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**OK_Hogger** · 06-02-2018, 04:26 AM

Hakan:

Your mine scene is going to be a neat little "mini-scene/interest point"!

I'm very impressed with what I can see of the print quality on your glow-in-the-dark horse. Looks like it has a very smooth surface and actually appears to approach the quality of die-cast plastic.

Andre

**deemery** · 06-02-2018, 04:34 AM

Love the scene, and the horse. Now you need to do some mules, which were used underground in mines.

dave

**masonamerican** · 06-02-2018, 10:33 AM

Hi Guys, that sure was a mixed batch of critique. I could not fool you on the mule

Well my new motive power was supposed to get off as a Mule. Hey, he can’t help his parentage and above that he is over 130 years old. No wonder he also has an eerie green glow to him. No Mike it’s not the company color. Bill nailed it though

Puns aside it’s tough to find a HO mule as it is and let alone with a harness. The only change I had made before printing was to make the ears longer and larger. This was a test print and I will make some changes to get it more mule like. If I can’t make them in 3D I’ll do them on the printed model. The changes I will make is to build up the nose ridge a little, horses have a pretty straight line down from the ears but mules have a more bulging ridge. Also the legs are bit too long. The last bit of the transformation will be to build up the hair to be more mule like. The hair I’ll do on the printed model using putty.

Here are some links to of mules working in mines. The mules could be quite large.

Bess:

http://www.historylink.org/File/8651

Here they even had dog motive power.

http://tenmilecreekcountry.blogspot....ine-mules.html

Hakan

**masonamerican** · 06-04-2018, 12:37 PM

Yesterday I tried changing my horse model to more mule looking in my ordinary 3D CAD program but it was difficult to say the least. I remembered an email I got about a week ago from Shapeways with 3D programs for the beginner. In it was a link to a program called Sculptris:

http://pixologic.com/sculptris/

I downloaded it and as it was very intuitive I tried it out using the horse model to learn. It was much easier to change things in this program so using photos of mules I started to warp my horse into one. Here it is printed and primed grey.

Most of the changes have been made to the head but also the body has got many changes. There are lots of variations on mules and sometimes it seems the donkey genes are more prevalent than the horse and sometimes it is the other way around.

The changes I'll do on the printed model is to change the tail and add some mane.

I hope you like it better than my previous radioactive horse with the large pointy ears

Hakan

**BlairM** · 06-04-2018, 01:51 PM

I like those Mules very much Hakan, I have already saved the drafting program link and I will need to create some of my own as I would like to represent some Pennsylvania canal boats at some point.

I use autocad, but have not ventured into any of the other more free-form programs for curved shapes.

Regarding the mine, here are a couple images of a Colorado mine I always liked well near Frisco Colorado. "The Square Deal Mine and Development Co" got to love the name and connotation.

Blair

**deemery** · 06-04-2018, 02:47 PM

At least on the previous layout, I had a tramway where I wanted mules to haul the cars around. Maybe I'll fit that on my new layout. Can you make these available for purchase?

dave

**Bill_Gill** · 06-04-2018, 03:06 PM

Good transformation, Hakan!

**masonamerican** · 06-05-2018, 11:42 AM

Thanks Blair,

On the program I had no idea such easy to use programs existed. But its easier if you have something to start with. I tried their sphere when beginning and that sure wasnt easy.

Love the name on that mine too. Thanks for the photos they will be an inspiration for my entrance

Dave, I made it for myself but I think I can add a couple of them to my shop. I want some more mules in different poses to pull my stage coaches. With this program I’ll also go over the horses I have made as they are in areas pretty low res. With Sculptris its easy to smooth areas and getting them in better resolution.

Thanks Bill!

Hakan

**OK_Hogger** · 06-05-2018, 12:36 PM

Hakan:

Yes indeed, your mule is excellent looking. No mistaking it for horse at all.

It's sure a lot of fun to follow along on your progress.

Andre

**railman28** · 06-05-2018, 12:52 PM

I'm so glad your're busy. The mine scene is coming together nicely. I like the changes to the track and horse, ah, I mean mule power. And A might fine mule you got there. I too would like to be able to purchase a few. I also realize that might be harder to make them available through Shapeways than simply printing them on your own printer. I might add you doing a very fine job of selling this new printer.

**masonamerican** · 06-09-2018, 02:30 PM

Thanks Andre and Bob!

I’m happy you like the new motive power.

On the mule I hope to be able to make some variants with different poses. Tonight I started on my tunnel. I made it with a slight curve and the idea is to place a mirror at the end.

Not sure if was practice in the early days to have illumination in the tunnels. I’m thinking on adding some small weak LEDs to represent oil lamps hung from the walls.

Here is a photo of my tunnel. Its high enough for a man to stand straight but the mule needs to bend the head.

https://flic.kr/p/284nHbZ

Hakan

**Donald_Ball** · 06-09-2018, 03:41 PM

In the 1800s, the typical mine illumination was by candle. Each miner carried a candle holder with a sharp spike on it (see https://www.bisbeeminingandminerals....-candleholders). He would stick the spike into the wood shoring in the mine to hold it while he worked. On the Comstock, and probably other places, the mules were kept underground and never saw daylight. They just hauled the ore to the lift and went back for more.

Don

**railman28** · 06-09-2018, 07:20 PM

But Don, this is a drift mine Hakan is building. Their mules got outside though they where often blind.

**railman28** · 08-04-2018, 09:53 AM

bump
..........

**masonamerican** · 08-07-2018, 07:58 AM

Hi All,

Thanks for the bump Bob!

There has been awhile since I posted but there has been some progress on the mine. I have named it the Bess mine after this poor 24hr day and night working mule:

http://www.historylink.org/File/8651

I made the mine tunnel in styrene and in wood. I also added two LEDs to simulate some kerosene lamps hung on the wall. Mostly to light when having visitors to the layout. I also added a small mirror at the end to increase the depth.

I then mounted the whole assembly into the hillside and glued the track on top of the prevously made wood structure. I have then started adding a wood floor using 3x10 and 3x12 planks. The small side track is for mine tailings. As the platform is quite high up I decided to add a small light cabin where the crew can eat and occasionally sleep over. I thought to try scratchbuild it with board and batten walls and with a board roof. The outbuilding is for the mule. My management decided that letting the mules rest would be more profitable than letting them work around the clock

.

The roof overhang on the side is for firewood storage.

I need also to add a crapper somewhere. Perhaps behind the building. Another feature will be a

simple jib crane for getting stuff up on the platform.

I added a LED lamp inside the cabin.

That is all for the moment!

Happy modeling!

Hakan

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