A while back, someone asked me about making brake wheels like this:

I forgot who it was that asked. At the time, I couldn’t see how to render it in Sketchup. The other day, it clicked, and after 5 or 6 tries, here’s what I came up with:

I think I’m done tweaking the drawings… will probably submit an order for a pattern in the next couple days. Will be looking at offering them for sale from my website in 1-2 months.

They look great !

I don’t believe it was me , since I’m always chattering about a replacement (8-hole) for AristoCraft’s ‘knuckle-busting’ shaped (antique) brake wheels on their rolling stock.

I see a 6 pk on shapeway, but it is on a “o-scale” page.

What has me scratching me head is the (shapeway default ?) dim. description of width- height- depth, usually in cm. It must be for the completed out of the machine package. For product like this I would think there would be additional input by provider of diameter- depth of a piece (mm) and scale (although i do see occ. mention of scale in YOUR product title) !?

imho of course

doug c

I’m interested!

I am still waiting on one of my patterns from Shapeways. One came out good, and the other had some detail ground off. After going back and forth with them, they issued me a credit. So I’m waiting on the reprint. It will be another 3-4 weeks before I will be able to sell them.

Are you planning on casting them in resin or metal? Looks like your really getting good with sketchup. Looking forward to seeing with what you come up with next.

Thanks for all the hard work that your putting into these prints. I really like my resin copies of the brake parts. Keep it up. (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)

The finished product will be brass.

The new prints came in today:

(http://burlrice.com/_LS_BrakeWheels/GE_composite.jpg)

In my first order, the left one had apparently had the sprue attatched to the face, and it got ground flat in the finishing process. I went back & forth with them & they eventually issued me a refund. What you’re looking at here is the second print, which I am much happier with. These will be mailed off to the foundry next week.

The final castings came back from the foundry yesterday:

(http://burlrice.com/_LS_BrakeWheels/GE1a.jpg)

(http://burlrice.com/_LS_BrakeWheels/GE2a.jpg)

I now have these for sale on my website: http://burlrice.com/_LS_BrakeWheels/

They don’t have apply and release printed on them! (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)

Shapeways couldn’t do the lettering. It was too fine.

Burl

I use a different 3D printing process than Shapeways. The process uses a liquid resin that hardens with ultraviolet light. The high resolution is normally associated to works of dentists & jewelers. You are welcome to send me the STL file & I can confirm if the lettering will show up.

Gilbert

Gilbert: is your printing software going to require an object with a single shell?

Burl

My printer’s software accepts files ending with the letters .STL . This is the commonly used file format for transferring files between the drawing software & the 3D printer. Even Shapeways accepts .STL files. The company that made my printer is 3D Systems, one of the biggest in the industry.

Sorry, I am not sure what you mean by single shell…

Gilbert

Gilbert;

There maybe some interest in replacement brake wheels for regular Aristocraft freight cars…I could lend you one to try producing them, if you care to.

If anyone else would care to comment on the need of them, please step forward…even if they were not direct copies of them, I’m sure they would be of some use. Then of course there are other style brake wheels that might be in demand.

I have a fairly old one; a real one, that you could take measurements, and photos of, that might be of interest to some modellers.

Let me know…