Matrix Drawer

Finally got my first functional drawer working after six prototypes, a full-height matrix-style drawer as seen in red/white. After a lot of testing, I had to print the drawer in three parts (exterior chassis, the drawer itself and the drawer faceplate). I added rails to each side to keep everything aligned properly as it slides out.

It takes 20 minutes to print a faceplate, 75 minutes to print the exterior of the drawer and another 45 minutes to print the drawer itself.

Walls

It's now starting to look like a cable car with the walls for the interior section now installed. I experienced a small issue as I added custom white bars to the inside of the windows but did not take into account the exterior wall thickness. It took a bit of trimming but I managed to squeeze it all together.

Front & Back Decals

Finished painting the front and back sections and added the decals. Added plastic windows on the front section which was not included with the kit.

 

MedStation

For some time I have been contemplating building a scale model "MedStation 4000/ES Station". I work at BD (Becton Dickinson) formerly Pyxis and supported the product for several years before becoming a software engineer. A colleague who was hired on the same day as me (August 2004) is retiring in February 2020 and with the recent purchase of my 3D printer, I decided that this would make an excellent retirement gift.

After speaking with management I got the ok to proceed so I'll be making three of them, one for my colleague, another for myself, and a third one for management.

I will be using a 1.5" TFT screen and using an Arduino mini to display a slideshow of colleagues my friend works with. Since the screen size will determine the scale of the model it came to a nice 1/10th scale which will make converting the measurements very easy to calculate!

As for the drawers which hold the medication, they will open just like the real thing. A standard MedStation has six drawers so I create the following types:

1. Mini Drawer
2. Full Height Cubie Drawer
3. Full Height Matrix with Return Bin
4. Full Height Matrix
5. Bin Drawer
6. Carousel Drawer

There will also be a red light where a nurse would place her finger (BioID) to scan to grant access.

With a 15 year relationship with the product, it should prove to be a very fun a rewarding project!

3D Printer

Today I received a package in the mail, something that I have been dreaming for many years to get and now finally obtained; a 3D printer!

After doing a lot of research I decided to go with a FlashForge Adventurer 3. While a bit more expensive than other options the reviews were great and its what I would call a high-end beginners 3D printer. I noticed that while the more economical kits ("Creality Ender 3 Pro") were enticing with larger build volumes, the tinkering involved did not interest me. Other printers that I seriously considered was the "Monoprice Select Mini Pro" but with a build volume of just 12cm³ I wasn't sure it was big enough...

Ultimately what drew me to the Adventurer 3 was the enclosure which limits dbA, printing odors and also helps contain "Volatile organic compounds" (VOCs). Another factor is that I also have three young boys and a curious cat which also told me that an enclosure was the way to go if I did not want to have issues.

The touchscreen while not a requirement was a pleasant bonus as well as WiFi connectivity. The slicer software is very easy to understand and use (FlashPrint) and overall and very happy with the selection I made from the hundreds of models available on the market.

While the purchase of the 3D printer was not solely motivated by what it can do to help me with scale modeling I am certain that this tool will no doubt will be a great asset and can't wait to use it on a project!

Box Art Discrepancy

Tonight I applied the first decals to the kit and after placing the first side panel yellow rectangle I happened to glance at the box art and noticed a discrepancy.

The first image is the kit with decals supplied and the second image is that from the box art. Notice how the yellow rectangle goes from edge to edge... The decals provided leave a large gap which I found odd so I looked up some photos online and while it does not go edge to edge there is a small gap. My issue is that the gap I have is much larger than I would desire.

While not perfect I am going to say it is close enough. I debated creating my own decals but since the yellow would not match I would probably have to redo all the yellow lines which are not an interesting task.

My conclusion is that I suspect that those yellow lines on the box art are painted...

Golden Bell

Decided to paint the bell today, a nice golden color. Unforintelty I did not have any gold paint on hand so went down to my local hobby shop. Usually, I buy Tamiya but did not like the look of the gold color. I've been debating switching to Model Master paints and while the gold color was better it still was not what I was looking for. Finally, I looked at Testors oil-based paints (little square jars) and it was perfect and also the cheapest! So I got home and just used a toothpick to paint the small bell and it looks perfect with just a single coat.

Mixing Paint

Initially, I was going to use Tamiya X-28 Park Green for the body of the cable car but after some initial tests found it to be too bright... After some trial and error with a vote from my wife, I finally was able to get a nice green color for the cable car by mixing Tamiya X28 Park Green with Tamiya XF-85 Rubber Black at a ratio of 5:1.

Wheels

Completed painting and detailing the wheels for the cable car.

Unboxing Video