Hi Martin,
I hear what your saying about equipment cost.
just a few thoughts on that one.
Firstly I 100% agree if you go from a diode laser to C02 laser, there is no doubt the quality and maybe the accuracy of the co2 laser is way better.
However as you rightly point out the idea of a home owned Co2 laser is way outside the scope of an individual and maybe even a railway club or group.
I am not yet sure the quality of a diode laser (even the current breed of stacked lasers to give higher outputs)
gives you the level of accuracy required to build a plug track system with the accuracy required to simply plug in the chair.
And then there is the need to enclose ventilate and make sure you don't look directly at it.
Having said that I have just taken ownership if a Masuter pro CNC router and have a laser tree 40W (10W output power laser on order) that was directly from research you started by by an earlier post. ( just started building the enclose today.)
So in the next few weeks I can at least comment.
I have also been in the garage and dusted off my old Ender 3FDM 3D printer.
Full disclosure I was never that impressed with an FDM 3D printer, which is why it's sat gathering dust and cobwebs for a few years now.
I can see, it would work for a small brick concept, the very idea of small timber bricks seems a very long winded way to make track work to me.
I am sure it will work it just strikes me as being just too time consuming to be practical. (that a personal comment and I could be way off the mark.)
I am personally very attracted to the idea of a laser approach to complex timber track work. Where to get accuracy you have to compromise on best use of the wood, and for more simple track design you go for better use of the timber by stacking the timbers.
All of that of course only works if a diode laser can deliver the required accuracy. If not I do agree an FDM printer maybe more practical than out sourcing to a commercial Co2 supplier. ( watch this space) If I am right you may need to invest in a laser
I went with the Masuter Pro which is a CNC router not a CNC mill. technically the difference seems to be a CNC mill uses a lead screw and CNC router uses a toothed belt, for the purpose of cutting wood a router should do the job. and its ideal for adding a laser.
To your other point I had assumed Templot generated everything from variables I just wanted you to verify.
Incidentally that's also a good reason to dust off the Ender.
right now the only thing i know for sure is the 3D resin printer is the ideal tool for making your own chairs.
you nailed that one.
cheers
Phil,