The Diary of the Building of a 5" gauge Stirling Single

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Laser Cut parts

Laser cutting is at the forefront of profiling technology, because it has the ability to accurately cut component parts . The position and the cutting path of the laser is precisely controlled by computer controlled software which allows very fine detail to be handled with ease and allows for a much higher definition and quality of cut when compared to other types of manufacturing.

But you do not needs to know any more to benefit from laser cutting of those difficult and time consuming parts.

My son in law, Alex, introduced me to CAD design and by Friday 9th March I had drawn up the frames of the Stirling Single loco and taken them along to the CNC laser cutter local to me.

It does help them to give good service if:-

Holes to be specifically cut are not smaller in diameter than the thickness of the material, if smaller holes are require the mark with a circle 0.5mm diameter and do not use the point function in a CAD package.

That drawings are dimensioned at least length and width on a different layer and that layer "0" is used for the cutting detail drawing.

That the drawings are identified as to what part they are, what material it is to be cut from and the thickness of the material.

They accept my drawing from a Cad with the extension .dwg sent to them by email

This is one of my first CAD drawings which will go to the cutter when the others are collected. Using a cad package is a steep learning curve but thankfully I have my son in law to help me.

Another of the many drawing I am making up so that I could obtain parts laser cut but never did have this cut.

Another order placed with the laser cutter this time for the Bogie and buffer beams.

15th June 2007

Parts collected and paid for. In fact they were ready yesterday but the email system did not get the email to me in time !!!!