Fen End Pit's Blog

Painting method no 2!

 

This sample piece does look very good indeed; doesn't it?

 

Whilst I can hardly say I have done any of this, I would think the technique for corners would be a chamfer?  I don't know whether the laser cutter can be rotated to cut a chamfer or whether you will need to file this on by hand afterwards (in which case you will want to make the final bricks a tad long for safety).

 

You will probably find it worth getting hold of some building construction text books.  If you can get some "Mitchells Building Construction" from the 1930s, - 70's these would best (the modern ones less so).  They contain numerous detailed drawings of how arches are formed, the correct coursing of bricks, window detailing etc etc - invaluable to get building construction details right.

 

A technical colleage library would be best; or drop me a PM.

I would think the technique for corners would be a chamfer?  I don't know whether the laser cutter can be rotated to cut a chamfer or whether you will need to file this on by hand afterwards

Unfortunate you can only cut straight down into the material and not at an angle. If I was going to mitre the corners then I'd have to find a way to accurately file/mill off the edge to 45 degrees.

 

Most of the buildings I'm hoping to construct will be based on prototypes so I'll try to copy the original. The wall I cut was based on the GERS drawing of the base of Thaxted water tower and the drawing was anotated to say which bonds were used. Then it was a case of trying to guess how the brickie would have dealt with the closures based on the distances between the corners!

 

Do we still have techincal colleges anywhere? I thought they had all been turned into Mac-ademies.

 

David

Looks very good and thanks for the hackerspace link - I never knew such places existed and I've found one near me so might give it a try.

Overall effect of your laser cut brickwork looks fantastic.

Do you know which plastics are suitable for this application ?.

Regards Snitzl

This is amazing! So many possibilities, it certainly will make scratch building easier if all you have to do is design the side on a programme and print it off!

 

Regards,

 

Nick

The brickwork is excellent; and excellently painted, too.

 

Also, another thanks for posting the hackerspace link. I've been reading up on the one in Liverpool and I may well go down there to have a look round in the next few weeks. Coincidentally, it turned out that one of my work colleagues is actually a regular attender there and his photo is on their website

 

Jim

David,

 

I've interlaced the bricks on these two first attempts

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/gallery/image/47720-office-laser-cut-tjh02-1st-january-2013-copyright-tim-horn/

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/gallery/image/47969-chimney-version-1-tjh01-10th-january-2012-copyright-tim-horn/

 

Im still not convinced myself its the way to go, but the chimney looks ok. All in 1 mm MDF. Keep at it

 

Cheers Tim

This is very impressive! good work and thanks for the link for hackspace, I too didn't know of there existance but have found one nearish to me and will give it a try..

T.

What brand of cutting machine is this?  I have started looking for a machine to buy, and it would be nice to know brands that have been used for railway modelling.  It would be interesting to know which brands anyone has used.

Thanks for the link to hackerspace, I see they are in Denmark as well, I will be paying them a visit soon

Nice work! I am also experimenting with a laser cutter - the beam cuts 0.1mm I think and my mortar lines appear much finer than yours and so harder to paint. Is there any way to get 0.2mm etches in a single laser pass?