small model house from a range of different materials

Modelmaker House

Step by step guide

In this tutorial we will show you how to create a miniature model house using a range of different materials. The model has the added advantage of being both visually appealing and practical. You can store up to 4 pens and business cards in the compartments. You will need two different types of card as well as acrylic, wood and TroLase. Our guide will not only take you through the creation steps but also the assembly so you can put your model to use immediately.

Preparation

Required materials:

0.5 mm black card - printed on one side (Max Bringmann KG)
1 mm gray graphic card
3 mm solid wood alder
2 mm transparent Acrylic
0.8 mm TroLase white/black

Trotec laser machine used:

Speedy 360
80 watts
1.5 inch lens

Step by Step

Step 1: Laser processing

The following steps detail the parameters required for each material. All parameters can be downloaded as a .xml file in the download section and uploaded to JobControl®, negating the need to enter them manually!

Step 2: Black card – body of the house

When laser cutting and engraving the body of the house, it is very important that the table's exhaust system is set to maximum. To achieve the best results, cover the remaining processing area with either paper or card.

Laser Settings

Engraving 1 (black): Power: 24% - Speed: 40% - Frequency: 500 ppi- Air-Assist: ON
Engraving 2 (red): Power: 7.5% - Speed: 5% - Frequency: 500 ppi - Air-Assist: ON
Engraving 3 (blue): Power: 30% - Speed: 40% - Frequency: 500 ppi - Air-Assist: ON

Cutting 1 (aqua): Power: 9% - Speed: 2% - Frequency: 1000 Hz - Air-Assist: ON
Cutting 2 (lightgreen): Power: 11% - Speed: 1% - Frequency: 1000 Hz - Air-Assist: ON

Caution:

When removing the work piece from the laser bed there is a danger that the bird on the balcony may be bent, so extra care should be taken to avoid this.

Step 3: Gray card – masonry front

Apply double-sided tape to the back of the card prior to laser processing as this will make assembling the model easier.

As with the previous stage it is important to cover the remaining laser bed space with either card or paper.

Laser Settings

Engraving (black): Power: 30% - Speed: 10% - Frequency: 500 ppi - Air-Assist: ON
Cutting 1 (red): Power: 10% - Speed: 2% - Frequency: 1000 Hz - Air-Assist: ON
Cutting 2 (blue): Power: 19% - Speed: 0.8% - Frequency: 1000 Hz - Air-Assist: ON

Alderwood – roof, balcony and window frames

Also apply double-sided tape to the alder wood.
The roof, balcony and window frames are cut from the wood.

Laser Settings

Cutting 1 (black): Power: 20% - Speed: 1% - Frequency: 1000 Hz - Air-Assist: ON - Z-Offset: 3
Cutting 2 (red): Power: 50% - Speed: 0.8% - Frequency: 1000 Hz - Air-Assist: ON

After the laser operation clean the smoke residue from the edges using a damp cloth.

Step 4: Acrylic – two windows

We recommend that you use the acrylic grid when acrylic laser cutting. This will prevent back reflections on the material. We also recommend that you close the air flow shutter in order to direct the extraction performance onto the processing table. Read more about air flow shutter adjustment here.

Laser Settings

Engraving (black): Power: 30% - Speed: 50% - Frequency: 500ppi - Air-Assist: ON
Cutting (red): Power: 45% - Speed: 0.2% - Frequency: 5000 Hz - Air-Assist: ON

Once you have cut out and engraved the two windows, they should be cleaned with a damp cloth.

Step 5: TroLase white/black – two little windows

TroLase can be ordered with adhesive foil pre-applied to the back. Place the material into your laser bed and use our prepared parameters for the Speedy 360 (see downloads).

Laser Settings

Engraving (black): Power: 65% - Speed: 80% - Frequency: 600 ppi - Air-Assist: ON - Z-Offset: 1
Cutting (red): Power: 25% - Speed:1,2% - Frequency: 1000 Hz - Air-Assist: ON

Step 6: Assemblying your model

It may look complicated at first but assembling your model house is easy.

Gather all of the parts:

The card body
The card front (2 x)
Two acrylic windows
Two small TroLase windows
Three wooden parts (roof, balcony, the window frame)

In the following video we will show you how to assemble the model house:

Step 7: Step-by-Step

Fold the base frame of the black cardalong the fold lines. Be careful not to damage the little bird on the balcony.

Attach the roof. Remove the protective foil on the back of the wooden strip and stick it to the upper edge of the body.

The front of the house, consists of two seperate parts: A simple back and a front that has been laser engraved with a masonry pattern. Glue the two parts together, so that the engraving is visible.

Before you stick the front to the body of the house, insert the large acrylic window. This is now joined to the front part and will help with the positioning. It is important that the acrylic is clean on both sides and that no are visable. Once the house is assembled, the back side can no longer be cleaned. Any fingerprints, scratches or dust would be clearly visible. Remove the protective film from the gray card and stick the entire front to the body.

The other long window is simply inserted into the recess. Fix this window in place using the wooden window frame. It will cover the edge between the cardboard and acrylic exactly.

The model house is now nearly finished. Only a few small details are yet to be applied: The wooden balcony can be stuck in place above the round window on the black card body. To finish, take the small TroLase windows and stick them in place in the slots of the large acrylic window.