Brushs Laser Cutting and 3d Printing workbench

[BrushType4]

Will get back to the previous buildings but they are getting the paint put on by Graham. In the meantime I’ve got another commission and shrink job on the workbench. This time its a GWR style signal box.



I’ve been able to retain most of the detail at 4mm. Not sure the staircase steps are scale, perhaps too thin and to be honest a little dexterity is needed to assemble and I wouldn’t be happy to make it a kit as they are.

The windows are interesting. I’ve used .4mm laserboard which I’ve attached double sided tape to and stuck directly to super thin glazing. The result is a half decent window that can actually be slide into position. Yes opening windows are possible!

 

[BrushType4]

What a day but at least we had a new trainee with us today.



We start them young and she is just twelve and half weeks.

I wasn’t happy with the signal box stair case so I’ve thickened it up slightly

I think much better.

We also had some new 4mm signs to make. These really only take minutes to make but are super effective.




All in all not a bad day and much better than this fellow that escaped from the bakery.

 

[adrian]

Big improvement on the steps - more substantial.

 

[Giles]

Your new trainee is an absolute poppet. All your laser work is absolutely superb, and way ahead of what would have been considered possible or viable a few years back! Brilliant!

 

[BrushType4]

workshop has been closed as everyone has had a cold. Still not 100% now but work must be done.

A bit more on the 4mm signal box. Sticky roof slates.


And a try out of the brick windowsill that is more often found on these GWR boxes.



Hopefully have same paint on a few projects very soon.

 

[Dog Star]

Phil,

Does your laser cutter do brass at 0.9mm thickness?

regards, Graham

 

[BrushType4]

Phil,

Does your laser cutter do brass at 0.9mm thickness?

regards, Graham

Graham, I can only engrave brass not cut it.

 

[Dog Star]

I can only engrave brass not cut it.

What is the difference between engraving and repeated engraving to cut through?

 

[BrushType4]

What is the difference between engraving and repeated engraving to cut through?

You’re right, I suppose it’s a question of practicality. I don’t know how many hundred passes would be needed to cut through. Engraving lines is is more marking rather than burning much material away. I do have a fibre laser but it’s not a high enough power. Gold leaf is the limit for me. I have access to a plasma cutter but that’s probably not what you’re look for either.

I can engrave and cut a variety of materials so brass might not be what you need? I can certainly engrave and cut metal etching plans to check they work before expensive mistakes at the etchers.

 

[Giles]

Phil,

Does your laser cutter do brass at 0.9mm thickness?

regards, Graham

You would get a much better job water-jet cutting brass rather than laser. The company to talk to would be Sciss, who are used to doing railway stuff from full size down. They're railway people as well. A long time ago I had a couple of 16mm frame/valve gear sets cut by them, and very nice too (in steel)

Waterjet Profile Cutting Service Kent | SCISS LTD | Staplehurst Kent

SCISS LTD Precision CNC Waterjet Profile Cutting Service In Kent

www.sciss.co.uk

 

[BrushType4]

With the 4mm GWR loan act shed coming to completion I’ve been persuaded to scale up to 7mm for at least one customer along with the lifting shed. More on that soon.

Anyway I’ve had drawn a Sand Bin and Furnace but my version didn’t match the drawings I had my ‘An historical Survey of Great Western Engine Sheds 1947’ by E.Lyon’s and so this has been on the back burner. Looking at the drawing again and comparing to my photos of the one at Didcot I’ve come to the conclusion that the drawings are wrong or simply not the built version I can see.

So to match the 7mm loan act shed I’ve cut out my version. Prototype built.


Pleased with the rivet detail on the shoot. I’ve made provision for wire handles to be added but I might look for a suitably sized staple for these. I might yet revisit this

 

[BrushType4]

I meant to add the 4mm smoke hoods being built up. Not at all complex

 

[Osgood]

Do you have any pictures of the Loan Act shed you could share, Phil? Just done a search for Loan Act Shed and nothing comes up?

 

[BrushType4]

4mm loan act shed early in the prototyping.

 

[michael mott]

An impressive chunk of parts in the loan act shed one could almost use it as a minimal layout all by itself.
Michael

 

[BrushType4]

An impressive chunk of parts in the loan act shed one could almost use it as a minimal layout all by itself.
Michael

The 7mm version will be a layout by itself for sure!

 

[simond]

Those photos take me back…







and, yes, a loan act shed does take up a bit of space in 7mm!

Porth Dinllaen is a fictional version of Aberystwyth shed, with 15 “modules”, the prototypical version has 21 and would not fit.

These photos were from the few that survived RMWeb‘s server crisis a few years back, these are from 2018. It’s still not finished…

 

[simond]

And the sharp-eyed will note that I don’t yet have a sand furnace. I had wandered around the one at Didcot, and concluded, as Phil had, that it does not match the drawings in the book.

Conveniently, it appears that a solution is now available, and coincidentally it’s nearly Christmas…

How big is it please, Phil, how much, and when can I have one?

 

[BrushType4]

While searching our extensive railway related library I found my first railway modelling book I bought in 1980!

 

[adrian]

As mentioned on another thread I recently upgraded my laser cutter.



Not quite in the same league as Phil's industrial machines but for a hobby machine the latest 20W LED cutters are quite impressive. Cutting area is around 400mm sq but the 20W cutter will slice through 10mm - 15mm ply quite nicely! Which opens up a few new jobs.

However one of the best upgrades I've added is setting up a laser cross hair on the cutter. A few quid from the t'internet and making a little holder, the software (Lightburn) allows you to define an x-y offset. So I can align the laser cross hairs on the work piece and then when I start the work the laser aligns to the exact spot marked by the cross hairs.



So I'm experimenting with cutting PO wagon sides, I can cut the outer side and mark the planks, then turn it over, set the alignment and cut the inner planks. I then experimented with a couple of coats of paint and then etch some lettering. Again the laser crosshairs allows me set up the lettering spot on the planks.
The bottom lettering was 40% power quite deep and the top one 20% - I need to tweak some of the cutting settings. Not apparent to the naked eye but with the camera the cutting lines are apparent. Next is to see how well I can fill the lettering with some white paint.