Attention Scale Modelers! (Especially Model Railroaders)
Chances are many of the things you want to model aren’t commercially available and would be too difficult to scratch build.
I personally know that dilemma quite well.
Fortunately though, there is a solution: 3D printing through companies like Shapeways or printing with your own resin or FDM printer.
3D printing keeps getting better and (sometimes) cheaper, which is great news for
model railroaders. However, there is a catch. You need to create a
printable 3D file of the model you want in order to print the model you
want. You could go through the hassle of obtaining and learning 3D
modeling software. But that’s an investment in time and energy you’d
likely rather not make.
That’s where I come in. I’ve been engaged in making printable 3D
files for model railroaders for over a decade now. My 3D printed work
has even been featured in Model Railroader magazine a number of times. My experience in making 3D printable model designs will allow
you to have models you’ve long only dreamed of in your hand in a matter
of weeks from right now.
I’ve helped many people make their modeling dreams come to life. And I can help you too.
Yes it will cost some money to hire me, but the beauty of 3D modeling is
if you hire me to make a model for you, you’ll own it…which means
you’ll have the ability to sell prints of it through Shapeways, produce prints yourself, or sell the printable files to others through places like CGTrader and Cults3D. Selling on Shapeways is very easy, all it
requires is opening a free Shapeways account and also a free Paypal
account so Shapeways can pay you royalties on any sales you make. That
means, you could easily not only have a model you’ve long desired but
also make a profit off taking the initiative to hire me to make the
printable file for you.
3D printing is poised to become ever-better and ever-more-popular.
Just send me a message telling
me what you want to model and I’ll give you a quote on how much it will
cost. I currently charge just $35 an hour. Read on for more details on
the process. If you have a budget for what you are willing to pay me to
design your model tell me it because that’s one way I’ll quickly be able
to tell you if I can do your model for the price you are willing to
pay.
What I can make for you: Any railroad equipment or
structure/building you want I can probably do—just so long as you can
give me good, accurate, detailed information about the prototype you
want modeled. Small scales are currently most fit for 3D printing, but
all scales are welcome (you can even invent your own scale). The only
issue is, the larger the scale the higher the printing costs (but not
design costs). I can design everything from complete models to masters
for resin kits. Once you have the design file, you can use Shapeways (or
any printer including your own home resin printer) to have the design printed in whatever material and
whatever way you want (although different materials require different
design specifications). And if you are a novice to 3D printing, I’ll
guide you as needed. I can also use 3D design to make 2D images for things like backdrops as I described in the November 2019 issue of Model Railroader magazine. Designing 3D designs for 2D images is generally less time consuming and therefore cheaper to make since they don't need to be 3D printable.
Cost: I’m currently charging $35 an hour for design
work. As an example of what to expect for costs, a full freight car
design is likely to take at least a full workday (8 hours). I’m willing
to come down on the hourly rate if you have a lot of work for me though.
An average (symmetrical) freight car design of average complexity will
run about $250. If you want a lot of detail, like every rivet,
the price could quickly double to $400+. But detail potential is
somewhat limited because the printers have a file size limit and more
details mean bigger file sizes. I can only control the printable file, a
third party like Shapeways is responsible for the printing. Beyond
freight cars, an average locomotive shell will run around $400, but a
lot of details could drive that price higher. Structure design prices
can vary widely based on size and complexity. On bigger projects, I will
ask for a $100 down payment upfront before I start designing.
Contact: As long as you know what you want and can give me drawings, measurements, diagrams etc., go ahead and contact me
and I’ll give you a cost estimate. Contact me using the "send message" feature on Shapeways (requires setting up a Shapeways login). If you want me to do the research to
gather prototype info, I can but it will cost extra. If you hire me to
make you a printable file, you’ll own it which means you’ll be able to
sell prints yourself; that
could be lucrative going forward as 3D printing gets ever-better. Look
at my current Shapeways shop for ideas on what is possible and how much printing costs using a third party.
Pay with Paypal when I give you the all clear and you are ready to pay. All major credit cards accepted. I also accept payment in crypto-currencies (Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, Theta, BCH, DOT, ARRR etc.), just ask.
