Re: Blackhole 60W Laser
Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2011 10:48 pm
Hi All
It's been a while since I last updated the log - mainly due to vacation and general laziness
Things have moved on a little since my last post, I've installed some electronics, air and waterworks to get the beast moving (most of the work is temporary, but the stage and X axis cabling is permanent).
I'm now running with a pair of Keling 4020 drivers at present along with a Lasersaur setup consisting of an Arduino Uno (with lasaurgrbl) interfaced to my Macbook Pro running the python serial server and a copy of Firefox (the serial server I believe is to be moved from the host computer to an Mbed ). What can I say, everything I have touched with arduino and lasersaur has worked first time every time - no glitches, no hang ups no reboots - zilch - it just works. Anyone that puts down this arduino setup needs their heads examined. OK, it may (in the future) have some issues with rastering, but the current setup works faultlessly and is a VERY clean interface (Mach take note ). It won't take much to turn this setup into something very professional (and also CHEAP !). I should really join the lasersaur set, but I only need the software (and I can spend sixty bucks on the skins ), so there's not much point - I'll wait until it is fully open source.
Really didn't have any issues installing and aligning the 60W tube - apart from the fact that the original tube I received was broken (the water nozzles at the rear were snapped off) and the new replacement tube I find is NOT 56mm but 60mm in diameter !! Consequently, the tube doesn't fit my mounts I haven't informed coletech yet - the tube is 1250 mm long, so it's not an 80W tube (which is what I thought - it does say in chinese if anyone can read it). However, I lashed up a couple of alloy tubes and epoxied the rear nozzles back to the original tube - bingo, no leaks and it all works - AND I have a spare tube - albeit 60mm I may be prepared to sell the new 60W tube if anyone is really interested - I believe there is a shelf life.
Had a few semi-major design issues - my original intention was to have a 1240x620mm working area, but due to a faux pas, the energy chain interferes with one of the rear Z mount brackets and loses me 18mm of Y movement - I can still cut 1210x610 (4'x2') sheets 'though - just
The new Z belt system works fine and is quiet - however, I haven't had the chance to do anything with it yet and just rotate the whole thing by hand for now While on vacation in Florida, I was directed to this surplus 'shop' - Skycraft Surplus (more of a warehouse - even has spares for cruise missiles ) and scored a proximity sensor for 5 dollars - best part of 70 GBP across here so it was worth the ten minute drive. I have it mounted and it works (within about 5% each time) - I have a small 15mm disc of alloy that will sit on the material - the intention is to build a small utility processor with a stepper driver that can handle all the odd jobs needed. Saying that, a winder handle on the z axis leadscrew and an 11mm gauge works equally well
I've attached a couple of vids of the beast working - I still get a kick out of laser cutting balsa ribs - when I consider the amount of wasted time in my life cutting ribs with a broken razor blade
Next are the skins - my original choice was magnet fittings, but after getting some sample skin material, the magnets came undone - epoxy/cyano/gorilla/silicon - the magnets eventually pop off the rear painted surface - I'm really annoyed - I've moved to screws under duress, but at least they are into small tabs that will fit in the extrusion slots. The removable panels will have thumbscrews. I guess this machine is really a prototype and you have to put up with some compromises, but that's not in my nature
Once the plenum floor is fitted (there's a second floor to be fitted above the waterworks and electronics to form a 'smoke' plenum) and the eggcrate table is done, I need to make some decisions about which controller system I will finally use. Tim Wehr has just posted some info on his blog about tests he has done using VMware Fusion on his Mac using the LO Controller - this looks exceedingly promising - anyone need a cheap(ish) 60W tube in the UK to pay for it =;-???
Cheers
Neil
It's been a while since I last updated the log - mainly due to vacation and general laziness
Things have moved on a little since my last post, I've installed some electronics, air and waterworks to get the beast moving (most of the work is temporary, but the stage and X axis cabling is permanent).
I'm now running with a pair of Keling 4020 drivers at present along with a Lasersaur setup consisting of an Arduino Uno (with lasaurgrbl) interfaced to my Macbook Pro running the python serial server and a copy of Firefox (the serial server I believe is to be moved from the host computer to an Mbed ). What can I say, everything I have touched with arduino and lasersaur has worked first time every time - no glitches, no hang ups no reboots - zilch - it just works. Anyone that puts down this arduino setup needs their heads examined. OK, it may (in the future) have some issues with rastering, but the current setup works faultlessly and is a VERY clean interface (Mach take note ). It won't take much to turn this setup into something very professional (and also CHEAP !). I should really join the lasersaur set, but I only need the software (and I can spend sixty bucks on the skins ), so there's not much point - I'll wait until it is fully open source.
Really didn't have any issues installing and aligning the 60W tube - apart from the fact that the original tube I received was broken (the water nozzles at the rear were snapped off) and the new replacement tube I find is NOT 56mm but 60mm in diameter !! Consequently, the tube doesn't fit my mounts I haven't informed coletech yet - the tube is 1250 mm long, so it's not an 80W tube (which is what I thought - it does say in chinese if anyone can read it). However, I lashed up a couple of alloy tubes and epoxied the rear nozzles back to the original tube - bingo, no leaks and it all works - AND I have a spare tube - albeit 60mm I may be prepared to sell the new 60W tube if anyone is really interested - I believe there is a shelf life.
Had a few semi-major design issues - my original intention was to have a 1240x620mm working area, but due to a faux pas, the energy chain interferes with one of the rear Z mount brackets and loses me 18mm of Y movement - I can still cut 1210x610 (4'x2') sheets 'though - just
The new Z belt system works fine and is quiet - however, I haven't had the chance to do anything with it yet and just rotate the whole thing by hand for now While on vacation in Florida, I was directed to this surplus 'shop' - Skycraft Surplus (more of a warehouse - even has spares for cruise missiles ) and scored a proximity sensor for 5 dollars - best part of 70 GBP across here so it was worth the ten minute drive. I have it mounted and it works (within about 5% each time) - I have a small 15mm disc of alloy that will sit on the material - the intention is to build a small utility processor with a stepper driver that can handle all the odd jobs needed. Saying that, a winder handle on the z axis leadscrew and an 11mm gauge works equally well
I've attached a couple of vids of the beast working - I still get a kick out of laser cutting balsa ribs - when I consider the amount of wasted time in my life cutting ribs with a broken razor blade
Next are the skins - my original choice was magnet fittings, but after getting some sample skin material, the magnets came undone - epoxy/cyano/gorilla/silicon - the magnets eventually pop off the rear painted surface - I'm really annoyed - I've moved to screws under duress, but at least they are into small tabs that will fit in the extrusion slots. The removable panels will have thumbscrews. I guess this machine is really a prototype and you have to put up with some compromises, but that's not in my nature
Once the plenum floor is fitted (there's a second floor to be fitted above the waterworks and electronics to form a 'smoke' plenum) and the eggcrate table is done, I need to make some decisions about which controller system I will finally use. Tim Wehr has just posted some info on his blog about tests he has done using VMware Fusion on his Mac using the LO Controller - this looks exceedingly promising - anyone need a cheap(ish) 60W tube in the UK to pay for it =;-???
Cheers
Neil