Cutting this intricate shape

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Luckily 3.5g (89.9mm) when halved will come out just about right for G1 (45mm) track when scaled down.

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Chris, it is generally not recomended to take measurements off drawings, but I think that goes back to the days of "real" blue prints, reason, the process of making blue prints involved getting the thing wet, then hanging it up to dry, in the process the paper tended to shrink, and not always evenly, so that there could be distortion as well as a reduction of the length of a line. I learned how to make BPs in Tech Drawing at high school, and that was about the last I had to do with them.

Ian S C

[Chris HammondParticipant @chrishammond37041]

Guys, thanks for taking the time to reply.

Jason and I had a really helpful and productive email exchange which made perfect sense. The problem I had was that the drawings were of unknown size. They weren't to the scale shown in the scale diagram box, and so, when any enlargement was made, it was guesswork at best, until Jason hit on the gauge solution, which to me, makes perfect sense.

Geoff – when the drawings were scaled to 7/8 scale, by a fellow in the USA, the gauge was 1.35 mm under 45mm gauge. (He could have got his scaling slightly out too, the drawings are at least second generation so not the sharpest I have ever seen, and with a little pixel spread, could lead to the difference we encountered). So enlarging to suit the 45mm gauge is going to make my life a little easier on my first build and I don't think will make that much difference overall to the size of the loco. At least, I hope not!

Ian SC, I agree, it's probably not best to take measurements off a drawing, but with a total lack of other information except a few poor photographs, it's kinda all I have. The prototype (if it still exists) is at least 3,000 miles away so measuring is out of the q.

I seek and adhere to the wonderful knowledge of the fantastic people on this forum. And for that, I cannot thank you all enough.

Edited By Chris Hammond on 20/01/2017 10:56:58

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

OK got a quote from the laser cutters.

All prices are less VAT and carriage.

 

I asked for quotes in 6 mm and 8 mm as it was uncertain what the thickness was at that point.

They have quote 5 mm ??? and 8 mm but it's easy to guess a 6mm price.

 

Prices are per pair, not each

 

5 mm frames are £40.

8 mm frames are £45

3 to 5 days lead time.

 

So it pays to shop around. With the advent of the new Fiber lasers these machines can cut thinner material so much faster than in the past. I am getting jobs cut for significantly less than they were cutting the same job 4 and 5 years ago

Edited By John Stevenson on 20/01/2017 11:22:47

[Ian PParticipant @ianp]

I'm with JS regarding 'shopping around'. I now use the same laser cutting company, (often without even getting a quote beforehand) because they have proved to be high quality, reliable and very competitive.

On behalf of a customer I had a quote from a laser cutting company that I had not used before, all the items were a lot more expensive than I had paid previously but some of the components were 10 times as dear!

I enquired why some of the items were so expensive and they explained that they were in a material they did not normally cut and would have to buy a full sheet so spread the cost over the order I was placing. (6mm 6082 Ali)

I have seen prices quoted to model engineers that would have put me off laser cutting for life. Some of the high cost might be the creation of DXF files from the MEs paper drawings but nowadays generating your own DXF is really not difficult.

Ian P

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

I've been getting quotes for perspex sheet cut into simple rectangles. Nearly a 4:1 range of prices!

Neil

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 20/01/2017 14:21:50:

I've been getting quotes for perspex sheet cut into simple rectangles. Nearly a 4:1 range of prices!

.

Out of interest, Neil

Have you tried **LINK**

http://www.craftylasers.co.uk/

If so … where are they in your price range ?

Although the project was abandonned before I purchaed anything, I found them very helpful.

MichaelG.

[Chris HammondParticipant @chrishammond37041]

Thanks for the prices John, it does pay to shop around.

Too high for my budget though, would be around £52 inc VAT plus around £8 carriage, that's £60. Worth it no doubt, and once I have starting cutting and milling, I will probably wish I had taken it. However, I must confess to being more than healthily excited about 'having a go'. When I look at the stuff Jason produced in the images, the satisfaction must be a thousand times greater than buying it in.

Just my humble opinion of course, others might think differently.

[DodParticipant @dod]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 20/01/2017 14:21:50:

I've been getting quotes for perspex sheet cut into simple rectangles. Nearly a 4:1 range of prices!

Neil

Spent the afternoon doing exactly that the old fashioned way – 4.8 metres around rectangles with a tenon saw

only another 8.3 metres to go.

You want a quote from me – " do it yourself "

[Author]

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