Author Topic: Lasercutting  (Read 2605 times)

PonoBill

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Lasercutting
« on: October 09, 2018, 09:14:32 PM »
Screwing around with my Glowforge, trying to get adept enough at using it so I can make some parts. It's certainly precise, but I'm not sure it fits in that well with the kind of work I do. I guess I'll just have to get a bit more creative. I do want to see how well it can etch aluminum. That might be useful.



OK, that's cute, and for ditzy stuff like this, the laser is cool.



This is a mounting panel for my solar controllers on Fritz. First iteration. I'm trying to eliminate the strain between the heavy gauge wire and the connectors on the controller. I'll probably do take 2 tomorrow. This one sort of worked though.

I've also determined that I can very precisely cut fiberglass but not carbon. I expect I could cut Kevlar well too, and that would be nice because it's a bitch to cut. But the maximum size without a passthrough hatch is 19.5" X 11". Still...
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

jrandy

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Re: Lasercutting
« Reply #1 on: October 10, 2018, 04:22:15 AM »
Very nice Bill. Does yours scan and/or optically register to stuff on the bed?

I make all kinds of templates and stencils and boat lettering on the CO2 lasers at work.  Templates are on plain PET (a little thicker than drafting Mylar) and stencils are from sticky-back vinyl shelf paper. We feed ours CAD data (DXF) and account for the beam width when we need to be accurate.

I also just did an electrical panel a couple weeks ago for a small sailboat on the home CNC. I engraved 1/8" FR4 (fiberglass board) with text and cut the hole locations and perimeter.  Then I did a goop-and-wipe with acrylic paint to add color to the text.
« Last Edit: October 10, 2018, 04:24:02 AM by jrandy »
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PonoBill

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Re: Lasercutting
« Reply #2 on: October 10, 2018, 06:30:59 AM »
Yes, the glowforge scans, and I can add or use hand-drawn artwork to the part being made. I bought it as a Kickstarter thing several years ago, at the time I had more application for it, but now I'm kind of dreaming up stuff to do with it. But I think like any tool, once I become reasonably adept at using it I'll find a lot more uses. I've gotten to the point with TIG welding where it seems everything needs a precision weld.
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

stoneaxe

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Re: Lasercutting
« Reply #3 on: October 10, 2018, 07:17:27 AM »
I keep thinking that a glowforge, a CNC table and a 3D printer or 2 would be a fun little side business. Provide CAD and part production for others and be great for the rest of the stuff I do.
Bob

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PonoBill

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Re: Lasercutting
« Reply #4 on: October 10, 2018, 10:30:52 AM »
There's a lot of people doing that online, but locally it might be worthwhile. For you, I'd think the CNC router would be the moneymaker.
« Last Edit: October 10, 2018, 11:15:10 AM by PonoBill »
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

PonoBill

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Re: Lasercutting
« Reply #5 on: October 10, 2018, 05:41:59 PM »
Version two of the controller panel. I'm starting to get comfortable with this Glowforge Lasercutter, though I need to pipe the exhaust outside, smells like there was a campfire in here. It's got an exhaust duct, but I just have it dangling. I think it will be very helpful with the dashboard I need to build.



Make sky bru. Yeah, I know, what a dick, but it's a weird name that probably sounds a lot better in Mandarin. I took one apart to look at the components. First class. Mppt controllers are pretty much a must for larger panels. I need to trim the junk off the left side--I cut the strain reliefs there.



I need to tune up how I use fonts. The laser cutter needs the fonts to be converted to vector paths, even though it can handle bitmaps in other places. I think it's a "we'll fix that real soon now" kind of thing. Probably just going bolder and bigger with fewer geegaws will help, but I like the geegaws. I'm jonesing to do a steampunk control panel--my dashboard may well look like something that belongs in Captain Nermo's Nautilus.



Backside. I did the strain reliefs as tab and slot. I guessed on the kerf and it came out just right. How often does that happen?



The cables are just mockups to check spacing. I'll hot glue the cables into the strain relief once I get the wiring done
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

jrandy

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Re: Lasercutting
« Reply #6 on: October 10, 2018, 06:46:08 PM »
Our laser at work can do a raster scan line routine on filled-in fonts.
We used that on tags to label offices and machines.

Steampunk would be awesome. More brass!
http://pushheretosavealife.com/
Be safe, have fun. -J

PonoBill

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Re: Lasercutting
« Reply #7 on: October 10, 2018, 07:05:31 PM »
Our laser at work can do a raster scan line routine on filled-in fonts.
We used that on tags to label offices and machines.

Steampunk would be awesome. More brass!

I'm thinking copper. I've got a bunch of it.
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

stoneaxe

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Re: Lasercutting
« Reply #8 on: October 10, 2018, 07:44:55 PM »
Steampunk for sure.....you need a big brass gimballed compass dead center.... 8)
Bob

8-4 Vec, 9-0 SouthCounty, 9-8 Starboard, 10-4 Foote Triton, 10-6 C4, 12-6 Starboard, 14-0 Vec (babysitting the 18-0 Speedboard) Ke Nalu Molokai, Ke Nalu Maliko, Ke Nalu Wiki Ke Nalu Konihi

PonoBill

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Re: Lasercutting
« Reply #9 on: October 10, 2018, 07:52:41 PM »
It would be fun to do a compass that was really a GPS.
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

surfcowboy

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Re: Lasercutting
« Reply #10 on: October 10, 2018, 07:59:04 PM »
What thickness is that ply?

Love the engraving. How many passes to cut through?

PonoBill

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Re: Lasercutting
« Reply #11 on: October 10, 2018, 08:12:08 PM »
One pass, it will do substantially thicker, I did some 1/4" mahogany ply with one pass. That stuff is probably 1/8 or some metric equivalent. Four skinny little plies with maple on both sides.
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

PonoBill

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Re: Lasercutting
« Reply #12 on: October 11, 2018, 05:00:45 PM »
I got the controller panel finished up and wired into Fritz. I'm going to try to get the wind deflector done next.



https://www.facebook.com/PonoBill/videos/pcb.10156037786148668/10156037765358668/?type=3&theater
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

TallDude

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Re: Lasercutting
« Reply #13 on: October 11, 2018, 05:09:18 PM »
I does help to spend a little time labeling ::) You know..... when you're in a hurry, and you figure you all ready know where each line goes. Then you come back to it a few days later, and say 'Shit'! Then proceed to back track every wire so you can remember where they came from! 
It's not overhead to me!
8'8" L-41 ST and a whole pile of boards I rarely use.

 


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