G scale can wagon

What's this then?

This is a G scale wagon designed to hold 2 standard 330ml cans. It's meant to be more robust and practical than realistic (I don't think there were many GWR trains carry giant replica drinks cans in wagons!) but I think it still looks ok!

You will need some M3 hardware, and 683ZZ bearings to build this model. They can be found very cheaply in bulk from sites like ebay. (They certainly don't need to be high quality bearings.)

If you just want a normal wagon, then it works as that too! The can holder is a separate part that you can just leave off in the last assembly step.

Print instructions

All the parts for the base are noted as the parts to print in black. The other parts you can print in any colour you wish. You need to print either the standard body or the smooth sided body, not both. The smooth sided body is just smooth on the long side rather than textured, as if you want to add custom transfers as in the photo above this makes it much, much easier.

You also need to decide whether to print the can holder, or the carton holder. The instructions below refer to the can holder, if you want to use the carton holder just print that instead. It screws together with the other pieces in exactly the same way.

Supports are required for the wheels. I'd recommend printing the wheels in this orientation:

I would also recommend printing the wheels with maximum strength, to ensure the axles are less likely to snap.

Build instructions

Take the base:

...and push 4 M3 nuts into the corners like so. These will be a tight fit, you may have to use some force.

Then, take a wheel, a wheel holder and an outer wheel holder (you should have 4 sets of these 3 pieces.)

Push a 683ZZ bearing into the wheel holder, and the outer wheel holder.

Push M3 nuts into the same pieces at the opposite end - two in the wheel holder, and one in the outer wheel holder. These may be a tight fit.

Push the wheel, and the two wheel holders together carefully. Ensure that the flange (the widest part of the wheel) is closest to the inner wheel holder.

Carefully press these pieces into one corner of the base.

Repeat these steps for the other 3 wheels and wheel holders.

Turn the base over, and use 12xM3 6mm screws to secure the wheels in place.

Put some glue on the buffers and coupling hooks, and glue them in place at each end of the base. You just need a little bit of glue, they should be a tight fit.

Finally, put the can holder inside the wagon body, and then use 4xM3 10mm screws to secure in place.

If you have any transfers, stickers etc. then you can now apply them to the side of the wagon!