[DTSS Model] - Laser Build Process

The past 2 weeks I've been building a 6' x 5' model of the developer's stake of Silver Spring.  It's not the largest model I have assembled, but what makes this commission particularly challenging is its ability to travel with ease.  The model breaks down into portable quadrants, but requires incredibly precise seams to maintain a level of quality throughout the topography.  Fortunately, I had access to one of my favorite tools; the Laser Cutter.  Rigging-up a squared-fence along the workbench allowed the cuts to align precisely along the seams, hopefully alievating some chances for human error.  To save materials, costs, and time, I always set-up my files to cut every fourth topo line, resulting in a stair-stepping of the cut pieces.  To insure the heights of the topography align at the seams, a series of laser-cut columns prop-up the floating surface of the model.  The measuring, calculations, and process is tedious and requires alot of front-end work in CAD, but the time/money saved is well-worth the effort.



 

[The Process]