The Flux Mill [Diorama]

Started by Keep It Rusty, July 13, 2021, 11:49:52 AM

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ACL1504

Craig,

Beautiful work. In my other life, I've seen many a mattress that looked like that. Unfortunately, the occupant no longer cared how it looked or smelled.

Tom  ;D
"If we are to guard against ignorance and remain free, it is the responsibility of every American to be informed."
Thomas Jefferson

Tom Langford
telsr1@aol.com

Keep It Rusty

#31
Bob, Tom — thanks so much! Detail painting is a process I'm always intimidated by (the amount sometimes!) but always end up throughly enjoying.

SteveCuster

Looks great Craig! The recliner is excellent. Did you 3d print that smokestack?
Steve Custer

Keep It Rusty

Thanks, Steve!

That smoke-stack is actually from Bar Mills. I picked it up last go around at my hobby store for $12.95.

Jerry

Craig nice detail on the mattress and chair!


But ouch!  If you have to sit in it!!


Jerry
"And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years." A. Lincoln

Keep It Rusty

Don't worry, Jerry. There's no springs ;)

Oldguy

Bob Dye
Livin large on a pond

Bernd

Definitely like the idea of laser cutting the painters tape. Stack came out nice looking. Was that painted with a brush or spray painted?

Again nice looking work. Worth following and seeing what you do next.

Bernd
New York, Vermont & Northern Rwy. - Route of the Black Diamonds

Keep It Rusty

Bob, Bernd -- thank you both for your comments.

The stack was painted using cheap craft paints, using a sponge. It was then finished with oils, using a brush. The FLUX logo was sponged on through the stencil.

More very soon.

S&S RR

#39
Craig


I just got caught up on this thread - absolutely fantastic work. I really love the painters tape stencils cut with your laser. Now you did it - I'm looking at lasers and 3D printers, again. The CFO of the Superior & Seattle is not going to be happy. ;) ;D


Question 1: I'm using TurboCad on my MacBook Pro for my CAD work.  Is the CAD software you are using available for a Mac?


Question 2: Since the CAD work is the time consuming part of the process are there user groups that are sharing their designs?


Question 3: Do you have any interest in starting a thread here on the forum - a "How to get started Clinic"? 
John Siekirk
Superior & Seattle Railroad

Dennis Bourey

Craig, I second for John. Thanks Dennis
Dennis Bourey
dpbourey@comcast.net

Lake's Region RR
(Happy Modeling)

Bernd

I'll "third" what John said. I use Fusion 360 for the hobbyist and have a 3D printer. The reason I like Fusion is I discovered it will out put a G code file for use on my Sherline CNC mill.

John, I believe Fusion 360 is available for the Mac. The only user groups I've been involved with where on FaceBook. I quit both groups. They didn't help much. Everybody is looking just for files to download. Lots of modelers have discovered it's not just loading a file in the 3D printer and pushing the go button. It can get quite involved.

Bernd
New York, Vermont & Northern Rwy. - Route of the Black Diamonds

Keep It Rusty

#42
John, Dennis, Bernd -- thank you.

The two machines have transformed the entire hobby -- for the better. For while I looked at them as taking work away from me, but that was completely the wrong outlook. They are giving more to me. "Tools, not solutions" is what I keep repeating to myself.

I'm happy to hear the bug bit you too though, John. You could get a great 3D printer and 40W "Blue Laser" for under $700, easy.

Fusion360 is my go-to. It's from Autodesk and it's free for hobbyists. It is available for Mac and that's the version I use.

The best place to find models to print would be Thingiverse or Sketchfab. CGTrader is another excellent resource, but you'll almost always pay for something there. I still source many models and, in fact, will only create them if I can't find it. The chair and mattress were both found online (the mattress was bent and re-molded by me though)

As for laser cutting, the great thing about Fusion360 is its workflow. You sketch in 2D and then extrude into 3D. Many kit manufacturers I know all design their kits in a 2D workspace. Despite understanding that, I find it to be a hinderance. I want to design a building in 3D because I want to see it in 3D before I commit to cutting it. A free plugin for Fusion360 allows me to export each wall as a DXF file that my laser can read. Lovely stuff.

I'd be happy to start a thread here on the forum. I'll put some thought into it before pulling the trigger.

For now, learning Fusion360 is the best place to start. It can be an intimidating piece of software, but it's a pussycat once you get to know it. I started learning from Udemy courses. Two in particular really got me going (albeit for taught for different purposes).

One was for woodworking (perfect for an complete rundown of Fusion): https://www.udemy.com/share/101YGA/
One was for laser cutting (a little more specific and a great companion to the above): https://www.udemy.com/share/1045yY/

S&S RR

Quote from: Keep it Rusty on July 30, 2021, 01:14:02 AM
John, Dennis, Bernd -- thank you.

The two machines have transformed the entire hobby -- for the better. For while I looked at them as taking work away from me, but that was completely the wrong outlook. They are giving more to me. "Tools, not solutions" is what I keep repeating to myself.

I'm happy to hear the bug bit you too though, John. You could get a great 3D printer and 40W "Blue Laser" for under $700, easy.

Fusion360 is my go-to. It's from Autodesk and it's free for hobbyists. It is available for Mac and that's the version I use.

The best place to find models to print would be Thingiverse or Sketchfab. CGTrader is another excellent resource, but you'll almost always pay for something there. I still source many models and, in fact, will only create them if I can't find it. The chair and mattress were both found online (the mattress was bent and re-molded by me though)

As for laser cutting, the great thing about Fusion360 is its workflow. You sketch in 2D and then extrude into 3D. Many kit manufacturers I know all design their kits in a 2D workspace. Despite understanding that, I find it to be a hinderance. I want to design a building in 3D because I want to see it in 3D before I commit to cutting it. A free plugin for Fusion360 allows me to export each wall as a DXF file that my laser can read. Lovely stuff.

I'd be happy to start a thread here on the forum. I'll put some thought into it before pulling the trigger.

For now, learning Fusion360 is the best place to start. It can be an intimidating piece of software, but it's a pussycat once you get to know it. I started learning from Udemy courses. Two in particular really got me going (albeit for taught for different purposes).

One was for woodworking (perfect for an complete rundown of Fusion): https://www.udemy.com/share/101YGA/
One was for laser cutting (a little more specific and a great companion to the above): https://www.udemy.com/share/1045yY/


Craig


Thank you so much for the detailed response to my questions. I have a lot more questions but first I need to do some homework.  I'm not new to CAD programs - I managed the die design department for Chrysler at one point in my working career, but I have been away from it for years.  It's interesting to me to see how some of the technologies have progressed.  My first exposure to laser cutting was in Grad School and we used 3D printing for die pattern reviews 20 years ago. It was extremely expensive but we saved a lot of money catching mistakes. The big improvement over the years has been the finer detail capabilities that now make them useful for HO scale.  I look forward to your thread.
John Siekirk
Superior & Seattle Railroad

postalkarl

Hey Craig:

The stack loos great and the sign came out just beautifully.

Karl

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