Window Frames

I recently saw these advertised on eBay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MODEL-BOAT-WINDOW-FRAME-SET-rectangle-25mm-x-35mm-/310371342396?pt=UK_ToysGames_RadioControlled_JN&hash=item484392d83c#ht_789wt_1164 and was quite interested - making neat windows is not one of my stronger skills I noticed that he was prepared to cut to your own specification and was about to send an enquiry when I had another thought! The frames are cut from 0.25mm plastic card and I figured they were cut with the sort of machine used to cut vinyl for signs.

Now it just so happens that I 'liberated' such a machine when I left my last job as it was no longer required by the organisation. I have used it to cut my own lettering for names etc.

So, a quick search of eBay for some 0.25mm plastic and I was ready to experiment. The frames are drawn using a combination of the free edition of Serif's Drawplus and the software for the cutter. There is a slight problem that as the machine is rather old and no longer manufactured, there are no Win7 Drivers for it, so I have use my old Laptop which still runs XP.

After a few experiments, I discovered that I couldn't quite cut through the plastic, probably because the blade is not as sharp as it could be, but it is quite easy to ease the frames from the sheet with a sharp knife.

Obviously these are quite thin frames so will not be very prominent of the model. They will however allow me to get a nice clean edge

The cost? I bought 5 sheets of card at a cost including postage of £4.20. I have used less than half a sheet for the model plus another half for the experiments.

Barrie

The designs on the PC screen

The cutter

A sample frame

they look superb Barrie.......you'll be getting orders if you don't watch out, lol

Thanks Neil -I am hopefully going to try to fit some of them today - then we'll see if they are OK

Barrie

I always fit my "glass" to my frames, and then frames to the cabins using double sided sticking tape ( see my ambulance launch build)....absolutely no glue smears, mess or anything...and the stuff I use sticks like th preverbial.

neil.