WELCOME!


It is hard to believe that it was only seven years ago I witnessed a CNC router in action for the very first time. I was fascinated and simply had to have one! Although I had been in the creative end of the three dimensional sign business for most of my life I didn't really know what I would do with one - but I just knew it could do fantastic stuff.

Through extensive research I quickly found out that with the relative simplicity of EnRoute, CNC routers were capable of just about anything imaginable. This journal will chronicle that journey to date and continue each week with two or three entries as we continue to explore just what is possible with this wonderful software... -dan

Saturday, January 12, 2013

Building a train - Part three


The train is going to require the building of many files, most using techniques I've demonstrated  here previously. We'll use every trick in the book and probably invent a few more along the way.

Todays build is the truck for the locomotive. This is a heavy cast frame that holds the wheel sets in alignment and supports the locomotive. I started by building the vector in EnRoute pro. The frame vector was selected and a flat relief 2" tall was created. I also built a relief of the center section at the same time


I needed to create a rounded recess that would house the rotating driveshaft that powered both axles of each truck. I used the dome tool with the remove from command selected. I used the rectangle vector with the rounded ends to modify the truck frame relief.




I then built a second set of reliefs for the truck axle housings. This was a simple flat relief 1.2" tall. I used the bottom squares to modify the relief by adding to.  The axle holes were 'drilled' by building a zero height relief. This was merged lowest with the truck relief.


I then built taller reliefs with the rectangular vectors. These would form gussets. They were then merged highest to become part of truck.




We would route four of these pieces from two inch thick thirty lb Precision Board.

Next up is the truck for the log car.

-dan