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FrozenGate by Avery

DIY Laser Cutter Project

Re: My holiday project :D

@ things: don't forgot to cool the lens too ..... have you already tried if the plastic parts can hold the heat from the lens without deformations ?

@anselm: you just need to have 2 moving mirrors (and they are moving just cause they slide with the carriages, not as a scanner) ..... one on a side of the carriage, that turn the beam 90 degrees, from the tube to the lens, and the other solidal with the lens, that turn the beam again 90 degrees from the side of the carriage to the bottom ..... til the beams are parallel with the moving axis, no need to have other mirrors (ok, maybe one for turn the beam if the tube is not already parallel with one of the axis, but this one is fixed with the tube)
 





Re: My holiday project :D

anslem, this should help explain it a bit better for you:

beampath.png


In reality, the beams would be straight, but it's just to give you the basic idea/ Green lines are mirrors, red is the beam. The mirrors actually move along with the carriages, and since they are always moving in a straight line, they are always aligned.

About cooling the lens, I'm unsure of how hot it will get as of now, hoever I also have the 4 stupidly powerful fans from the Casio projectors I can use also. I intend on using one to blow debris away from the lens already.
 
Re: My holiday project :D

Thanks a lot HIMNL9 and especially Things for that diagram.
LOL, Because this is actually how I imagined it all along, but this
Once correctly positioned, the mirrors don't need to be moved.
Click to expand...
completely confused me I guess. :)
 
Re: My holiday project :D

How are you going to focus the laser as you are cutting? Do you think the focal point will stay somewhat consistent over the entire table surface? I've thought about a CO2 cutter for a while now but the focus issue has me somewhat hesitant.

Are you going to try and focus the beam with the focus assembly as you're cutting?
 
Re: My holiday project :D

thats what i was thinking :thinking:
and will the beam that is bouncing around the mirrors be enclosed somehow? for the safety of people watching etc
 
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Re: My holiday project :D

No, the beam will not be enclosed, because everything will be secure enough that it won't move. It's not practical to shield the whole beam.

I don't see how the focal point wont stay consistent. The focusing lens probably wont be moving while it's cutting, maybe only for varying line thickness if I wish to do engraving etc.
 
Re: My holiday project :D

I just love the look of glowing gas inside a laser tube, your projects coming together nicely.
 
Re: My holiday project :D

DSCF2009.jpg


More progress! Now just waiting on my other 3 steppers, their power supply, and mount up some mirrors for the laser, and it'll be operable :D
 
Re: My holiday project :D

Got a little radiator for laser cooling mounted up yesterday, and also all the stepper mounts. Now I'm just waiting on stuff in the mail, basically, to complete it :D

DSCF2015.jpg
 
Re: My holiday project :D

DSCF2017.jpg


Makeup time! Also bought some sheet alu to stop the laser burning thru the wood underneath.
 
Re: My holiday project :D

Put that thing in a table, paint it red and it will start to look very familiar.
:crackup:
 
Re: My holiday project :D

:p :D

Still waiting on shipping to continue with this, but back to school next week, so progress will be slowed a little :(
 
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Re: My holiday project :D

Well, due to a combination of flooding further South, cyclones, lost packages etc, has been a while since I have done any work on the laser cutter. Well today, I did my first test run :D

I just stuck a 1W 445nm laser on top for this test, so there is no blanking, but it works :D

DSCF2179.jpg
 
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