ChrisTaylor
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Modelshipworld - Advancing Ship Modeling through Research
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Nautical Research Guild
237 South Lincoln Street
Westmont IL, 60559-1917
If you enjoy building ship models that are historically accurate as well as beautiful, then The Nautical Research Guild (NRG) is just right for you.
The Guild is a non-profit educational organization whose mission is to “Advance Ship Modeling Through Research”. We provide support to our members in their efforts to raise the quality of their model ships.
The Nautical Research Guild has published our world-renowned quarterly magazine, The Nautical Research Journal, since 1955. The pages of the Journal are full of articles by accomplished ship modelers who show you how they create those exquisite details on their models, and by maritime historians who show you the correct details to build. The Journal is available in both print and digital editions. Go to the NRG web site (www.thenrg.org) to download a complimentary digital copy of the Journal. The NRG also publishes plan sets, books and compilations of back issues of the Journal and the former Ships in Scale and Model Ship Builder magazines.
Home, bench top laser cutters.
in Modeling tools and Workshop Equipment
Posted · Edited by ChrisTaylor
Added some further thoughts
For context: I'm still building my first model ship (Artesania's viking ship) and I'm designing my first unambitious original model ... but I know a thing or two about laser cutters. Just a thing or two, mind -- I make no claims at expertise. I'm a teacher and have an Emblaser 2 in my classroom. The (primary) students and I use InkScape to design things, and then cut them out of laser-grade plywood.
Some thoughts:
- Everything everyone else said is true;
- I think InkScape (open source/free) will do the job, but be prepared to learn it -- and the cutting process itself -- through trial and error;
- Cardstock is a nice way to trial cuts without wasting expensive plywood;
- Desktop units, including my Emblaser, have limitations (the thicknesses of materials, the kinds of materials, etc) you'll need to work within;
- The very young students and I learnt through play, and you'll need to do the same -- as with kits, at some point you need to stop reading advice and just get stuck in.
In short, it's a commitment unto itself, above and beyond designing and assembling the model. If you're into that kind of thing -- and I am -- it's an enjoyable journey. If computers are a means to an end, you may be better off buying a scroll saw.
EDIT
In addition to the above, I think the best way to learn about laser cutters is trial and error. I encourage children to learn that way, as it's how I learn. For instance, in the past few days I cut some pieces for the model I've designed. I learnt a few things: the order in which you cut pieces matters a great deal. I mean, on some level that's obvious ... but for what I was doing, it wasn't obvious to my inexperienced brain. I also made the pieces a bit too thin. That's probably less to do with laser cutting and more to do with my lack of experience using store-bought kits ... but, still, the measurements on screen seemed okay, but the finished product was more fragile than what I hoped for. These mistakes are easy to correct in InkScape, but nonetheless chewed up a few sheets of plywood.
You'll also want to think about ventilation. The Emblaser comes with a hose you poke out the window, but if you're in some high-rise apartment building or somewhere bitterly cold you might need to pay for a filtration unit. I'm unfamiliar with other laser cutters, but I can't imagine they'd work any differently.
One other thing that's cool, I guess, is you can cut other materials. For context, the model I'm making is a replica of my brother-in-law's fishing boat (an unambitious subject, but accessible ... and if it turns out half-way decent I'll pass the model onto him). The actual boat has carpeted flooring. The Emblaser is very happy to cut out felt. Now, a pair of scissors can do that, but there's no way my scissor-work will match the accuracy and low-effort-to-reward ratio of what the laser cutter can do in about two minutes. I can use the same image I made of the 'upper deck' (or whatever it'd be called on such a small craft) to cut out a 'carpet' that's precisely the same size.