The Devil is in the Details: Part 1

The realization that I wasn't artistic enough to paint the outside detail on brought me to try to see just what detail my 3d printer was capable of. The nozzle size on the printer is .4mm, so I found out quickly that I should not try anything smaller than that... but would that be small enough to do what I wanted it to? I decided before I put the time and effort into putting some detail into the 3d model, I should run a test to see how things looked.

Looks terrible, but did the job.

The test model I made had different settings on different sides to see what looks best. The test model didn't look very good, but gave me the confidence that the printer could add the detail I wanted.

When I decided it was possible to add some detail to my 3d model, I again needed some source images. This time, my search went very smoothly. Instead of trying to use some real pictures of the monorail I settled upon some perfect drawings by Deviant Art user BJ-O23. I took his drawing of the monorail, cut out one train, then split the train into two separate images, a cab and a car. I figured the car had the most work to do, so I started with that.

I began by lining up the picture with the edges of the 3d model. I was very excited when things actually lined up. I was worried things would be different sizes, but it was at this point that I started to figure that the drawings were made off of the same source images that I used to model the train.

All lined up

Next came tracing the the drawing with an inventor sketch. Because of the nozzle size constraints, you can see all the measurements to make sure things did not get smaller than .4 mm.

Pretty Sketchy

After the sketch was complete, I used the engrave feature of Inventor to have the cutouts follow the contours of the side of the monorail car.

After I completed this side, I figure the roof needed a little flair. So I added a simple roof rail, and the emergency hatches. For the eagle eyed reader, you'll notice that the hatches are on the wrong side, this was not a mistake. My 3d printer, or 3d printing software mirrors the x-axis. I can mirror the model before I print in the printing software, but I tend to forget to do that, so I just modeled the axis flipped. When it prints out, the hatches are on the correct side.

For a little bit of fun, I went ahead and textured the model when I was done.

Looks pretty good doesn't it?

Then it was time to print. When you first print the model out, the details are really hard to see. Sanding makes them pop a little more, but painting does the job. Unfortunately,  I got a little too excited and painted too early. I should have sanded much, much more before painting.

Printed, sanded, painted, sanded

What I didn't think about was how much the paint would fill in the grooves that I wanted to keep. So instead of allowing the paint to smooth out the surface like I did for the smooth exterior model, I am going to have to sand it perfectly smooth before painting. For the next iteration I am also going to make the grooves .1 or .2mm deeper. Besides that, I was quite chuffed with the result. 

Cab next!