3D model description
The model of a motor grader (/road grader) in HO scale (1:87), inspired by a Volvo G730 from the early 2000's.
This model was designed with FDM printing in mind but some parts are extremely small (such as the steering wheel and some of the hydraulic cylinders) and you will have better results with an SLA printer. If printed on an FDM printer, you will need a 0.25mm nozzle (or finer) and layer heights of 0.05mm. Another option is to scale up the model.
I modeled all of the joints and then exported different positions of the moving parts of the blade positioning system (the steering is fixed). I can also provide other angles if you need them.
The model is in many parts that have to be glued on (a few screenshots are in the pictures to help with the assembly).
This model is by far my most mechanically complex and some of the parts ended up being smaller than I had expected, if you have any issues with the assembly or printing of the model, reach out, I will be happy to help.
All the files are in the .zip compressed file but I have also included a few of them as .stl's to give a preview (there were too many files to be uploaded directly as stl's)
3D printing settings
I have used Prusa slicer to orient the parts in the best possible way for FDM printing, some parts will still require supports.
For some of the joints I have included angles of a particular piece relative to the rest, for others, I included the general position of a part, you then have to print all of the files that have that position in the name. The .zip folder is also organised accordingly.
Here is the list of the parts that you will have to print:
Main body:
- 1x G730_mainBody_L (supports required)
- 1x G730_mainBody_R (supports required)
- 1x G730_engineBay (supports required)
- 1x G730_holdingBlock (used to align the 2 halves of the body and the engine bay)
- 1x G730_ladder
- 1x G730_liftCylinderHolder
- 1x G730_steeringWheel (extremely small, pretty much impossible to print with an FDM printer in HO scale)
Rear drive:
- 1x G730_tandemDrive_L
- 1x G730_tandemDrive_R
- 2x G730_rearWheel_R
- 2x G730_rearWheel_L
Front steering assembly:
- 1x G730_frontWheel_L
- 1x G730_frontWheel_R
- 1x G730_frontWheelHub_L
- 1x G730_frontWheelHub_R
- 1x G730_steeringCylinder_L (supports required)
- 1x G730_steeringCylinder_R (supports required)
- 1x G730_steeringLinkage
- 1x G730_swingArm_L (supports required)
- 1x G730_swingArm_R (supports required)
Traction frame (the upper part of the blade orienting mechanism):
I have exported the joints for this part of the mechanism in 3 positions : a transport position with the blade lifted, a grading position with the mechanism centered and a grading position with the whole mechanism shifted to the right. You will have to choose one of the 3 orientations and pick all of the corresponding files.
- 1x G730_tractionFrame_L (supports required)
- 1x G730_tractionFrame_R (supports required)
- 1x G730_turntable (supports required)
- 1x G730_tractionJoint_[choose a position] - (extremely small part)
- 1x G730_sideTiltCylinder_choose a position
- 1x G730_tractionJoint_[choose a position]
- 1x G730_liftCylinder_L_choose a position
- 1x G730_liftCylinder_R_choose a position
Blade holder (the lower part of the blade orienting mechanism):
For this part, you have to decide the angle of the blade, 0deg being the bottom of the blade vertical and 30deg being the blade curled up all the way.
- 1x G730_bladeHolder_shiftingCylinder
- 1x G730_bladeHolder_slideBar
- 2x G730_cuttingAngleCylinder_[choose blade angle]
- 1x G730_bladeHolder_[choose blade angle][choose blade position]_L
- 1x G730_bladeHolder[choose blade angle]_[choose blade position]_R
grading blade :
- 1x G730_blade Right
- 1x G730_bladeLeft
- 1x G730_bladeWearPlate