nrg710

Brilliant Mixy, thank you very much!

Quick question- if you're just using a trackpad (on a laptop), is there any way of panning left/right/up/down? I know that you can use the arrow keys to pan, but a click and grab hand might be a nice feature. Also, how do you pan around in 3D mode? Using my mouse, the only way I seem to be able to change the view basically just zooms in and out. As an enhancement for future versions, I think the "embed" or "link" option for background images would be great. Also, the ability to export scarm track plans as vector graphics would be great for importing into Rhino, Inkscape etc.

Did those start off life as Wills stone sheets, Alan?

I will probably be doing the cutting at Maklab in Glasgow. I'm quite a long way off making the first cut though; I'm assembling all of the laser cut bits in Rhino. It's for a 1:76 waterline model of this: and getting the hull up into parts which can flatten (so that these can be laser cut) is proving very tricky! I might end up just getting the frames laser cut and using a stanley knife and my old friend, Trial & Error, in order to make the hull.

When you are creating the designs, do you allow a clearance between the sections? Particularly on the fingered jointing on the brickwork (which I think is awesome). I am designing something similar and building in a 0.3mm clearance between each section. However, if the laser's width would effectively take care of the clearance, then I'm wasting my time.

Personally, I think a certain record producer/railway enthusiast that was one third of Stock, Aitken and the other bloke needs top get involved with this discussion.

On the subject of which, how do you get your fire cement not to warp when you zap it in the microwave? I've come up with some pretty reasonable results for stonework, but only if I intend to model the inside of a turret.

Just going through this thread top to bottom and came across this post. Yes, Hogwarts was a real model (as will as some CGI). My mate was on the team of 9-10 people that built it, and when he got married last year a few of his old friends from his professional modelmaking days were at the wedding, we chatted about model making a bit. It's a dying industry, though, thanks to the prevalence of CGI.

There's a 3D section? Doh!

Hi Paul, That's very interesting- what sort of 3D printing did he use? And how many components did he break it down into? I'm currently getting reasonably good with solidworks (just been designing this, for what it's worth-) And whilst I will never pretend to have the patience or the skill to make something like that out of clay, old bits of tube, and whatever other rubbish I can find in the cupboard under the stairs, when it comes to designing it on the computer, I'm a perfectionist and will quite happily spend an hour making sure that a bolt is the right size and in the right place... even though it will just appear as a small dot when it's printed in 1/87 scale

Really superb work there PJBambrick! How did you model the roof supports and the columns? If they are resin cast, how did you make the mould so symmetric and accurate? That's either a very steady and gifted hand or wizardry

Hi chaps, Many thanks for the very comprehensive replies! The Proxxon is looking pretty good at the moment. However, the only thing I'm put off by is that the speed seems to be variable only from 5000-20,000 rpm. I'd be looking for something very like the Proxxon, but with a foot control to vary speed across the full range (i.e., from 0 - 20,000 rpm), in much the same way as a sewing machine's speed is infinitely variable. Would the foot control for a sewing machine be compatible with the transformer for the Proxxon, do you think? I notice that the footswitch that Proxxon make is exactly that- a switch, not a control.

Hi chaps, With Christmas approaching, folk are asking me what I'd like for Christmas. And I quite fancy a tool like a Dremel Multi 4000 However I don't want to inflict Dremel like prices on my relatives, so was thinking a GMC equivalent or similar. Does anyone have a recommendation?