Made on Epilog II

[Belinda Barfield]

Hi Belinda, thanks! A lot of the tasks in model building / engraving / woodworking are really just exercises in problem solving, which is what keeps the work fascinating. Always good to hear back from people who share the enthusiasm. Wondering what sort of woodworking thing you do that has laser applications? Dave

Dave,

First, I must apologize for wording something incorrectly in my previous post. I meant that some might not think of this as technically wood working. In my opinion what you do is wood working regardless of the fact that you are using the laser. I actually don't do any type of woodworking with my laser, but I'm encouraged to try based on the things I see you doing with yours. I'm just not sure I have the design ability to do the type of work you do. Thanks again for sharing.

[David Fairfield]

Hi Belinda, no apology necessary! I really enjoyed reading your original post-- any comparisons between me and a woodworker are taken strictly as a high compliment .

Agree with you, always thought there could be great 1/1 scale traditional woodwork applications for the laser-- maybe for inlays or elaborate dovetailing-- and I'm curious to see who's doing what. I hope you'll follow your inspiration, give your ideas a try, and share some pictures with us.

Kim I checked out your work online-- you remind me of the guy who made the gadgets for James Bond. That miniature camera transmitting from inside a moving Z scale train was a pretty awesome display of miniature electronics and model building. And thanks very much for the link to the veneer company. I spent half a day on the web trying to find a source for veneer that thin before I gave up and faked my shingles out of paper and paint. Shoulda asked here first, doh!

I'll PM you my email for the shake shingle file, will send you a copy of mine.

Dave

[Ben Levesque]

Ben,
What speed are you using for these cuts I see lots of wiggles in the lines also near the tabs. There was a thread about this problem with Epilog, I am curious if this is inherent issue with Epilog.

Kim

Hi Kim

Like David said, it is an Epilog thing, yes I have read Robert's thread about this issue, and it was very instructive, I'm only using a 30% speed and probably will have to work something like what David said to get around it.
I was talking about this wiggles back in 2006 on this following forum train board thread but it did not conclude to any reason as to why, now I know why.

David, for the comparison with the 1.5 and 2'' lens, was the pic OK ?

Ben

[Lee DeRaud]

...always thought there could be great 1/1 scale traditional woodwork applications for the laser-- maybe for inlays or elaborate dovetailing--...

Haven't figured out how to do dovetails, but box-joints/finger-joints work fine: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=29243

[David Fairfield]

Hey Lee,

Cool laser joinery there. Seems to me a guy who can do a complicated box like that, can do a dovetailed box no prob. What's the thing about dovetails that makes it harder than finger joints?

Ben,

Yeah the comparison shot is good, thanks. The smaller lens looks interesting for me. Does the narrower beam extend the engraving time? And will it run same files at the same power settings as the 2" lens or will I need to compensate?

Also, can you recommend any scale model bulletin boards where other laser users gather?

Dave

[Lee DeRaud]

Seems to me a guy who can do a complicated box like that, can do a dovetailed box no prob. What's the thing about dovetails that makes it harder than finger joints?

The tails are easy: the cutout is just a trapezoid instead of a rectangle. But the pins are a whole 'nother deal, since the cut has to be made at an angle to the surface and the laser can only cut straight up and down. About the best you can do is use the laser to hog a rectangle out of the middle and then angle out the slots with conventional tools. (And my apologies if I got that whole thing backwards: I can never remember which are the tails and which are the pins.)

As long as you're looking "outside the box", consider this one:
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=31522

[Ben Levesque]

Ben,

Yeah the comparison shot is good, thanks. The smaller lens looks interesting for me. Does the narrower beam extend the engraving time? And will it run same files at the same power settings as the 2" lens or will I need to compensate?

No compensation needed, I've run my files with the same setups, now it is more about the whiplash as you probably saw. Time cutting are the same, you will have to find the proper focus distance though, using either iodized aluminum plates and find the bigger flash point or like me, trials and error using wood, I could never make work this flash technique, god knows how many plates of Alu I've scrapped.

Also, can you recommend any scale model bulletin boards where other laser users gather?
Dave

The trainboard forum is where I got all my starters information, laser cutters are mostly in the Z scale forum, there is no dedicated threads, so everyone shows their work from time to time.

The Kitforums has a lot of laser cutters and scratchbuiders (all scales)

The railroad-line forum as a nice craftman corner about scratchbuiding. (All scales)

Well those are the one's I have so far.

Ben

[David Fairfield]

Lee that octagonal box is a work of art and a perfect example of bringing the laser into traditional woodworking. I filed that idea away for something I might do for Mom's Christmas present. What a beauty!

I see what you mean about dovetails now, I overlooked the 3rd dimension aspect. I've often thought how great it would be to have a 45 deg miter function on the laser.

Ben thanks for model RR craftsman forum links. I grew up with MRR magazine in the 1970s - 80s, still thumb through them occasionally. Those old timers who made do with stone knives and bear skins are still an inspiration. I wonder what they could have produced if they had our high tech tools. Maybe they just would have gotten lazy

Dave

[Darryl Jacobs]

Hi Dave,

All I can say is WOW! I have beend wanting to do some small scale model buildings for a while and this is the stuff I need to get motivated.

Any new progress on the buildings? I am very very impressed with the Brick work.

I have mainly been doing laser cut aircraft.

Thanks for sharing the fantastic work!

DEJ

[David Fairfield]

Hey Darryl

Cool to see this thread brought back up to the surface, thanks. That looks like a Royal Navy Walrus taking shape there. Very nice work on that canopy.

Between commerical work I'm doing a "reconstruction" of a bakery in Ansonia CT. Its 98% guesswork based on a building I saw in an old postcard.

I made the drawing and started cutting parts. The little thumbnail photo of the prototype is actually all I have to work with this time. But that's the fun you can have with old structures. They only have to look like they might have once existed, unlike scale aircraft and armor where accuracy is key. Get that Walrus done, and give it a shot. Post some photos here!

Dave

[David Fairfield]

This is as far as I've gotten. Actually I don't know if the original building was a bakery, I just like Bakeries.

D