Hayfields new layout, 3D printed test track to something a bit bigger
- Thread starter Hayfield1
- Start date
Hayfield1
Western Thunderer
After watching (again) James Walters (Bexhill West fame) video on spraying with acrylics I decided to do a test piece of track prior to starting to paint my layout track. I have found brush painting even with a turnout taking ages, laborious and very messy
James video well worth a watch
As with brush painting I taped the rail tops with masking tape strips, then a coat of etched primer from a rattle can
Next up was a base coat of Humbrol acrylic track colour
Followed by a pass over the rails and chairs with Vallejo orange rust. This has given me a base colour which after ballasting will be weathered down
What has made the difference is to thin down the acrylic paint with a 4 to 1 mix of Vallejo airbrush thinners and airbrush flow improver. Stopped the paint drying in the airbrush
This is a very quick , easy and far less messy than brush painting, plus the details are still very crisp.
Nothing fancy used, my budget airbrush and compressor, both of which are 15+ years old, to my amazement still works very well, and Acrylics don't have the odor that enamel's have, dry quickly and the airbrush cleans up with water
Its not going to win any artistic awards, but so much easier and quicker
John
James video well worth a watch
As with brush painting I taped the rail tops with masking tape strips, then a coat of etched primer from a rattle can
Next up was a base coat of Humbrol acrylic track colour
Followed by a pass over the rails and chairs with Vallejo orange rust. This has given me a base colour which after ballasting will be weathered down
What has made the difference is to thin down the acrylic paint with a 4 to 1 mix of Vallejo airbrush thinners and airbrush flow improver. Stopped the paint drying in the airbrush
This is a very quick , easy and far less messy than brush painting, plus the details are still very crisp.
Nothing fancy used, my budget airbrush and compressor, both of which are 15+ years old, to my amazement still works very well, and Acrylics don't have the odor that enamel's have, dry quickly and the airbrush cleans up with water
Its not going to win any artistic awards, but so much easier and quicker
John
Hayfield1
Western Thunderer
I have decided to paint one of my demonstration pieces, a B6 single slip, this will test my chair and rail techniques. Shown with rail heads masked up with thin (green) masking tape
Primed and now curing, I will spray a base timber colour later today. Spraying the rails and chairs a rust colour will be far more demanding than straight/plain track, but then so is hand painting them
John
simond
Western Thunderer
John,
you might like to try a “broad brush” approach.
Once the formation is painted grubby timber colour, put a length of masking tape over the timber ends, and have the airbrush both close and very low, to paint the chairs and rails with your preferred rusty mix. Allow the rails themselves to mask the timbers within the formation. Any overspray can be touched up by brush. It’s certainly not precision, but it gives an acceptable result for a relatively limited effort, in my view.
I recall a post on the Templot forum about using different colour filaments in the print, the timber layers in brown and the chair & rail layers in presumably orange. I think it was in relation to CARROT, but presumably applicable to COT, neither of which I have yet tried.
I’m still in the “learning Bambu” and “relearning Templot” classes
best
Simon
you might like to try a “broad brush” approach.
Once the formation is painted grubby timber colour, put a length of masking tape over the timber ends, and have the airbrush both close and very low, to paint the chairs and rails with your preferred rusty mix. Allow the rails themselves to mask the timbers within the formation. Any overspray can be touched up by brush. It’s certainly not precision, but it gives an acceptable result for a relatively limited effort, in my view.
I recall a post on the Templot forum about using different colour filaments in the print, the timber layers in brown and the chair & rail layers in presumably orange. I think it was in relation to CARROT, but presumably applicable to COT, neither of which I have yet tried.
I’m still in the “learning Bambu” and “relearning Templot” classes
best
Simon
martin_wynne
Western Thunderer
@simond
Yes. COT or CARROT or PLUG-IN. Here I'm using Bambu PLA Basic filament in Cocoa Brown for the rails and chairs. I prefer greys for the timbers, before painting. This is Light Grey. Easily done if you have an AMS.
4mm/ft
This also shows the "wood texture" effects on the timbers, coming soon. This one is the setting for "old timbers for yards and sidings".
Martin.
Hayfield1
Western Thunderer
John,
you might like to try a “broad brush” approach.
Once the formation is painted grubby timber colour, put a length of masking tape over the timber ends, and have the airbrush both close and very low, to paint the chairs and rails with your preferred rusty mix. Allow the rails themselves to mask the timbers within the formation. Any overspray can be touched up by brush. It’s certainly not precision, but it gives an acceptable result for a relatively limited effort, in my view.
I recall a post on the Templot forum about using different colour filaments in the print, the timber layers in brown and the chair & rail layers in presumably orange. I think it was in relation to CARROT, but presumably applicable to COT, neither of which I have yet tried.
I’m still in the “learning Bambu” and “relearning Templot” classes
best
Simon
Simon
Thanks for the suggestions, which are thoughts similar to my own.
What I noticed on the real thing, whilst the timbers had their own colour with the chairs and rail both being a rust colour, the whole lot was covered with same colour of grime, toning everything down
Perhaps I should take both your and Phil's advice and start with a more grayish tone of brown, I wont know until I decide on and use which ever misting colour I choose. Certainly at the moment it looks much better than plain light wood colour for everything
I have just given the single slip its first coat of brown, its now drying/curing in the sunshine and clearly needs a second pass in places. the spraying of the rails and chairs will be interesting, with far more chairs and rails close to each other, but that's for another day.
Certainly when compared to brush painting, its a much quicker method, far less messy and leaving the detail much crisper
As for 3D printing, I cannot comment on the Bambu, but the more agricultural Neptune 4 is very well suited for 7mm scale, but as I have reported I had to go through ups and downs to get where I am now, I am now reaping the rewards
Good luck
John
Hayfield1
Western Thunderer
Prior to track laying I am trying out a few paint effects, first off the straight track with base colours added, now on a board waiting for ballast
Here is the single slip, masked up for the chairs and rail to be sprayed
The initial results is that airbrushing is quicker and far less messy than brush painting, plus airbrushing leaves the detail far crisper than brush painting
John
I've just printed my first point in B7 with my Bambu P1S. I used PETG with a 0.4mm nozzle with settings for 0.12mm high quality. The point is for my garden, hence PETG. I've sprayed with a darkish brown matt acrylic and for me it's perfectly acceptable. No doubt if it was printed with a 0.2mm nozzle the chair detail would be a bit more crisp, but I don't think I'll bother. Next is to print the filing jigs and assemble it.
What do you use for painting the crossing V and the check rails?
Edited to add this is 7mm.
Kev
What do you use for painting the crossing V and the check rails?
Edited to add this is 7mm.
Kev
simond
Western Thunderer
As requested a couple of photos. The top one is quite a cruel close up. The second shows how far I've got and if you zoom in you can compare the print with a commercial track. There is marginally more detail in the printed track, so at 0.2mm the print will be significantly superior to what's available from Peco or Marcway. In normal viewing, even close up, the quality of the print is absolutely fine.
If I were to build an S7 exhibition layout then without doubt I'd print it as fine as I could.
I've printed the jigs and I'm now trying to understand how to file it.
I've currently got a B7 curved turnout in the printer and when I've got the pair ready I'll be fitting them for my first siding in the garden layout. Definitely NOT looking forward to soldering the electrical connections. I may try an RSU.
John
thanks for your various posts on here and the GOG Evening with, they've helped immensely.
Hope these posts are OK on your thread.
Kev
Hayfield1
Western Thunderer
Kev T
What a good job you are doing, I will not pretend to know about the differing materials (filaments) other than there are better ones for outside work than PLA+. The GOG evening was a bit fraught owing to my lake of ability with new Tech, I have now got my quick start instructions together after all of these months
I am still in the 0-4mm nozzle camp as Martins Cura setting update improves the print quality no end. S o at this moment in time I see no reason to change machines, plus its far quicker printing with a 0.4 nozzle than a 0.2mm one
I guess for many the jump to 3D printing is a big one, but it is being well received. The processes are once broken down very simple, but as with all things there are a few hurdles to catch us out.
With you and John working on garden railway track no doubt it will catch on quickly especially where bespoke track is required, curved turnouts and track is now a doddle. Well done and I look forward to see your progress
John
What a good job you are doing, I will not pretend to know about the differing materials (filaments) other than there are better ones for outside work than PLA+. The GOG evening was a bit fraught owing to my lake of ability with new Tech, I have now got my quick start instructions together after all of these months
I am still in the 0-4mm nozzle camp as Martins Cura setting update improves the print quality no end. S o at this moment in time I see no reason to change machines, plus its far quicker printing with a 0.4 nozzle than a 0.2mm one
I guess for many the jump to 3D printing is a big one, but it is being well received. The processes are once broken down very simple, but as with all things there are a few hurdles to catch us out.
With you and John working on garden railway track no doubt it will catch on quickly especially where bespoke track is required, curved turnouts and track is now a doddle. Well done and I look forward to see your progress
John
michael080
Western Thunderer
Hi Kev,
Great work!
I am still playing with our now office Bambu printer. You may want to google "bambu ironing test" and check if optimized setting can improve the surface of the sleepers. I was surprised that the default ironing setting for PLA were far from perfect
Michael
Great work!
I am still playing with our now office Bambu printer. You may want to google "bambu ironing test" and check if optimized setting can improve the surface of the sleepers. I was surprised that the default ironing setting for PLA were far from perfect
Michael
Hayfield1
Western Thunderer
After a bit of delay/pause caused by a few things including test painting track methods, I have made a start on painting platform 1 track
This is the end piece and there is also a longer 850mm section. Both have been primed with Halfords etched primer, then given a coat of Humbrol acrylic track colour. I used an airbrush with a 0.5 mm nozzle and was thinned down with a mix of 80% acrylic primer and 20% flow improver (James Walters recipe) I cut thin strips of masking tape to cover the rail heads (saves time cleaning)
Next up after another set of masking tapes on the rail heads, then I will airbrush the chairs and rail sides with a mixture of Vallejo orange rust and Humbrol track colour. I have found the orange rust on its own to be like a fake suntan
I have found using an airbrush to paint the track a much easier and very much quicker process than hand painting. once the basic colours have been applied I will fix the track down permanently with a view to ballasting the track, but that's a bit further along as is a final overall weathering coat
John
This is the end piece and there is also a longer 850mm section. Both have been primed with Halfords etched primer, then given a coat of Humbrol acrylic track colour. I used an airbrush with a 0.5 mm nozzle and was thinned down with a mix of 80% acrylic primer and 20% flow improver (James Walters recipe) I cut thin strips of masking tape to cover the rail heads (saves time cleaning)
Next up after another set of masking tapes on the rail heads, then I will airbrush the chairs and rail sides with a mixture of Vallejo orange rust and Humbrol track colour. I have found the orange rust on its own to be like a fake suntan
I have found using an airbrush to paint the track a much easier and very much quicker process than hand painting. once the basic colours have been applied I will fix the track down permanently with a view to ballasting the track, but that's a bit further along as is a final overall weathering coat
John
Hayfield1
Western Thunderer
Since may I have been busy with other things, track building for friends, then experimenting painting track with my airbrushes. I have in the past found painting track with paint brushes, time consuming, messy and very boring. I had made the decision with my previous test track to use acrylic paint but was concerned about using acrylic paint
A video by James Walters last year was re-watched and struck a note showing me there was a better way, in the past I kept away from spraying acrylics, but James shared his thinning recipe a ( 4 parts of acrylic thinners to 1 part of airbrush flow improver) nd introduced me to Vallejo products.
I have found it much easier to mask off the rail tops with masking tape, rather than clean the rail tops after painting. I use an etched primer (rattle can) from Halfords, give it a day to cure and harden, then I gave it a coat of Humbrol acrylic track colour, as per above photo
Just over a day later I then sprayed a mixture of Vallejo orange rust and toned it down with Humbrol Track colour over the rails and chairs, final weathering will happen after ballasting
The buffers still need finishing off with paint, but again I will leave it a day or so
Masking tape removed, the rail heads just needs a wipe with spirit to remove bits of glue from (the cheap) tape
Both my airbrushes and compressor are well past their sell by date, but I invested with a few extras, one was a cleaning kit, I also brought a universal set of replacement nozzles and needles. as well as a small (cheap) paint mixer sold for nail varnishes.
The timbers, rail and chairs were sprayed using a 0.5 nozzle, which worked well. I sprayed the rail and chairs (at a closer distance) with a 0.3 nozzle. I also seemed to manage my compressor better by using short stints then turning it off whilst I checked the paintwork in daylight. My compressor gets very hot when used for prolonged periods
Anyway I can now get on with the build again
John
A video by James Walters last year was re-watched and struck a note showing me there was a better way, in the past I kept away from spraying acrylics, but James shared his thinning recipe a ( 4 parts of acrylic thinners to 1 part of airbrush flow improver) nd introduced me to Vallejo products.
I have found it much easier to mask off the rail tops with masking tape, rather than clean the rail tops after painting. I use an etched primer (rattle can) from Halfords, give it a day to cure and harden, then I gave it a coat of Humbrol acrylic track colour, as per above photo
Just over a day later I then sprayed a mixture of Vallejo orange rust and toned it down with Humbrol Track colour over the rails and chairs, final weathering will happen after ballasting
The buffers still need finishing off with paint, but again I will leave it a day or so
Masking tape removed, the rail heads just needs a wipe with spirit to remove bits of glue from (the cheap) tape
Both my airbrushes and compressor are well past their sell by date, but I invested with a few extras, one was a cleaning kit, I also brought a universal set of replacement nozzles and needles. as well as a small (cheap) paint mixer sold for nail varnishes.
The timbers, rail and chairs were sprayed using a 0.5 nozzle, which worked well. I sprayed the rail and chairs (at a closer distance) with a 0.3 nozzle. I also seemed to manage my compressor better by using short stints then turning it off whilst I checked the paintwork in daylight. My compressor gets very hot when used for prolonged periods
Anyway I can now get on with the build again
John