I have access to a laser cutter and am planning on making a scale model (1:6 - 3mm plywood) of some design prototypes.
How should I go about dealing with the recessed areas and the tolerances, specifically?
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I would recommend reaching out to Kathleen on her instagram:
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Hey, just incase others come across this. I only did a 1:20 scale model with 2mm card. I should have used 1mm but it was too flimsy. Make sure you’re converting the sizing correctly. If youre doing a 1:6 model, the 3/4 plywood should translate to be 3.175mm… a little tough because any discrepancy alters the way the pieces connect. I managed because the card is so small the error was so small but I did notice an effect. And had to alter the way things were joining together. The laser cutter and small scale is so precise that I didn’t bother with tolerances, I did several test cuts with the thin material to make sure I was using settings that weren’t burning too much away but also cutting fully through. I imagine the thicker it is the more difficult that gets and the more tolerances come into play.
I also cleaned up the line work when cutting to reduce the etching, recesses, and uncessary cuts as much as possible. That will depend on the scale you choose to go with though!
Hope that helps!