Designing For Laser Cutting

[Old Buffer]

That is just as I remember the brickwork in the stores and tool room at the garage I did my apprenticeship at. The walls had been painted at some time with what I think was red cardinal, and some time later they had been whitened with either whitewash or emulsion white paint, obviously the white paint had started to come away from the red in almost exactly the same state as that in your photo.

 

[28ten]

First shot shows a test cut for the rafters from 1.5mm Rowmark just a sniff under a scale 2" using Rowmark I dont need to worry about grain and it can be pre notched. the upper item is a test piece for a Siphon G and shows what happens if you try and cut really thin lines too much heat and expansion. in fairness I have seen the same thing happen with etched kits


Shot two in place with the aid of bluetac.


Whilst wood appeals for the rafters, I suspect Rowmark will be easier and stronger and if the roof is going to be removed this has to be a consideration.

 

[Rob Pulham]

It looks superb Cynric,

I have scanned the LNER Logo



Did you get my email re the drawings?

 

[28ten]

Rob, no I havent had your email.

More experiments - trying some mold/damp on the wall


Some wood effects - it needs toning down a bit with a filter or two but it will form the base for some peeling paintwork so it isnt too critical


My experiments at painting plastic to look like wood havent been a success so it may be back to plan A for the rafters.....

 

[Old Buffer]

If that last photo isn't success, what is? Looks like an old unkempt door with plenty of verdigre on it to me.

 

[28ten]

If that last photo isn't success, what is? Looks like an old unkempt door with plenty of verdigre on it to me.

The last one isnt too bad, but its bass wood the Rowmark ones are in the bin. Whilst they would be fine for a new door I cant seem to paint plastic to look like wood but then I have never managed the trick with Slaters wagon interiors either

 

[Dan Randall]

Hi Cynric

The planking on the Siphon looks good, but I'm pretty sure the louvres should slant at about 45 degrees - even if they'd lasered OK, they wouldn't have looked right!

The brickwork looks very promising - have you tried lasering my artwork yet?


Regards

Dan

 

[adrian]

The planking on the Siphon looks good, but I'm pretty sure the louvres should slant at about 45 degrees - even if they'd lasered OK, they wouldn't have looked right!

I suspect you're right. I've got a Metalmodels Siphon F and that used 4 layers of etchings for the sides to build up the bevel edging to the timber framing. However for the louvres each layer the etched louvres were slightly lower then the previous one so when the 4 layers were sandwiched together it gave that 45 degree ventilation.

 

[28ten]

Dan a bit of a meltdown too many lines in a small space. The thing to remember is that the mortar is lines not a half etch or engrave (half etch), I might be able to do something in mdf.

 

[Dan Randall]

Dan a bit of a meltdown too many lines in a small space. The thing to remember is that the mortar is lines not a half etch or engrave (half etch), I might be able to do something in mdf.

Thanks for trying Cynric.

When you get a spare moment, could you have a go at lasering a bit of the plain brickwork area for me please? I like the idea of lasered Rowmark for the majority of this project and could maybe combine this with arches etched in 6 thou brass, as I know they will come out OK if etched.


Regards

Dan

 

[BrushType4]

Can we see this machine that is producing this excellent work?

 

[28ten]

As requested, it weight in at about 100kg and the footpring iy 4'x2'

and the business end, the laser tube is at the back and the beam is shot round by several mirrors. The baby wipes are for cleaning the bed after cutting mdf

 

[28ten]

And a bit of experimentation

 

[BrushType4]

Looks impressive, are you using your iMac to drive it? How much would one of these cost if you don't mind me asking?

 

[Old Buffer]

Looking at the machine, can you use 24" by 18"sheets.

 

[28ten]

The bed size is 300mm x 600mm. Cost is £3200+ and you need windows.
As I said before, the learning curve is very steep and you need to be good with CAD and vector graphics

 

[lancer1027]

As I said before, the learning curve is very steep and you need to be good with CAD and vector graphics

Mmmmmmmm Thats me out then. I can only JUST use the keyboard

 

[28ten]

Found a handy new material to cut

fibreboard for laminate underlay. really good for test cuts and mockups


best of all it is cheap and cuts easily, I think there could be scenic uses for contours and profiles, not to mention layout mock ups.

 

[Dog Star]

Found a handy new material to cut.... fibreboard for laminate underlay.
best of all it is cheap and cuts easily, I think there could be scenic uses for contours and profiles....

Very true. I discovered this material in a skip out the back of a carpet store... asked for permission and took all that I could carry... so very cheap. If not the underlay, those places which supply and install laminate underlay are likely to have oodles of thin MDF in sheets of around 15cms by 1m - used as top and bottom layers in the carton of laminate pieces, again there for the asking. The MDF is close to 4mm thick so very useful for profiles and mock-ups.

regards, Graham

 

[28ten]

The only trouble is normal mdf doesnt laser very well and it contains formaldehyde not good for burning.
Mucking about between some other jobs I cut a station building




You can see a mistake in the first shot where a partition is in the middle of a window also where I glued doors on the wrong side of the wall.....
This is a tiny building but it scales at 18 inches in 1/32. with these two plus the engine shed there isnt going to be much else on a 4x2 board.