Giles

Not that I'm suggesting that you change horses halfway through for a minute - but for interests sake alone - the new Modelling Centre at Pickering (when it opens) will be stocking the range of Polak grass, which was a favourite of mine (being matt), which is good news....

Me too. - thank you for a first class exposition, on one of the most effective results I've seen...... Everything on this layout 'ties together' so well... A 'bench-mark' layout. Allan, look to your laurels!

Excellent ! That looks like a damn big reproduction of a one-pound coin, there.....

Very nice indeed - it shows the machine does a good job! Still, you can always use the Silhouette as a paper-weight? :-)

I think, if you're persistent and lucky, you may be able to get a fraction more out of it. I think I'm down to about 0.2 (it's hard to be completely sure!!!)

Good Lord, let me be the first to say this is absolutely stunning! Time for the rest of us to pack up! Where/when can we see more?

Just two layers - the main bracket, and a border layer....

My unit is also a little lower at the front! I love your wrought-iron work - a real treat! Thanks for pointing that extra hole out - it had cut, but I hadn't pricked it out..... I have now! Incidentally, the bracket isn't my design, but Phils, and very nice too....

Oh, absolutely - colour is vital. When I got Tromark samples, I had identical materials in indentical thicknesses in black and white. Black I could cut in a single pass at 7mm per sec., white wouldn't cut right through even with three passes. I bought black sheets.....

The webs of these brackets are drawn at 0.4mm . The grey one is 0.8mm ply, and the black one is 0.8mm Tromark. Both do the job, but the Tromark required more pricking out by hand

I've just squeezed 0.4mm, by cutting in 2mm MDF when I meant to cut in 0.8mm ply! It did it, but it is a little thin! 0.4mm is my limit for 0.8mm ply and 0.8mm Tromark (drawing - so it comes out a tad thinner than that)

Would it be wrong to be a two-laser household?

I've not really tried cutting card, so I'm not best placed to comment - but my instinct is that much of it may be caused by the chip-board burning. I use a honey-comb under mine, so I don't get any scorching when I'm cutting ply, anyway. I have found that cutting lettering is often disproportionately 'hot' as it often has too many vectors in it, and it slows the laser up - hence excessive scorching there.....

That's a lovey kind thought! No - he died ten years ago - but if he were alive, I would have bought him one, for all the above reasons - and he was into O gauge. Somewhere I even have a drawing he did of the BTH loco on trace, though what his intentions were I don't know. He spent the rest of his life as an Electrical Designer and Priest (for some years at the same time!) with a few patents to his name, specialising in switch-gear and various other bits.

On the whole, I've found that movement in the bars is best avoided. Both my side bars were about 6mm short, and would sometimes move during action, so I packed out the empty space with Milliput so there is no free movement. That, the newer bearings (which I think you have) and slowing the carriage speed down appear to have solved all my problems. Reiterating what has been said before - the after-sales service is second to none!

I've only just found this BTH thread.... My Grandfather was a Foreman at BTH, and my Father did his apprenticeship there. Dad was also very fond of these locos because they built them. So I shall have one of these..... Ordered.

It's also interesting to note that excellent as Trotec is, it won't do everything. I can't do the fire escape steps in it, as I get left with scrap in the little square holes, no matter what setting I use. It seems that ply is the only candidate for that particular job (or any very teeny clear holes)

It's Trotec, rather than Rowmark (I'm finding Rowmark rather difficult to contact with their blind web-page - 'leave your details and we'll contact you...')

I'm so glad you've got to the bottom of your problem - its infuriating when you can't actually use your tool to do a real job! A bit of paint and a roof make the outhouse look quite nice -I'll have to finish one of mine!

Found on the end of a roll of film

....and the building is glued down! This is what it's about, and why it's an oddity. Fortunately it's conveying the general effect I was after, so I can move on - or back to the other buildings and complete them (guttering etc..)

Hi Allan, It is indeed laser cut from 0.8mm ply. I made myself a kit of treads and landings with tabs, and stringers with slots that simply glued together. The rails were also 'one-piece' cuttings glued on. The square holes in the treads are 0.7mm square. I recently bought asmall A4 Australian diode laser for around £450 plus £140 import fees, and find it magnificent. It is capable of precision work, and also cutting out brick walls from 2mm MDF (walls, door, windows, gutter brackets and fire escape were all done with this). My wife also uses it for leatherwork! It won't do metals, but will happily do card, wood, some plastics (not plasticard - but Rowmark, an equivalent)

Not on your life - I can't even see how many wheels locos have got at that scale! I greatly admire the 2mm boys, but I only really get to see what your all doing when you post or publish ruddy great photos!

Bless you... If you squint...... Finally I've got this building just about done (there's always a couple more jobs to do.....). I find buildings difficult and labour-intensive, although this one has been much easier by using the laser cutter. I feel I'm now reasonably fluent, so if I want a part, I can just cut it, so to speak. I should have been struggling to do the fire escape any other way, in any event (other than etching it in brass, of course). The stone wall at the bottom is a piece of 18mm ply, covered in fire cement, embossed and carved - it took a surprising amount of time to do! I'm not particularly happy with any of the painting - but that is very much my weak point (I don't count polishing locos!) The Emblazer does what it says on the packet, and I now wouldn't be without it, even if it ends up standing idle for significant periods. The level of accuracy is much greater than I anticipated, with a kerf of approx 0.12mm, and the machines limitations are extremely reasonable.

Finally I've got this building just about done for Denton Brook (7mm) - (there's always a couple more jobs to do.....). I find buildings difficult and labour-intensive, although this one has been much easier by using my new Emblazer laser cutter. I feel I'm now reasonably fluent, so if I want a part, I can just cut it, so to speak. I should have been struggling to do the fire escape any other way, in any event (other than etching it in brass, of course). The fire escape and the windows are cut from 0.8mm ply, whilst the building carcass is 2mm MDF. The stone wall at the bottom is a piece of 18mm ply, covered in fire cement, embossed and carved - it took a surprising amount of time to do! I'm not particularly happy with any of the painting - but that is very much my weak point (I don't count polishing locos!)