My son purchased a 3D printer in November, 2023. He generously asked me if there was anything I wanted him to print. Well, did I! He suggested pallets. I suggested Scotch marine boilers. He suggested wheels. I suggested a 1939 Dodge Airflow tank truck. Who knows where this will end? It's been a challenge to find good truck tires for some projects. I was the beneficiary of several Roco military trucks with modellable bits but no tires! My son printed several tires and a nice boiler for me!
My son suggested the tank truck. I'd found it on Louisdioramas creations page, which wisely includes prototype photos for inspiration:
I knew very little about which file is printable, free or workable. That's what we have our kids for!
My son's screenshot (above) showing the planned print rendering, timeline and more. Just the day before, I'd seen this excellent Backshop Precision Modelling project posted to social media by Dan Darnell, base vehicle being a Hot Wheels 1938 Dodge Airflow. What an amazing transformation from a $1.50 purchase! What a coincidence, and I haven't found a Hot Wheels example yet.
Mocked-up on a short flat car on my Kingston's Hanley Spur, and the prototype (below). The whole goal of having a boiler in HO scale is to model the shipping of such boilers (and engines) to the Kingston Shipyards during World War II and the resulting raising of the River Street bridge.
One year later, my son asked me if I wanted his 3D printer. He'd just upgraded to a new multi-colour version! Here are his words of advice:
- It’s eeeeeasy. Download files - copy to memory card - insert- click print.
- Maybe scale it. With a scaling slider.
- Very cheap little hobby at 10¢ per print.
- You’ll need to download a “slicer” that takes a pattern and translates it to printer movements. They’re free. I’ve used cura.
- Then start surfing for 3D patterns.
- Thingiverse, cults 3d, and printable good sites to search.
I joined cults3d. Instructions to self:
I downloaded Cure and chose the first Mac version:
Links to successful prints I've done:
1. Divco milk truck from Louisdioramas (not successful but I will revisit!). The wheels printed OK, but the walls of the model were way too thin:
2. Landing craft that will look good at one of Kingston's two shipyards:
3. Scotch marine boiler designed full-size/ten feet diameter needed some readjusting, first to 30 mm (left) then a final 50 mm (right):
I need to do some actual modelling now, to file off the supports of the landing craft and boiler, and glue the three boiler parts together. Maybe some filing, sanding and selecting a good prototypical colour to paint both.
I hope to post further successful prints here, or in a subsequent post. Now, revisiting the history of blogs as web logs (links to useful websites), I'm posting information below that I found useful and/or intend to use for reference.
Lots o' Links/Resources for reference:
- The Ultimate Beginner's guide with further instructions in the comments section.
- Troubleshooting with all3dp
- Bed levelling video
- Troubleshooting with Teaching Tech
- Elegoo tips starting at 3:40 mark
- Ultimaker Cura and Tutorial
- Good tutorial on Cura including Support and Slicing
Free files:
Future projects:
- dinghy
- chain-link fence or another chain-link fence and angled fence posts
- poor man's chain-link fence: Import any solid shape. Scale as needed. Set walls, top and bottom to zero and set Infill Pattern to Grid. You can then adjust the the Infill Density or Infill Line Distance to get any mesh you want.
Conclusions so far:
- I can make lots of stuff with styrene and scraps, especially anything with straight lines. 3D printing will be the solution to curves and compound curves.
- I'll check out some sellers of 3D printed products and see if I can print my own.
- The key to all this is good files. Free ones are best!
Running extra...
This week's reading material. Great Model Railroads 2025. Picked it up at Shoppers Drug Mart (seniors' day) and saved 20%! On the same shelf: Model Railroader with Sir Rod Stewart's layout, Classic Trains, and a Classic Trains special Winter on the Rails.
How and Why Wonder Books volume 52 of 54, printed 1964: Railroads. Right between Old Testament, Building, Trees and Oceanography! Volume 1 was Dinosaurs, and all these were well before the advent of the internet!
Tay Tay and the Swifties descend upon Toronto. As we've known All Too Well, VIA charges higher prices as their trains fill up with concertgoers around concert days, which seem to last for a Fortnight! I would not have predicted that in my Wildest Dreams! Potential passengers need to keep their Eyes Open for vacancies. There simply is no Blank Space. GO Transit lays on extra trains. They perhaps Should've Said No, but Everything Has Changed. The Highway Don't Care, maybe the 401 can handle the extra traffic. It will likely be cold, so definitely worth packing a pullover, er, of course I mean to say a Cardigan!
