starting to get into miniature printing.
atm my 1:35 scale figures are printed with the 0.4 nozzle and i have to say they look really good.

but if i go smaller in scale i think i will have to use my 0.25 nozzle. does anyone here has experience with trying to print H0 figures with FDM?
Or is this maybe too much?

I would really recommend resin for HO scale and smaller figures.

Some FDM printer owners are getting good results from FDM on figures at 1:56 scale or larger.

 

[traiNscale]

but resin is always a pain...
and a mess...

dont get me wrong, i love my resin printer, but the work around everything is a pain...

 

[DeaconKC]

I think you nailed the advantages and disadvantages of both types of printers. I don't have a resin printer because any kind of strong odors really make my wife ill. I can get good TT miniature prints with my FDM and scenery can be done very well, although stepping to N scale it depends on the designer, many older prints are not good. PS: thank you @Sumner ! his designs are great.

 

[troyphoto]

Well, howdy there internet peeps. It's time for another update.

I've been gluing foam pieces to other foam pieces.

Here's the decline from the army outpost down to the mainline run through Goshen and over the Abbey.

And, with the Abbey building finished assembly (it was 3D printed at 70% scale to get it into the 1:87 HO scale range), I was able to put a coat of primer on it.

This building is going to be a star attraction/ attention getter on the layout. It should set on a rise, overlooking the rest of the layout.

Here's a rough pile of foam (not glued to anything yet) as I try to envision the area. Do I want a ridgeline, or a just rolling hills?

There will be turnout by where the knife and the Sharpie are. that will lead into an underground "station" under the abbey for resupply. Got to keep the pesky zombies out! The top of the ridge will lift off for access to the "station".

But what will the ridge look like? Rocky outcroppings? Those are rare in Northern Indiana, but it's my layout.

Normally Northern Indiana is glacial land. We've got some boulders here and there, but it's mostly low rolling hills with a lot of sediment from the melting glaciers. But, I really want some rock castings to break up the hillsides.

And - wouldn't you know it! As dependable as one of his paper templates, Gerry Leone is back on Trains.com video with one of his Spaces to Places videos where he's separating two towns with a rock cut through a hillside.

But, like me, he has to change his mind a few times. He's got some rock castings salvaged from most of his previous layout that he wants to incorporate into the BV5.

But, just a big wall of rock wasn't where he ended up with this one. He let it sit for a few days, and then came up with this:

That's a bit like the transition from the current pile of foam that I want to make. Interesting hillside, a winding road up to the abbey on one side, and some fun camping, rural scenes on the side facing the crew lounge.

I probably need to print up some rustic cabins and see how big they go, so I can gauge the footprint for the cabins. And a Sasquatch or three. There should definitely be a Sasquatch watching stuff.

 

[troyphoto]

Well, howdy there internet peeps and those waiting with bated breath

Time for another update.

I've been struggling with the idea of an 19 inch radius at the East Peninsula of the layout. Really want that up around 22"

then I realized that the table sitting at the end of that peninsula is moveable. I was going to make a 2ft x 4ft module there anyway, and use it to extend the layout where my writing desk is (eventually... many years from now)

Dummy! Why not build that extension now, and make it 4.5 feet long, and get your 22 inch radius now?

So I headed to the big box hardware and purchase two more sticks of 1x3" and a 4x8ft sheet of 1 inch foam.

I used some more scrap lumber in addition and started by building an open grid frame:

Then I cut the legs. One is warped, but it holds it up. Got them installed. then bolted the new expansion to the end of the old

Then I got the foam board installed. The Dry Canadians and the good DR are making sure the adhesive cures correctly. The Beers of Root are lending a hand.

 

[migalyto]

Dummy! Why not build that extension now, and make it 4.5 feet long, and get your 22 inch radius now?

So I headed to the big box hardware and purchase two more sticks of 1x3" and a 4x8ft sheet of 1 inch foam.

I used some more scrap lumber in addition and started by building an open grid frame:

That turned out really nice!

Plenty of room for your desired radius and plenty of scenery opportunity!

 

[traiNscale]

looking good troy!

 

[troyphoto]

How to glue down foam roadbed, when there is no cork left.

I've gone through and used the expanding window&Door great stuff foam to fill gaps in the sub-roadbed. Carved away the excess foam. Then started sanding and spackeling the joints between sections of green foam board.

Once that was finished, it was time to lay roadbed.

I'm using the Woodland Scenics foam roadbed. It comes in 2 ft lengths, and is pre-scored down the centerline. Since most of what I'm installing is curves, I decided to pre-separate the foam roadbed on the score line.

Well, kind of on the center line.

Note: Do NOT try to hand tear the sections. Use a knife. I learned this the hard way. Fortunately, I only damaged one 2ft strip, and was able to cut it down into shorter lengths. More on those ater.

First, pinch/fold the roadbed to expose the score mark.

Next, with a new, sharp blade in your knife, start cutting through the score-line.

Once I've got a pile of them, its off to the layout! Here are the tools of the trade for roadbed installation:

Caulk gun with DAP Alex plus caulk. Putty knife as wide as a full section of roadbed, even though I'm installing one half at a time. And a wallpaper seam roller (with caulk remnants on it, the residue is optional. I should really clean that roller...)

Spread your caulk down the center line, making a squiggle with the line. Use the putty knife to spread it thin. Install one side of the roadbed strip along the center line. Be sure the bevel on the roadbed strip is facing out, away from the center line.

Once in place, I anchor one end with a T-pin. Use the roller to press it down firmly, but not enough to stretch the foam. You'll find to the correct pressure quickly.

Once the rolling is done, anchor the other end with a T-pin, then use push pins along the way about every 4-6 inches to help it keep the shape of the curve. The push pins barely go through the foam roadbed, but it's enough to grab the sub-roadbed below.

If you look for the T-pins in the above image, you'll see that the joints are staggered. Outside edge and inside edge do not line up across a joint. According to David Popp at Trains.com this helps when laying track.

If you recall, I mentioned that I tore a piece of the road bed by trying to hand-tear it instead of cutting. I trimmed those pieces down away from tear damage, and will use them if the joints ever start to get too close to where the match from left to right. Add a short 6 or 12 in piece in to one side, and keep the joints staggered.

Here's a look at some of the initial roadbed laying:

 

[Bruette]

Great work sir, thanks for sharing!