This is how a laser cut caboose kit starts

I'm glad to hear the Widowmaker kit went together well for you Chris. It does have Basswood in it's construction.

What I found was that the wood is not exactly 1/32" or 1/64", so when I draw out parts, making allowances for the thickness of the wood, It don't come out perfectly.

So I test fit every piece until I am happy with a tight fit, and adjust the cut lines a bit until the part fits best. For N and HO scale models, you can use Basswood in many cases, but for Z Scale, you have to use plywood in more places, because Basswood will expand and contract more with humidity, where the plywood is more tolerant of humidity. Mostly.

There is another factor involved, that we have just discovered. My friend Kim Vellore just bought a laser a few months ago, and his has different cutting charistics than mine. So a kit drawn up for my laser, but cut on Kim's laser will have parts that do not fit like they do when cut by my laser.

The beam on Kim's laser is a bit bigger in diameter because he has a more powerful laser. This causes the kerf of the cut to be wider, so the lines have to be drawn in slightly a different place to get the same tight fit.

Again, probably not an issue with O and HO Scale kits, but if the kit is Z or in many cases even N Scale, using a different laser for pre-production design work, and farming out the cutting for production work, could yeild those fit differences.

A guy draws up a model and has the laser cutting company cut it for him. Fit is good, but that model was cut on their older slower 35 watt machine. When the guy orders 250 kits worth of parts, the laser cutting company does the work on their bigger 100 watt machine, and cranks out the work in a couple days. But now the kerf of those cuts are slightly wider due to the different beam diameter.

There is a focusing lens that sets the beam diameter, and if the same size lens is used, then the kerf of the cut should be the same, but there are slight manufacturing differences in the lenses from one manufacturer to another, and even on different models from the same manufacturer, and that may also be a factor of fit.

-Robert

 

Robert,

Your skills totally amaze me, I would never have the ability to design and print decals let alone design and make kits with a laser cutter.

Are you selling many kits? I hope you able to at least cover the costs of the laser?

 

I drew up the wheels in Corel Draw, and had Hobo Tim etche them for me with double sided etch.

-Robert

 

Oh yes, It paid for the laser 1.5 years ago, and am riding the gravy train until it burns out. Now it pays for the hobby!

-Robert