How will laser cutters compliment our hobby tomorrow?

[EspenT]

Just like resin printers have filled a gap and are creating a multi million dollar market for plastic modellers, I wonder when (not if) we will start to see the same thing happen in wooden ship building. The price/quality ratio for resin printer has improved drastically over the last 3 years. This has led to an explosion of both aftermarket and full kits being available for home print.

 

It wont be long before you have very good desktop lasers available for less than 4-500 dollars, and I hope to see the same trend in our hobby. Just being able to make your own spare part if you broke a piece would be great. I could of course scan the plans, clean them up and use Lightburn or similar to print them, but I would much prefer to be able to for example  contact @chris watton at Vanguard Models and buy the Gcode for piece 55 of the Sherbourne model directly. He will make some money and I would have my piece within minutes. win-win.

 

Just like there are plastic modellers that would never move out of the comfort zone of what they have always been doing, there will be wood modellers that never will embrace this. But I am sure there will be a market for it here just as in other hobbies.

 

What do you guys think about this? How long before we see marketplaces where we can buy files for our laser cutters?

[Bob Fraser]

I have a Sculpfun S30 5W 40x40cm laser with air assist and limit switches.  Cost is £280 or under $400 US.

I'm also using Lightburn, which has just doubled in price and will no longer update for Linux systems.

I'm using it at the moment to learn Lightburn and to design and cut the deckhouses and mast parts for the Mini Mamoli Cutty Sark that look the part even if not exact because of the very small scale.

The laser can cut a 0.5mm circle, however at small scales you do have to be careful with the width and length of the beam, and the direction of the cut, so an allowance distance between the cut lines needs to be factored in.

 

 

 

Edited 6 hours ago by Bob Fraser

[EspenT]

Very nice. How do you get rid of smoke and fumes? Are you using it in a very ventilated room or have you built some extractor for it?

 

[Bob Fraser]

At the moment I have it in a small ventilated room using a fan, but aim to build a cabinet with a 4" extractor fan and tube it to the window.

[Gregory]

I can see kit makers being reluctant to sell their files, however if you already have a kit, its pretty easy to scan a part or plan and make an image that LightBurn will convert to .SVG

 

I do this already with kits and plans.

[EspenT]

9 minutes ago, Gregory said:

I can see kit makers being reluctant to sell their files, however if you already have a kit, its pretty easy to scan a part or plan and make an image that LightBurn will convert to .SVG

 

I do this already with kits and plans.

If people want to go down the dark road of piracy there are few things that are simpler to copy than 2D files with simple geometry. What I think keeps people returning to buy more kits is the overall quality of the kits. From the quality of the materials to detailed instructions, nice photo etch, sails and ropes. 

Edited 6 hours ago by EspenT

[Gregory]

I hope you don't think I'm talking about piracy.  I'm talking about making replacement parts for personal use from a kit or plans I own..  Typically to replace some parts with better wood like box or pear.

The laser is also great for cutting out spiled planks.

 

Being able to buy laser files from a kit maker would make it all that easier for a pirate to do their thing.

Edited 5 hours ago by Gregory

[modeller_masa]

The laser's thickness is pretty wide. It is enough to replace classic milling machines and table saws, but I doubt it'll be the new standard.

The real game changer is a resin 3D printer. There are tons of new 3D printed kits on the world market. It is essential device to reach the next level of modeling.

[Gregory]

While there are some real nice printed parts, I'm reluctant to go down that road for most parts in model sailing ship building.

 

I like working with wood, and I don't like to paint, which is required for most printed parts.