Machsupport Forum

Mach Discussion => General Mach Discussion => Topic started by: Jim Winchell on December 26, 2008, 12:14:41 PM

Title: New Member Needs Help
Post by: Jim Winchell on December 26, 2008, 12:14:41 PM
Hello,

I have a small CNC router made by BlackLab Machine in Virginia.  It's been a great little router.  I have been using Mach2 and now Mach 3 to control it with great success.  I am looking to expand my capabilities a little and am looking for some assistance from other members.

I would like to outfit my CNC with a laser head to do laser engraving.  I would appreciate any feedback with links or suggestions on how to obtain the parts, build it, and how to control it with Mach3.  This area is brand new to me, so don't consider information to be "too basic".  I would also note that this machine is a hobby for me right now and I don't want to invest a fortune to have laser capabilities.  Let me know if this is a lost cause.

Thanks in advance for your input.

~Jim
Title: Re: New Member Needs Help
Post by: jimpinder on December 28, 2008, 05:33:29 AM
Jim - I looked at this yesteday, but thought that I knew nothing about lasers ( the cutting/engraving type) so I would leave it alone - but nobody has answered.

Mach 3 is perfectly capable of controlling what you are doing. It can certainly move you table with the work on, in the correct manner, and there are many outputs avaiable to switch your laser on and off at the correct time.

There was a post a few weeks ago about delay on the M3 (spindle motor on command) which someone was using as a laser trigger, but that was resolved. You have a choice of already written on/off routines M3,M4,M7 and M8, which switch relays on and off, or you can write your own macro.

There are also a number of people engraving "circular" objects on rotary tables - Mach 3 can do it.

I don't really know, but I think it would be a simple job, if you can buy a commercial laser for engraving, then fit the business end to the spindle of your machine and away you go.

There are a number of programs ready written for engraving work, and I am sure there will be one for lasers.