This may answer your question.

The two main laser-engraving methods are:

Raster engraving – The laser moves back and forth line by line, like a printer, removing material to create images, text, and shaded designs. It's best for photographs and filled artwork.

Vector engraving – The laser follows paths defined by lines and curves, tracing the design directly. It's best for outlines, lettering, and precise cuts or marks.

I believe he probably uses raster engraving.

Bernd

Time for an update on this project. It's been close to four months of slow summer modeling with having to contend with being at Northern Command for summer activities. Then back to Central Command for 1:1 projects. I probably never mentioned of purchasing a new CNC router/engraver/mill. I purchased a Shapeoko Nomad3 last November. I don't have a picture of it on my laptop to show right now.

I'm on version 3 for the support structure for the rotary. Here's a picture of the first rotary assembly. All parts where cut out on the Sherline CNC.



Here's a video showing the rotary motion of the dumper.


 For some reason it wasn't tracking well on the magnets. One side would lift up. I wondered if I'll need to place the magnetic poles in the proper orientation, in other words all pole facing on one direction. I won't go into the why I think this.
 
So, I tore the old one apart. It looked like the outside diameter on the steel ring wasn't that round and had a few bumps on it. It was time to give the new CNC a test run on cutting 15gage (.056" thick) sheet steel. I also redrew the end-walls of both the metal and brass ones.

Here's the first one cut on the Nomad 3. Had a pucker moment when the outside diameter was cut. The cutter actually clipped the washer but didn't break the cutter. Guess my feed was slow enough to not break the cutter. It's a 1/16" dia. cutter.



The end result. Still haven't cut it out yet.



I got it all assembled again and it turned/spun/rolled, choose one, but that support structure was giving me alignment issues with the track. It "was" a piece to 2" X 4" cut out on the Bridgeport mill.

So while being bored to tears at Northern Command I started using my 3D CAD program, RS Design Spark Mechanical Explorer, to design one out of 6061 aluminum.

The old support structure.



And the 3D design to be built.




That's it for now.

Bernd

Hi Al. PM sent.

Bernd

Railroad Model Craftsman had drawings of the in the magazine many years ago.

Bernd

Rick,

Brought back some memories. My ex-wife and I rode the Silverton back 1978. We went out west to visit one of her school friends in Utah. Got to see the inside of the Tabernacle and Salt Lake. The round trip out and back home was all done with a 1977 VW Rabbit without air conditioning. Talk about a hot trip. Drove 24 straight hours from Colorado to Ohio and got to see the Arch in St. Louis at midnight on the way back east.

I'll have to see if I can find my slides of the ride on the train one of these days.

Bernd

Rob,

Try taking two magnets, one on top of the MDF and one on the bottom and then move them around. You'll see how they move jerky like. Probably much more so than your wheels or the bearings.

I'm wondering if those bearings will actually make it move smoother. Reason being is the surface area of the bearings. The MDF may be to soft and the magnets may pull down hard enough that the bearings might form a very small indent in the MDF and not roll. Try it on a piece of glass for comparison.

Bernd

QuoteThere is still some jerkiness but I thinks that's the movement of the chain going around the cogs , not the boat itself.  And I still need to add some weight to the back of the boat and stiffen the ropes holding the dinghy to stop it swinging.

The jerkiness comes from the magnet as the attraction distance widens and then narrows of the magnetic field. The the rollers might help some. A glass smooth surface under the rollers would help greatly.

Bernd

Quote from: KentuckySouthern on July 23, 2026, 09:58:59 AM

Philip, is there a link to the New Tracks video?

Yup. Here's the link.


Bernd

As I said on MRH, your power supply is causing that flicker. It isn't filtering out the AC component causing the LEDs to flicker. Us a pure filtered DC supply. Batteries supply the purest DC voltage possible.

Bernd

Evening crew. Was digging through my slides from way back when looking for specific pictures. I found almost all I was looking for.

Everybody is excited about seeing 4014. Back in 1975 I got a chance to get up close and personal with 4014's older brother, 4012 in Steam Town Vermont.









And while up in that area I stopped by what was then the home of the two foot gauge railroad museum and got a picture of the now being restored Flying Yankee (?).



Bernd

Quote from: deemery on June 07, 2026, 09:34:02 AMThere's a new episode of "Wreck2Restored" on YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@Wreck2Restored  They're restoring a pair of 2' Davenport locos from the early 1900s.  I'm learning lots about machining and about how a steam loco works and is maintained.   Given the maintenance on a 2' 0-4-0, I can't imagine the maintenance required on a Big Boy!

dave

I've been following that video also. The concept is the same except for bigger lathes, bigger mills and large overhead cranes.

Bernd

Good to hear your back and recovereing. Glad it was all for the better.

Bernd

QuoteNo worry, Bernd.

I like to provide good, reliable information. I learned about the "72-hour rule" from going down rabbit holes since 2016. Wait 72 hours and see if the rumor mill has been right or wrong. Guess I haven't learned my lesson yet. But thanks.

Bernd

Should have done the "72-hour rule". Asked AI if an agreement was signed on June 5. AI couldn't find any activity that the US was involved in such a signing. Did some further research and found that Trump had once mentioned that it was an interesting subject.

Time to sit back and see what develops and apply the 72-hour rule.

Bernd

Quote from: Zephyrus52246 on June 05, 2026, 02:17:24 PMWith the major earthquake fault lines there I doubt bridges nor tunnels would work. 

Jeff

Interesting question. I looked it up. Seems like they don't happen on the surface but anywhere from 7km to 127km below the surface. I don't think the tunnel would be that deep.

Source:
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_earthquakes_in_Alaska

Bernd