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  1. #1
    This will hopefully be a build log for my laser cutter rebuild.

    I have some sketches and ideas I would like to discuss with the forum, I will try to upload soon and start roughing things out in cad

    Budget for rebuild £1000
    Last edited by gavztheouch; 22-05-2014 at 02:34 PM.
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  2. #2
    This is a sketch of my new cantilever design
    Last edited by gavztheouch; 04-03-2014 at 10:19 PM.
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  3. #3
    Last edited by gavztheouch; 04-03-2014 at 10:31 PM.
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  4. #4


    Build attempt number 1.

    Lots of errors on this build.

    Pvc plastic mounts
    Mdf mounting board
    The Y axis motor shaft coupler rods were too small in diameter.

    Lots of backlash...

    Basicly the 40w laser is way too small for the large bed size I made, so either I get a new laser or I rebuild it smaller. As im not keen to sink more cash into this project and I also need the space and want a compact unit im going to rebuild smaller.

    Im thinking about a steel frame to mount a ballscrew driven y axis (moving table) and then a cantilever x axis with either ballscrews again or belt drive. The X axis needs to be faster for raster engraving but the best laser results I have seen are from Tweekie cnc little router/mill/laser contraption and his great machine uses screws or ballscrews?

    The cantilever x-axis can move up and down in the Z to allow for different work heights and then laser head optics will also be adjustable for fine tuning.
    Last edited by gavztheouch; 05-03-2014 at 09:26 PM.
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  6. #5
    Have you considered putting the laser at the end of the X axis and then moving the target material in the Y.
    That removes 2 mirrors and one entire Y axis from the beam length.
    You could do the fast engrave motion in X and the slow stuff in Y.

  7. #6
    Thought about it and decided I didn't want the laser tube hanging out over the machine. The plan is too mount it on the fixed gantry, I guess I could mount it 90 degrees to the gantry, that would get rid of one mirror and still keep the laser roughly within the footprint of the machine.
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  8. #7
    There are plenty of angles you can use apart from 90, with a bit of jiggery pokery it can mount along the fixed axis with just one mirror and still be fairly compact.

  9. The Following User Says Thank You to Robin Hewitt For This Useful Post:


  10. #8
    That's a good point Robin, I'm so used to thinking in 90 degree angles for the moving gantry, it didn't occur to me to point the laser to the first mirror at a strange angle.
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  11. #9
    I have been thinking about how to lower and raise the cantilever gantry on the laser.

    A couple of linear rails with a lead screw down the middle that can be turned via a hand wheel is one way. This would be locked off with a clamp of some sort. I am missing an easier and cheaper way of doing this.

    If I went with profiled rails I could get away with using a set of second hand rails as accuracy is not too important.

    Would it be worth contacting a local machine servicing company I imagine they must throw away any linear rails that need replaced?

    I have a drum sander in the workshop now I think about it which does exactly what Im after here will take a look at that and see how its done.
    Last edited by gavztheouch; 06-04-2014 at 05:58 PM.
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  12. #10
    Scavanged this scrap z axis off another router. It has a single linear rail sliding inside two 35mm bearing block, seems pretty solid. This is going to hold the cantilever. This is going to give me 200mm of adjustment.


    Last edited by gavztheouch; 17-04-2014 at 09:54 PM.
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