Giles

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!)

Hi Simon, I'm sorry you've got problems with registration. Would it help if I sent you the DXF for the brick sh*thouse for you to try? The only thing is that it's designed for 2mm MDF, not 2.5. PM me if it's of interest. Good luck! Giles

As an arachnophobe, I should just burn the house down...... Assuming you could ever get me to set foot in Australia.....

In my search for the correct plasticard substitute, I came across a material that allows me to do this in 0.8mm. It's fairly bendy, so doesn't break when you're glueing them on (i haven't broken any at all...) - but it needs superglueing, as MEK etc won't do the biz.... That's fine, as in this application I was fitting then onto a ply board (lasered with locating slots) in any case. The gutter was a 3mm u rib from an old umbrella, and the board was lasered with the slots giving a slight 'fall' to the gutter. The brackets are amazingly resilient. I could probably fold one in half before inflicting damage on it. The thickness of the support is about 0.35mm

......... However.... In my search for the correct plasticard substitute, I came across a material that allows me to do this in 0.8mm. It's fairly bendy, so doesn't break when you're glueing them on (i haven't broken any at all...) - but it needs superglueing, as MEK etc won't do the biz.... That's fine, as in this application I was fitting then onto a ply board (lasered with locating slots) in any case. The gutter was a 3mm u rib from an old umbrella, and the board was lasered with the slots giving a slight 'fall' to the gutter. The brackets are amazingly resilient. I could probably fold one in half before inflicting damage on it. The thickness of the support is about 0.35mm

Tried the cast Perspex, and contrary to one thread on the Emblazer group, it wouldn't even mark it, just as everyone thought - still, it had to be tried.

Nice - very nice! Apart from the laser cutting, I'm really impressed that you could even see to assemble those benches! I had bought a couple of sheets of 0.8mm from Hobarts, which were un-laserable, and these were (with hind sight) the exterior grade. Their proper laser-grade however, I find very good. I've just received a couple of sheets of cast Perspex to try - so we'll see how that does!

All the laser work of the Denton Brook building is finished and assembled. Windows fitted, the cills were cut in situ, and pulled forward. Some bricks were cut out (probably too many), the building still awaits weathering - together with roof (corrugated) gutters etc.....

All the laser work of the Denton Brook building is finished and assembled. Windows fitted, the cills were cut in situ, and pulled forward. Some bricks were cut out (probably too many), the building still awaits weathering - together with roof (corrugated) gutters etc.....

The last on this subject...... Fire escapes complete (apart from painting). I had one rail fail to cut cleanly out of the five, which was pretty reasonable, given how fine they are, and that I chose 3 passes to cut (thereby relying on very accurate registration) I love this machine.....!

Fire escapes complete (apart from painting). I had one rail fail to cut cleanly out of the five, which was pretty reasonable, given how fine they are, and that I chose 3 passes to cut (thereby relying on very accurate registration). Again, the rails are 0.8mm ply, posts cut with the main grain of the ply, and drawn about 0.8mm wide (so minus the kerf)

With a coat of primer

With a coat of primer

Fire escape coming together. It's surprisingly resilient, and can be twisted around without breaking. I have yet to draw the hand rails and cut these.

Fire escape coming together. It's surprisingly resilient, and can be twisted around without breaking. I have yet to draw the hand rails and cut these.

I've just cut my stringers, and it took two attempts, because I put a new sheet of 0.8mm ply in, and got a dreadful result..... It didn't cut through, it cut wide, and burnt the edges..... It would have been very disheartening had I not known that there was nothing wrong with the laser or its settings. Fortunately, I had enough room left on the previous sheet I had been using and cut the components again - without changing anything.... And got a perfect result. Conclusion - the ply is different, and doesn't cut well at all, and to get the really good results I've been getting, I've got to have the correct ply. Both pieces came from Hobarts, one was exterior grade, and the other ''laser ply' -both sold for laser stock, though...... I'm pretty sure that the good stuff is laser ply, but as the quantities were the same I can't be 100% sure, dammit....

That Hobarts stuff is what I'm using. I get the 600 X 300 sheets and cut them to 600 X 200 for economy (MDF as well). Very good service from them, quick, and good stuff......

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!

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.

It's also worth noting that the gears will happily crack whilst sat in the box without ever running - it's not a problem associated with use, so even a 'shelf queen' is likely to suffer......

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!

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...)

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.

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.

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.