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- Oct 22, 2013
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Hello,
I started building a small cnc laser table and I need some advice on the laser side of things. I have been searching for information for the past week and keep ending up back on this site. It looks like you guys are the experts, so maybe you can clear things up for me.
Project information:
I will start out etching images in things like wood and plastic (would love to etch metal, but it doesn't look like there is an affordable way to do that). I wrote a Windows program and corresponding Arduino program to send the pixel data and control the steppers and laser and such. So the table will move a tiny amount and turn on the laser for a certain amount of time based on how dark it should be. I will also do some contour cutting and etching eventually as well.
What I have determined I need:
1. Laser diode
2. Housing/Heatsink/Lens
3. Laser driver that can be turned on and off with a 5v signal from an Arduino
4. Safety glasses!
Help:
1. It looks like pretty much everything else is dependent on the diode I pick. My original plan was to use a diode from a DVD burner, but after opening all the drives I had, I only ended up with one of the weird shaped diodes from a 16X (tricky to mount and focus), and it looks like an 8X drive has a round one (would rather have more power). So I would rather just buy one if there is a tried and true diode that is reasonably priced (<$20 seems reasonable to me). I think something in the visible wavelength would be best since it is my first laser project. I just want to get the most power for my money into the wood or material I'm etching. I would prefer a color that has a good upgrade path (example - if a 1 watt blue diode is a lot cheaper than red, I would rather start out with blue). You may be able to talk me into spending more money if it would meet more of my long term needs.
2. I have looked at the Aixiz modules, but I'm leaning toward the black O-Like housing with a glass lens. I want to make sure I get something that can focus the beam well for cutting or etching. I'm assuming these housings and lenses are designed for laser pointers and not my intended use. Can I expect to get a good power density from an O-Like housing or is there something else you would recommend?
3. I have seen a lot of plans for laser drivers, but I would rather just order something that I know will work well. Size isn't as much an issue as it would be for a handheld laser, so I just need something that can be triggered by a 5 volt signal and can be adjusted to the requirements of the diode. I haven't figured out why there are different drivers depending on the wavelength, but I would obviously need one that is matched well for the diode.
4. Finally I want to make sure my eyes are protected. I will probably enclose the machine when it is finished, but I anticipate doing a lot of tweaking and testing. I don't want to spend a fortune on glasses, but I want something that will keep my eyes completely safe.
Thanks a lot!
I started building a small cnc laser table and I need some advice on the laser side of things. I have been searching for information for the past week and keep ending up back on this site. It looks like you guys are the experts, so maybe you can clear things up for me.
Project information:
I will start out etching images in things like wood and plastic (would love to etch metal, but it doesn't look like there is an affordable way to do that). I wrote a Windows program and corresponding Arduino program to send the pixel data and control the steppers and laser and such. So the table will move a tiny amount and turn on the laser for a certain amount of time based on how dark it should be. I will also do some contour cutting and etching eventually as well.
What I have determined I need:
1. Laser diode
2. Housing/Heatsink/Lens
3. Laser driver that can be turned on and off with a 5v signal from an Arduino
4. Safety glasses!
Help:
1. It looks like pretty much everything else is dependent on the diode I pick. My original plan was to use a diode from a DVD burner, but after opening all the drives I had, I only ended up with one of the weird shaped diodes from a 16X (tricky to mount and focus), and it looks like an 8X drive has a round one (would rather have more power). So I would rather just buy one if there is a tried and true diode that is reasonably priced (<$20 seems reasonable to me). I think something in the visible wavelength would be best since it is my first laser project. I just want to get the most power for my money into the wood or material I'm etching. I would prefer a color that has a good upgrade path (example - if a 1 watt blue diode is a lot cheaper than red, I would rather start out with blue). You may be able to talk me into spending more money if it would meet more of my long term needs.
2. I have looked at the Aixiz modules, but I'm leaning toward the black O-Like housing with a glass lens. I want to make sure I get something that can focus the beam well for cutting or etching. I'm assuming these housings and lenses are designed for laser pointers and not my intended use. Can I expect to get a good power density from an O-Like housing or is there something else you would recommend?
3. I have seen a lot of plans for laser drivers, but I would rather just order something that I know will work well. Size isn't as much an issue as it would be for a handheld laser, so I just need something that can be triggered by a 5 volt signal and can be adjusted to the requirements of the diode. I haven't figured out why there are different drivers depending on the wavelength, but I would obviously need one that is matched well for the diode.
4. Finally I want to make sure my eyes are protected. I will probably enclose the machine when it is finished, but I anticipate doing a lot of tweaking and testing. I don't want to spend a fortune on glasses, but I want something that will keep my eyes completely safe.
Thanks a lot!
