Custom Pete 389 - Now I'm Just Showing Off

I have been so focused on designing new truck models over the past couple of years, that I decided to take a step back and look at the finer details of trucks in general, and find ways to make my existing designs better.  I have already shared some of those ideas here on my blog, and now I thought I would get fancy and have some fun with my Peterbilt 389.  I'm not a guy that really appreciates some of the extreme mods that truck owners make to their rigs, however, I know I can find some room in my collection for at least a few custom rigs of my own.  

This rendering doesn't do this rig justice, but that is all I have at the moment.  Once I get this printed, I will use styrene to cover the space between the frame rails, add some nice straight pipes like many of my other models, and a nice paint job to finish it off.  A few details I want to note here are: the tall sunvisor, the rear fenders, and the custom rear bumper with shorty mud flaps, and of course the stretched frame.  The fenders and bumper will be separate details added to the wheel sprue, so they can be painted and added after painting.  

That takes me to my next design project.  After designing this custom rear bumper including mudflaps, I decided that making a standard set of mudflaps that could be printed would likely be feasible.  The key is to have these delicate items printed on a separate sprue so that they don't break off of the larger components between printing and finishing.  I will be working on a standard "rear" very soon to be added to all of my existing trucks.  That includes horizontal brackets, and maybe taillights, all in one detail component that can be printed, painted, and applied to any truck.  Yeah, I know that someone else makes etched details like this, but what's the fun in that?  

One last item before I close.  I have a long list of models that I would really like to design, and I plan to get to them over the next several months and years.  Like this custom 389, I start dreaming about separate doors that could be assembled in an "open" position, or how about a tilted hood with a Cat V8 to show off?  The thing that gives us 3d designer guys a leg up on everyone else, is that the sky is the limit of what can be done in N scale.  It all depends on how creative we want to be, and how much time we want to invest in a single model.  Ok that's it for now.

Shapeways Package Arrived Today! Pete 386, Kenworth T2000, and Pickup Trucks

Today I received a Shapeways package that contained a few new models.  I soaked them for about an hour in Bestine and then had to get some primer going.  I sure like grey primer better than white.  It is so much easier to see in photos.

A few observations about this Shapeways order:  I am very impressed with the quality of the prints.  The items had very little waxy residue right out of the package, and cleaned up in a hurry.  I spent very little time with a sanding stick on the items I shot with primer tonight.  As intended, my updated wheel sprue configuration was printed flat, and the results are obvious.  This particular sprue includes mirrors for the T2000, which turned out perfect.  The T2000 cab is very well done, and requires some slight sanding prior to primer.  I know there are still a lot of skeptics out there about 3d printing for N scale.  I've had my share of disappointments in the last 2 years using Shapeways as a print service, however, if these truck models can't get you excited, then keep using those generic boxes on wheels that the other guys make.  Ok, I digress....

I use Rustoleum primer in a can, and the items below have 2 generous coats.  I find that this helps hide any textures that I missed with a sanding stick.  After primer, I light sand the needed areas, and then paint with the final color.  Two or three coats of color are usually sufficient.

I am satisfied with the way these models turned out, so I am going to make them available via Shapeways soon.  One thing I didn't photograph here are the tires for the trucks.  They turned out perfect, and are all attached to a sprue.  Once painted, they may need a bit of honing to remove paint from inside the tire, and then they will slide over the rims to leave a nice crisp separation between rim and tire.

As always, I'll keep updating my progress as I get these things painted.  I have a 53' reefer on order now that should arrive in another week.

My Shapeways Shop: Click Here

Kenworth K100 Cabover Update - In Primer

I finally got around to working on my Kenworth K100 that has been sitting in a box waiting for my attention (next to the dozens of other models that are waiting patiently as well).  My goal is to finish at least 1 of every model that I have designed so I have some examples to share on my Shapeways store.  I also feel it is important that I take every design from beginning to end, so that prospective buyers can feel confident about buying a model.  I have a hard time buying a model on Shapeways based only on a 3d rendering.

My K100 was designed with some specific finishing details in mind that are left to the modeler to add.  If you have one of my K100's already, or plan to buy one, I will explain how I intended to finish this model.

First, the handrails could have been designed into the truck cab, but I felt it would look much nicer with a free standing detail made from wire.  I use .010 wire on my trucks for mirror brackets and other details like railings.  On the K100, there are 3 sets of brackets to hold the railing to the side of the cab, which I designed into my N scale version.  I also designed a #80 hole right above the top set of brackets.  Using a prototype photo, I bend a wire into a railing, that can be inserted into the #80 holes, and then glued to each bracket to hold it in place.  It's a bit tricky, but it can be done.  I use a #80 drill bit to clean out the holes after painting.

It seems like most cabovers in the 1980's had stripes or multiple color paint schemes.  If someone wanted to spend the time to create a set of stripe decals for these trucks, that would be great.  However, I plan to paint mine a solid color, or maybe two tone.

Cabover trucks generally have a large opening in the rear of the cab where the motor is located.  I did the best I could on my model as I don't have any motor detail, and didn't want to leave a hole in the back of the cab and not have anything inside to fill it.  I did leave two openings for exhaust and air cleaner details.  The K100 has an air filter that is located on the driver side, which you can see on my model.  The air filter is usually fed by a stack on the back of the cab to pull in cold air from above roof.  The stack should be located on the rear of the cab, on the driver's side.  If you plan to do a single stack exhaust, locate it on the passenger side of the cab.  I plan to do dual exhaust on mine, which will be made from brass or aluminum rod.  Each stack should have a 90 degree bend on the bottom which can then be glued to the inside of the cab.  Refer to the photo below to see how a typical dual exhaust and air intake are configured on these trucks.

 Here are a pair of K100's in primer paint.  I used grey on these so I could get some better photographs.  White is hard to photograph.  These have 2 generous coats of primer, which I recommend.  Thicker paint seems to give a smoother finish on 3d printed models.

If you want your own N scale Kenworth K100, check out my Shapeways Store: K100

Ready to Print - 53' Utility Reefer Trailer

I started working on my 53' reefer again tonight and just couldn't go to bed until I finished it.  Well here it is.  You will notice some unique design characteristics with this model, and I will try to explain the various components.

First, this model will be expensive to print, so I tried to reduce the overall volume of the body.  To eliminate warping, I added some reinforcements to the inside while trying to minimize material.

Second, based on experience, vertical surfaces with detail can yield varying results from Shapeways.  I chose to design the rear door component as a separate piece.  This should yield a cleaner print, while making the painting process easier.  This idea actually came from my Pete 379/389 grill, as the design is very similar.  The door panel has a rim that mates perfectly to the rear opening of the trailer body.

Third, the landing gear and fuel tank will print onto a flat surface that will fit into the underside of the trailer body, where I have included a ledge to aid in locating this detail.  There is no reason to guess the location when it can be precisely located within the design.

Fourth, I eliminated the need for a piece of wire for the axles.  The suspension component now has axles designed in, exactly like my trucks.

Lastly, I created a sprue to hold the 3 components pictured.  My hope is that these pieces will be printed flat, which will yield the best quality prints.

There you have it.  A few new design ideas implemented into this model.  Time will tell if these will become best practices for me.