Obviously I should have my head examined, but the scale is changing again! It's for a couple of legit reasons, though. First, it's going to 1:3 so that the thinnest materials can still be laser cut. Second, the scale of the marionettes for a future project are going to be Thunderbirds size. I believe 1:3 would also look 1:1 with actors and a clean composite. The screens will be large enough to have working displays inside (flat under a vacuum-formed CRT shape).

Well, why not? I'm a firm believer in trying different things until you find what works best. And you get get better detail at larger sizes.

(I'm just waiting until you figure out that the best scale is 1:1 )

At least laser cut a 1:1 layercake for closeups! 

Very minor update, but an important end to the stall: A laser cutting source for 1mm thick acrylic has been found! This means the finer surface details of the panels can be done with ease, and the rotor tiers can get slimmer.

Its funny you posted this, I was revisiting Kelt console related threads only the other day and I was going to post asking how this was going?

Looking forward to more.

Oy vey...

I spoke too soon about the acrylic. cutlasercut.com sells 1mm acrylic but won't cut it. Boo! However, the backup plan is being tested. Instead of acrylic, the 1mm parts are being cut from PETG.

The rotor tiers won't be as crystal sparkling as acrylic but will hopefully still look good.

The concern for the panel sheets is maintaining straight lines where the sections are barely more than 2mm wide. Depending on how the laser cut is set up, there could be some warping. If worst comes to worst, these will have to be cut by hand in styrene.

1mm PETG tests turned out great! The integrity of the laser cuts work fine for both the rotor tiers and the thinnest panel overlay. In either case, these will be slightly coarse - a little too thick for 1:5 (and, yes, I'm proceeding with that scale again). The .5mm PETG melts too much to maintain perfectly sharp corners and rounds off a bit so the 1mm will have to do.

As expected, PETG has less light transmission on the edges compared to acrylic, but the edges still appear polished and glossy by virtue of the laser. The tiers are less delicate in PETG as well.

Next up is the challenge of creating the collar sections. I've figured out a way, but it's tricky even with the precision of laser cutting.

A mere micro-update: You can, in fact, bond PETG to acrylic or styrene with ordinary Plastruct Plastic Weld. It's not as clear or strong as acrylic to acrylic, but it will be fine for low stress areas. This is good news for assembling the rotor rods. Each one will be bonded on the bottom only.

Also, the mini tilt arbor saw is sorted out. I have researched blade recommendations for cutting acrylic that had largely been exactly counter to what was actually needed. With the finest rather than hardest blade, thin acrylic cut beautifully. In fact, it requires less finishing than styrene. This might come in handy if ever making a replica of the Key to Time (assembled rather than cast prop).

Well, after progressing at a pace resembling a standstill, this one is back on. First up: changing the panel construction technique from a direct build to making molds. It will save having to do tedium in triplicate. The shape for the mini CRTs and the keypads will likely be made on a milling machine.

Well, nobody will be more surprised than myself for any progress, but this console is back on! In spite of the idea of casting triplicates, it's back to direct construction. That's okay, though. It's filing madness, but no rigs are needed. Here's a look at the structure of the tiers.

Glad to see you back on the forum. 

I've been lurking - just not contributing much lately.

Pardon the dust, but the test bond of PETG to acrylic worked! It's not as strong as acrylic to acrylic so the tiers will need to be very slightly re-engineered.

The 8 rods of the innermost diameter are the only ones that actually pierce each tier. That will not change, but the fit will now be loose so that each tier will slip easily into place. Originally this was tight enough to hold each tier into position, but there is too much risk of snapping the bonds of the shorter rods. Those will be bonded to their corresponding lower tier only with the tier above merely resting on top. The top tier will still fit tightly and hold the "sandwich" in place. The original configuration of tiers and lights will be followed with one small concession of piercing the top tier. IMO the later configuration has a less elegant progression of shapes in the upper tiers and less interesting arrangement of tube lights.

The PETG tiers are still a little thick for the scale, but anything thinner fails to "wick" the light - an area where PETG is already inferior to acrylic. 1 mm isn't bad for 1:5 scale, though.

A little more progress is being made. Oh, the fine sanding! I tell you less is done during one day in a nail salon.

One more for today: Here are the components of an underside panel. Styrene bevel strips need to be bonded to complete the corrugated section (easy but time consuming).