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Duane Parcells
10-11-2009, 9:46 AM
Hi
When I got my laser I had assumed that the rotary attachment would disable the vector cutting capability because of various problems I conjured up. At the time I could not find any info here or elsewhere so I just moved on. Recently I saw a egg that was said to have been cut by laser. I've been playing with eggs and candles and wonder if anyone has had success with intricate egg carving? Most of all how do you control crawl, wobble or whatever you want to call a moving, impossible to work with shape. Don't see much candle engraving here or anywhere. Did only I assume you can't vector with the rotary? (Epilog Legend EXT 75watt)
Thanks
Duane

George M. Perzel
10-11-2009, 12:16 PM
Hi Duane;
Not sure how the Epilog rotary works but I have vector cut eggs (empty) on a Laserpro Mercury rotary using a rubber suction cup on each end of the rotary fixture. I will do another and post a picture next time I do a rotary job.
Best regards;
George
LaserArts

Kevin Groenke
10-11-2009, 1:01 PM
We haven't done much, but the ULS will also vector cut on the rotary without issue. You'll want power/speed settings optimized as the out-of-focus beam will be hitting the material opposite the cut. Alternatively if the part allows, you can line it with foil/flashing or some other non-laserable medium (even a dowel on center would probably be sufficient).

kg

Anthony Scira
10-11-2009, 3:24 PM
The newer Epilog driver is supposed to take care of the vector speed being 20 and then the repositioning speed jumping to 100 causing the wobbles. But I have not tried it.

I was doing wine bottles and the vector color fills nice and sharp. Just a few of the lines got messed up.

I need to give it another shot with the latest drivers.

John Barton
10-13-2009, 6:10 AM
Hi
When I got my laser I had assumed that the rotary attachment would disable the vector cutting capability because of various problems I conjured up. At the time I could not find any info here or elsewhere so I just moved on. Recently I saw a egg that was said to have been cut by laser. I've been playing with eggs and candles and wonder if anyone has had success with intricate egg carving? Most of all how do you control crawl, wobble or whatever you want to call a moving, impossible to work with shape. Don't see much candle engraving here or anywhere. Did only I assume you can't vector with the rotary? (Epilog Legend EXT 75watt)
Thanks
Duane

On our Universal you can vector cut on the rotary. I have done tons of cues where I used combinations of vector cutting and engraving. My theory on the egg is that they got the egg as "level" as possible and developed a pattern to design inside.

I figure that like we do with cue balls they found an acceptable middle ground for the focus to do the designs on.

That or they have one of those lasers on a robot head that moves around the object. I saw one of these at an industrial fair a few months ago and couldn't believe it. I am not exactly sure how they did it and right now at this moment can't remember if this is what I really saw or if it was a free head router of some sort. I am fairly sure it was a laser though.

I had to modify my rotary attachment to be able to adjust one end up and down to get the pool cue surface to be always level and couple that with a predefined area that could be lasered. It took me several days to figure it out but at the end I had a perfect pattern where I can laser 360 degrees around a cue. As an example I can cut a perfect unbroken spiral from one end of the cue to the other end.

The trick: You have to essentially make the laser think that the thing you are wanting to go all the way around on is larger than it is. I.e. a very long page. Then it will turn as many revolutions as you make "pages". Say one full turn is 5" from 0-360. Then add another 5" to have a 10" long page and the rotary will make two revolutions. Now there is more to this if your item is tapered as a pool cue is but this is the general idea.

Niklas Bjornestal
10-13-2009, 9:45 AM
Hi Duane;
Not sure how the Epilog rotary works but I have vector cut eggs (empty) on a Laserpro Mercury rotary using a rubber suction cup on each end of the rotary fixture. I will do another and post a picture next time I do a rotary job.
Best regards;
George
LaserArts
What settings do you use to cut eggshells?

George Brown
10-13-2009, 9:53 AM
Unless you have some really SHORT pool cues, how do you put it into your laser?

Dan Hintz
10-13-2009, 9:58 AM
Unless you have some really SHORT pool cues, how do you put it into your laser?
Easy... you just snap it over your knee :D Nah, he opens the side door (or removes the panel).

George Brown
10-13-2009, 12:12 PM
Easy... you just snap it over your knee :D Nah, he opens the side door (or removes the panel).

But if you are doing a continuous pattern, how do you register it when you have to move the pool cue?

Dan Hintz
10-13-2009, 1:09 PM
But if you are doing a continuous pattern, how do you register it when you have to move the pool cue?
Not sure I understand you... register for what? The pattern can be as long as his rotary device (or the driver) allows it to be. Place the stick in the rotary, engrave once, done.

George Brown
10-13-2009, 1:24 PM
Not sure I understand you... register for what? The pattern can be as long as his rotary device (or the driver) allows it to be. Place the stick in the rotary, engrave once, done.

If you want your design to extend further than what can be engraved in a single pass.

Dan Hintz
10-13-2009, 1:53 PM
If you want your design to extend further than what can be engraved in a single pass.
Registration is always an issue when you want a larger design than the bed can handle. Unless it absolutely cannot be avoided (e.g., the customer is insistent on a particular large design), I would try to separate the design into chunks that only require rough registration (like leaving a several inch gap between designs, as well as marking rotary and stick with a piece of tape so it lines up axially relatively well by eye).

Jesse Anderson
03-09-2013, 11:36 PM
So when can i see a picture of a egg that is vector cut.

Martin Boekers
03-11-2013, 9:45 AM
Another option, though a bit different is an "indexer" Epilog's site has a great
bit of info on building one that pen turners use. Although this isn't a continious
rotation, but stepped, it does have some apllications.

Richard DiMaggio
03-13-2013, 7:49 AM
Duane,
Are you looking for a solution to vector on an egg problem? Or a tapered surface? I have developed a way to keep the beam perpendicular to the surface when there is a curve in one direction as you can see in this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDaAHA5ujPM but with the addition to a rotary action in one of the two planes (X or Y) I can engrave on an egg. See if I am off base with your request here.
rj

Joe Hillmann
03-13-2013, 11:36 AM
Duane,
Are you looking for a solution to vector on an egg problem? Or a tapered surface? I have developed a way to keep the beam perpendicular to the surface when there is a curve in one direction as you can see in this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDaAHA5ujPM but with the addition to a rotary action in one of the two planes (X or Y) I can engrave on an egg. See if I am off base with your request here.
rj

How do you control that attachment and get it to line up with the laser head where it should? Simple x,y and a rotary are pretty easy to figure out, one step of the motor equals x number of inches. But yours looks like the head is moving in both x and y at the same time your rotary is turning which has to be much more difficult to figure out.

Also, What are you building that laser for, A lot of your videos show or mention a windshield and it looks like the way you have it set up is very specific for one exact type of windshield.

Richard DiMaggio
03-13-2013, 2:53 PM
Its not really an "attachment" but my home built flatbed linear motor driven X/Y table that I fitted with a 40 Watt CO2 chinese laser. I originally wanted to engrave on motorcycle windshields. It was setup for a Harley Road King style of removable windshield, but what you don't see is where it attaches is adjustable to accept other mounting methods. I found out well into the project that windshield engraving is not all that popular, but still do one every once in awhile. Now I am reconfiguring that dual Z axis capability to do checkering on gun stocks etc. You mention that converting one of the two axes (XorY) to a rotary motion is indeed straight forward as long as you know the radius of the part. Keep in mind that a windshield for the most part is only curved in one plane, so it's not that difficult. To me it looks more impressive that it really is. I am now installing a laser micrometer on the same plane as the focus mirror to be able to measure the distance as I move with the pattern to be engraved, measuring the surface. (There is a fair amount of math associated with keeping the surface perpindicular with the beam, but it's not rocket science.) Then replay it keeping the laser at the perfect distance away from the surface rather than having to focus the beam somewhere between the high and low spots and hoping for the best.

did you ask me what time it was and I told you how to build the clock?
rj

Joe Hillmann
03-13-2013, 3:12 PM
So as not to hijack this thread any further you should start a new thread about your laser. I don't know about anyone else but I find it interesting.

Vicki Rivrud
03-13-2013, 5:07 PM
I also found the video of your process amazing. I'd like to see or know more about it!
Vicki

Richard DiMaggio
03-13-2013, 7:34 PM
Sorry, did not mean to hijack the thread... Maybe I should have just emailed Duane directly about the egg thing...
rj

Mike Null
03-14-2013, 7:19 AM
Richard

Your ideas are very interesting and I suspect many of us would like to know more about what and how you are doing these things. Especially the non techie types like me. Maybe a new thread would be appropriate.

Richard DiMaggio
03-14-2013, 10:49 AM
I REALLY would like to know more about the egg engraving/carving. I think I could do that application...

Duane, you there?
rj