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"When God said "Let there be light" he must surely have meant perfectly coherent light." 

- Charles Hard Townes

It's time for a laser cutting update. Perhaps unsurprisingly, when one has got past the sci-fi and super villain connotations, using the laser cutter is intrinsically a little dull. Indeed, far from simply pushing a switch and pushing off for a coffee, it requires a lot of concentration. The parts cut out have a habit of partially dislodging with the potential that a raised section may impede and perhaps damage the laser head. One's hand has to be constantly poised over the pause button. Still, on the plus side, it's nice to do something where the term laser focus actually means something rather than being a meaningless faux-inspirational cliche.

The real skills involved are in using CAD software to translate a creative 3D vision into 2D plans and in arranging the required parts, rotating and flipping as required, so as to make the most effective use of the material being cut. Your bloggist is only too well aware that he does not possess the requisite attributes in any great amount. So, I have gone down the route of prototyping, making a first pass and then amending that rather than aiming for the ideal design before producing anything. As Bruce Lee also said “If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you’ll never get it done. Make at least one definite move daily toward your goal.”

I am now happy with the short wall section and made a couple more of those yesterday when I went in to produce my second version of a wall tower. I still don't really like the latter and am going to change it again. Longer walls, corner pieces, gatehouses etc. will all follow as will a higher keep/citadel. It may take a while.

Disappointingly I have been unable to source the paint from my local hardware shop because their wholesaler doesn't stock the shade that I want. It is of course readily available online. No wonder that the high street is dying.