11-25-2021, 12:10 PM
It has been a while since I have had anything to report. The locomotive painting is at a stand still because I can't get motivated for that. I did however decide I would by a cutting machine. I looked at Cricut but now they have decided that you need a subscription to use their product so I decided on a Brother Scan N Cut.
Now, my wife and daughters are both crafters so I decided they should have one and I would use it when I needed something. I did find a video where a fellow had made his round house doors on one and he used polystyrene so that sold it for me. I needed some signal targets so I scanned one that I had and took it into photoshop and made it so I could use 3mm LEDs. I made a test cut from a small sheet of .02 styrene but the plastic was too small to stay on the mat so I made a program with 50 targets on it for a larger sheet and it stuck very well. I did the first 50 and reversed the sheet to cut 50 more but after cutting 20 the plastic slid and I had to shut the machine down. It had cut some extra holes where I didn't want them but I do have enough targets to make 65 heads. I punched the 3mm holes out with a blunt drill in my drill press and then I painted the sheet. I will punch the targets out as I wire them so I don't lose them
This is the results after opening the holes for the LEDs
. And here is what they will look like with the LED's installed.
.
I will try getting at least one bridge wired and lit up soon but I will be one handed for a couple weeks because I go Monday for carpal tunnel surgery on my left hand.
Cheers.
Charlie
Now, my wife and daughters are both crafters so I decided they should have one and I would use it when I needed something. I did find a video where a fellow had made his round house doors on one and he used polystyrene so that sold it for me. I needed some signal targets so I scanned one that I had and took it into photoshop and made it so I could use 3mm LEDs. I made a test cut from a small sheet of .02 styrene but the plastic was too small to stay on the mat so I made a program with 50 targets on it for a larger sheet and it stuck very well. I did the first 50 and reversed the sheet to cut 50 more but after cutting 20 the plastic slid and I had to shut the machine down. It had cut some extra holes where I didn't want them but I do have enough targets to make 65 heads. I punched the 3mm holes out with a blunt drill in my drill press and then I painted the sheet. I will punch the targets out as I wire them so I don't lose them
This is the results after opening the holes for the LEDs
I will try getting at least one bridge wired and lit up soon but I will be one handed for a couple weeks because I go Monday for carpal tunnel surgery on my left hand.
Cheers.
Charlie