Stone Rhino posted:BetaNuSigmaPhi posted:Myself I apply three different manufacturing techniques separately or combined: tinplate coating, 3D printing and laser cutting. All processing machines I use, are low budget DIY products. Injection molding, brass etching, die casting and tampon printing are not in my budget unfortunately. Here is one of my own European projects, the German experimental electric locomotive E03 in rapid raw 3D print and handpainted and decorated bodyshell (without pantographs so far), firstly for Scale 1 (1:32), later also O gauge (1:45) and S scale (1:64)...[by the way, Piko (G scale) and Märklin (scale 1) are making only the series version Baureihe 103]...
PS: If someone is not happy with my low standard results, then he should show us here right now his own high standard results, it's very simple.
I am completely onboard with this idea and have considered it my self. Especially for fabricating parts. Even what I see here with the E03 is more than impressive enough to consider doing this for my O scale.
Light sanding the surface could remove some of the noticeable printing ridges.
Also, there is a paint that will fill in those printing defects and make it smooth. I will look to see if I can find it.
The depicted poor 3D-printing results are due to my cheap DIY 3D printer for 150 USD. Learning by doing I have managed to improve the printer settings which reflected on the better surface quality. But still cannot compete against expensive 3D printers like https://www.3dhubs.com/3d-printers/ultimaker-2 . If I compare to Märklin's scale 1 E03 model, which is over my budget and to Piko's G scale, which is in squeezed length, then I thing a scratch-built E03 or DB BR 103 could be a realistic alternative in any bigger scale (S, O,1,G).
