So, it turns out that producing laser-cut wood kits is kind of hard, even when you start out with fantastic plans produced by a master draftsman. Between learning how to operate our laser and porting the plans to current-gen software the laser will listen to, we've had a busy six months or so. We learned, we fiddled, we did some of this:
...and we burned a lot of wood. Like, to cinders. But we've figured it out! And this past weekend, we produced most of two build-able kits: an O scale, round-roof RGS water tower and a D&RGW-prototype station coal shed in S scale.
I built up the coal shed, and it came out pretty well. The door is one board short because I'm a knucklehead, and the tarpaper roofing material hasn't come in yet. Also, I'm not the world's best model builder at this point; working on that.)
And just for fun, here's the shed with my Sn3 C&S #69 (thanks, Darel Leedy!). I know I'm playing fast and loose with prototypes here, but I couldn't resist the chance to juxtapose the locomotive and building... just for scale, you know. ;-)
So does this mean we're ready to open the online store and sell kits? Ah... no. Not quite. But we're very close now. We still need to teach ourselves packaging and master a couple of last aspects of kit production (like the tarpaper roofing material that belongs on that shed, for instance; also, shingles). Another update coming soon!
Seth
Looking forward to being able to order the Sn3 Coal Shed! And, thank you for an update from the NNGC....many other manufacturers have failed to do that.
Glad to see things are happening, and as an Sn3 DRGW modeler, I look forward to the next hundred or so kits you produce. :-) Good luck!