Cruising down the aisles of any local big box home improvement center you can discover huge numbers of materials and parts that can be used in model making. Anything that can withstand temperatures of 163°C (325°F) and 3500 pounds of pressure is a candidate: nuts, bolts, screws, drawer pulls, wire, plumber's chain, etc. While searching for flat medium to cut with a laser and assemble into a model, I was reminded that putting a hot pan down on Formica didn't always burn it. That fact has led to the development of a rapid proto-typing method that is unconventional and a little weird. Actually, Formica is a trade name and there are many brands of laminate that work equally well. It should be pointed out that good designs are essential, and competent graphic arts skills dramatically improve the models. Specifically, the paper will illuminate the use of a method for creating proto-types and models using computer-generated graphics, a pulsing CO2 laser, and laminates. The paper will also demonstrate the use of laminates decoratively.

Author: J. Michael Jones