Information needed before buying what I need

Some info about my Laser CNC using the 9mm 445nm diode (in progress): www.3dpburner.blogspot.com

Nice, are you also using the L-cheapo? (didn't have time to look yet, will look this afternoon)

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http://www.marinusdebeer.nl/

No, i'm using my own dedicated X/Y table design and the 9mm 445nm Laser diode. Working as datasheet absolute maximum ratings describe @1.7A about 1.6-2W if you use it @2.4A get about 3W but diode is overdriven and overheating, at least with a simple fan cooling as i used.

Interesting, so you don't have a Z-axis?

My CoreXY setup is almost finished, but I am surely going to implement a Z-axis. Multiple passes for thicker material seems like a very useful function with a lasercutter. The L-cheapo laser has a very shallow focusing plane, so having a Z-axis will be adding versatility.

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http://www.marinusdebeer.nl/

... with more-pass cutting you're limited in depth by the beam cone ... but yes - a Z-axis is needed for different sheet/object-heights or non plane surfaces ...

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Viktor
--------
Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]

No,i dont have z axis, but i can manually adjust the laser height by losing two bolts, my laser is focussed at fixed 50mm and i adjust the height using a 50mm gauge every time i change material thickness. For engraving is ok, and for cutting only tried up to 4mm tickness and no problem. This system is also used by LazerBlade cutter (search on youtube).

This 2.5mm corrugated cardboard cut

[forums.reprap.org]

would not have be possible without Z-axis adjustment.

but if you don't need Z-axis then don't use a Z-axis!

I think no problem wihtout Z axis. It can cut ok

I think that with a functional Z-axis, you can probably just copy+past the GCODE for cutting and in between the copy pastes just add one z-axis move.

Right now I'm printing the cable-guides on the XY axis for the CoreXY, yesterday I lasercut a few plates at my academy as an enclosure, the machine is finally coming together! First it will be a dedicated laser cutter, but soon after I will make it cutter and printer in one

I'll make pictures soon!

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http://www.marinusdebeer.nl/

Of couse, a z axis is better to cut thicker materials. Waiting for your machine pictures!...

Quote
villamany
Of couse, a z axis is better to cut thicker materials. Waiting for your machine pictures!...

The XY stage is almost finished! I'll update when the initial tests are run, I am sooooo curious to see how the machine is going to perform. I have problems with the sintered bronze bushings, I just cannot work with them. They slide perfectly when I slide them by hand, but when I fasten the X-cart to the bushings with tie-rips, they just stick to the smooth rod. Maybe I should just glue it all together? If I can't get it to work, I will have to start using LM8UU's again.

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http://www.marinusdebeer.nl/

beautiful build!. My milling CNC machine works with bushings and the rods need to be perfect aligned for smooth motion. Cheap linear bearings are more easy to work but a little more clearance/precision

Indeed, the rods are exactly straight, but I cannot get the printer parts to be as exact as needed. They will un-align the bushings when I connect the carriages to the bushing.

Have replaced with LM8UU's, will order some more because the ones I am using now are cheap and not working as well as they should. BUT, it's all rolling smooth still Tonight I will finish the front guides of the belts (where they cross) and I can start testing out the precision of the CoreXY design. Meanwhile Dutch customs is taking my laser diode hostage for no clear reason. It has arrived in the post office last Tuesday night and should've been delivered on Wednesday...

The electronics are tested, working. firmware placed, so when the belts are on the machine I can start calibrating

When the laser comes in I can design the X-carriage mount and the Z-table, the design will depend on what the laser will look like as I have no idea of the needed Z-height.

Meanwhile I'm trying to find out if the laser's reflected light can mess with the optical endstops. Can the laser influence the workings of the optical endstops? I hope not!

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http://www.marinusdebeer.nl/

In some countries even laser pointers are forbidden. But I guess it's not the case of Netherlands, just some minor delay probably. After all there are far more things legal there

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http://www.i3d.ro

Quote
Ohmarinus
Meanwhile I'm trying to find out if the laser's reflected light can mess with the optical endstops. Can the laser influence the workings of the optical endstops? I hope not!

... AFAIK most optical sensors are set to IR light and IR-filters to limit the influence of day-light and lamps ... so should be insensitive to the 445nm too ...

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Viktor
--------
Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]

Alright, almost done with the CoreXY setup. Endstops will be mounted soon.

Meanwhile the status of the package finally went to "Customs clearance processing complete" so I guess I'll have it either tomorrow, or next week.

I'll update when I have the laser installed. Meanwhile I will start a new topic in the CoreXY subforum to show off my machine built and progress.

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http://www.marinusdebeer.nl/

Wooh! Received the laser today Will post some pictures soon. I'm not too happy about the build quality (things are a little crooked put together and the mount is printed quite badly) but I guess that's what they call L-Cheapo.

The electronics on the other hand look pretty good and if anything may break down, I can fix it myself I think.

This morning I woke up around 9 by hard banging on the window, my doorbell is broken and the delivery man woke me up. So I ran to the door... Nothing. He went away really quick! So I turned on the lights, put up some music, and all of a sudden I see his car driving by again, so I run out the door, and he was just in front of my house, he saw the lights were on so he decided to make a second stop. What a great guy! Next time I'll give him flowers

The mechanical part for the CoreXY machine is finished. Just need to make a nice holder for the laser so it connects to the printer without taking too much space, the laser mount is quite bulky, so I might redesign. Besides that the fan seems fine, but a radial fan might produce more/better airflow over the heat sink, and as I understand, it is a good idea to add a second fan that blows away the smoke so it doesn't set on the front lens element.

I hope to have the machine working tomorrow at the end of the day As there is no Z-bed yet I have to improvise something, how that's gonna be... No idea

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http://www.marinusdebeer.nl/

Installed laser, not finished yet, but my carriage is way better than the one supplied.

Eventually I want to put an enclosure over the whole electronics part (backside) of the carriage to make sure no light can interfere with the optical endstop. The reason why I put the endstop on the carriage is so that I only have one bundle with cables going down from the top.
Can't wait to start testing this thing, but first I want to have the Z-stage properly finished. If there's one thing I hate, it's to see those videos on youtube of people lasercutting stuff that is not placed neatly and flat on a cutting table.







Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/11/2015 09:27AM by Ohmarinus.

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http://www.marinusdebeer.nl/

If there is one thing I hate is people using tie wraps as mechanical fasteners
A single tie wrap holding a bearing is just not the way to do a mechanical connection.
A beautiful core XY system -- then tie wraps?

I understand they are fast and easy?

How you machined up all the core XY stuff
and
couldn't machine up or print up a proper mount for bearings or carriage for the laser.

I guess that's the "upgrade"

Ohmarinus "If there's one thing I hate, it's to see those videos on youtube of people lasercutting stuff that is not placed neatly and flat on a cutting table.

Haha oh ray.. you're so direct!

But to answer your question: it's not finished yet. I was testing for a 'proof of concept'. Now that I know that the way I put the CoreXY together, is the right way mechanically speaking I am going to make the final design

There will be a belt-tensioner system that balances out the forces on each side of the carriage. The kinematics of a CoreXY machine are more complicated than one might think!

For the bearings there will be a nice clamp design that holds onto the bearing. The laser-module and carriage are designed in such a way that the module can be screwed off and a print-head can be placed on the carriage by only removing two screws and a set of plugs for the electrical part.

Of course tie-wraps are not good for attaching the bearings to the carriage, especially not in the way I use them! The carriage has a lot of play twist-wise as it is connected now.

Don't worry

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http://www.marinusdebeer.nl/

You can say what you hate and preventing you from doing some laser cutting
but
I can't note my peeve?

Direct ---- I am a Boomer -- not a politically correct Millennial--- you bet --- any other way?


Ohmarinus---- "If there's one thing I hate, it's to see those videos on youtube of people lasercutting stuff that is not placed neatly and flat on a cutting table."

Does anyone have a good address for a simple air filter? I will only cut paper/cardboard and thin wood with the laser cutter, mostly thin cardboard. So no plastics. All I need is something that takes out particles, mostly, the carcinogens. Will probably not run the machine a lot in my living room, but still I want to make it safe.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/13/2015 10:15AM by Ohmarinus.

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http://www.marinusdebeer.nl/

How about
Himalayan Crystal Salt Lamp Light - Glowing Air Purifier - 3-4kg

Protection from electro-smog
Helps with headaches, migraines and insomnia
Relief from stress related symptoms
Helps clean tobacco smoke from the air
Emits a warm glow to give your room a sense of calm and serenity


[www.amazon.co.uk]


Activated Carbon Fleece in front of a muffin fan?

[www.amazon.co.uk]

... my first fume-extractor was made with 3 frying pan filters (they are filled with activated charcoal) and two PC-fans inserted in a pipe, sucking the fumes through the filters and out through the next window ...

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Viktor
--------
Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]

Hey thanks, now I know what to look for

Sadly I don't have a creditcard so I can't order from Amazon. Tomorrow I'll stop by at the store to see what they have. I'll look for those carbon filters. Indeed, I has already made a tube with 2 plastic screens. I wanted to fill the tube with this filter material and add a strong 80MM fan to it to suck up the air and clean it. It's going to take some work.

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http://www.marinusdebeer.nl/

Awesome, I found a so-called 'Grow Shop' in my city (in the Netherlands it's legal to sell everything you need for making your own Cannabis factory) and they sell activated Carbon filters! And not even that expensive. Around 6 euros for a 500cm3 filter. I guess that should do, but to be sure I will get 3 of them.

I've also gotten a nice tin canister that I will place the filter in. It will be a multiple-compartment filterbox with an extractable filter-holder. Let's see how that works. It probably won't get rid of that smokey odor, but at least I won't worry about degrading the health of me and my cat.

Will also order some window-like material to lessen the reflections of the laser beam. My room lights up with a blue light now and it's shining all over the place from reclections.

When I cut, I see a 'halo' of blue light on the paper, it looks as if the lens isn't that good, so I might look for another lens element. Is there a way of cleaning the lens, or is it better to buy a more expensive diode-holder and include a better lens with it while I'm at it? I could extend the diodes wire and put the electronics in the housing of the printer, instead of on the X-carriage that way.

Ordering the protective windows at J-tech photonics will not work, as the shipping cost are as high as the price for two 12"x12" sheets (around $40 shipping).



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/16/2015 10:10AM by Ohmarinus.

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http://www.marinusdebeer.nl/

Red Acrylic Plexiglass Sheet #2423 1/8" 15.7/8"X 15.7/8

works nice on my laser cutter
$11 ---- probably $6000 in Netherlands

[www.ebay.com]

Hehe, indeed

But it's not certified for stopping 445NM rays, so I'll continue to look Thanks though!

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http://www.marinusdebeer.nl/

9% transmission
I can barely see laser thru acrylic

I'll try to get spectrophotometer and test it
but looks like it doesn't pass much at 445nm

Certified = hundreds of dollars ----- thousands in Netherlands

Quote
cozmicray
Red Acrylic Plexiglass Sheet #2423 1/8" 15.7/8"X 15.7/8

works nice on my laser cutter
$11 ---- probably $6000 in Netherlands

[www.ebay.com]

... it's the same here in Germany too - a piece of 1x1m of the 'certified' orange-coloured acrylic shielding window is slightly above 1000€ ... material with nearly the same shielding values (in 445nm), found in the local tool-store is around 80€

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Viktor
--------
Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]