Why no tapered round ones?

Chatting at the N gauge Area Group yesterday evening a comment was made regarding factory chimneys on models, "Why are there no tapered round chimneys available?"  Are there any in larger scales?
 
Maybe understandable for card models but  what stops plastic or cast resin ones being produced, could it possibly be something the 3D printers could produce?

As a rough guide the chimney on the Metcalfe factory and boiler house is about 160mm tall tapering from about 20mm to 15mm.

Shouldn't be hard to scratch build but I guess you are referring to RTR off the shelf models Mike?

Marty

I have tried this, it is difficult to diminish the number of bricks 'per circle' as it rises. No doubt some one clever could use GIMP or some such to develop a conic section which would wrap a particular height and diameter core, it is beyond me, although I have successfully done the job in scribed foam board.

It is no big job to develop a conic section to cover orvwrap a certain sized chimney, the hard bit (IMHO) is knowing the size/taper needed to start with!

Doug

There are a few around in 1:160, some old stock, try the auction houses or Amazon. Many are attached to something else (boiler house or factory), a bonus (or hindrance). 1:148 chimneys are square or octagonal. Some examples:

Kibri 1871, 7322 (boiler house/chimney).

Faller 222202 (boiler house/chimney).

Pola factory kits\ (now part pf Faller).

Walthers 506 1020 or 506 1470.

Model Tech Studios (stone, chimney alone).

There are some Cornish tin mine engine buildings with circular chimneys. Made in Cornwall as well.

Nigel

Ah.. Of course Doug, getting the bricks right would be darn tricky, Oww… It makes my head hurt just thinking about it.

A great opportunity for CAD and 3D printing.


Marty

Not difficult to model for 3D printing, but time consuming I think. Each course of brickwork would have to be modeled individually and there are a lot of courses in a 30 metre high chimney. There may be something smart that I could do with a bit of maths. I'll put my thinking cap on.

3D brick by 3D brick… You know you want to.   :thumbs

Skytrex are now doing a lovely resin cast tapered chimney for 4mm scale. They don't do anything in N though.


http://skytrexmodelrailways.com/industrial-chimneys_c6256.aspx

That looks a beauty Woody - not too expensive either. :thumbs

Well I worked out a way of modeling circular brickwork, tapering as it rises.



And modeled a 30 metre high chimney in N scale.




The problem is it would cost around £16 to print.  I'll see if I can model it thinner, reducing the volume of material and bringing the cost down. It's unlikely though to be cost competitive with skytrex (or any other resin casting), until the cost of 3D printing falls. It's probably something to store away till later, or leave available for purchase for those with deep pockets.

In "N" Gauge and at £16 plus your margin and postage Peter, as you say, it will be some time before it's a viable option against the Skytrex offering but then I'd expect resin casting to be cheaper than 3D at present - but is it as good ……………….hmm:hmm

Here's one I've done recently the copy a Cornish engine house in layered foam board , scribed with a sharp pencil. Moved on to the adjoining walls and lost interest….The tapered brick top was the most enjoyable part. Memories of the Carn Bra trip in 2010, seems a long time ago now.





Doug

If each row, or couple of rows, of bricks is cut from your source material ( paper, embosed plasticard, etc.) then wrapped around a tapered former, with all the joins at the 'back', then a tapered, bricked chimney should be the result.

[user=465]Stubby47[/user] wrote:

If each row, or couple of rows, of bricks is cut from your source material ( paper, embosed plasticard, etc.) then wrapped around a tapered former, with all the joins at the 'back', then a tapered, bricked chimney should be the result.

Theoretically should work perfectly, but at four rows of brick to the foot, a 100 foot chimney needs either 200 or 400 strips cut and accurately stuck on to the former.

I put my tapered factory chimney available for purchase on Shapeways, at both N and OO scale. Someone may have more money than sense. Not as bad though as the hyperbolic cooling tower I modeled that had a projected purchase price of around $1200. I didn't bother making that one available for people to buy…. but … if anyone is desperate to have a cooling tower on their layout, just let me know.

A photograph of the cooling tower would be good……. And a lot cheaper

Toto

Cooling towers can be up to 660ft high - that's 2.64 real meters in 4mm scale - even a photo of that size would be expensive !

I was going for a small one… well as big as would fit in a Shapeways printer which was about 300 feet in N. I think if you can afford a layout that is large enough for it to not look stupid, then you could probably afford a 3D printed cooling tower. I'll keep the model file just in case Rod Stewart decides to switch to modeling industrial UK.

Hey Peter

Why not use the one you have as a mold for resin casting? Since the actual flue doesn't taper a bit of dowel would work as the centre hole.

Not only cheaper but already half made.

Jim

PS As a reward for the suggestion, please can I have a roller (like the wife's pastry roller) made to emboss street cobbles on plaster? Oh yeah, and a couple of stamps for drain covers, manhole covers and gutter cobbles?:mrgreen::mrgreen:

I still have my foam board Cornish engine house stone/brick one [see above] if someone would like to try and make a mould from it… postage costs only…?


Doug