First output of my machine. Yay!

[Khalid Nazim]

Finally I was able to get my machine in the basement after stripping it down to its frame in my garage and then reassembling it in the basement. The positive out of that is now I know a lot more about the machine. So the day has arrived that I am able to post the very first output of my machine. This is Arabic Calligraphy and vector engraved on Baltic Birch at 30%P & 100%SP.

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[Kevin Huffman]

Congratz!
What's your next project?

[Bruce Volden]

Khalid,

Looks to me like this would be the time to learn the art of laser inlay---use that same file and a darker wood and mix and match. Just saying---nice.

Bruce

[Allen Isakson]

Looks very nice, If you mask the wood, you have any burn residue on it. Congrats on getting your machine up and running. The fun never stops

[Khalid Nazim]

Thank you all for your comments and suggestions. I am developing a line of Calligraphic wall art. So the next step is to run the same graphic on different materials, as well as cut and engrave to understand what the machine can do. I will definitely look into how to do wood inlays and also use mask on the wood next time. This is so much fun! Cant wait to get back on the machine.

[Dee Gallo]

Khalid, I'm impressed you had the guts to disassemble and reassemble your laser! Wow! And it still works - bonus! That calligraphy is very nice. We had a recent thread about using different things to clean that type of soot, from alcohol to vinegar. I've always found finishing the wood (or at least a seal coat) before burning will help with cleanup. I like to put one more coat of finish on after the cleanup for a nice smooth surface and it darkens the engraving a bit too.

Congrats on your accomplishment! ~ dee

[Dean Fowell]

Congrats have fun,

[Tony Lenkic]

Khalid, good to hear you are having fun with laser.

If you do not have source for transfer tape (masking) I can give you a source.

[Rodne Gold]

The fun starts :|) , good to hear you up and running. One thing you need to do is test the focus point , buy a 10x loupe from a jewellery supplier or stamp shop and check to see that your lines are as sharp as they can get compared to the guage they supply , ours was about 2mm out. The other thing you must do is check the backlash settings at various speeds , ie see that when you raster a thickish line the start and end point of the left and right scans line up
ie
-----
-----
-----
and not
----
. -----
-----
. -----

Any quuestions , just ask.

[Khalid Nazim]

Rodne, you mean to say that I should test if the auto focus is correctly adjusting the z-axis so that the laser is sharply focussed? And to do that I should engrave some straight lines and then check them under the 10x loupe and if these are thicker than the gauge they have supplied then I should do some adjustment. Right?

Couple of issues here: I dont recall seeing a gauge in my package. Can you post a picture of that. Also, if I see that the autofocus arrangement is not focussing the z-axis at the right distance, then what should I adjust?

I understood what you suggested as a test to check the backlash setting and will be doing that test soon.

One more issue I discovered: If I have to open the lens holder to clean the lens, I have to loosen the red dot pointer to get it out of the way as well as remove the Auto Focus probe from its holder. This is because the Auto Focus holder is connected on the lens holder and rotates with it. When I rotate with everything still attached, the Auto Focus cannot get past the red dot pointer! Is this how its supposed to be or is this a mistake from the manufacturer? Also, if I remove the red dot pointer how do I align it correctly again?

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[Rodne Gold]

I would ditch the autofocus and the red dot pointer , you dont need the red dot and the AF probe assembly looks like trouble to me, stupid arrangement as you need to get to the lens a lot to clean it. We use a piece of perspex as a guage , slipped between the nozzle exit and the material , works a charm as you can either move the table or adjust the lens tube to get it just right. Use the method you described to get best focus and then cut a piece of 3mm acrylic that is the exact distance tween nozzle tip and material , thats your focus gauge :)
to align the red dot if you really want it , fire the laser and then adjust the bracket so the red dot hits the burnt dot.

[Khalid Nazim]

As usual, great advice Rodne - very practical. Will the 3mm acrylic work for different focal length lenses?

I actually had a bad accident yesterday when the auto focus probe's tip got stuck in the honey comb table while the laser was resetting itself on start up. The lens assembly got skewed on an angle as the plate holding the assembly twisted. I had to remove the complete lens holder assembly off and then use some pliers to straighten the plate. I also by mistake disconnected the x-axis belt from the lens holder assembly and it was nightmare putting it back - it took me an hour to realize that there is a screw on the slide block to manage the belt tension. Once I loosened the belt tension, I was able to reconnect the belt. Now I have to test the laser. Hopefully, all is well now :)

[Rodne Gold]

Yeh , I thought that might happen. The piece of 3mm is used sideways , ie you measure the distance at best focus from the nozzle and the material and cut the 3mm pex the same width and all you do is use it sideways on the material and adjust the nozzle so it rests on it.
You have to cut a new piece for every focal length , after doing the best focus thing.
Once you have taken the head assembly off , make surte whern you put it back that its dead perpendicular to the rail it travels on
IE
--|--
and not
--\---

[George M. Perzel]

Hi Khalid;
Have been vacationing down south for 10 days and away from puters and the SMC-just getting caught up. Glad to hear you are up and operating. I agree with Rodne-ditch the autofocus-not worth the trouble as it appears to be a real kluge the way they do it. You can retain the red dot if you wish by replacing the allen head screw which sets the pivot angle with a thumbscrew so you can easily move it up and out of the way when you take the lens assembly off. Does your system have a z-axis up-down switch or do you use the control pad ? You should have been abl;e to move the table down far enough to access the table damage without removing the head totally. If necessary, head can be removed without removing x-axis assembly attached to belt. call if you have questions
Best Regards,
George
Laserarts

[Jiten Patel]

Well done mate. Good luck with your new venture. Wish you all the best. Look forward to seeing what you produce!

[Bill Cunningham]

Congrats on being able to muscle that machine to the basement.. I imagine, that if you ever sell your house, it will probably come with a laser :D

[Khalid Nazim]

Hi Tony, I bought the tape from Engravers Express - but its expensive. I had no idea that it would be that expensive. I would definitely like to know your source for transfer tape.

Regards