At the Fab Lab

This is the Epilog Fusion 40 watt laser cutting Evergreen Plastic .040" Clapboard siding for three HO structures. Because of the .040" thickness we used 2 passes of the laser to get clean cuts and limit melting of the plastic.

It is important to note that the Fab Lab Three Lakes laser has 2, 4” exhaust pipes connected to a roof mounted exhaust fans and we have a compressor that raises the pressure inside the printer to more than one atmosphere. This removes toxic fumes from the cutting area inside the laser printer.

Back at the workbench here is the 6" X12" sheet with the walls cut out. In the upper right of the photo you see the print of the plan used to instruct the laser as to where to cut. With Clapboard it is important that the bottom of each wall be on a line that is a multiple of the size of the clapboards (in this case .050") by doing this in the drawing the boards will line up at the corners no matter where on the sheet the part is cut out of.

Here is a clapboard structure assembled with corner 4X4s inside and corner edging on the outside.

The windows have come in from Grandt Line #5032 and Door #5021.

I have added a roof to the structure.

This is a structure from my drawings. It is a redrawing of a structure clinic given by Al Potts of the South Central Wisconsin Division (SCWD) in 1994 as a project structure. I have drawn it with Grandt Line windows and service door.

This building may be built in any scale and drawings are on line. Kits are being cut out in N, HO, S, and O scales.

The idea is to have as many members in as many scales build the structure and change or add as they see fit so that we can display them at the Region meet this coming spring which is hosted by our division.

Laser cut roof beams to go in the detailed Winter project.

Full Drawings are listed at the bottom of the Winter Project page.

Laser cutting of cars

Ho and Hon3 work caboose bodys cut on the Laser from .020 Evergreen Plastic.

See PLL Caboose

Car bodies with doors cut and Grandt line doors and windows.

3D Printing at the lab Click Here

Visit the Fab Lab site at:

https://sites.google.com/a/threelakessd.k12.wi.us/fab-lab-three-lakes/

Many thanks to Steven Yahr, director of the Fab Lab, and the students who have assisted us with this project at the Three Lakes School District.

Updated 06/05/16
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