NYC 4-6-4 Steam Engine

**EnigmaMachine** · 01 February 2007, 01:00 AM

Wanted to share my latest work with yall'. Not done yet but coming along nicely. One problem I'm having is making long lengths of bent pipe (very common on steam engines) with multiple bends. Anybody had to do that kind of thing in your work, I could use some help with that. Using an autocad drawing for reference.

Here's the train so far.... Some bent pipe under the cab.
Chuck

**Intbel** · 01 February 2007, 01:28 AM

Coming along nicely!

For some examples of 'bent pipes' follow this thread.

**Egg Bramhill** · 01 February 2007, 04:04 AM

Quick & Easy pipes.

**parahandy** · 01 February 2007, 08:42 AM

Originally Posted by Egg Bramhill

Quick & Easy pipes.

Egg thank you thank you. it is so easy doing it that way I could have used that several times in the past but never knew how but as they say in Scotland
" I ken noo"
Chuck. There is a draughtman-like quality about your drawings very very good.

**EnigmaMachine** · 01 February 2007, 09:05 AM

Thanks for the great pipes tutorial Egg. that will save me a ton of pieces.

A thanks Par. I have done CAD stuff on and off over the years in the aerospace industry so that helps. And it makes me go towards the detailed mechanical type of creations as upposed to the more artistic. But learning on all fronts. A few more xara pics on my website at www.chuckstasek.com if your interested.

**Anders 205** · 01 February 2007, 09:07 AM

Your locomotive is a gem, Chuck!

Perhaps these sites may give you some inspiration in bending and joining those pipes and tubes. Similar Photoshop and PSP7 realizations can very well be put through in Xtreme Pro.

Pipe Joints by Richie Dumlao, and his site overview Pinoy7.

Pipes & Tubes by my neighbour friend, Anders Quicker.

Keep pepping us up with your art work!

Cheers, Anders

**WolfMoonHP** · 01 February 2007, 12:46 PM

Please keep us posted as the project develops, not just with the final result.

I find watching a work in progress to be extremely educational...and fun!

It's already looking great!
---
Will

**Intbel** · 01 February 2007, 01:13 PM

Pipe bits

**EnigmaMachine** · 01 February 2007, 02:10 PM

This is definitely the place to come for help. thanks all for the great pipe tutorials. Moving along, I've added quite a few details and improved the look of the main drive wheels. I beveled and colored the cutout circle and that made them look more like hugh castings that they probably were.
Chuck Stasek

**jclements** · 01 February 2007, 04:52 PM

The quickest way in Xara for pipe bends:

1. Draw a thin curve (assume its the centerline of your pipe). Apply a Named-color which corresponds to the desired reflection/highlight needed for the pipe. (I usually use a light shade of or tint of a Named-color).

2. Copy the curve to clipboard.

3. Give the original curve a thick line-width (stroke) and change its color to correspond to shaded area of the pipe (I usually use a dark shade of the Named-color assigned in Step 1).

4. Paste in place (ctrl+shift+V) the curve from the clipboard.

5. Zoom in close and blend the top thin-curve to the bottom thick-curve. Adjust the number of blends as necessary. You may have to tweek (reposition) the endpoints (nodes) of the top thin-curve to get the pipe-ends to look the way you want them.