Rich Griff Posted January 30, 2023 Share Posted January 30, 2023 I do not have a computer system which is internet capable, working scanner and printer, 3d printer or laser cutter etc.. I found out yesterday laser cutting is available in the next village, blimey. May I ask please, are files available for laser cutting of balsa for plans like the Feb rcme 049ier e and others please ? I have yet to visit the canolfan to talk about laser cutting but imagine they would have the means and kit needed. I will find out. Thanks, rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin b Posted January 30, 2023 Share Posted January 30, 2023 Hi Rich. The short answer is "No". The magazine doesn't produce cutting files and leave it up to companies like Sarik to supply laser cut parts. Some of us have the ability to produce files and cut our own parts, but to be honest your cheapest option (unless somebody else creates files and makes them available) is to buy the laser cut parts from Sarik. It would be nice to have a file download section on this site for us to share our files. I am a member of the RC Scale Builders forum and they lots of bits and pieces to download including 3D print files. Also a lot of the members actively promote sharing of files. There again that is not a commercial based site. Somehow I don't think it will happen on here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Griff Posted January 30, 2023 Author Share Posted January 30, 2023 Thanks Kevin. May I ask, does a scanner scan a plan, then at the touch of a button, the laser cutter goes to work, or a scan is taken then a button pressed to produce the code file the Lazer cutter needs ? I suppose all that is still star trek territory ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Fry Posted January 30, 2023 Share Posted January 30, 2023 Rich, reality, devote a year to learning how to do it. Or pay someone who has. Not being morbid, but how many plans do you propose to convert? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Symons - BMFA Posted January 30, 2023 Share Posted January 30, 2023 There is a BMFA In the Air Tonight webinar on laser cutting tomorrow at 7pm if anyone is interested. See https://itat.bmfa.uk/ 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin b Posted January 30, 2023 Share Posted January 30, 2023 Ok Rich. If the plan is really clean you can scan the parts individually. Then you need to convert those files from pictures into files that the laser cutter will understand so that it can cut them. There is plenty of software out there but the good stuff is not free. Don is correct that you will have to learn how to use the software and his question is relevant regarding the time you would need to spend against what you achieve.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Griff Posted January 30, 2023 Author Share Posted January 30, 2023 Thanks both, the Lazer cutter in the village presumably has the skills/knowledge/equipment. Andy, webinar, thanks. Is the last one about flight safety/caa stuff been made available yet please ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Fry Posted January 30, 2023 Share Posted January 30, 2023 Rich, even better, if he fowls up, being a village, you can wander down to his place and shout, or kick up backside, or simply fowl-mouth, as necessary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Griff Posted January 30, 2023 Author Share Posted January 30, 2023 Village life is so so different. Upsetting someone in the next village, you have effectively up set about half of the village you live in. The Lazer cutter in the next village has the Lazer cutter along with the equipment to work it i presume. We want to support him. Thanks, so individual parts scanned and cleaned up if needed. Rescanned into the converting software and fed to the Lazer cutting machine. I will make a point of calling into the canolfan and finding out the process and costs involved for him/her to do the cutting. A local resource worth supporting I feel. I wonder if they do 3d printing also... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Gray Posted February 1, 2023 Share Posted February 1, 2023 Whist the In the Air Tonight session turned out to be Part 2 of 3D printing it was another very good session. But the most interesting thing was that Andy will be setting up a BMFA repository for member's 3D and Laser designs so that we can share what we've done! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Griff Posted February 1, 2023 Author Share Posted February 1, 2023 Good thinking Andy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piers Bowlan Posted February 1, 2023 Share Posted February 1, 2023 In the case of Peter Miller’ o-Four9ier it is really such a simple design that you could probably cut out a set of parts for it in an evening if you had the wood available. I rather enjoy the process of making parts for a model, when starting a build. Many seem to hate it. I wonder why? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Gray Posted February 1, 2023 Share Posted February 1, 2023 I enjoy cutting too but there’s a certain satisfaction watching a laser cutter scoot round forming ‘perfect’ parts! I only got mine last week but the joy of producing a ‘kit’ of Depron Hanky Planky parts for my fellow club members has been great. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piers Bowlan Posted February 1, 2023 Share Posted February 1, 2023 (edited) Ah yes, being able to laser cut a lot of parts for your club mates makes a lot of sense and makes a lot of friends too! I guess it must require several processes like scanning the plans and manipulating the image files onto ‘balsa shaped’ pieces of wood, before you can sit back and watch your robot cutter, work it’s magic. A truly ‘Hamlet’ moment! Edited February 1, 2023 by Piers Bowlan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Gray Posted February 2, 2023 Share Posted February 2, 2023 In the case of the Hanky Planky I completely redrew it as it was going to be for 6mm Depron! But yes in the case of a ‘standard’ raster PDF I scan a drawing and convert so that cutting program can work with them. The conversion is the most time consuming part but then I’m still finding the best way to do that. Another clever function is nesting software which optimises the cutting so you get the minimum amount of waste. All good fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piers Bowlan Posted February 2, 2023 Share Posted February 2, 2023 What laser cutter did you get Ron? It’s something I have been interested in and I watched the BMFA Zoom meeting on Tuesday. hoping to learn something. Only the talk was on PLA printing! I can’t really see me investing in one but you never know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy J Posted February 2, 2023 Share Posted February 2, 2023 Ron, how are you managing to cut Depron? I tried it some time ago but the white surface just reflected the laser light. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Gray Posted February 2, 2023 Share Posted February 2, 2023 (edited) @Piers Bowlan I was going to buy one a couple of years ago, an Omtech CO2 costing approx £2.5K, but my wife suggested that I needed to clear some of my heavy machinery from the workshop to make way for it! Roll on 2 years and over the last couple of months I got rid of some of the machinery but also looked into diode lasers and decided to go for one of those, a Sculpfun Pro Max 20w with extended frame (400 x 900mm). It has enough power to cut through ½” ply so plenty for what I want without the need for additional things like water chilling (CO2). I am very impressed with this machine, it’s easy to use and producing things like ply bulkheads / battery trays etc are a doddle with very little edge burning. @Andy JoyceWhite Depron is a pain, presumably due to the ‘low’ power of the diode laser, a 60w CO2 wouldn’t have a problem. Therefore I use grey Depronwhich cutsvreally well (see my short vid below). Using grey isn’t a problem for me especially as it’s more readily available than white Edited February 2, 2023 by Ron Gray 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Gray Posted February 2, 2023 Share Posted February 2, 2023 The result is a nice 'kit' for my fellow club members And the parts have even got tabs to stop them falling out! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Gray Posted February 6, 2023 Share Posted February 6, 2023 @Rich Griff do you still want the laser cutting files for the 049er as I’ve just created one for the ribs and formers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Griff Posted February 6, 2023 Author Share Posted February 6, 2023 Yes please Ron, I can take them to the village cutter and see what/how he can use them. Much appreciated, thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Gray Posted February 6, 2023 Share Posted February 6, 2023 @Rich GriffI've pm'd you a couple of files. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Gray Posted February 7, 2023 Share Posted February 7, 2023 On 30/01/2023 at 20:11, Andy Symons - BMFA said: There is a BMFA In the Air Tonight webinar on laser cutting tomorrow at 7pm if anyone is interested. See https://itat.bmfa.uk/ It’s on tonight, ‘postponed’ from last week. If the 3D printing ones are anything to go by this should be another good session with, hopefully, some live lasering! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Turner 12 Posted February 7, 2023 Share Posted February 7, 2023 Hi Ron Did you re draw the fornier plans in cad. Up to now I’ve been using vector pdf from outer zone which are a doddle in Inkscape as you can easily extract the curves. Now if the rcme plans were supplied as vector pdf😉 I was going to draw the Peggy sue plans by scanning and tracing the ribs in Inkscape and maybe solid works or fusion for the formers. interested in your workflow. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Symons - BMFA Posted February 7, 2023 Share Posted February 7, 2023 https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Fjcn8tyhRpWDKmhW3ffTAg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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