Altoona & Logan Valley "Electromobile"

Scranton Electromobile (L), Altoona & Logan Valley (R)

Altoona & Logan Valley « Electromobile », freshly out of the paint shop today. This is the very first production model, with improved trolley stands an more details. 

The blue Scranton car on the left is my test print, lacking some of the betterments, but this is nearly invisible. 

Both versions have now the same level of details. The floor is for Halling drives

The Altoona car is the first"production run"

Baldwin Westinghouse Class B

The deadline of the 2015 East Penn Traction Meet in May is approaching. Will this last project be ready in time, or not? We will see...

The decision to build this engine was long to take. A year ago, I considered to buy a brass kit from MRR Warehouse, but endless complications about the motorization led me to abandon this project.

Placing motors into this tiny engines with offset hoods was any time a big challenge for many modelers.

Some month later and still frustrated, I decided to start with the motorization and only in a second term build a engin body around. Some 3D sketches were drawn and proved that NWSL Stanton drives could match, when nibbling even the last millimeter. Exhausted, no further engineering was done for months.

But recently, John Richards, conductor at the Iowa Traction asked me if I would be able and interested in drawing a 3D model of a Baldwin-Westinghouse Steeple Cab. This time I simply could not refuse ...

Iowa Traction # 54

Cleaning 3D prints made of Shapeway's Fine Detail or Fine Ultra Detail

Recommendation for cleaning 3D prints made of Shapeway's Fine Detail (FD) or Fine Ultra Detail (FUD) 

Uncleaned FUD is translucent

Frosted Detail and Frosted Ultra Detail are both made of a UV cured acrylic polymer. Both materials are well suited for painting.

They are relatively brittle, especially when features are thin. The material is heat resistant up to 80°C / 176°F degrees.

During printing, Frosted Detail and Frosted Ultra Detail products are supported by a waxy material that is dissolved after printing is complete.

Wax is mostly removed by Shapeways with ultrasonic bathes. But the model remains waxy when shipped.

This wax must be removed before painting. The residual wax makes the plastic translucid. Once cleaned, the model becomes white.

PLEASE NOTICE : Never apply water or air hotter than 50 ° C / 125°F 

Warm water bath with soap

Start with a first bath in warm water, brushing softly with a toothbrush.

I recommend using a plastic bucket when rinsing and brushing. If you broke a part, don't panic, you will not loose it, and could glue it with cyan glue. Glue broken parts only when cleaning is finished.

Then alternate chemical liquids or sprays and warm bathes. Let the model dry between each cleaning cycle.

Chemical liquids successfully tested:
• medical isopropanol (IPA)
• stove cleaning spray
• stain remover for clothing
• acetone free nail polish remove

I use mostly isopropanol and stove cleaning spray.

Household detergents have mostly small effect on wax, but soap helps to rinse the model properly.

After a chemical cleaning  always rinse with water. Then using a low pressure compressed air source to blow out any blocked holes.

Once cleaned, the print will loose its translucent aspect and becomes white.

Stove cleaning spray is a good wax cleaner

US friends have told me that products called Bestine, Goo-Gone or De-Solve are working well. They are not available here.

In this video a modeler use Bleche-White tyre cleaner in a video, but you must be much more careful with the toothbrush than this guy: http://youtu.be/mVYnbsnoB3Q

NOT RECOMMENDED :  

Aceton and Mineral/white spirit dissolves perhaps the wax but also softens the plastic leading to breakage and failure. 

Avoid hot water or hot air.