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Stour Valley in P4, making sleepers

Fen End Pit

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Yesterday I popped into Makespace and cut some test sleepers. I wanted to make sure I'd got the right allowance for the laser width in my drawing. I also cut a test part in the .8mm sheet of ply I'd bought from City Cycles in Ely on Saturday (we are very lucky to have a shop that sells model and craft items in Ely!, too much of this country is a model shop desert). The laser cutter is worked by controlling the speed and power of the laser to get the right level of cut so you can see from this test piece that speed 64 - power 30 cuts the ply while lowering the power at the same speed just makes a mark on the surface. You can also see how lowering speed increases the level of charring and at speed 2- power 100 gets pretty close to starting a small fire!

 

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Having adjusted the drawing last night I went back today and cut 200 plain sleepers and some point timbering in various lengths. The cut is just right as the ply holds together just to the point where you bend it and the sleep breaks off. The widths comes out at between 3.32 and 3.36mm width (should be 3.33333mm) and 34.2mm long (should be 34mm). This counts as close enough for P4 in my book! Total time on the cutter was about 3 minutes.

 

So the ply cost £12 for a piece 4' x 1', that will make several thousand sleepers, a little better than paying £5 per 100 from certain other sources.

 

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Time to get some glue out!

 

David

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RoyalClaud

You're making me very envious of your progress.

Are there many of these Community facilities in the UK where the public can access new technology tools - laser cutters, CNC tools, 3D printers etc for a membership fee or is Cambridge simply rather more enlightened? A great idea none the less.

I have have had a quick look for something similar here in Oz but nothing immediately jumps out in the Brisbane area. Others may be able to enlighten me though.....

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  • RMweb Gold
Fen End Pit
  • RMweb Gold

You're making me very envious of your progress. Are there many of these Community facilities in the UK where the public can access new technology tools - laser cutters, CNC tools, 3D printers etc for a membership fee or is Cambridge simply rather more enlightened? A great idea none the less. I have have had a quick look for something similar here in Oz but nothing immediately jumps out in the Brisbane area. Others may be able to enlighten me though.....

Hi RoyalClaud

There are a growing number in the UK, best source of information is the http://www.hackspace.org.uk/wiki/Main_Page

Also one of the UK banks has started using some of its redundant office space as 'technology centres' which offer some services. https://labs.uk.barclays/ They offer access to a cutter for ~£10/hour but there was a rumour of 'free Fridays'

I can see that Melbourne has something https://wiki.hackerspaces.org/Melbourne

also try https://wiki.hackerspaces.org/Hackerspace_Brisbane but I can't get any of the links from that page to work

 

David

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