Laser cutter - Teh Forum

From:	koswix	13 Jan 2016 19:06
To:	ALL	1 of 15

41666.1
I acquired a laser cutter for free last October, but it's brain was dead. It's just a cheap and cheerful k40 model, cost about £350 originally from China. Finally got round to sorting it out, I've replaced all the control wiring (because it was very badly done) and replaced the controller board with a Smoothieboard (www.smoothieware.org). It's pretty cool - has a network interface (with Web interface too) and is very customizable. So far I've got the board controlling the XY axes, homing correctly, and talking to the controller software on my laptop over the network. Tonight I'm going to hook up the laser control to it and hopefully get it cutting. Biggest things to do are to work out the steps-per-mm for each axis, and align the laser tube. /blog ▪ ┌────┐ ┌────┐ │ │ │ │ ▪ │ └────┘ │ │ ──┐ ┌── │ ▪ ┌──────┤ ▪ ▪ │ ┌┘ │ │ ▪ ┌─┤ └──┐ │ │ ┌──┘ │ │ │ ││ ││ │ ┌─┐ │ │ └─┼┤ └┴─┴───┘ │ │ │ ─┘│ │ │ │ ┌──────┐ └┬──────────┘ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ └───┘ └───┘ If Feds call you and say something bad on me, it may prove what I said are truth, they are afraid of it.

+1/1

Reply Quote

More

From:	Chris (CHRISSS)	13 Jan 2016 22:50
To:	koswix	2 of 15

41666.2 In reply to 41666.1
Cool. What sort of stuff can you cut through with that? Me

0/0

Reply Quote

More

From:	graphitone	13 Jan 2016 23:18
To:	Chris (CHRISSS)	3 of 15

41666.3 In reply to 41666.2
Butter. :C Drawings n' that

0/0

Reply Quote

More

From:	Chris (CHRISSS)	13 Jan 2016 23:24
To:	graphitone	4 of 15

41666.4 In reply to 41666.3
:D A laser cutter for butter. Me

0/0

Reply Quote

More

From:	koswix	14 Jan 2016 01:17
To:	Chris (CHRISSS)	5 of 15

41666.5 In reply to 41666.2

Non-chlorine plastics (acrylic works excellently) wood and textiles (leather cuts beautifully but smells awful).

Uniform thickness works best, so plywood and mdf etc are very popular choices for stuff. Leaves a nasty looking burnt edge though, so if presentation is important then acrylic is the way to go.


 ▪                    
             ┌────┐    ┌────┐                      
          │    │    │    │ ▪                    
          │    └────┘    │                      
          │   ──┐  ┌──   │ ▪                    
   ┌──────┤    ▪    ▪    │                      
  ┌┘      │              │ ▪                    
┌─┤       └──┐  │  │  ┌──┘                      
│ │          │ ││  ││ │   ┌─┐                   
│ │          └─┼┤  └┴─┴───┘ │                   
│ │           ─┘│           │                   
│ │   ┌──────┐  └┬──────────┘                   
  │   │      │   │                              
  │   │      │   │                              
  └───┘      └───┘

If Feds call you and say something bad on me, it may prove what I said are truth, they are afraid of it.

0/0

Reply Quote

More

From:	Lucy (X3N0PH0N)	14 Jan 2016 14:16
To:	koswix	6 of 15

41666.6 In reply to 41666.5
, , , , , , , , , , `' (o,o) (o,o) (o,o) (o,o) (o,o) \ \|)__) \|)__) \|)__) \|)__) \|)__) ''`>-,--”-”---”-”---”-”---”-”---”-”---- ,'.*''`

0/0

Reply Quote

More

From:	koswix	14 Jan 2016 18:28
To:	Lucy (X3N0PH0N)	7 of 15

41666.7 In reply to 41666.6

I will do this.


 ▪                    
             ┌────┐    ┌────┐                      
          │    │    │    │ ▪                    
          │    └────┘    │                      
          │   ──┐  ┌──   │ ▪                    
   ┌──────┤    ▪    ▪    │                      
  ┌┘      │              │ ▪                    
┌─┤       └──┐  │  │  ┌──┘                      
│ │          │ ││  ││ │   ┌─┐                   
│ │          └─┼┤  └┴─┴───┘ │                   
│ │           ─┘│           │                   
│ │   ┌──────┐  └┬──────────┘                   
  │   │      │   │                              
  │   │      │   │                              
  └───┘      └───┘

If Feds call you and say something bad on me, it may prove what I said are truth, they are afraid of it.

0/0

Reply Quote

More

From:	Chris (CHRISSS)	14 Jan 2016 22:04
To:	koswix	8 of 15

41666.8 In reply to 41666.5
No PVC then. What happens if you cut that plastic with chlorine in it? Toxic fumes? Me

0/0

Reply Quote

More

From:	CHYRON (DSMITHHFX)	14 Jan 2016 22:37
To:	koswix	9 of 15

41666.9 In reply to 41666.7
With DC's special sauce? ---- "There is no upside to Ebola."

0/0

Reply Quote

More

From:	koswix	15 Jan 2016 00:28
To:	Chris (CHRISSS)	10 of 15

41666.10 In reply to 41666.8

Yeah, nasty chlorine gas. Not good for health and corrodes metal, fogs mirrors etc.


 ▪                    
             ┌────┐    ┌────┐                      
          │    │    │    │ ▪                    
          │    └────┘    │                      
          │   ──┐  ┌──   │ ▪                    
   ┌──────┤    ▪    ▪    │                      
  ┌┘      │              │ ▪                    
┌─┤       └──┐  │  │  ┌──┘                      
│ │          │ ││  ││ │   ┌─┐                   
│ │          └─┼┤  └┴─┴───┘ │                   
│ │           ─┘│           │                   
│ │   ┌──────┐  └┬──────────┘                   
  │   │      │   │                              
  │   │      │   │                              
  └───┘      └───┘

If Feds call you and say something bad on me, it may prove what I said are truth, they are afraid of it.

0/0

Reply Quote

More

From:	koswix	15 Jan 2016 00:29
To:	CHYRON (DSMITHHFX)	11 of 15

41666.11 In reply to 41666.9

No, I find bacon to be salty enough already.


 ▪                    
             ┌────┐    ┌────┐                      
          │    │    │    │ ▪                    
          │    └────┘    │                      
          │   ──┐  ┌──   │ ▪                    
   ┌──────┤    ▪    ▪    │                      
  ┌┘      │              │ ▪                    
┌─┤       └──┐  │  │  ┌──┘                      
│ │          │ ││  ││ │   ┌─┐                   
│ │          └─┼┤  └┴─┴───┘ │                   
│ │           ─┘│           │                   
│ │   ┌──────┐  └┬──────────┘                   
  │   │      │   │                              
  │   │      │   │                              
  └───┘      └───┘

If Feds call you and say something bad on me, it may prove what I said are truth, they are afraid of it.

0/0

Reply Quote

More

From:	Woggy	19 Jan 2016 08:46
To:	koswix	12 of 15

41666.12 In reply to 41666.1
I've used a laser engraver / cutter for quite a few years a work, you need proper extraction of the fumes which can be really nasty and dangerous if you cut plastics or MDF etc, so be careful. Does it have a cutting bed with it?

0/0

Reply Quote

More

From:	koswix	19 Jan 2016 12:30
To:	Woggy	13 of 15

41666.13 In reply to 41666.12
Also been using them for quite a while, but never hurts to be reminded of just how nasty they can get. Ive sealed all the case joints with rubber draft excluding stuff, there's an intake fan that cools my electronics (front right of the case) and then an extraction system at the rear left (approximately half the width of the bed, ish). The extraction fan is then on a flexible duct to the outside world. Also I've got an air assist nozzle positioned in front of the laser head, angled so that it hits the laser spot then the air movement is backwards, towards the extraction fan. The installed cutting bed is pretty crap (a spring loaded clamp that would hold something postcard sized) but I've got a piece of honeycomb mesh sitting on top of it that works OK. Could do with a thicker piece of mesh, but I plan on taking the bed out and replacing with an adjustable height one at some point. ▪ ┌────┐ ┌────┐ │ │ │ │ ▪ │ └────┘ │ │ ──┐ ┌── │ ▪ ┌──────┤ ▪ ▪ │ ┌┘ │ │ ▪ ┌─┤ └──┐ │ │ ┌──┘ │ │ │ ││ ││ │ ┌─┐ │ │ └─┼┤ └┴─┴───┘ │ │ │ ─┘│ │ │ │ ┌──────┐ └┬──────────┘ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ └───┘ └───┘ If Feds call you and say something bad on me, it may prove what I said are truth, they are afraid of it.

0/0

Reply Quote

More

From:	Woggy	21 Jan 2016 08:52
To:	koswix	14 of 15

41666.14 In reply to 41666.13
Sounds good, the compressed air nozzle is supposed to stop flame outs but I find it depends what your cutting and and the power speed you use etc. We make a tonnes of engraved wooden signs and perspex point of sales displays and photo engraved granite etc for our branches. Really easy to use, compared to our engraving machines.

0/0

Reply Quote

More

From:	koswix	21 Jan 2016 10:26
To:	Woggy	15 of 15

41666.15 In reply to 41666.14
They are good fun. The air assist helps reduce the charring on the cut edge in woods, as well as stopping flames. I engraved some glass bottles for Xmas presents (www.benjaminalderson.com) on a friends laser - definitely needs an improved extraction system as even with a mask it got bit raspy on the throat :S My laser I'd almost up and running - got power on/off to laser tube working, just need to sort out the power level selection now. ▪ ┌────┐ ┌────┐ │ │ │ │ ▪ │ └────┘ │ │ ──┐ ┌── │ ▪ ┌──────┤ ▪ ▪ │ ┌┘ │ │ ▪ ┌─┤ └──┐ │ │ ┌──┘ │ │ │ ││ ││ │ ┌─┐ │ │ └─┼┤ └┴─┴───┘ │ │ │ ─┘│ │ │ │ ┌──────┐ └┬──────────┘ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ └───┘ └───┘ If Feds call you and say something bad on me, it may prove what I said are truth, they are afraid of it.

0/0

Reply Quote

More