Hand Rail Stanchions... A Suitable Candidate for 3D printing?

I think so for a resin printer. My FDM isn't going to be able to handle something like that without some serious tuning and I'm dialed in for bigger stuff.

I have thought about this, as I really need some Fairbanks Morse stanchions and they just dont exist.  My thought would be to have them printed then cast in brass, like Shapeways can do. Or use the print to make a mold. If they were short and squat like the ones in the link above, I think you could probably do them in resin. But a diesel handrail.... I just think its going to be so thin it wouldnt survive long.

My guess is that making functional versions of those parts would be just fine given the proper resin. Certainly worth a try.

That's a good idea, many of the plastic ones are no longer available from the manufacturers.  For replacing them on TMCC/Legacy, you're kinda' stuck for matching stanchions.

@Boilermaker1 posted:

My thought would be to have them printed then cast in brass, like Shapeways can do. Or use the print to make a mold.

I could print a mold I bet. Not for brass, obviously, but maybe for epoxy or something.

Brass is only good for stuff that doesn't want to use the handrails for antennas.   It's the plastic ones that usually break...

If it worked with resin... how many Stanchions would fit on an 8" x 8" plane ... 64, 128, 256???

I was lucky to get a couple of replacements for my PRR H-9 a few years ago but wish I could get some spares.

Plastic ones break too easily with handling.    I think brass is a better choice if possible.    I don't need antennas.

I would be in for the 6-18056 Vandy tender stanchions, both the short and long ones. Most are broken on mine and not through careless handling...they're just super brittle.

Either plastic or brass would be fine with me.

John

both large and small stanchions. But both are very small.

I need more dimensions to more accurately make them like the top hole diameter ( what is the handrail diameter?) and diameter of the stanchion itself.

Sweet!

Wonderful craftsmanship Alan! Your incredible work has solved a huge O gauge problem.

John

printed plastic? they will break

No... a different material than the super brittle originals. These will absolutely outlast me...I trust Alan's craftsmanship...

John

@Dave Koehler posted:

printed plastic? they will break

The plastic ones on TMCC/Legacy already break!

If you look closely at Alan's rendition I think it 'probably' is closer physically to an actual stanchion.  What pops out to me is the top... most stanchion tops appear as a sphere/ball with a handrail hole through it.  Alan's top is flat all the way around and tapers around and into the handrail and stem.  Someone with better eyes and familiarity with real trains may correct me on this.

Gee, Alan comes up with a nice useful pattern and everyone's dumping on him!

Not me.  I need some of these.  This gives me an approach,  Thank you Alan.

Mike

Dave K.  It's gray resin not plastic printed on a FormLabs 3 resin printer not a tube-printer.

The shaft is thin so if you bend it backwards it will bend a bit before it breaks.

However, the application is static not moving so resin will perform well.

Alan, what in the world are you going to do with all of those?

Well before 3D printers I made hand rail stanchions from small cotter pins.  The railing were made of music wire.  I bet they are stronger than plastic 3D ones.

Charlie

Nice work.  They are -- but they look more like cotter pins and less like stanchions.

Mike

Those cotter pins look great!   I think Alan's are more prototypical than the originals... plus, they are insulators.  I think the 6-18056 was fairly popular and I've seen quite a few posts from folks looking for them.  At six per pop on the Vandy... that's what ...25 units or so.  I don't think they'll be in Alan's inventory very long.

@Choo Choo Charlie posted:

Well before 3D printers I made hand rail stanchions from small cotter pins.  I bet they are stronger than plastic 3D ones.

I doubt they insulate all that well for TMCC/Legacy antennas.

John

They serve as insulated on a plastic postwar coal tender !  And many postwar coal tenders had them made from wire.  That is what got me to use cotter pins and music wire for railings.

Charlie

@Choo Choo Charlie posted:

They serve as insulated on a plastic postwar coal tender !  And many postwar coal tenders had them made from wire.  That is what got me to use cotter pins and music wire for railings.

I typically don't need them for a PW coal tender, I typically need them for diecast TMCC stuff that requires insulated stanchions.

choo choo C

I like the creative use of cotter pins. before I had a 3D printer that's something like what I would have tried.

but having the printer allows me to make things differently, closer to the actual part design.

The top of the eyelet is flattened due to the printer having some surrounding resin present when the top of the eyelet is being lasered.  So the issue is solved by re-orienting the print at a slight angle.

When parts are unavailable it’s time to have some fun and make your own. I too have the18056 vandy tender with broken stanchions. I’ve replace it with a scale tender but wanted to fix the stanchions on the vandy anyway. I am using 3/32 and 1/16 brass tubing. A little solder and a lot of patience so far is working. Once painted they should look OK. Very strong.

Rod

What's the wire thickness or diameter?

Alan, I’ll have to measure the wire. It is however the original handrail from the vandy Lionel tender.

I have one in the closet with a bunch of broken stanchions, and since it's a TMCC tender, they have to be plastic.  Naturally, they're not available from Lionel.  However, the complication is they're also several different sizes and shapes.

John

The stanchions I am printing are sized above. If you  want others send me the dimensions.

I'll have to dig the tender out, but as I recall, there are angled ones as well.

John

no problem you may have to send me the angled ones