Messages

4801

Show"N"Tell ( What you have made with your CNC machine.) / Re: Impact Engraving.

« on: April 16, 2012, 01:56:15 AM »

Hi Flamuria,

There are a number of different ways in which it can be done.
The method pioneered by Robotmar is perhaps a good place to start  http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php/topic,16446.0.html

Tweakie.

4802

Tangent Corner / Everyone is a winner.

« on: April 13, 2012, 03:14:37 AM »

Hi Guys,

Friday the 13th has not been unlucky for me – I have just received an email to say that I have won the Nigerian Lottery. 

Tweakie.

4803

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: The Laser Project.

« on: April 11, 2012, 06:20:34 AM »

 

Most of the beer coolers I have seen have multiple circuits so it could be 'laser by day' and 'cold beer by day' (sort of multi-tasking).

Tweakie.

4804

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: The Laser Project.

« on: April 11, 2012, 03:16:50 AM »

Hi Josh,

As you have seen I am using a ‘closed loop’ water cooling system with a forced air radiator as the heat exchange element. This type of system will only cool the tube to ambient air temperature but, for me, works just fine within the UK where our (ambient air) temperature rarely exceeds 25 deg.C.
From tests carried out (with a glass tube CO2 laser) the maximum efficiency is achieved with a tube temperature of  around 7 to 8 deg.C so in some circumstances it may be an advantage to consider active cooling with a refrigerated device such as a ‘beer chiller’ or purpose built cooling unit. The down side to this is that relative humidity has to be taken into account because condensation forming on the output coupler lens can cause premature failure just as condensation on the outside of the glass tube could compromise the electrical insulation of the high voltage electrode connection (as an example - the condensation that forms on the outside of glass of a cold beer).

In reality, it should never be necessary to drive a CO2 laser at it’s absolute maximum power output but I think you should be aiming to maintain a nominal water temperature between 10 to 20 deg.C during operation.

Hope this helps.

Tweakie.

4805

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: The Laser Project.

« on: April 11, 2012, 03:06:28 AM »

Hi Obal,

My current DotG post processor is attached. This is for ‘dot mode’ operation of both laser and impact magnet and will produce three lines of GCode for each ‘dot’ (the laser / magnet is only fired when the X axis is stationary).

If it is of interest, there is some more information (in English) relating to the use of DotG here http://hobbycncart.com/forum/61-146-1

Tweakie.

4806

General Mach Discussion / Re: PART CNC PART MECHANICAL

« on: April 10, 2012, 09:30:03 AM »

Hi Graham,

This may be a good place to start http://cnccookbook.com/

Tweakie.

4807

Building or Buying a Wood routing table.. Beginnners guide.. / Re: Hardware problems

« on: April 10, 2012, 09:20:26 AM »

It depends if you are to use GCode to drive the laser - the laser thread has most of the details (you will have to skip through the boring parts because the thread has got a bit long now). http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php/topic,12444.0.html

If it is a laser machine (which use a form of HPGL) this forum may be of interest to you http://oplaser.co.uk/opsupport/

I would be most interested to hear how you get on with the laser.

Tweakie.

4808

Building or Buying a Wood routing table.. Beginnners guide.. / Re: Hardware problems

« on: April 10, 2012, 08:22:14 AM »

Pretty bad luck, I would have to say    but perhaps that's the way luck goes sometimes.

Tweakie.

4809

Building or Buying a Wood routing table.. Beginnners guide.. / Re: Hardware problems

« on: April 10, 2012, 07:46:28 AM »

I know it's no help to you but you would not be the first to get bad stuff from China.

When setting everything up you must ensure that the driver's motor current settings do not exceed the motor's rated current otherwise you will fry the driver or perhaps damage the motor - the stuff from China rarely has any tolerance for errors. Having said that I have been using a Chinese driver board for some years now without any problems (perhaps luck is involved here).
Also - perhaps a better quality BOB may be a good investment.

Tweakie.

4810

LazyCam (Beta) / Re: Text workflow advice for instructor

« on: April 10, 2012, 03:17:09 AM »

Hi bradallen,

Another, relatively new, free, software you may wish to consider is F-Engrave http://home.comcast.net/~sskroch/Fengrave/fengrave.html
This can import any / all of the Windows TTF fonts and is excellent, not just for engraving and V-Carving but also profile cutting etc.
 
Tweakie.