Designing a shadowbox diorama

[Hauk]

The digital modelling is a bit more fun when I have gained a little more experience in Fusion.
While I am waiting for my friendly printer contact to star on the gantry mechanism parts, I have started designing a wheel lathe:



Still quite a way to go, but if the rain continues, it can be done in a couple of more evenings.
 

[Stuart]

Looks to me that you are progressing admirably with your digital modeling.

Stuart

[finescalerr]

It's really shaping up nicely. -- Russ

[Hauk]

Looks to me that you are progressing admirably with your digital modeling.

Stuart

I hate to admit it, but I am akctually starting to enjoy the time spent in Fusion. It is really a remarkable piece of software.

[Hauk]

Speaking of railroad workshops, I recently came across a quite remarkable project:
https://www.rmweb.co.uk/forums/topic/161034-hunslet-engine-works-in-7mm-scale/#comment-4257653
(Unfortunately, the images are missing on the first seven pages of postings, but from page 7 and out, they are showing)
All the videolinks to Youtube works, and there is som nice animation in the diorama.

An project way more ambitious than mine, but a great inspiration.

[Peter_T1958]

The digital modelling is a bit more fun when I have gained a little more experience in Fusion

I can only agree, but digital modelling is also a very welcome change from analog modelling, at least during the coming winter days.
Moreover it is my feeling, that my modelling skills have very likely passed their zenith with my 66 years. Here, working on the computer screen continues to perform very well or even better as experience increases...

[finescalerr]

I couldn't agree more with your comment about digital modeling (and age). -- Russ

[Sami]

Interesting modeling Hauk !
I learn to use Fusion 360 but i don't have your level.

[Hauk]

Thanks for the encouring comments, folks!

Progress on the lathe continues. Lately, the biggest challenge has not been Fusion, but rather figuring out how the darn thing was constructed. A while back I thought I had everything sorted as I found a set of drawings that supposedly was of the lathe in question. But closer examination of pictures revealed that  there were quite significant differnces between the drawings and the actual lathe. I also found a more schematic drawing that indicates other solutions.

So the challenge is fusing all the information into a lathe that looks believable.  Mainly in relation to the prototype, but also when it comes to the functions on a wheel lathe.



It is starting to come togethe now, but I have some doubts about the proportions, espcially the toolposts/compund rests. They just look a bit too heavy, and I also wonder how much travel they  really had.

And the bolts fixing the headstock and tailstock look a size too small.

Perhaps it is time for some testprints so I can see how it fits in with the actual scene.

[Hauk]

The modelling of the lathe is turning into more of a reverse engineering project than just modelling a prototype object. I  have some knowledge into the workings of a lathe, but there are some features on the wheel lathe that is a puzzle to me. For instance do anyone know the purpose of the gears on the sides of the belt wheels on the headstock? What are they connected to? I also have no idea what the purpose of the small gear on the tailstock is for. I would be very happy if someone could enlighten me!

[Peter_T1958]

It certainly has experts out there – I am not one of them . But here a short video on youtube that  shows an old belt driven lathe.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qC8-dIIIi2w

And yes, here are some additional gear wheels too. To me it seems that in this case  they have most likey to do with the threaded rod in the foreground. Some sort of transmission...

[Stuart]

Hello Hauk -

This past week I had the opportunity to visit an historic railroad here in the US located in Ely, Nevada, the Nevada Northern Railroad.  The railroad came into being in 1905 to connect the Nevada Consolidated mines and smelter to the national rail network. Later the rail lines were expanded to serve the local copper mining district.

The railroad no longer serves the mining industry and is now a national historic landmark owned by the state of Nevada.  The railroad shops are included as part of the museum and contain an innumerable collection of historic machinery which is still used to maintain the steam and diesel locomotives and railroad cars.  I thought you may be interested in seeing some photos of the equipment, a radial milling machine and a wheel lathe.

[Stuart]

And here is the wheel lathe.

[Stuart]

A general view of half of the machine shop.

[finescalerr]

Nice photos, Stuart. Thanks for posting them.

Coincidentally, last month I drew plans for a friend of what I hope is a close approximation of the original Nevada Northern depot at Currie, NV. Twenty year old photos of the structure are online. It appears at some point the railroad expanded the basic depot so a station agent could live there.

I hope the drawing will augment Stuart's images. It's a simple enough plan; maybe someone will build a model from it.

Russ