David 1/2d

"Mechanical problems have Electronic solutions, Electronic problems are fixed in Software, and coding problems are resolved by hardware modifications." Well, software can always blame hardware, which is powerless to Tweet back. 35 years ago, when primordial laser printers were the size of small washing machines, one of mine, like monkeysarefun's Emblaser, still failed to print even after every single module had been swopped. I ordered a new empty case for it, re-installed all the original modules and, somehow, all was well again. David 1/2d

Thanks, Simon :-) IIRC I recognise your pink shirt from WTF: I'm on its G1/32 forum. My word, you've had a struggle. Already! For my first wagon plate job, back in 1981, I CAD'd the drawings full-size at Derby and sent the resulting giant roll of wallpaper by train to Shildon Works. They simply sticky-taped it to the steel, and an automatic flame cutter followed the outlines to hack out pieces ready for weld-prep. Piece-o'-cake compared with today's palaver! David

Er, kind-of ! That's mostly carbon dioxide and water (as in the Hitchhiker's Guide barbed entry about Planet Earth: Mostly Harmless). But like many other seemingly placid hydrocarbons, alcohol for example, haphazard burning can also create literally dozens and dozens of other by-products, many of which are Exceeding Nasty. The soot mentioned is simple proof that incomplete combustion is going on. Also, the stuff has toxic plasticisers in it as well as hydrocarbon. Here's a good reference video for anyone using laser cutters It's based on low power CO2 machines like those used in schools with air extraction, but a lot of it is still relevant to little diode cutters too. And it doesn't take long to view at double speed :-) It covers the three classic laser cutting mechanisms (melting, vaporisation and burning) explaining why Acrylics (including Trotec / Romark and Perspex) are fundamentally different from other plastics, and the only ones we ought to be considering without serious forced air extraction. It also explains why a metal base plate beggars the back of your sheet, at least on a CO2 laser. (I'm currently using a school CO2 cutter which, since the kids hammer it 5 days a week as the main machine tool in the school, is rarely in fine fettle and gives desperately inconsistent results. So I'm window-shopping for an affordable desktop.)

Hello Alastair, I'm building steelworks wagons in 10mm scale and found your blog page very interesting and encouraging. Clearly a 10mm scale etch of 977 would be quite a formidable undertaking with 16 times as much metal, but still possible of course. One good source of brass wagons for me is eBay - a badly battered etched kit at a good price saves not only the work of building it but the extra work of battering it as well :-) Just a note that with the demise of fotopic Paul Bartlett has moved his picture of wagon 977 to: http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/workingtonsteel/h8766dcd#h8766dcd David 1/2d Retired railway engineer, Derby