Regarding to building own laser cutter/letter engraving

[Guest]

This might be off issue here, but I remember I detect someone posted information about building laser cutter or letter engraving. I hope someone know any of website that explain how to build laser or letter engraving... does anyone? I'd be truly appreciated.

[tigert 0]

>This might be off issue here, but I remember I detect >someone posted information about building laser cutter or >letter engraving. I hope someone know any of website that >explain how to build laser or letter engraving... does >anyone? I'd be truly appreciated. I remember www.cheapcnc.com, there was another site too, but try google with "homebuilt CNC" etc, usually you get a lot of reading :-)Tuomas

[Guest MikePowell]

Arthur,A really good hobby site for engraving machines is majosoft.tripod.com . There are links to several home made machines as well as directions on how to make an engraving bit.Mikewww.mikesflightdeck.comInfo for simpit builders.

[tigert 0]

>Arthur, >>A really good hobby site for engraving machines is >majosoft.tripod.com . There are links to several home made >machines as well as directions on how to make an engraving >bit. Yea, that was the other page :-)Tuomas

[Guest]

Thank you for those webpages, but is it a step by step explaination on building own engraving or cutter? what I see there was a demostration of each machines. I wouldn't know what kind of interface-or any circuit diagram that would get connected to printer port or USB in order for me to develop drawing using AUTOCAD and have that machine to do it for me. Would CNC be able to guide some help?Let me know.

[Guest MikePowell]

Looks like there are a variety of solutions out there. A computer controller engraving machine is basically a light duty CNC machine. Some people have paid for the interface, controllers and motors, then gone on to build table and motor holder themselves. I believe there are a few companies that sell kits, but can't recall the URLs. You're an electronics type, so you could probably build the interface and driver electronics rather than buying anyway. There are a couple of references on the Majosoft site to converting vector drawing files to CNC control files. Sounds interesting, don't know how much work it is though. If you're interesting in experimenting with this and don't find anything more suitable after following the Majosoft links, you might play with some of the FerretTronics stepping motor chips and a few motors from Jameco.Mikewww.mikesflightdeck.comInfo for simpit builders.

[Guest Dodiano]

From personal experience Buy one don

[Guest]

There are a nunber of ways to go. If you like the challenge, then build one (It will probably take as much time as building the aircraft parts that you are building it for !) There are a lot of sites for information on how they work. Basically it is just a movable platform controlled by 3 stepper motors, each motor is powered by a small circuit board connected to the printer port.http://www.oatleyelectronics.com/stepper.htmland a 5-20 volt power supply.Then you need a program to tell the 3 stepper motors what to do :http://www.kellyware.com/download/download.shtmlhttp://www.deskam.com/I use a variable speed small size Router on the cnc to do my cutting and engraving, which are quite cheap.The other alternative is to get your parts cut and engraved commercially, as these places are now much more common and less expensive than they used to be.Cheers.............Brian

[Steve Cannell 4]

I searched online for laser engravers, too many options and no prices.:-(How much to buy one of these laser engravers suitable for our purposes ? SteveCYYZ

[Guest MikePowell]

Steve,A laser engraver is probably not the ideal tool. A large commercial shop can make a profitable argument for investing in one, but the hobby market likely needs to step back a generation and look at the older mechanical cutting equipment. Check out www.bellco.com and www.newhermes.com Mikewww.mikesflightdeck.comInfo for simpit builders.

[Guest]

Steve, For Laser engraving-- it'd cost you worth of a car I've seen one for $14K-50K. Depending on quality or type of the machine... 14K would do glass, plastic and wood I think!-- 50K would do every kind of elements such as metal, wood, rock, or whatsoever... Everyone, I contacted with CNC, and few others manufactuer such as robotic inc. They said to build one of my own engraver would take so much time, since using motor and interfaced parallel port in order for program to combine at precisely X and Y axis... so I was thinking maybe it would be the best for me not to get those engraving machine..Instead of that I could get the arcylic plastic sheet, and have dremel tool to cut or sanding in shape of the panel, then draw it using photoshop or any high quality paintshop, print by using adhesive transparent sheet, and cut it in shape with scissor, (maybe drill in hole for rotary, encoders, or potentiometers) and hopefully result would come in good when it is backlit without leaking. Or is there any other suggest you would recoomend? let me know

[Guest]

Hilaser engravers usually run about $50,000,00 usd and upFloyd Stollewww.stollco.com