No flash grid with steel for magnets to hold down warped material

[John Blazy]

Thanks to this forum, Rich Harman and David Somers in particular, I combined your ideas for this new grid for my laser that tested out perfect.


Made from 1/8" Duron HDF - 35.5 x 47 x 2", all cut on the laser, and glued with gorilla glue. I made diamond shaped holes in the 36" dimension to run 3/8" x 3/8" steel square rods .10" under the surface for magnets to grab. I ran the square stock at the diamond cross section so that the laser doesn't flash up off it. Before I slid them into the grid, I ground the top edge to a sharp knife edge to reduce flash from the narrow arris on the hot rolled steel.


It cuts acrylic without any reflection flash at all, is dead flat, and magnets hold better on this grid than honeycomb with egg crate. No detectable wear on the edges either - should last quite a while.

I could still install N52 magnets within this grid if I wanted as well. Thanks for the source - kjmagnetics.com 332470332469

If anyone wants the dxf file to cut their own, PM and Ill email you the cut files.

[Josh Ledger]

Awesome design! I just sent you a pm. Thanks!

[David Somers]

Excellent John!! Looks like a great idea. Will keep this post for the day when my honeycomb needs to be replaced! :D

[eduard rodriguez]

Amazing! I just need to replace my honey. Thanks for sharing John

[John Blazy]

Per many requests, I will try to attach the cut files. They are sized for my 35.5 x 47.5 bed, but you can modify accordingly.

Sorry this forum wont accept my DXF files - it says that it exceeds the 96 kb max. If you want the files - send me your email in a PM, and I will send the files.

[Keith Outten]

John,

Zip the file and it will upload, there is a two meg limit on zip files.
.

[Keith Downing]

Love the design and the possibility of a non-flash honeycomb is very appealing.

Do you have a link to the specs for the Duron HDF you used? I'd like to know about the composition and flammability of it. I'm unfamiliar with that product in general.

[John Blazy]

Here are the specs for the Duron. Appears that you can get it at Home depot - http://www.homedepot.com/p/Hardboard-Tempered-Panel-Common-1-8-in-4-ft-x-8-ft-Actual-0-115-in-x-47-7-in-x-95-7-in-832777/202046928

I buy it through my wholesale plywood company - DSI, where I can get Baltic birch as well. I will be going to my local HD to see it for myself to make sure of the quality. The Duron brand that I get from DSI is really flat, and dense, and available in 1/8" and 1/4". HD only has 1/8" which is great for the grid.

I plan to glue in a few ND magnets inside the grid for holding down thicker material (ND mag + another ND mag will attract from much farther distance). Now that I think of it, that would have been better than running the steel inside, because for light hold downs, I could use steel strips over the warped material instead of those pesky teenage boy magnets.

I call them teenage boys because you cant store them anywhere near each other without them attacking each other. I broke nearly everyone of my ND 52's because they slam into each other if anywhere near each other. Sometimes painfully in my hand.

[Dave Sheldrake]

I broke nearly everyone of my ND 52's because they slam into each other if anywhere near each other.

Be aware NdFeB can burn and will also lose all it's holding power at higher temperatures.

[Keith Downing]

Here are the specs for the Duron. Appears that you can get it at Home depot - http://www.homedepot.com/p/Hardboard-Tempered-Panel-Common-1-8-in-4-ft-x-8-ft-Actual-0-115-in-x-47-7-in-x-95-7-in-832777/202046928

I buy it through my wholesale plywood company - DSI, where I can get Baltic birch as well. I will be going to my local HD to see it for myself to make sure of the quality. The Duron brand that I get from DSI is really flat, and dense, and available in 1/8" and 1/4". HD only has 1/8" which is great for the grid.

I plan to glue in a few ND magnets inside the grid for holding down thicker material (ND mag + another ND mag will attract from much farther distance). Now that I think of it, that would have been better than running the steel inside, because for light hold downs, I could use steel strips over the warped material instead of those pesky teenage boy magnets.

I call them teenage boys because you cant store them anywhere near each other without them attacking each other. I broke nearly everyone of my ND 52's because they slam into each other if anywhere near each other. Sometimes painfully in my hand.

Thanks for the link. I'm going to check it out.

So, as far as you know, is the Duron fire retardant? Or did you just pick it because it is a nice uniform material to work with?

[Makrel Johnson]

This is a great idea. I'm new (~3 months an owner of an Epilog Helix) and it took me a little while to figure out why my acrylic had very precisely spaces 'dots' on the bottom of a cut. I was considering just raising the piece or adding a sacrificial layer beneath, but this looks like much less hassle in the long run.

P.S. First post. Can't say how happy I am I found this forum!

-Mak