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 Posted - September 21 2012 : 4:26:13 PM
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One of my co-workers was telling me today about this technology called 3D printing. I'd never really heard of it before and thought some of you here would find it cool.
3D printing is exactly what it sounds like. A computer takes a digital 3D model and then uses a special machine (a 3D printer) to create this object in REAL LIFE. I thought this was pretty mind blowing. Anything you can model in 3D space (which is virtually limitless) you can create in real life!
Imagine all the broken F-unit steps you could repair  You could print off engine detail parts, passenger car interiors, ho buildings, lampposts...
From what I've seen on the internet you can buy home printers (for a small fee of $2000 ). But who knows, maybe in a few years we'll all have 3D printers to super-detail our layouts 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D_printing
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Posted - September 21 2012 : 4:56:45 PM
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Solidoodle.com has a 3D printer for $499 for pre-order. You can also do something like use a CarveWright or other CNC machine to carve away plastic in 3D.
Starting my Tyco and other favorites collection over again after 37 years.
My still in progress list of inventory and wantlist: tyconut.com
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 Posted - September 21 2012 : 7:56:06 PM
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Hi All,
Oh the dreams I have of getting one of these 3D printers. I use a 3D program to make all sorts of things for a train game I have. I would love to see them in real life.
Thanks for sharing
Mytyco
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Posted - September 22 2012 : 9:03:11 PM
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quote:| Oh the dreams I have of getting one of these 3D printers. I use a 3D program to make all sorts of things for a train game I have. I would love to see them in real life. |
Maybe these will be just as common in a few years as current 2D printers  . I'm learning 3D modeling in school and I can only imagine how awesome it would be to be able to print out my models
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Posted - September 22 2012 : 10:49:29 PM
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It's called stereo lithography, or at least was 10 years ago when I was working in the toy industry. We had a company we contracted out to for growing parts, and we would sometimes clean them up and use them as masters for mold making. The resin they were made from was both brittle and tough to sand, so sanding them smooth could take hours. The resolution wasn't as fine as it is today, so the stepping on curved surfaces was quite pronounced.
They were grown in a tank with a laser that hardened the surface of a resin bath in a computer controlled pattern, and then the tray supporting the structure would drop a few thousandths of an inch for the next layer to be added, etc.
I recently saw pictures of some archbar trucks that were grown or printed, and the stepping was much finer.
The Tyco Depot
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Posted - September 22 2012 : 11:23:41 PM
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Shapeways has been doing this for a while and there are even modelers who are selling locos and cars there--mostly N-scale and Z-scale.
http://www.shapeways.com/search?q=railroad
If you have some 3D modeling skills, you can create a model and sell it there too.
I've often wondered if it would be possible to create a CD motor compatible Power Torque replacement block in 3D.
--Thomas
Edited by - Redwoods on September 22 2012 11:25:44 PM
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Posted - September 23 2012 : 12:00:04 AM
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Some coworkers and I played around with a RepRap earlier this year... yeah. Not ready for prime time, but the concept is so tantalizing. You really need to have a proper environment to handle the thermal properties of the resin as it cools while layers are being printed. Also there's the issue of resolution that Nelson pointed out. Of course, we were using an early first-gen revision.... some of the newer models worked out some of the kinks, and print heads are getting finer all the time. I'd say we're quite a ways off from having these common in pro-sumer households, though.
It would be wonderful if you could recycle your own plastics, etc into the machine. Imagine all the details you could make with melted plastic pop bottles you get for free...
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Posted - September 23 2012 : 12:41:39 AM
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Good call guys! i been thinking of investing into one of these:
http://store.makerbot.com/replicator-404.html
Around income tax time.....
Then you have crazy stuff like this:
Man, you could literally make ANYTHING with the ABS plastic that this thing uses!
~John
Many have tried to, and failed, ya just can't repair stupid...
Do NOT try to Idiot-Proof anything!!!! God, will simply create a better......IDIOT!
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