3
D printing has come a
long way in the past few
years, and it may con-
tinue to improve. However,
the surface quality of today’s
digital printing technol-
ogy is far below that of CNC
and traditional model mak-
ing. Additive manufactur-
ing, as 3D printing is usually
termed, is useful when you
need a quick demonstration
part, or the cost of making a
part by traditional methods
is prohibitive. The final part
can require significant post-
production surface treatment
to provide the finish we mod-
elers expect. However, this
technique can produce parts
that otherwise would be
impossible.
The beginning, an
experiment
While planning to build a
model of the passenger sta-
tion at White Sulphur Springs,
WV, I found it had a number
