Bespoke laser cutting

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Stew
Posts: 495
Joined: 02 Mar 2018, 10:21
Location: Staindrop, Darlington.

Bespoke laser cutting

Post by Stew »

Hi all.

Know you of anyone who can do a laser cut set of parts to a plan? I have a plan for the Coasby/Boddo 'Mini Eros' a handsome little 42 inch cabin model, and being short of time I was thinking of getting a kit of parts made up.
Anyone else done this? Is it cost effective? Or do I just break out the fretsaw?

Stew.
Mark Winstanley
Posts: 15
Joined: 28 Jul 2018, 16:50
Location: Ottawa, Canada

Re: Bespoke laser cutting

Post by Mark Winstanley »

Hi Stew; I do CNC cutting with a router from plans. I am in Canada though

Mark.
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Mike_K
Posts: 669
Joined: 16 Feb 2018, 06:35
Location: Hertfordshire

Re: Bespoke laser cutting

Post by Mike_K »

Hi Stew

I've used Neil at iGull a few times, he should be able to help you:

http://www.igull.co.uk/

Neil used to frequent this forum, but I haven't seen him around lately. His eBay user name is cgulltech if you want to see what he already has cut, though contact him directly as he does a better deal.

Cheers

MIke
Stew
Posts: 495
Joined: 02 Mar 2018, 10:21
Location: Staindrop, Darlington.

Re: Bespoke laser cutting

Post by Stew »

Hi Mike, I'm sure I read on his site that Neil at Igull doesn't do bespoke stuff, but people can request to have stuff considered for addition to his list. It may be worth a shot.

Mark, thanks so much for the offer, but postage may be prohibitive from Canada I should think.

I'm after a short kit cut for the 'Mini Eros' (42 inch). designed originally by John Coasby, and scaled down with alterations for R/C by Mr. Boddington.
It's a very handsome little cabin model that has Bowden comp written all over it, but it looks the devil to cut out the ply formers...and I'm a lazy sod at best.

Stew.
Martin
Posts: 744
Joined: 16 Feb 2018, 14:11
Location: Warwickshire

Re: Bespoke laser cutting

Post by Martin »

The Mini Eros is pretty, though the cross tail looks a bit delicate.

Image

Image

I prefer the one without the wheel spats.

Outerzone link
Stew
Posts: 495
Joined: 02 Mar 2018, 10:21
Location: Staindrop, Darlington.

Re: Bespoke laser cutting

Post by Stew »

Hi Martin.

I'm no fan of spats either. I won't be adding them. They do nowt for Stew!
The Eros looks very 'Black Magic' ish. Probably why I like it.
If I can't find a handy laser cutting person, I may have to 'tool up' and buy a fretsaw. Any recommendations for a motorised one? The little Dremel one looks handy.
Martin
Posts: 744
Joined: 16 Feb 2018, 14:11
Location: Warwickshire

Re: Bespoke laser cutting

Post by Martin »

I've got an Axminster one similar to this, though it may not be this exact model.

Image

Within reason, get one with the biggest 'throat' that your workshop space allows - if you're trying to cut from one foot square blanks, then the diagonal is about seventeen inches. Okay, you never need to cut super-close to the opposite diagonal, but a throat of sixteen to eighteen inches makes life easier, and allows you to also cut from larger sheets up to about two foot square with some faffing about.
Tobe
Posts: 665
Joined: 16 Feb 2018, 06:19
Location: Varberg or Stockholm, Sweden

Re: Bespoke laser cutting

Post by Tobe »

I do my own cutting with LASER but most of it is not really worth the effort really as it's quite time consuming to transfer drawings to a proper data file for the cutting machine if the design was not done for the purpose and if you are not planning to make multiple models.
Cheers,

Tobe
Martin
Posts: 744
Joined: 16 Feb 2018, 14:11
Location: Warwickshire

Re: Bespoke laser cutting

Post by Martin »

The other solution, for formers, is to 3D print them. A 3D printer likely costs less than a scroll saw now, and has lots of other uses.
For most models, formers printed in PLA will be plenty strong enough - you can usually just print them a bit thicker than the original plywood, if you think it's necessary. You can also 3D print the 'balsa' formers - making them a bit thinner than the original balsa, if you're concerned about the weight. The formers for all normal-sized models can easily be printed on the cheaper 3D printers, which usually have print beds about eight inches square, or larger.

I've also 3D-printed wing ribs. A bit heavier than balsa, but not too bad if you design in a few lightening holes. They're more accurate than I can cut out by hand too. For tapered wings they're especially labour-saving.

I've 3D-printed whole wings, but they're heavier and more trouble than they're worth, in my opinion. But printing just the ribs and using traditional materials for the spars, leading and trailing edges, and sheeting, works well - and if you use some balsa-coloured PLA to print the ribs, no one need ever know!

The amount of work involved in drawing the formers or ribs using a 3D CAD program, ready to print them, is more-or-less exactly the same as what's involved in producing the necessary data files for a laser cutter, or other CNC cutting tool.
Tobe
Posts: 665
Joined: 16 Feb 2018, 06:19
Location: Varberg or Stockholm, Sweden

Re: Bespoke laser cutting

Post by Tobe »

The issue is more the time to obtain the proper files for either printer or cutter and it's about the same
Cheers,

Tobe
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