James_T_Menendez Posted June 29, 2013 Posted June 29, 2013 (edited) My first piece of track. Here my first piece of embeded straight track project, it's printing!!!! :D Printed!!! Edited June 29, 2013 by James_T_Menendez Quote
JopieK Posted June 29, 2013 Posted June 29, 2013 Well, what will you do with that? It looks almost like the tracks in the Lone Ranger mine. Quote
James_T_Menendez Posted June 29, 2013 Author Posted June 29, 2013 Yes, inspired in that pack, and existing narrow track in Batman and Indana Jones what I own. The next step is the narrow track. The embeded track have more easy posibilities than three rail solution to build "pasive track appareil" I don't know the english term to this material. I'm workig in diferent gauge and angle crossings, narrow track exits and entrances to the embed of regular gauge track. It's a saving space solution. Quote
Spitfire2865 Posted June 29, 2013 Posted June 29, 2013 Can you print working points? People can print workings guns so Id assume you can. Id love to see a set of points with this design. Lots of frogs. Haha Quote
James_T_Menendez Posted June 29, 2013 Author Posted June 29, 2013 (edited) In my return to the 3D world with the 3D printer, I have to study many new technics. I know 20 years old CAD, I'm updating my knowledge abouth this and I'm new in the CAM and go step-by-step. I'm not a mechanic but, the sky is the limit!!! Edited June 29, 2013 by James_T_Menendez Quote
James_T_Menendez Posted June 29, 2013 Author Posted June 29, 2013 (edited) Now a curve of same type of track. Edited June 29, 2013 by James_T_Menendez Quote
Artifex Posted June 29, 2013 Posted June 29, 2013 Wow, that's nice! How expensive are the raw-materials? Quote
James_T_Menendez Posted June 29, 2013 Author Posted June 29, 2013 Very cheap 1kg roll 25€ aprox, other materials an colors difers in price o quantity. I have grey but I use the white to practice, The piece weight some more than the originals. Discount the weight of the empty roll. The principal cost is the energy and vary with type of material. Quote
Spitfire2865 Posted June 30, 2013 Posted June 30, 2013 I was just thinking. What you have done with these tracks is very similar to guard rails found on many bridges. Quote
kieran Posted June 30, 2013 Posted June 30, 2013 Have you tried connecting the track yet, can you post a pic? how long will it last? is the finished printed result as durable;le as an injection moulded part? Quote
James_T_Menendez Posted June 30, 2013 Author Posted June 30, 2013 The durability is variable with material used but in this case ares very little material, but sure the lego original track is most durable, but for custom pieces .... Quote
zephyr1934 Posted July 2, 2013 Posted July 2, 2013 Wow, very nice. I too would like to see photos of these prototypes connected together and/or to lego track segments. I THINK the lego narrow gauge track connector is not compatible with the standard gauge connector, in which case if you do not intend to couple these dual gauge track to the lego narrow gauge track, you might want to borrow an idea from dual gauge systems and only use three rails. Meanwhile, I recently saw a live steamer layout that had three gauges. Instead of using normal point switches (which would have had a few dozen frogs) they used a stub switch design... actually no, the switches I saw did not have any frog, the movable part of the switch traveled far enough that none of the rails from one movement crossed any of the rails from the other movement (I hope that makes sense). Finally, I would love to see a wide radius curve (hint hint hint grin). In all seriousness though, there is probably a market for custom track geometries. Quote
Hemi-Power Posted July 2, 2013 Posted July 2, 2013 How long does it take to print one piece of track? Quote
James_T_Menendez Posted July 5, 2013 Author Posted July 5, 2013 (edited) Wow, very nice. I too would like to see photos of these prototypes connected together and/or to lego track segments. I THINK the lego narrow gauge track connector is not compatible with the standard gauge connector, in which case if you do not intend to couple these dual gauge track to the lego narrow gauge track, you might want to borrow an idea from dual gauge systems and only use three rails. Meanwhile, I recently saw a live steamer layout that had three gauges. Instead of using normal point switches (which would have had a few dozen frogs) they used a stub switch design... actually no, the switches I saw did not have any frog, the movable part of the switch traveled far enough that none of the rails from one movement crossed any of the rails from the other movement (I hope that makes sense). Finally, I would love to see a wide radius curve (hint hint hint grin). In all seriousness though, there is probably a market for custom track geometries. Yes, its diferent, But I only modified existent models 3D, but for a more precise and complex design, I have to made on AutoCAD, I´m working on it!!!, yes wide radius it's on muy mind, when I parametrice existents model I'll made it. Working from scratch I can made more variants. But I'm on practice with the printing, I have now gray ABS filament!!! How long does it take to print one piece of track? Depends of complexity of the model 6.5 hours aprox. What printer are you using? I'm using the spanish printer very awarded in tests The more precise of the two models but not compact the Up plus model http://entresd.es Edited July 5, 2013 by James_T_Menendez Quote
roj2323 Posted January 20, 2014 Posted January 20, 2014 How about printing up a larger radius? 104 studs perhaps? http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=270944 Quote
v6TransAM Posted January 20, 2014 Posted January 20, 2014 Interesting stuff here, two of my three hobbies can use 3d printed stuff and I'm sure my other one would as well. Quote
Duq Posted January 20, 2014 Posted January 20, 2014 I THINK the lego narrow gauge track connector is not compatible with the standard gauge connector The connector is the same but you can't connect a 4-wide track piece to a 6-wide because the studs and rail stubs get in eachothers way. This is very interesting. What is the print resolution? In other words, how accurate can you make the parts? How is the clutch power? Another interesting part you might make is a converter from 4.5V/12V track to PF track. Quote
Doom2099 Posted January 21, 2014 Posted January 21, 2014 This is very interesting. What is the print resolution? In other words, how accurate can you make the parts? How is the clutch power? Another interesting part you might make is a converter from 4.5V/12V track to PF track. I'm really interested as well in the 'resinlution'. I just saw a custom 4.5/12v -> 9v/PF track connector for the first time here on EB. Thought it was brilliant! I wonder if we'll all be 3d printing out own custom Lego parts in 5 years as the prices of printers continues to fall, and quality increases. Quote
Zed_43 Posted January 21, 2014 Posted January 21, 2014 Nice! I'd love to get a 3d printer just to build custom tracks (largeer radius) and switches (like that: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=1357774) ! (I guess swithces needs to be made in two parts...) I wonder if we can make 9v tracks this way. By printing a track with a lower top and completing the heigh with a metal piece that we could glue on it... Quote
Jorrith Posted January 21, 2014 Posted January 21, 2014 I'd love to download the .STL files of these... Question: Why are you printing these with a raft? Quote
gavralcraw Posted March 31, 2014 Posted March 31, 2014 This is very interesting. Straigh tracks for the narrow gauge system would be great. Print what they don't make! Brilliant! Quote
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