Modeling interests

It's basically a plotter but with a blade attached instead of a pen. It can cut 10thou plasticard clean through, anything more than that it can still score and you just finish off with a knife afterwards following the cuts already made.

 

Thanks!

 

Ooh, an interesting toy!

Could you let us know some more details please? Can't make out too much from your photo. Thanks

 

Certainly. Here's a photo with the lid off which should make it more obvious:



Your material is either fed directly in or placed on a tacky cutting mat which is fed in. The blade sits in the housing and goes side to side for cutting along the x axis, and the rollers pull the material in and out for cutting along the y. It was really designed for paper craft so it can only cut up to 10 thou plasticard, but you can feed up to 40 thou in which it will score, and you can the follow the cuts with a knife or snap the parts out.

You do your design in whatever CAD program you like; I used to use 2Ddesign through school, but since I lost access to that I use a student edition of autoCAD, others have used Inkscape successfully. All that matters is that it can export .dxf files, because the propriety software for the cutter (which I don't really get on with for the actual designs) can import .dxf files. Once you've done that, position where you want and send the design to the cutter, this is what comes out:



To build up into this:

 

FS any chance of a makes name/website/ cost as I am looking to build some 7mm scale LNER non corridor stock and thats a lot windows to cut out

Cheers

Colin

 

Hi Colin, it's a Silhouette Portrait. A newer model has come out since I purchased mine which I think may be able to cut thicker than 10 thou. There is also the Silhouette Cameo, which is just a bigger version. The Portrait can accept materials roughly the width of A4 (but you can feed up to 10 feet in) the Cameo I think can accept up to the width of A3, but is more expensive. My Portrait cost me just over £100. Even for O gauge coaches the portrait should be fine, you can purchase Slaters plasticard in double A4 lengths which would probably be useful for you.

 

Many thanks, FS. Much appreciated

 

Further to this, life is getting a little quieter as the house is nearly done, one advantage of which is that we now have a massive and easily accessible attic!

Whilst I am still a little way from doing anything physical I would like to get a better idea of what is available these days and how layouts can be set up etc, in my day the dogs cahooners was Zero One, I strongly suspect that the world has moved on a little since then!

So what I am saying is, is there a decent book that anyone can recommend that basically provides a decent idiots guide to layouts, techniques, technology etc that I can read before I make any decisions etc etc.

 

I have a friend who runs Bowmans and Bassett Lowke gauge O live steam in the loft. No messing about with wet string (what we used to call wiring at work).

 

AIUI, Zero One was based on a TV remote control chip.

To say it's moved on a bit is almost to compare HDTV to Baird's Televisor! DCC seems to offer almost limitless options for control, and add in the variations of sound you can add to a locomotive - or even a wagon...

Me, I'm thinking of going back to my roots: Hornby-Dublo, complete with period controllers (although I may design my own 'analogue' units). As it happens, I picked up a nice little booklet at the Nene Valley Railway bookshop last weekend: written by Ernest F. Carter (a name those of us of a certain age will remember) it seemed to date from around 1949 if I've read the printer's code right. In there, it detailed a home-made controller for trains which involved resistance wire wrapped around a piece of slate, with a brass strip to contact it: and a double-pole radio aerial earthing switch to act as a reverser

 

I'd start by getting Railway Modeller & have a look at the various PECO publications

Having started trying to build a model of Clapham Junction, I realized my limitations & the current plan is something more like Midford

 

I'd recommend joining a local model railway club as the best way to get advice and ideas (and possibly experience with helping to build club layouts).
The Historical Model Railway Society have a links page at https://hmrs.org.uk/links to help you find a club.

 

Its easy for me to say as its not far away but how about a visit to Pecorama?

It might give you some ideas

Also go to a few exhibitions

 

This might also be on interest http://www.ukmodelshops.co.uk/ as it includes a Clubs and Societies Directory.

 

I thought I would add an update about my 009 layout, Well, I have extended it somewhat, its now 3 times the original size, and I'm in the process of relaying track etc, ive got my station nearly finished, its a twin platform with a bay stone building, etc, all scratch built, the station buildings are a modified card print, off the internet, and works well, because i have a longer running line, I am going to have a small halt, and a terminus station off the bay platform line, so either a railbus, or push -pull set up, so far I have two steam layout locos, an Tram type, and saddle tank, both in black, with red lining, looks very good, I have build these from kits, with keto chassis', 4 ,3D printed 4 wheel coaches in Maroon and White, one a brake coach that the supplier printed for me, then decided it was worth adding to his sale stock, I can recommend his products, off ebay, and a 6 wagon freight rake, he goes by the name of Woodworm,
Having now been back into work, its meant I had ,not for a long time, some money left over each month, so I was able to purchase more stuff and more track,