sleeper

I've just done sides for a locomotive that is 68'- 6" over buffers in 4mm scale and I've drawn two doors, one either end and it was inside the cutting area, so you should be ok. One thing that Inkscape has is the 'undo' button for every command I make I probably use this button in the ratio of 4-1. Invaluable!

Jonhall That post you made explaining the trace tool in silhouette is interesting I didn't realise what it was. Do you have to move the curser around the edge of the imported image or does it do it automatically? It's going to be really handy for the project I'm working on right now Roly

Hi Pete, Did you make your rollers for forming boilers etc or are they ready made? if you get time maybe you could do a short demo of them cheers Roly

Hi Neil, I've been following this post with interest, when you get to making the Dingham Couplings could you do a detailed post as I've seen them mentioned a lot but I don't really know what form they take Thanks Roly

Thanks BG Hi Lisa, yes you most certainly can use the Silhouette to cut thin plastic card, it's what I used for this model. If you click on the Silhouette Cutter category on the right hand column you can read the full blog. For a comprehensive explanation go to Scenery, Structures & Transport, there is a very helpful blog pinned there.

phew! I've just finished digging my way out from 10 pages down the lists. well although a lot has been happening on the house renovation front, not a lot has happened as far as model making is concerned, but here is a brief update just to dust off the shelves so to speak. In my last post you will maybe recall (or maybe not) I had designed and cut the parts for a covered wagon using plastic card cut in a Silhouette Portrait cutter which I had assembled and more or less awaited painting. I think I'd got this far I glued the body to the chassis after first making ventilation holes underneath to allow the solvent fumes to escape, then completed it using the brake gear from a wagon underframe kit, it was now ready for the paint shop. Once painted and weathered and some of the decals fixed it hung around for a while and during that time the roof warped badly due I suspect to it being 3 layers laminated together. There was nothing for it but to remove the warped roof panel which I attempted with a scalpel, during this operation I managed to collapse one of the W irons and the brakes on that side too. I have since filled the whole roof area with Milliput and filed/sanded it back to its proper profile. I decided the whole W iron set up was weak and vulnerable so have removed it pending further work using possibly etched W iron sub-assemblies, but I think this particular model is destined for a grounded van and any further development will be a completely new attempt, here's a photo of what I have at the moment. This has not been a complete waste of time I have learned a lot from it, although after such a protracted break I've forgotten what knowledge I'd gained in operating Inkscape so will have to start again from scratch.

Neil, I've just finished working my way through your posts and am impressed by your broad range of skills, your posts are a varied mix with something for everyone, I especially liked your kit built engines, superbly finished. I will be watching with interest in the future, well done.

Nah, won't happen!

I've been away for a month so just finished working my way through your posts. I think you've had more problems to resolve with this particular build than you've had with all the others put together, but you've done it and you should be very proud of yourself, I certainly am (of you). It's turning into a very nice looking engine, well done mate.

was the boiler the wrong diameter? the bit under the smokebox looks to be an accurate fit so it seems the space between the tanks was wrong and quite a bit wrong too judging by the photo. How could someone with the savvy to design the etches get things so wrong? Well done Pete it looks like you've nailed this one now.

Hmm, not like you Pete, you're usually so positive so it must really be getting you down and no wonder judging by the photo of that cylinder. I'm not familiar with this particular loco but comparing the drawing behind and the cylinder from the kit it's p*ssed as a puddin' how can someone, using the accuracy of computer design get it so wrong and then have the gall to market it. Keep your chin up mate, keep plodding, one step at a time and you'll get there. There's always better times ahead! Roly

Prior to coming back to the UK for 4 months (from France where I live). I'd been learning Inkscape and use of the Silhouette cutter. I'd drawn up all the parts for a ventilated van in 00 scale. I had started to assemble it prior to leaving and took it with me to complete over here/there, but not the computer. One of the worst problems I had with it was that I'd laminated the roof using three layers of 0.25mm plastic card. These warped badly after a 3-4 week period. I decided to remove the roof and in doing so collapsed one of the W irons and associated brake gear (all cut on the Silhouette from the same card and laminated). Although I found it very difficult to 'snap out' tiny parts from thicker card, I now think this is the way to go, unless I can find a less aggresive adhesive which will give a lasting bond. However, some of the members with more experience of this method have had some success, as reported earlier in this thread.

I've reverted to type with this project, maybe it's a case of 'old habits die hard' but I find it difficult to just dream up components and draw them up in Inkscape. What I've done is cut the parts by hand tried them for fit and then re-produced them in inkscape and ultimately as a Silhouette cutting file so now I have virtually a goods wagon kit ready to be cut and that will be the next stage, seeing if it all works and carrying out necessary modifications along the way. One problem I've encountered is the sheer amount of files created which I find confusing simply because I haven't had a proper filing system in place. I've started sorting it all out this evening. What happens is that I create a part using Inkscape, this original I save as an SVG file (scalable vector graphics) this then has to be saved as a DXF file ( direct exchange format) because the Silhouette software will only recognise DXF type files not SVG :roll: I then import the DXF into the Silhouette library which then becomes a Silhouette V3 file which is the only file the Silhouette will cut , see what I mean? This is further compounded when I re-design a part but am reluctant to delete the old design until I'm sure the new one is ok after a test cut and examination. The result is a lot of files everywhere if you're not careful. Anyway here's the model to date. in the photos you can just make out the compensation it is the traditional 3 legged stool principle again scratchbuilt using the previously produced W irons, the frame pivots on a length of 0.6mm brass wire threaded lengthwise through the frame and mountings. This took some considerable fiddling and fettling to get the ride height the same as the front pair. I decided to use a wagon underframe kit I had spare for the detailing parts, I took measurements from the kit items where possible, (for instance the V hangers), luckily the buffer height came out more or less right. The photos show the addition of buffers and clasp brakes from the kit. I'm not sure the clasp brakes are correct, they were one of two types in the kit but the label was lost long ago and I can't remember exactly what the kit was or who made it so the jury's out on that until I've either researched it or had my knuckles rapped on this Forum. I'm going back to the UK on Sunday so I don't expect much more will get done for a while but I would welcome comments/advice on the clasp brakes issue or anything else for that matter. cheers for now Roly

here's a link to JCL's guide to the Silhouette Cameo cutter, this should help you to know more. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/79025-a-guide-to-using-the-silhouette-cameo-cutter/page-35&do=findComment&comment=1676346

Well done B, it's looking good, congratulations. Best of luck with the show.

Hi, I stumbled upon a very interesting thread here on RMweb a couple of weeks ago. The name of it was 'A guide to using the Silhouette Cameo cutter, by JCL. For those who don't know of these machines they're similar to an inkjet printer but instead of a print head they have a tiny blade which cuts designs out of a sheet of thin material which has been fed into it. Primarily they're designed for cutting shapes out of thin card, vinyl, or paper for things like scrap booking etc, but some of the guys on RMweb have used them to great effect for cutting intricate shapes from plastic card. The Silhouette comes with its own software to use for the actual cutting, it is very limited for design work and so a design program such as Adobe Illustrator, Inkscape, Coraldraw, eIc must be used for the design. I myself have never used one of these type of programs, all my designs to date have been done with a pencil and ruler on the back of a fag packet, so it's been back to school for me. There is an excellent tutorial under the Special interests / 3D printing, Laser cutting heading called 'Introduction to Inkscape' by Mike Trice which I've been studying and I've now got to the stage where I can turn out a fairly simple design and that's what I did. I found a diagram online containing a covered wagon body, simply 2 sides, 2 inner ends, 2 outer ends, Roof, sub roof, base, that's it nice and simple. I imported the design into Inkscape and used it as a guide to super-impose my own cut lines. This was saved as a DXF file ( Direct eXchange Format) which is the format that the silhouette's own software accepts, this is saved in the Silhouette with a Silhouette Studio 3 extension, this is what the cutter reads to perform it's work.After much trial and tribulation I managed to get the cutter to cut it out. I cut it on ordinary printer paper first to make sure I had it aligned in the right place on the screen and then on 10thou card. I performed multiple cuts gradually adjusting the settings to cut deeper but not to cut too deep and ruin the sticky cutting mat under the paper/card. So here's a few photos of what I've done so far. This is the cut out from paper I forgot to photograph the parts prior to assembly The assembled body parts with a section added to support the roof The base with solebars added, these were 3mm channel The next stage, designing and cutting 'W' irons and axlebox parts I cut the W irons and axleboxes from 0.2mm thick plastic card which is only slightly thicker than paper so several had to be laminated to make up the thickness to 1mm. The reason for using such thin card was that I wasn't sure if the Silhouette would cut the tiny,intricate design successfully from thicker plastic, this needs further investigation. I'm now working on the Mark 2 design of W iron this will include attachment tags forgotten in the original. This is one aspect of this method in that you can just design and cut modifications as they arise. I can't show you this as the website won't allow this kind of file to be uploaded, but I'll photograph the results when I have completed and cut the parts. cheers for now Edited to add categories and tags that always disappear while typing the main text

The pub looks good finished Geoff, think I've seen it in a parallel world, nice little diorama by the way cheers Roly

It's been quite a while Mark, nice to see you around again. I like the results you've achieved with those figures, a lot of character there.

Totally gobsmacked!

Hi Jason, I'd already found that out but thanks all the same. As soon as I turned off the registration marks it cut with no problems other than faults in my artwork which I've been trying to correct, without success at present cheers Roly

I cracked it! It's to do with the registration marks. I tried sending it to the printer, this prints only the registration marks, which I tried sending the piece of A4 card through the printer which promptly jammed so I printed them on to paper and stuck that to the mat and it cut out the shapes I'd created, alas in my hurry I forgot to alter the thickness setting and now have a square, number and circle cut into my mat, fortunately not right through? UPDATE I printed the registration marks onto a piece of A4 0.2 plastic card and it won't register again, you tell me!! I'm thinking it's because the marks are smudged (wet ink on plastic) I'd fixed them with hair spray (not mine) too, I'll try again Thanks for the tips Mick I'll try them too PDX was a typo should have been DXF, sorry

Hi Jason thanks for the prompt reply, I hadn't tried that so I've just drawn those three things and sent them to the cutter, it tried to register and came up 'registration failed' I've tried several times with the same result. I unplugged the machine, waited ten and reconnected, same result. I've checked the calibration but there were no red marks on the page next to A-B and 1-2 although the distance over the 4 crosses measured 200mm in line with the setting in the menu so I guess the calibration is correct, length ways anyway. At one stage it said 'cutting in blue in the status window but the machine wasn't actually cutting. I'm going to try re-installing the software as it might not have done so first off. Thanks again

Hi Jason, I've finally completed Mike's inkscape tutorial and have managed to create something to be cut, I saved it as a PDX file and opened it in silhouette studio, sent it to the cutter and after altering the cut settings clicked the cut button but there was no response from the cutter. The settings window said the cutter was ready and despite many attempts it still wouldn't cut but the bottom of the menu dropped down and the words 'cutting complete' were in the window. A while ago I saved an image as a DXF file and imported it and tried cutting with it but of course it didn't cut but the machine did go through the motions of trying to cut so I know the machine works to some extent. Can anyone put their finger on what I'm doing wrong please?

There's some interesting use of alternative materials in this thread. Aluminium, in the same vein as my 'beer can' roofs. Beatty could you elaborate on your drilling and 'piercing' method of producing the inner frames for me please. Thanks

In my recent blog about experimenting with different materials to produce roofs for coaches or covered vans you might recall I cut some blanks from first a Deodorant can and then a beer can. If you haven't read that blog I recommend you do so first. If you remember I talked about producing a coach roof from several blanks, but first I had to dispose of the beer some way so I would have some empty cans. Well I can now report that (hic) I have some, whoops! I cut up the cans and laminated the blanks as before then joined those two blanks end to end with Araldite making sure the ends were filed square first. For the third layer I cut them up shorter so I had to use three blanks to create one layer these were all laminated using contact adhesive as before. The result was a length of curved Aluminium which was quite acceptable to make in to a roof at least 61 scale feet long. Recently I've been trying to get into the 21st century by learning how to use Inkscape, there's an excellent tutorial by Mike Trice in the 3D &Cad drawing section and I've been working my way through it. I was messing around one evening trying to produce something, a covered wagon. but when it came to drawing the ends I was flummoxed as to how to form the arc of the roof. Due to consuming vast quantities of canned beer I'd forgotten entirely about the circle/ellipse tool and so formed it using the Bezier curve tool and dragging the nodes into an arc. In doing so I needed to know the height of the top of the arc over the line across the top of the sides so I measured about 4 different kit built models to get an average. One of them was my recently finished Mink G van, (see the next blog for pictures) It was then that I came to realise the circumference of a can of Brut deodorant is a wee bit too small and results in the aforementioned arc being a bit too tight, never mind eh! The join looks diabolical in the third photo but in reality only needs a small amount of filler. cheers for now