The patterns are made from 30 thou Plasticard and glued onto another piece of 30 though plasticard. They are more than the basic shape all the holes needed for later are put in now as pin points so when I cut them out I can use the correct size cutter to make the correct size hole In the right place.
Cutting out the footplate, its useful to try and use some of the waist material instead of tossing it in the scrap box. So I have got the patterns for the buffer beam and steps inside the the footplate. and they will be cut out first. There are pin point holes for the buffers and a line of 3 pinpoint holes for the coupling hook. I will use a piecing saw to join them up later.
I have put a line of 1mm holes on both sides of the cut out these are so I can screw the tanks and bunker to the footplate.
I am cutting 10 though nickel silver sheet at a 3.5:1 ratio the cutter is a1.5mm D cutter and I am using a 5.25mm runner to go round the plastic pattern.
On the internal cut I go round in a clockwise direction and the outside I go round in a anticlockwise direction. This is so that the cutter does not wander and clings to the edge that is being cut.
The depth of cut varies as its only held down by hand and I try to go round 10 thou material twice but as you can see I have gone through in a couple of places.
The material is only clamped to a piece of Perspex and gripped in the jaws of the machine and the patterns are clamped to the work plate