Designing For Laser Cutting

[28ten]

Getting to the bit I like now

Inner walls with slots visible, the 45 degree corner poses its own problems and I either need to sand or rout 45 deg off the projecting tabs, but it makes for a strong corner.


same side with the overlay in place


The long tabs on the top will align the corbels and the base of the roof. this is all self supporting at this stage and the back will slide off to fit the interior


The slot and tab is overkill for a one off but I like to design properly and it does make assembly easier and I always learn something new each time.

 

[Dikitriki]

Wonderful

 

[28ten]

A little work on the Dentil moulding , it should start to look quite imposing once the balustrade is in place


We mentioned reject parts somewhere else......


The pile on the right is all rejects, the ones with brickwork or stone will be used to test paint the others will get used for smaller parts or samples,

 

[28ten]

Couple of minor decisions so far today, I wont bother modelling the inside of the window walls as the will be impossible to see, but I will do all the walls than can be seen from the outside, I know its laziness.


Starting to look at the floor boards which will be stained oak, I have started to wonder how long the floor boards should be? Im assuming the floor joists would run across the shortest distance and the boards would run across the building, from what I have read 16ft seems to be the most appropriate length....

 

[28ten]

I thought Mainwaring would like some wood paneling

the customer facing side, which is the least visible,


and the office side which will be visible through the side window. the door frame is a little narrow at the bottom so I may well adjust it



The killer about all this is that; I could never have cut it by hand, as I can cut neither straight or square, and total time to produce the panelling is 15 minutes including drawing.....

 

[28ten]

Lots of shots here showing how the interior goes together
First the floor, I have erred on the side of over light as I dont want it getting lost in the darkness

A pile of bits

Slots together


for a bank screen, some glazing will be added later when it is painted



Assembled it looks like this


Finally the inside of Mainwarings office



nothing is glued yet, just slots holding it all square. Next up is the fireplace and some paintings for the walls..... and maybe a book case.

 

[Dikitriki]

Would the counters have been more open at that time than the arched hatches you have done?

It's a brilliant piece of work none the less

Richard

 

[28ten]

Would the counters have been more open at that time than the arched hatches you have done?

It's a brilliant piece of work none the less

Richard

I looked at that, and it seems to have varied, im going on the principle that a small branch in an area like Heyside may have had extra security measures

All the structural interior work is done. walls with out panelling will be cream, mainly to reflect some light


This shows how bodge-tastic the fireplace is. just crude bits of mdf to make up a plausible outline. I have gone for a large fireplace as the ceilings are very high.



Generally I have gone for crude shapes rather than fine detail, enough to give the feel without going OTT.

 

[Dikitriki]

I looked at that, and it seems to have varied, im going on the principle that a small branch in an area like Heyside may have had extra security measures

I can't think what you mean

Generally I have gone for crude shapes rather than fine detail, enough to give the feel without going OTT.

And I think you have the balance absolutely right. With a couple of cashiers and a customer or two, a desk and chair in Mr Mainwaring's office, it will look fab. We will have to think about a bit of subdued lighting too. Anyone got experience of interior lighting?

Richard

 

[28ten]

My set design marches on...I say set design, because that is how I have approached the interior, colours have been chosen for effect when the interior is in situ. there is quite a bit of variation in colour but it settles down when viewed as intended




Mainwarings office



Overall i am tolerably pleased with the interior, it could be a lot better but, the total time taken including cad and painting is about 4 hours, and I have enjoyed the process.

 

[28ten]

The roof, easy peasy....
Wack out a development of the surfaces add some tabs to make it easier to align and straight into the laser



Knock up some formers, more slot and tab to make the assembly easy



Slot into a base



Slot the parts together....



Balance it in place to check the angle of dangle over the door....



Its not level because protrude through the base to align with the another piece, but it is a significant milestone in the build.

 

[Dikitriki]

The roof, easy peasy....

Easy Peasy? Easy Peasy??

We sweated blood and slaughtered a cornflakes packet to mock it up.

 

[28ten]

Easy Peasy? Easy Peasy??

We sweated blood and slaughtered a cornflakes packet to mock it up.

this is the inside.... you can actually stand on it! once it is glued I dont think it will need the supports. this is the sort of thing that shows the real power of the 3d CAD


Famous last words but, I would now be confident enough in my methods to tackle a more complicated roof.

 

[28ten]

THese shots show the time with the cereal packet wasnt wasted, as the angles all work
From the rear

Front


A balustrade makes a huge difference



Finally, it flows really nicely

 

[Dog Star]

There has to be a joke in there, somewhere, about cornflakes.....

 

[28ten]

Moving on to some further detailing this is the grasshopper that sill be over the door. It needs scaling down a little and a carved stone frame

 

[Dikitriki]

That will confuse anyone who doesn't know Martins Bank history

 

[Jordan]

... Anyone got experience of interior lighting?

Richard

Yes - it shines through gaps in the walls if there are any!!! ... but - get it too subdued and you might as well not bother - I have a 12v bulb in the roof of my hut, powered by a 9v battery - in daylight it's hardly noticeable although the red 12v bulb in the fireplace, fed by the same 9v battery, is quite effective, especially with the cat curled up in front of it

 

[Dikitriki]

Thanks Jordan

I'm sure with Cynric's design and overlays, there will be no gaps

The layout is hardly ever viewed in daylight, either artificial lighting at home or under exhibition conditions. I don't want the interior to jump out at you, I just want people to be aware that it is there, and that it can be seen. Perhaps a bit of experimentation is called for. I have some lighting strips from MTH coaches, and I wonder whether the components, or sections from it can be used.

 

[28ten]

I think it needs several small lights, haven't a clue how to wire it up though