Yes, welcome to the club... and yes, you are now hooked.
I didn't know that Santa Fe had the "Big Domes" and it makes me happy that the train is still prototypically correct.
I started sorting all the parts for the new build and of course I found errors that I caused when converting from the .155" Masonite to the .255" MDF. I thought I caught all the interactions, but missed the tabs on the mid wall engaging the base board thereby raising the wall the .100". I was able to trim it off by hand and then changed the master drawing for any future cuttings.
The other was a part that ended up too short. It was the front left side wall. I can't stretch stuff so that piece will need to be recut. I spent time fitting all the pieces together to find just these kinds of problems before painting the panels.
I made the problem worse when I noticed the tab only projecting halfway through the front piece. I errantly thought that they weren't deep enough, not that the piece overall length was too short by the .100", so I measured and cut the slots deeper thereby making the tabs the right length, but the overall length now too short. I could have left it alone since there's a trim piece that covers the slots anyway, and the shorter tabs would have been hidden.
This is exactly what I was worried about when I had to change so many dimensions because of the that .100". The lesson is clear. The laser is stupid and cuts every line you draw, right or wrong. It does this with great precision (notice I didn't say accuracy), as the window opening are the same within .001". It also reinforces the point that once you have an accurate set of drawings, the machine will reproduce this over and over again. There are no tools or fixtures to wear out. As long as the machine is in good condition, each project will be the same as the next. So... if Andre and I do decide to make the distillery available as a kit, if we make one or 1,000 the only actual cost is materials, packing and shipping. Even the instructions will be made available on line so there are no printing, handling or mailing costs once the master is produced.
