Ok I’m calling the design & the first complete prototype of the Reading (RDG) - FWd Depressed Centre Flatcar (HO Scale) done. I’ve checked everything today, finalised the design, and printed the pin system to secure the trucks & couplers to the flatcar body. I’ve settled on the print settings for the Sonic Mini 8K & the support placement that has produced an impressive print today.  I still have to print successive & successful prints without failures too. I’m working with Highball Graphics to also produce a decal set for the RDG units.  Once I’ve achieved consiste ..read more

So more fine tuning today, have had some really successful prints and a few that haven’t printed properly. Unfortunately there is no manual for how to get a successful print, first time, every time.  Well apart from the test rook, that comes with the printer. There are a few settings that can make a print work or not, a lot of the things I’m printing are under 1mm, most around 0.05mm and some down to 0.03mm so settings come into play getting this to work. At the end of all this trial period this is what I’m trying to achieve, a GRS - TR-2 Triangular Colour Light, with its mast bracket ..read more

Well I decided to delve right down the rabbit hole yesterday into the world of 3D Resin Printing. I've purchased myself a 4K Resin Printer so that I can start producing my own signal heads, signal parts, and whatever I feel like creating for the layout in the future... It's going to be a steep learning curve as I have to learn Fusion 360 so that I can design & build parts in 3D, and then I need to get my head around Chitubox for the printing side of things... This screenshot of a US&S - TR-2 TriLight Head has taken me a full day to get to this point, countless "how too" videos on YouT ..read more

Airbrushing day today, the first of the structures for the Pulp & Paper Mill are getting primed and first coats of colour. The bleach plant has had its primer done, and first two coats of SMS - Tan color, the roof will be SMS Light Gull Grey. The Woodchip Unloading building has been primed, I tried Rust-Oleum - Flat Grey Primer for this, and it goes on great, quick & even coverage, just have to wait overnight for it to fully cure on the plastic. Jason ..read more

Finished up the GType/Tri-Light triple head mast that is using the Showcase Miniatures heads. Showcase Miniatures - Tri Light Signal Head The three heads have been added to Tomar brass mast, the LED’s are color correct 0603’s with magnet wire. These have been an enjoyable build, to the point I’m considering changing over the existing IHC - Searchlight plastic heads for these.  They have more detail and I’ve got the process down to a point I can complete a head in about 30 minutes. Jason ..read more

Next G-Type/Tri-Light triple head mast.  Using the Showcase Miniatures heads & hoods again, 1.8mm - 1/8” (diameter) Light Pipes for the lenses, and 0603 SMD LED’s. Trying a few different processes on this one.  I've colour-coded the four pin connector for ease of connection when under the layout, the four pins are smaller than the Tomar mast base so the hole connectors will be smaller than the base. Second Showcase Miniatures head installed, got the process of soldering the 0.19” magnet wire to the 0603 LED’s sorted now, one more to go and I’ll install the hoods. Ja ..read more

Today was spent scratch building a newer version of a G-Type/Tri-Light, triple head mast signal. I purchased some heads from Showcase Miniatures, these have great detail and are really good prototype versions. I found some 1.8mm light tubes that fitted the cast lens case perfectly, I glued the 0603 LED’s directly to the light pipes, and fed the magnet wire through the bottom of the lens casing. These kits also come with cast mounting brackets too, I soldered the bracket to a modified Tomar signal mast.  I’m redoing these as they’re right on the fascia edge and I wanted more detail in th ..read more