1/64 Combine trailers and short cuts
Combine trailers and short cuts
This idea has been on my mind for some time. I have been making models and parts as a business for just over a year. Since the day I made my first double combine trailer, I find myself saying “there has got to a better way”, or a variation, “there has got to be smarter way”.
It almost sounds like I am seeking a short cut. But in reality what I have uncovered are new processes that are no less difficult…just smart. If readers followed all the blog entries over 3D printing it may have come to light that none of that was a short cut. The learning curve has been steep (and I am still climbing).
1/64 double combine trailers, for a year it seemed like combine trailers and a soldering iron was all I spent time with. Quickly 
becoming burned out and disinterested I was saying “there has got to be a better way” with regularity. Thanks to Google and narrow keyword searches I found a laser cutter in my home state. A few emails later I was hooked up with a good natured engineer willing to give my insignificant (to them) project a chance. Thanks to that relationship building became fun again.
Then there is silage racks. SHeesh talk about a big pain in the…yeah. There is no easy way to make those but I did through sheer determination make them less frustrating, see the video here. Now I am working another smart way to get 3D printed racks and avoid unnecessary frustration.
Really this article is cliché “if it were easy everyone would be doing it”. There are no short cuts, however, there are smart processes and smart ideas. Little helpers to make life easier but leave enough challenge to keep it interesting. Shortcuts seem to cost me time and unnecessary money.
Seth Godin, a brilliant author I read said this in a recent blog entry:
It will take you less time and less effort to do it the difficult way than it will to buy and try and discard all the shortcuts. No kidding huh? Read the whole thing here
So in all our endeavors it is sage advice to do hard work. But! Look for, no beg for smart solutions.
Your feedback is greatly appreciated, please leave a comment in the comment box.
Eric
Eric,
I would like your opinion?
I ordered 8″ flashing beacons as the supplier called them
They are designed ( and I use the word designed lightly ) to be painted and glued on the back of trailer for over sized load. The ones I received are pretty rough die cast and super small.. I was going to try to make them work for me, I tried scuffing them up on sand paper sponge as I call them and applied two coats of Revel Orange paint and the paint is not sticking.
I’m going to remove what paint did stick and return them.. My thought is I wonder if they could be 3D printed out of metal or colored plastic.. Since you’ve done this stuff before, I wanted to ask you.
I also see on a lot of web sites of 1:64 scale truck parts that are out of stock on air wings. I think the supplier is the same for everyone as they are all sold as chromed.. I’m thinking this could be printed as well.
Can you send me an email to dankummer@gmail.com so I can send you pic of beacon..
Thanks
Dan Kummer
I used those myself. They are not the easiest to use for sure due to size. What I have done is lay them face down and paint the backs black with whatever spray paint I have. Then drill a pilot hole for each light so they don’t fall off.
Once mounted, I take a tiny dab of silver paint on a tooth pic and paint the faces. I’ve not had any trouble with paint sticking so far but I do not use them often.
As far as 3D. I would image they could be printed as long as the minimum tolerance of .3mm for Ultra frosted detail is met. For sure you would want them attached to a sprue so the printer can find them.
As far as the wing, you are limited by your imagination, it can be printed in a variety of metals and plastics. Thanks for the comment.