The Modeler's Forum

The Mainline => Scratchbuilding => Topic started by: Mike the Trainman on December 09, 2025, 12:20:56 PM

Title: Background Buildings for Northern Division of the Santa Fe
Post by: Mike the Trainman on December 09, 2025, 12:20:56 PM
Hello everyone I'm new here. I was on the RR-L forum before it fold up shop. I thought I would show some of what I've been working on lately. I got a 3D printer about 3 years ago after a friend did some details on his for me. I was sold at that point. At first I just used it to make details, doors and windows. I have been scratch building for over 50 years. I decided to combine that with using the 3D printer to do brick buildings.

This shot is of three building that I printed one at a time. The build plate on my printer will do a building 40' wide by 30' tall or 30' wide by 40' tall. I used only the first two buildings. Next is the two buildings after painting. I design the building like the old DPM with all windows, doors and details in place.
Title: Re: Background Buildings for Northern Division of the Santa Fe
Post by: Mark Dalrymple on December 09, 2025, 04:29:28 PM
Very cool, Mike.

These have come out very well.  The window mullions look pretty fine.  Please post a photo when you have painted it up.

Cheers, Mark.
Title: Re: Background Buildings for Northern Division of the Santa Fe
Post by: Dave Buchholz on December 09, 2025, 05:19:07 PM
Interesting that you  printed details like the electric meter and downspouts to the print, not just basic walls.

Good stuff. (I'll take one of each)
Title: Re: Background Buildings for Northern Division of the Santa Fe
Post by: GaryMc on December 10, 2025, 10:48:21 AM
Mike,
Very nice, I really like the extra added details. Would like to see once you have them painted.
Title: Re: Background Buildings for Northern Division of the Santa Fe
Post by: Mike the Trainman on December 10, 2025, 11:42:18 AM
Thanks Mark. The first building is the second time I printed it. The first time I got the mullions to small and they did not print very well. I redid the the windows with every other upright bigger and it work much better.
Title: Re: Background Buildings for Northern Division of the Santa Fe
Post by: Mike the Trainman on December 10, 2025, 11:54:32 AM
Thanks Dave. when I first got my printer I got on the internet and looked for files out there figured why redo stuff I can find. There is a lot out there. Over time I started making a lot of my own stuff. I found that some thing that are very fine tend to bow over time. So I add them to the print. There is a site out there called Thingiver.com It has all kinds of stuff in lots of different scales. I use a scale converter to scale stuff to my scale (HO).
Title: Re: Background Buildings for Northern Division of the Santa Fe
Post by: Mike the Trainman on December 10, 2025, 11:55:36 AM
Thanks Gary.
Title: Re: Background Buildings for Northern Division of the Santa Fe
Post by: Mike the Trainman on December 10, 2025, 12:12:13 PM
Here is the first building painted. I have been using clear Styrene to glaze the windows but it is a pain in the you know what with printed windows in the building like this. I have to use ACC and sometime the inside around the windows is not perfectly flat. I remembered Microscale had a product for making small windows I checked and they still make it Micro Kristal Klear. I got some and it work perfect for me. In the photo you can see the windows I have also  started the roof. It will be tar paper.