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Miniatures Adventure => Old West => Topic started by: Mister Rab on 16 September 2011, 09:28:17 PM

Title: Everything is better with lasers...
Post by: Mister Rab on 16 September 2011, 09:28:17 PM
... right?

I was admiring the laser-cut buildings from the likes of Sarissa when I had a thought (it happens occasionally) - we have a laser-plotter in the technology department at my school  8) So, a little playing with 2d Designer later, and I had a virtual copy of one of the buildings I'd made (http://geeklydigest.blogspot.com/2009/11/how-cats-helped-win-west.html) (very slowly  ::)) from foam-core and balsa splints.

(http://img703.imageshack.us/img703/7743/2ddesigner.png)

Then I wandered over to the technology dept. and, ten minutes later (okay, thirty - I screwed up the measurements for the joints on the first trial  :?) I had this in my excited little paws:

(http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/6894/img0749iz.jpg)

(http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/889/img0750l.jpg)

It went together pretty well:

(http://img718.imageshack.us/img718/4198/img0752qr.jpg)

The best bit about the whole thing was my Cunning Plan (TM)  8) I run the science/tech club so I'm going to get the kids to build lots more (for their own good, you understand) so that they build a whole town. And if they don't want to keep their creations, I'll look after them  :D
Title: Re: Everything is better with lasers...
Post by: Anatoli on 16 September 2011, 10:22:41 PM
WOW! Great job, looks exactly like that laser cut terrain by that company which name eludes me at the moment.
Does it take a long to make these houses and would you be willing to sell some and if so for how much  :D ?

At the moment I'm just checking for future reference, but it sure looks damn good.
Title: Re: Everything is better with lasers...
Post by: Prof.Witchheimer on 16 September 2011, 10:33:49 PM
I wish I had a toy like this..
Title: Re: Everything is better with lasers...
Post by: General Roos on 16 September 2011, 11:15:33 PM
I want one of those machines  ;D
Title: Re: Everything is better with lasers...
Post by: Marine0846 on 17 September 2011, 01:51:55 AM
Very cool.
Do I see a sideline business in the future?  lol
Title: Re: Everything is better with lasers...
Post by: Tom Reed on 17 September 2011, 02:54:30 AM
You remind me of my buddy who is a retired high school principal. He was always having the shop classes build him wargming stuff, from terrain to shelves, to tables.
Title: Re: Everything is better with lasers...
Post by: Mister Rab on 17 September 2011, 12:03:19 PM
Thanks gents  :D

I really was tickled by how well it came out, and by my plan to get the kids involved. They want to make enough buildings to make a town and then do a stop-motion short film. I'll supply the figures for that. If they actually manage it, and it's not utterly dire, I'll share the link at some point (could be a while, you know what kids are like and I need to paint some more townspeople).

As to selling these. Well, maybe once I've got the ones for me done, and if the tech teachers aren't thoroughly fed up with me hogging their machine. With time taken to design them, materials, time to print, and a bottle of something to keep the machine technician sweet ( ;)), my rough guess would be a few quid. Definitely less than a fiver, anyway, for a building like the one above.
Title: Re: Everything is better with lasers...
Post by: Red Orc on 17 September 2011, 01:24:22 PM
That's pretty cool. I must admit I thought it was goijng to be a 'Cowboys Versus Aliens' thread when I saw the title and which board it was on!

Not quite sure of the ethics of exploiting child labour and school (local authority?) equipment for commercial purposes, but a fine looking building nevertheless.
Title: Re: Everything is better with lasers...
Post by: Golgotha on 17 September 2011, 01:33:18 PM
You could sell these... What a nifty bit of kit, no doubt well beyond the average wargamers tool box.
Title: Re: Everything is better with lasers...
Post by: Mister Rab on 17 September 2011, 02:37:42 PM
Not quite sure of the ethics of exploiting child labour and school (local authority?) equipment for commercial purposes

Don't worry - if I do sell some, it'll be me making them and I'll be paying for the use of the machine, out of school hours.

The child labour would purely be of benefit for my personal use (on the off-chance they don't want to keep the ones they make), which I think is perfectly reasonable for the grief the little blighters put me through  ;) lol
Title: Re: Everything is better with lasers...
Post by: thebinmann on 17 September 2011, 04:29:42 PM
Lovely stuff would you be interested in making a Cthulhu Mansion for me?
Title: Re: Everything is better with lasers...
Post by: Sangennaru on 17 September 2011, 04:41:48 PM
Then I wandered over to the technology dept. and, ten minutes later (okay, thirty - I screwed up the measurements for the joints on the first trial  :?)

while reading i was gonna tell you that =)

I don't have such a luck, and i made my custom cuts from sarissa itself... really really nice and kind people, some times they just modify my plots when they are too thin... and whithout asking nothing! :)

BUT. If i win some money i will buy one of those cutters. it is something too great to have ;)
Title: Re: Everything is better with lasers...
Post by: Cultist #3 on 17 September 2011, 06:59:50 PM
No Mr. Bond...I expect you to make little wooden buildings for me!  :D

Nice bit of kit there.
Title: Re: Everything is better with lasers...
Post by: Galland on 18 September 2011, 04:00:53 AM

Not quite sure of the ethics of exploiting child labour and school (local authority?) equipment for commercial purposes, but a fine looking building nevertheless.

Being politically correct in all its splendor ^^. You do realise that he was being humorous?

However, the creative work you have done here is very impressive. I havent been much interested in the laser cut stuff so far, but I do realise that it might be the future, considering the cost of stuff. Even though I still do prefer to actually build my houses from foam etc.
Title: Re: Everything is better with lasers...
Post by: Skratch on 18 September 2011, 12:51:15 PM
Yeah, the building looks great and I'll be watching this board to see the entire town and the little movie you're planning to make.
Title: Re: Everything is better with lasers...
Post by: Sangennaru on 18 September 2011, 01:21:57 PM
No Mr. Bond...I expect you to make little wooden buildings for me!  :D

:P lol lol
Title: Re: Everything is better with lasers...
Post by: Brian Smaller on 18 September 2011, 07:31:02 PM

Not quite sure of the ethics of exploiting child labour and school (local authority?) equipment for commercial purposes, but a fine looking building nevertheless.

Not quite sure myself of the point of having kids around if you can't exploit them for labour.  I say this from the point of view of someone who gets his kids to cut and fetch firewood, feed the sheep and cows, shovel gravel and the other hundred jobs required on the farm.

Wicked building.  Now there is one of these machines at my son's school in the tech department.  Time to talk to the teacher I think.