"First time playing with a laser cutter!" Topic

And it's awesome! I have little natural dexterity (nor any patience). But drawing plans on a computer I that can.

And this baby magically transform ideas into actual things!

This hasn't anything to do with 15mm Sci Fi, fair enough! But I fully intend to bring my new found laser super powers to bear into the realm of 1/100 buildings real soon!

Very cool! I never thought of checking the local university (and maybe community college as well) for laser cutter access!

Doug

Priority usually goes to the students (fair enough): load of architecture ones cutting out parts for their models.

But if you go Friday early most of them are still in bed from Thursday party ;-)

They also have a couple of 3D printers (and a bunch of "conventional" machine tools like computerized lathe or milling machine) but that's beyond my skill set so far!

Also look for Maker Spaces… they have been cropping up lately.

Lazyass Architecture students… when i was in Arch school we had to actually DRAW. On PAPER. With PENS and PENCILS. And cut our models out of wood and plastic with X-ACTO knives and sleepless delirium! grumble grumble… new fangled technologies… grumble..

And pretty shnazzy work! I can't wait to see what you do in 1/100 buildings!

Priority usually goes to the students (fair enough)

Fair indeed – but here's the thing – my wife takes classes at both the local university and the community college. I've got an in!

Doug

Cool. I work at a university and we just got a makerbot printer. No laser cutter that I am aware of. Darn it!

I'm jealous! I wish I had access to something like that.

Just occurred to me … did you buy your material stock from the university (i.e. approved types and the right sizes, etc.)? Or did they give you the specs and you went out and sourced it elsewhere?

Doug

Hmmm… My a
My alumni status at my alma mater gets me free library privileges… I wonder if that might extend to other areas as well. (Eyes light up.)

@Elsyrsyn

For this first trial, I just bought a plate of PMMA from them.

From what I can tell, their price are very fair: after a couple hours browsing for online suppliers and calling local "brick and mortar" ones, the lab is still about 2/3 of the cheapest offer I've found (then again they probably buy metric dunkload of the stuff).

They've got tranparent PMMA, MDF and birch plywood in a range of thickness (3 to 8 or 9 mm) and a couple of coloured PMMA in mostly opaque colours… So given their price, the only things I'd consider buying elsewhere are transparent coloured PMMA and thinner plywood (1 and 2 mm).

If I want to bring my own material, I have to provide the manufacturer's specs (which I can do via email before even buying the stuff, so I don't end up buying stuff they won't allow) for them to approve and set up the machine for.

I'm going to pester my school to get a laser cutter now.

So "Thirsty Thursdays" are a thing at your university as well?

At mine, I've got access to one hell of a lot of welding equipment, milling machines, lathes, etc., but sadly no CNC cutters that I know of.

I bet that rig just eats Lexan like nobody's business.

For this first trial, I just bought a plate of PMMA from them.

Cool. I figured that the school might want you to get the materials there, or be able to PROVE that the stuff you stick in their expensive machine is not going to melt all over it.

Doug

Again, it's only fair enough… They let me play with their uber-expensive toy for free, they've got every right to make sure I don't break it, don't they?