RMweb Gold Trofimow Posted March 30, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 30, 2016 A kit of parts has arrived.... Thankfully free of antipodean wildlife. Alan 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giles Posted March 30, 2016 Share Posted March 30, 2016 Your life will never be the same.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giles Posted March 30, 2016 Share Posted March 30, 2016 Inspired by Monkeysarefun dodgy bricks, I've been making some tests..... First of all, I imported a JPG directly into Cut2DLaser, converted it into vectors, and cut it. This was very successful, and produced a lovely job. The problem is I can't use this in practice, as I need to put doors and windows in, and jiggle the edges - so I really need to be able to import (whatever into Autocad. I then downloaded Inkscape, which converted the image into DXF, allowing me to work it. This took a lot of work to clean it up, but I got there eventually. It was equally a trial to learn how to get the program to 'fill' satisfactory, as everything has to be completely 'clean' and by bordered (otherwise it will infill the brick, rather than the mortar!). Eventually I got it to do what it should, however, all too often, it gets so far in the process, and then stops (with the laser still on) and then it's game over.... I did manage to get it to do two complete small samples, however.... Interestingly, the results are generally better when Cut2DLaser does the conversion from image to vectors itself, than reading the DXF/DWG. It will be very nice if one can get this usable,....... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LN850 Posted March 30, 2016 Share Posted March 30, 2016 I DID go to a laser supply place in Riverwood, the receptionist I dealt with was adamant (Not the actual Adam Ant, obviously, I mean I asked her to sign my copy of 'Goody Two Shoes' but she just stared at me blankly..)) that the only lasererable plastic sheets they had was black on one side and white on the other. I told her I'd try one piece of .5mm A0 sized sheet , and fainted when she rang up the $75.00 price. Its currently on its own special chair in the lounge room, I'm still working up the courage to try out a little bit of it. I'm surprised at your experience in Riverwood . I assume it was LST you went to. They are a major supplier to the Laser sign making sector in Sydney. They were certainly supplying various thicknesses of ADA material up to when I left Australia in Dec last year. Try calling a guy called 'Zed', he is in tech support, it was him who first supplied me with samples. Attached are some pictures of parts I cut for Bagshot Station. The first picture is of parts cut in various thicknesses of ADA. These will fit into the wooden part of the model in the second picture, which was cut from 1mm & 1.5mm plywood. Other pictures of this kind of stuff can be seen on my Google + page. (Link below in my signature). Mike 5 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeysarefun Posted March 30, 2016 Author Share Posted March 30, 2016 (edited) I'm surprised at your experience in Riverwood . I assume it was LST you went to. They are a major supplier to the Laser sign making sector in Sydney. They were certainly supplying various thicknesses of ADA material up to when I left Australia in Dec last year. Try calling a guy called 'Zed', he is in tech support, it was him who first supplied me with samples. Attached are some pictures of parts I cut for Bagshot Station. The first picture is of parts cut in various thicknesses of ADA. These will fit into the wooden part of the model in the second picture, which was cut from 1mm & 1.5mm plywood. Other pictures of this kind of stuff can be seen on my Google + page. (Link below in my signature). Mike Thanks Mike, It was LST I went to but being Thursday afternoon, just before knock-off for the Easter break I only got as far as the receptionist. Its not too much of a biggie for me since plastics aren't a material I have really used or plan to, it was more a curiosity kind of thing, but I'll get in touch with 'Zed'. In the meantime I have found a supplier of taskboard in the US which seems quite reasonably priced, the killer is the US postage at US$100, but its about that whether I order 1 sheet or lots so I've got 50 sheets of 1/16th inch and 1/32nd inch coming. I hope its usable! In the meantime can I ask a dumb question - what is the process you use to actually create the brick pattern there? Do you 'draw' the bricks on each wall each time, or do you have some kind of brick pattern file that you just click on to add? This is one of the mysteries that I am yet to fully solve. There are many sites, including this one which show amazing lasercut brickwork but I have not been able to track down a description, let alone a tutorial on how the final brick walls were produced within the CAD process. Basically, how do you go from a blank rectangle which represents a new wall, with a couple of rectangles on it for windows and doors etc, to a fully marked out brick wall, with header bricks and so on above openings? Is each brick joint individually drawn on each wall (or at least a section drawn and then cut-and-pasted all over the rest of the wall/s) each time? Is there a magic ‘cover with bricks’ button on other CAD packages that Inkscape doesn’t have? I’ve yet to find a description of the process and believe me, I’ve been looking, but maybe not very well. The blogs I have found all go from ‘I’ve bought a laser cutter, now I need to learn how to use it lol!’ to the next entry which has photos of a beautifully finished 3 storey building with 15 layers of interlocking bricks and parapets and corbels and lintels and headers, with maybe a teasing link to youtube that shows the laser cutter tearing around engraving bricks – but what happens in between to get to that point?! Until someone (hopefully!) points me in the right direction or lets me into their mysterious secret brick-drawing club, I’ve had to improvise my own probably laughable techniques, which due to some limitations within Inkscape is quite clunky so I'd welcome any hints no matter how little! Edited March 31, 2016 by monkeysarefun 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted March 31, 2016 Share Posted March 31, 2016 Chris I don't know if my way is the best, or even the only way but what I do is... 1 Draw the outline of the panel, draw the window openings. Group these individually, place them on a layer. 2 Create another layer, draw the parallel lines for the horizontal courses 3 Create a third layer, draw vertical lines for one course of bricks, respecting the bond you are modelling. make it a few bricks longer than it needs to be. Group this and copy / offset / paste / offset / paste until you have covered the wall. 4 hide both these layers, create a fourth layer and draw any headers, keystones, cornerstones, whatever. 5 hide the horizontal lines. nudge your window reveals and the headers to match the edges of whole bricks where possible. Delete all the vertical lines within the window and door apertures, and outside your panel. 6 hide the vertical lines, unhide the horizontal ones, adjust the window reveals and headers to match the courses where possible. Trim the horizontal lines so that they stop at the apertures (though it doesn't matter, you can leave them in, and simply cut the windows, just doesn't look nice...) 7 group the headers, horizontal and vertical lines, and etch / scan onto your material. The laser likely has a scan offset feature to "thicken" the etched lines 8 cut the window reveals, 9 cut the outline If you want a comb-joint, you need to make the new vertical edges after you have done step 6, It's tedious... You have to draw the ends of each brick - you can obviously do this by group-copy-offset-paste again, but if you have damp courses, or anything that upsets the pattern, it gets very fiddly. I'm using TurboCAD in 2D mode. I'm not familiar with other drawing programs but AFAIK they all allow the use of layers, and group-copy-move-paste, and can create parallel lines at known offsets. hope this helps Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeysarefun Posted March 31, 2016 Author Share Posted March 31, 2016 (edited) Hi Simon, Thanks for the reply - so thats one for the individual lines method. I do it slightly differently, due to some limitations in Inkscape, but I was wondering would it be possible in TurboCad to do the following: Do your steps 2 and 3, to create a patch or section of bricks, then save this brick layer as a kind of 'sheet' or section of bricks as a file, in a format that could be imported into other sessions at the correct scale, rather than drawing rows of bricks each time? Not sure if thats clear, but to illustrate I have created 3 files that each contain a ' tile' of bricks, one for each brick type, scaled for 4mm/ft. This is all 3 open at once as a demo: These are saved in .svg format which is a text format file that Inkscape prefers, and they are seamless in that one tile can be copied and pasted then these copies can be butted up to each other horizontally and vertically like tiles to give a wall section with no visible joins. Ideal would be to create an A4 sized sheet and avoid having to tile but limitations in Inkscape mentioned below make this wasteful. To create a model in Inkscape, I draw the wall sections as rectangles, create another layer and then import the desired brick file and copy and paste it enough times to cover the wall: Additionally each of the files has a layer that has a wriggly cutting line set to the correct size which I copy and paste around the vertical edges of the wall sections each time as a cutting line to create the interlocking bricks at the edges, rather than recreate it continually. You can see one of them to the top left of the first picture. I select all these brick tiles and join them into one big file, then like you I do other layers for headers and so on. I have a file of previously created brick headers like a little library so again I can just open this file and import the header I want, which avoids creating them new each time. I'm starting to see how lazy I am.... Now - this is one of the quirks of Inkscape: To do step 5 that you do,ie remove the brickwork outside the building walls and from within the windows and header areas I can use the mask tool. In Inkscape it looks like its worked but when I save the file and open it in the cutter programme all the deleted sections are back, and I have to tediously delete individually the elements from places such as where the header bricks are to avoid a mess of conflicting bricks and headers. I assume its the way the mask works in that it hides the elements rather than actually deleted them but it makes it pretty useless. Alternatively, in theory I can select an object (ie my tiled section) and turn it into a pattern. Again this works great in Inkscape, - create the pattern then draw your walls and select 'pattern fill', choose your new brick pattern and BAM! it instantly fills in the wall sections with bricks, so eliminates all the copying and pasting of the tiles, as well as there being no bricks in the waste area outside the wall sections and within the windows and so on. However again the result is not how the Lasercutting package sees things, it just ignores the pattern and I have blank walls. I do have a few options to try still, but I'm thinking that if TurboCad2D can do similar to above but without the Inkscape quirks, then maybe I should get back into my free trial before it runs out in 10 days! All in all its definitely a learning experience. Edited March 31, 2016 by monkeysarefun Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giles Posted March 31, 2016 Share Posted March 31, 2016 I too have created 'sheets' of bricks, onto which I place my doors, windows etc.... And just delete what I don't want. It gets a little time consuming because I then adjust the bond around the apatures (in English bond, for instance). I'm finding the advantage of drawing single bricks instead of long lines and short lines representing the mortar courses is that any slight variance in registration is much less noticeable. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted March 31, 2016 Share Posted March 31, 2016 Chris, yes, once you've done it once, I see no reason not to copy-paste oversize "sheets" of bricks from one drawing to another and then trim them to fit - Indeed, in my current model (Aberystwyth Loco Shed) this is exactly what I did. I was trying to help you get to the first stage! I still suggest you separate the layers of horizontal and vertical lines as it makes the whole thing very much easier to edit to suit the wall onto which you are pasting it. You'll also want at least one separate layer, and groups, for things like the windows, edges, door reveals, etc. Keeping a library of brick bonds, doors with headers, windows with headers, etc, and wiggly cut-edges, is all part of the benefit of CAD. It's not "lazy", it's "efficient" I can't help with Inkscape, as I've never used it. I guess it is similar. If TurboCAD has a means to turn something I've drawn into a fill pattern, I'm not aware of it. best Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
raymw Posted March 31, 2016 Share Posted March 31, 2016 Hi Simon, Try this http://www.textualcreations.ca/TurboCAD%20Tips/TurboCAD%20Tip%2017.pdf I'm not a turbo cad user myself, but another imsi product has hatch fill, that I have used. Best wishes, Ray Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Trofimow Posted March 31, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 31, 2016 Well, the beast is built and working. It went together without any difficulty and first impressions are extremely favourable. Here it is doing the calibration test. It became immediately apparent that if it is to be used indoors, I will have to cobble up a cover and extraction system. My office quickly filled with wood smoke and clearly any intensive use is going to produce a lot more than this simple test did. Alan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted March 31, 2016 Share Posted March 31, 2016 Alan I certainly could not use my laser, even in the garage, without the door open, and even then. The extract goes through the wall now... best Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrushType4 Posted March 31, 2016 Share Posted March 31, 2016 It is interesting the work you're doing with the brick artwork. I've gone through a similar stage myself. Just now I'm working on the same principle but with photographs of brick/block work. These multi layer images give a better depth as the many more layers build up to give a 3d shape. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold JCL Posted March 31, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 31, 2016 Just catching up. If anyone has problems with their drawing files that they want to show others, or want to upload a file to illustrate a point or technique, don't forget that it is possible to upload SVG files into this thread. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giles Posted April 1, 2016 Share Posted April 1, 2016 (edited) In between other things today I've managed to assemble the other main building for Denton Brook, courtesy of the Emblazer. This is the one that straddles the works tracks. I've got the various doors and windows cut and ready, although I want to make a fire escape. It will be roofed in corrugated iron, in contrast to the other buildings This is all 'single brick' drawn, window cills are cut in situ, and will be refitted proud. Edited April 1, 2016 by Giles 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giles Posted April 1, 2016 Share Posted April 1, 2016 Ah no.... I cut them with a little over lap, and then file them back flush - thus getting flush brickwork with no charring - so what you see is raw fresh MDF! .... And also the bonding necessitates (correctly) short, partial bricks ajacent to the joint - which also makes it look as if the bricks are sticking out and 'masking' the bricks behind (if that makes sense...) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeysarefun Posted April 1, 2016 Author Share Posted April 1, 2016 (edited) Giles, Wow, looks really great - does the size of the completed brick area there mean you've fixed the problem you were having with the laser stopping? That's a great idea with filing the bricks back - I might steal that one.. It will be interesting to see how much one can get done of a model from now on before having to dig out the old-school ruler-pencil-hobby knife to do something! Edited April 1, 2016 by monkeysarefun Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giles Posted April 1, 2016 Share Posted April 1, 2016 The laser only stops using 'fill', and never does on straight etch and cut jobs....... (Which this is...) so the stopping isn't resolved, just avoided. The registration problem is greatly improved thanks to Domenic, who sent me new bearings which are much better and smoother (the after-sales service is excellent!) Next job is to try and cut a fire-escape! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeysarefun Posted April 1, 2016 Author Share Posted April 1, 2016 (edited) The laser only stops using 'fill', and never does on straight etch and cut jobs....... (Which this is...) so the stopping isn't resolved, just avoided. The registration problem is greatly improved thanks to Domenic, who sent me new bearings which are much better and smoother (the after-sales service is excellent!) Next job is to try and cut a fire-escape! ITs only a 4watt laser - do you need a fire escape? Agree with the after sales service - I wrote asking if they'd put spare belts up as things you could buy seperately because with the other tools I have that use driving belts (Unimat lathe, bandsaw) its always the belts that go first. Dominic agreed they would, and sent me a free set of belts and a revised laser mounting, because it has apparently been improved since I bought mine - all for free. Edited April 1, 2016 by monkeysarefun 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giles Posted April 2, 2016 Share Posted April 2, 2016 You never know when a fire escape's going to be useful...... Herewith the landings and a tread. A cast-iron example, the holes are 0.7mm square, which may be fraction large, but they'd got to be painted, so I reckon it will come out about right. Cut in 0.8mm ply. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted April 2, 2016 Share Posted April 2, 2016 Giles, they are very nice. What power & speed settings were you using? My efforts so far with ply have been very disappointing. thanks Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium nick_bastable Posted April 2, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 2, 2016 I have found 2mm @100% 1 pass works with 0.8mm ply Nick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeysarefun Posted April 2, 2016 Author Share Posted April 2, 2016 I had some .8mm birch ply - wouldn't cut it. Got some .8mm basswood ply, problem solved.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giles Posted April 2, 2016 Share Posted April 2, 2016 This was cut at 7mm, 100%, 3 passes, nice and cleanly. If you've got problems, has your focus shifted by any chance? It's certainly worth persevering! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
teetrix Posted April 3, 2016 Share Posted April 3, 2016 (edited) Btw, there is even special plywood for lasercutting out there, i.e.: https://hobarts.com/sheet-materials/wood/laserply_124_15_56/3mm-laserplylite-new-product-p-1014.html Look for "Laserply" or "lasergrade plywood" Australian source: I've found lasercutting company in NSW selling plywood sheets. Although "laserable" is not mentioned, it's worth a question, I think they sell the same stuff they're cutting: http://www.lasercutkits.com.au/product/basswood-ply-300x900mm-sheet/ Michael Edited April 3, 2016 by teetrix Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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