qn30jEkPz7 Posted December 8, 2018 Author Share Posted December 8, 2018 13 hours ago, Mattlow said: Some really nice work on show... it's great how a new technology gets the creative juices flowing... The contour mapping is very cool... As a matter of interest, how fine/thin is the actual laser cut? This would make an interesting tool for cutting lots of similar parts that need to be identical - like ribs for a wing etc... I'll have to see if our library has a similar setup..? Matt Thanks! The cut width is about 0.15mm for a 3mm thick sheet. A bit smaller on 1.5mm ply but I’d have to check my notes on cut width for each material and thickness. It’d be perfect for ribs etc. I’ve a B-17 half planned resizing a radio controlled plan down as a shortcut to get the ribs and fuselage profiles. You just offset the cuts a bit to allow for the fraction of a mm cut width. The sphere holds itself together just with the fit of the slots so they are pretty predictable 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattlow Posted December 8, 2018 Share Posted December 8, 2018 I'd be interested in any notes on that aspect you have put together.. I was thinking some WWI subjects in 1/32 would benefit from actual ribs and spars that could then be covered and 'really' allow light through the wing...? Matt PS, just found Devon has two Fab Labs but the info on the web is scant... So I may have to get into Exeter and have a mooch... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shar2 Posted December 8, 2018 Share Posted December 8, 2018 I'm quite fortunate in that I look after the 3D printers and laser cutter at the uni I work for. I use the laser cutter a lot for cutting out ribs for the gliders the aero students design. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qn30jEkPz7 Posted December 17, 2018 Author Share Posted December 17, 2018 More mucking about I’ve decided the contour line map needed a companion piece so have started on a geological map of the same area. Just etched for now but my plan is to do marquetry veneers for all of the different types of local bedrock While thinking about maps and projections I also took it into my head to try making a Dymaxion projection map and fold that into a globe. Laser etched and cut panels and relief, joined at the vertices with 3D printed press fit fixings Just a first foray so you can see that etching the little islands in Northern Canada has burned through the panel but a solid first attempt that has me thinking about a longer term project 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qn30jEkPz7 Posted December 18, 2018 Author Share Posted December 18, 2018 On 08/12/2018 at 12:51, Mattlow said: I'd be interested in any notes on that aspect you have put together.. I was thinking some WWI subjects in 1/32 would benefit from actual ribs and spars that could then be covered and 'really' allow light through the wing...? Matt PS, just found Devon has two Fab Labs but the info on the web is scant... So I may have to get into Exeter and have a mooch... Sorry for the delay @Mattlow Here is the guide I use on the cut width. Generally ok but depends on the focus of the laser and density of the material (especially in ply) I had a bit more play this week with a V2.0 of the icosahedral globe moving from 3D printed joins to all laser cut and trying out some veneers for marquetry (TdF jerseys in this case about 25mm across). Simplified outline works nicely but I'm not happy with the play the one connector leaves for the globe so I'll double up and tighten the connections before I do more on that and the veneers were ok but the polka dot King of the Mountains jersey was just a scorched mess. I might need to do some rethinking there 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattlow Posted December 18, 2018 Share Posted December 18, 2018 Many thanks, much appreciated. Matt 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RANDYLIZARD1978 Posted December 23, 2018 Share Posted December 23, 2018 I have my own laser cutter at home, love it! spent many a hr on it producing parts for my wife's jewelry business. great investment. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qn30jEkPz7 Posted December 24, 2018 Author Share Posted December 24, 2018 On 23/12/2018 at 00:27, RANDYLIZARD1978 said: I have my own laser cutter at home, love it! spent many a hr on it producing parts for my wife's jewelry business. great investment. Any recommendation on a make/model (& if you don’t mind a rough cost) in case I ever decide to get my own? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RANDYLIZARD1978 Posted January 9, 2019 Share Posted January 9, 2019 some of the better brands are Trotec (speedy series) or Epilog but you will be looking at about $60,000 AU ( I got a quote as Im wanting to get a Speedy 400 down the line) but for general hobby use look to the Chinese brands Thunder laser and the good old K40 , they need a bit of tinkering and also its very important to check the electrics are grounded. The K40 is a great little hobby laser once all the problems have been looked at ...its simple tinkering and its great for home use its max cut size is approx 320 x 220 mm I started out with one of these. cost about $400 to $600 AU ...just check on Ebay. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RANDYLIZARD1978 Posted January 9, 2019 Share Posted January 9, 2019 https://www.ebay.com.au/p/Ridgeyard-CO2-300x200mm-USB-Laser-Engraving-Cutter/16022119911?iid=152644368992&chn=ps you will find them also on the UK ebay good for acrylic up to 6mm (i have done 12mm in 3 passes) and plywood and MDF upto 6mm cuts 3mm like a dream 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abandoned Project Posted January 23, 2019 Share Posted January 23, 2019 Wow! Absolutely stunning! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenko Posted January 23, 2019 Share Posted January 23, 2019 Don't just leave it at plywood or MDF , have a go with other materials. Most if not all Design and Technology departments in schools have this gear. I was teaching with it over 10 years ago. We even used it in Food Technology (home economics for older ones here) where we used it to cut icing and marzipan. At Christmas time engraving of glasses and tankards was very popular. The sky is the limit with this sort of technology. Well done. If you are thinking about buying one (the prices are getting lower all the time) buy the biggest one you can afford. Dick 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RC Boater Bill Posted January 26, 2019 Share Posted January 26, 2019 (edited) I joined the local MakerLab here in New Hampshire. They have a large 80w laser cutter, with a bed that is about a meter square. I am still learning, but I have successfully cut parts for my RC scale ships from plywood, Sintra, and foam core board so far. My most recent project was making an acrylic case for a plastic ship model I built for an old friend. The laser made quick work of cutting the 2.5mm acrylic into precise rectangles for gluing with the special solvent. A clubmate is using a laser to make fancy ship model bases, with the ship’s name and logo engraved in the wood base.... As I told my other club mates- when you first start out in woodworking, you make a lot of expensive sawdust. Now that I’m learning to use the laser, I’m making expensive smoke! Great fun! Edited December 10, 2019 by RC Boater Bill Fix typos 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qn30jEkPz7 Posted January 27, 2019 Author Share Posted January 27, 2019 (edited) On 09/01/2019 at 05:31, RANDYLIZARD1978 said: https://www.ebay.com.au/p/Ridgeyard-CO2-300x200mm-USB-Laser-Engraving-Cutter/16022119911?iid=152644368992&chn=ps you will find them also on the UK ebay good for acrylic up to 6mm (i have done 12mm in 3 passes) and plywood and MDF upto 6mm cuts 3mm like a dream That's great - thanks! I've had a chat with someone local who has one about buying a part share in his but if I go it alone this will be handy A few more bits and pieces I've been working on: Some more bike themed clocks using the laser to do marquetry - Tour de France jerseys and a Yorkshire 2019 world champ themed. The colours are all individual parts cut from dyed veneers Another classic climb themed clock to a customer order The Dymaxion globe with a tidier version of the joins and the addition of the migration pathways prehistoric (but anatomically modern) humans took as we spread over the world The Northumberland, Tyne and Wear and North Yorkshire river ways and coast maps painted and framed up ...and as my local fable liked the rocket lamp and wanted a value engineered version as possible projects for kids workshops I took @jenko's advice and branched out into acrylic and other materials to do a smaller pocket money rocket lampa Edited January 27, 2019 by LostCosmonauts 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gorby Posted January 28, 2019 Share Posted January 28, 2019 They look excellent, particularly the rocket lamp. I do like the coastal maps as well, but one of the West Midlands probably wouldn't work very well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qn30jEkPz7 Posted January 28, 2019 Author Share Posted January 28, 2019 6 hours ago, Gorby said: They look excellent, particularly the rocket lamp. I do like the coastal maps as well, but one of the West Midlands probably wouldn't work very well. Give it a hundred years and the ice melt might give you a nice sea view... oddly that is one of the future globes to do. Have one planned showing the invention and spread of settled agricultural society and another posthuman world with coastlines after the icecaps disappear 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SA80A2AR Posted January 28, 2019 Share Posted January 28, 2019 you lucky beggar. how much did it cost you? i would use one all the time if i had one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krow113 Posted January 28, 2019 Share Posted January 28, 2019 (edited) Actual modelling use: Looks to be workable , I started with 1mm plastic card and you can see the progression through fully melted to an outline emerging. The plastic isn't the right material but proves the file as workable. I can cut one of these out , but the plastic is brittle after the heat of the cutting .More material trials to come. And I have it done: The throttle lock wheel in 1/6 scale is 4mm in dia and 1mm thick. This worked great and would be the best way to re-create the part. Edited January 28, 2019 by krow113 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qn30jEkPz7 Posted January 28, 2019 Author Share Posted January 28, 2019 4 hours ago, SA80A2AR said: you lucky beggar. how much did it cost you? i would use one all the time if i had one. Not a penny. Local library is host to a fablab - they’re all over so if you fancy a go there might be one local to you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qn30jEkPz7 Posted December 6, 2019 Author Share Posted December 6, 2019 Still playing with these (although it has turned into something of a cottage industry) Caffeine molecule scale model at oodles:1 scale (about 30mm across for the carbon atoms and the overall model is about 50cm at widest) Parts Finished and assembled 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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