The optional X cable carrier arrived on Wed. Yesterday, Bart's package arrived. The optics from LightObject are on the UPS truck for delivery today. With the exception of the skins kit and the replacement z belt, I think I will have everything tonight.
Yesterday I started designing a dummy laser tube that will hold a small laser pointer (see attached 3d PDF rendering). It is made of 1/4" craft plywood disks (some glued together to gain thickness), a few 1/4" plywood stretchers (to maintain alignment) and a 1" wood dowel to get the length between tube holders. The plan is to mount it in place of the laser tube and use the visible laser dot to do my initial mirror alignments. If all goes well, I will only have to remove the dummy, install the tube, and do minor adjustments to tube placement to align with the first mirror. Everything else should remain unchanged. This weekend, I will cut the parts and build the dummy tube.
My original intent was to set aside a full week to work uninterrupted and complete the project. The week I picked starts 3/28. And for sure, the couple of remaining pieces will be here and ready for that. BUT, it is also a week away and I really hate just looking at all those other parts in my shop and trying to resist the temptation to begin.
SO, I will resist no longer. I will start this weekend and keep track of the time spent, just so I can still know how many hours it takes to go from pieces to production.
My plan for this weekend (in addition to the dummy laser tube construction) is:
1. Redistribute the parts and kits into logical build groups (z-table, electronics, v-rail assemblies, etc).
2. Assemble some or all of the sub-assemblies. In particular, I want to get the v-rail assemblies glued and set aside so they will be ready when I need them.
Of course, there will be lots of photos to take and updates here to do as well.
Most of next week does not look too promising for time - 50 hours of work and the usual family commitments in the evenings. But that weekend (3/26-27), I only have a birthday party for one of my 8 grand kids. The rest of the time will be for actual assembly.
Like any good builder, I can justify almost anything, so my justification for going ahead is this - If I get it all done before the end of my originally scheduled build week, I will have time left over to actually use the laser for some projects I have had hanging around waiting on the larger work area this machine will have. (At least that is what my wife thinks. - She is pretty well resigned to being a pseudo widow for the next couple of weeks.)