Ep3: Beds & Belts. The DIY CO2 Laser Cutter / Engraver Build Series
2024 ж. 4 Мам.
88 135 Рет қаралды
The documentation is now ready!
www.furtherfabrication.com/re...
In this episode of the DIY CO2 Laser Cutter / Engraver Build Series, I build the Z-axis lifting mechanism for the bed frame. Then drink too much coffee and decide to keep going with getting motor mounts and the timing belts on.
BTS and more info:
instagram.com/further_fabrication/
furtherfabrication.com/
Music:
Epidemic Sound
I vote yes for a powered Z axis.
Thank you for doing this. It is a massive undertaking, and I look forward to the final result. Also powered Z is pretty cool...it's the next logical step and you know you will eventually want it anyway.
Hey man, I am in love with this series! The Bahamas votes yes on the powered Z axis!!!!! Can't wait to see your other videos!
Love this!!! Can't wait to see which electronic you have decided to put in!
coming along nicely.
This channel is awesome . I'm totally engrossed in this build. Well done so far, and good luck with the rest of the project.
clean clear.. your work is amazing..
You are making great videos! I thought about building a Laser Cutter myself but many people heavily relied on 3D printed parts, so I am really happy to watch your project ! I guess this project will take a while and I will think about building one for me aswell. I really appreciate that you planned everything and test it and give us all the information on your build. I guess the most difficult part will be getting the right parts, but that will probably be possible after searching a while. Thank you again for sharing this amazing project!
I vote yes also for powered z axis. I have been waiting awhile for this series to continue. Please don’t stop. I’m going to build one once you finish.
11:55 might be better to do that the other way around. So looping the belt through to top of the plate first and pulling back through the bottom. That way when clamping them using the tightwrap the teeth of the belt grab into each other. Hope you understand what I mean. Good luck with the project further on.
Thanks for the comment! that's the way I would normally do it. I'm trying it this way because it keeps the belt flat to the rail, rather than coming up over the plate first and then down. Just curious to see whether it makes a difference.
loving the series! Great job man.
Really cool build, been following it! Keep up the great work 💪
Great build! Can’t wait for the next installment.
GREAT Video! Looking forward to the release of the docs, files, etc. Cheers! :-)
This is my favorite project on KZhead at the moment. I am collecting parts and materials to build a similar cutter - I am trying to use Unistrut where practical for the structural parts of the frame, reserving the v-slot rail only for the moving axes and places where the slots are useful for mounting and adjustment. Hope to save a bit of money there. Watching your build will help me identify where best to use the rail. Looking great so far!
LOVE this series!
If you fold the timing belt the other way, teeth against teeth it also locks itself in, not only the friction from the zip ties.
Nice catch, that's how I've done it in the past also. I'm trying it flipped this way round because it lets the belt sit flatter to the rail but yeah may change it if things start slipping
@@FurtherFabrication There are some nice belt compression fittings you can get that are cheap and work great. I'll try and find a link.
Really enjoying this series, Cheers!
you left little bits of zip ties... lol great vid man love the series
Looks like a great build.
Wonderful video Rob, thanks for publishing your work! Add my vote for a powered Z axis.
Loving this !!!
Liking the look of the build so far. At the end of it all could you do an extra video telling everyone what would need to be changed / altered to turn it into a cnc plasma cutter. Thanks.
Good effort, love the edward scissor hands nail clippers for cuttimg the belt. Where the belt goes inside the extrusiom I would probably put some teflon or ptfe there to minimised rubbing, Great job looking forward to seeing your next video. Still waiting for the post to bring all my parts so I can crack on with my build. Thank you for a good episode, straight to the point, no frills awesome.
Thanks that's a great idea with the teflon! the belts aren't touching, but they're veeery close
Going for the mk1 version. V wheels and linear rail arrived today. I have my controller and motors so will be drawing those pretty patterns with a Bic soon!!!!
100% yes for powered bed. If you are running a Ruida controller you can have auto focussing by using a stepper etc. My current laser rebuild will be heading in that direction.
You make Fabrication, FUN! Thanks for the videos!
sounds like a good t shirt!
awesome new episode 👍
I am sure that in the end it will be a masterpiece.👍
A powered z axis seems like a good idea. Will save you a lot of time down the road.
Awesome. Just awesome!
Great work. Can’t wait to see it done. I would like to upgrade my 40 watt to a larger bed and 60 watt laser.
I from Brazil, thank you!!
Really looking forward to a BOM and parts list. I need to upgrade from my k40
Great video again and an excellent presentation of the build .Definitely add a z-axis motor, it would be a great addition to your project
Thanks! It would be a nice 'fancy' feature to have
You know what's the hardest part watching this video project of yours? the anticipation of waiting for the next episode 4...please stop torturing me. p. s. Nice work by the way.. Very informative with a touch of cubby moments. Good luck Paul
hahaha thanks for the comment
Yes, do the powered z axis. Great series, I subbed.
Pulleys will need "some more betterer alignment"? You are starting to talk like me! Awesome build video. Presented very well, and easy to follow. I can't wait to see this finished!
Un trabajo único, me alegra estar suscrito.!
I would recommend a power z table. I put one on my K40 and love it. Much easier to use.
you got this video out quick like 4 sec. after I was finished with the last one.
powered z axis would be a good upgrade part definatly offer both options, for ease of buildability and upgradability in the future
Definitely a motorized bed. No question.
VARY COOL BUILD. I would do one thing different since I am welder fabricator I would weld up the frame from 1" thin wall steel tube. I think I would also build it so it could be a router as well as a laser cutter. Now to watch the remaining videos and see how it came out. I think I will buy a cheap K40 Chinese laser cutter to start with then if I find myself using it a lot and need a larger one, I'll re-watch these videos and build my own version using the knowledge from these videos and what I learn from the K40.
Amazing thanks help me to much
WTH man, I have been struggling with smooth running of CNC machine and here he is building a cnc/laser cutter.
So excited to start building my own, I'll probably go for a manual z-axis, just to save a bit on cost. I could always upgrade it to a powered z-axis in the future if it is necessary, although in my experience with laser cutters the z-axis is not moved much at all, I think a manual would be just fine. Looking forward to the next episode! Keep it up!
That's exactly my train of thought, thanks for your input!
@@FurtherFabrication Yeah, leaving the option in for a powered Z would be great, but on the units I use at work, we move it so little that a manual one would make not much difference.
Great series keep it up!! Am watching this to decide if I should convert my customized V rail CNC to a laser cutter. What I found when working with those profiles with T-slots it is better to keep a few extra T-nuts on the rails while building in case you want to add any component in the future much easier than disassembling things.
Thanks! and thanks for the tip, that makes a lot of sense
Go for the powered Z-axis!
It is very good informative series , looking forward such informative videos, I want to know how can i get vertical movement accessories, like rods, bearings, belts, etc
I worked at two places with a laser cutter. One was smaller but with a motorized Z axis, the other was way bigger with a manual Z axis and honestly i never missed the motorized one. I had so much more fine control over the height with the wheel. I could dial it in just perfect and my cuts were thin as a hair. (i know, that depends on a lot of things, but all the other factors were "perfect" so this is what made a huge difference)
Nice, I've heard mixed reviews about powered z-axis, so thanks for sharing your experience!
Great job 👍. Subscribed and following.
Go for auto leveling the Z as well!
Great work - You are a very talented man! I bet you played guitar for the musical interlude too, eh? :-D Thanks for a fabulous series - trying NOT to binge-watch, I think these vids are best savoured, and contemplated between episodes.
Hey, I bought your plan and building accordingly. so much fun!! thank you for putting all this up. I have a question about linear bearing blocks. they don't show up in your build guide. Is it absolutely necessary? 4:01
If you've got a control board with a Z-axis driver... might as well right?
hmm this is very true...
Agree. The steppermotor is inexpensive and its a nice touch.
Could you use one of these for your rockets? (Hint hint)
following!! really nice vids btw!
When I was building my 80W laser cutter, I found it useful to buy the Hammer HeadDrop T Nuts which can be inserted anywhere along the extrusion and rotated to grip instead of using the slot T Nuts you are using which require insertion at the ends of the extrusions. Makes for a much easier time. :-)
Yeah totally agree, for me, I prefer the slide in ones, I just trust them a bit more
@@FurtherFabrication And I just saw your previous episode where you address this exact topic! Doh! Sorry about that. For what its worth, all of mine are rotating type and I've had no issues with them for the past 2 plus years.
Who wants to watch Netflix when you have this to watch. #Awesome
You went through all the trouble of making the z axis adjustable might as well power it
Очень хорошо получается, молодец!
besise beeing a CO2 Laser Cutter / Engraver, i have no clue about what are you bilding :)... i could not replicate, or even prossead with a simple montage of one finishe equipment like your's... however it is so f***** fascinating seeing you doing and explaine it... BRAVO... a hug from Lisbon, Portugal, EU
haha well I'm glad you're enjoying it anyway!
MORE MOTORS! MORE POWER!!
My thought is, so long as you are doing it may as well future proof it as much as possible and go for setting up the power Z axis. Looking awesome and cant wait to see it finished and in action! Question: Where you cut the belt and used those clamps to tighten it, I am thinking it might be better to use some sort of a spring mount tension system. That way it retains the same tension even down the line when the belt gets older and starts to stretch. Or maybe set the spring tension idea up on the parts you setup to tighten with nuts. Thoughts?
Yeah the thought crossed my mind also. especially as the new belts will stretch out quite a bit in the beginning. My conclusion at this stage is, if it's not causing an issue I'll leave it be. Though it might be something I address in the future. Thanks for the comment!
Which control board do you plan to use? perhaps something that allows the use of a camera + registration marks?
Nice build making me want to start my own.... As im trying to get my own D: Anyway.... One thing, I noticed when you were ziptying your Y belts. You really should loop the belt so teh teeth face each other. The strength of the zip tie works by the teeth locking onto each other. With the smooth back faces being tied together theres a chance your belt could slip.
Oh just reading comments noticed that some one already said this and you replied :p
Whoa you live in NZ? Cool! :D
I had lost steam on my own build but your videos have got me going again thank you! I'm sure you've answered this elsewhere but I can't find it. Are you worried about dual motors on the y-axis coming out of square with this setup? I've read of alternatives to this style for that very reason and have now been considering going with a linear rod setup instead. Currently I'm setup like yours with dual motor on y and I would have thought it unlikely to happen but if it did...even 1mm of variance would send the laser pretty far off the next mirror across that distance
Good to hear you're getting back into it! Yeah definitely a valid worry. Purely speaking from my own experience, I've never had any trouble with them running out of sync.
Why you need the linear guides at 6:35 (for Z-axis) if you have 4 Rolled Ball Screw? They do not give horizontal backlash.
Your videos are so neat I'm seriously considering building a laser cutter just like yours! How about a nice hand crank for the Z axis? I've used the laser cutter at my local makerspace plenty of times and the only time I touched the powered Z axis I still had to level it manually... turns out powered z axis in big machines tend to be awfully wobbly, if it had something like a hand crank maybe I could have felt the pulleys skipping some belt's teeth and not ruin a whole mdf plank lol. Yours should be ok with a powered z axis though, given the size and especially the precision you're putting into the assembly ;)
Thanks for your comment! that's a great point about feeling the skipping teeth
Looks great so far. Just a small questing, did you only add lithium gear to the linear bearings? Or did you not bother doing the extra work after the not so good results in Ep 2? Does anyone know some sort of reference manual for working with bearings? Thanks
Thanks. Sorry I should have said, I did add grease to all the other moving bits off camera. The x-axis rail that still felt a bit 'slow' has improved quite a bit, and I'm now pretty happy with it.
Please go for the powered Z Axis :)
I am thinking about getting all your files to build your laser cutter. Is there anything you made drastic changes to your cutter that improved it? And if so did you mention this or update the plans?
Powered or manual, I would have a spring tensioner for consistency.
Yeah I think that's probably a good idea, thanks!
I don't have access to a 3D Printer. I have downloaded the three booklets for the Y400 model and was wondering whether I could get the Y-Mounts in a format such as Illustrator etc so I can get the mounts cut out of 8mm acrylic.
I miss the STL files for the Z axis that you use in this video. I can't find them in the files I bought. Am I overlooking something?
Amazing , will it be 100w Laser cutter ?
I'll probably go with 80w, since that's more of a sweet spot for engraving and cutting for me - and it's a bit cheaper. No reason you couldn't put a 100w in if you wanted though.
hello i wanted to know if you have the CAD+MODEL for the rod holder
Put a steeper motor on the z then you can engrave curved surfaces
oh I hadn't thought of that possibility, thanks for the input!
I am watching this because I am trying to see if I want to build or buy a Chinese one...
The same reason I'm here. I currently have access to a 50w Epilog laser but not all the time. I would like to have a laser cutter in my house so eyeing the Glowforge as well.
Thomas Hendricks glowforge seems pretty expensive for what you get. For the price you can get a much larger laser, so I’m not sure it’s really worth it. Unless it’s like epilogue and has super support, and you will be using the hell out of it.
spare parts are made in China
Same here. I seem to find so many things on the chinese ones, that I want to change. Maybe better to build one myself.
On my machine I opted not to power my z axis because it's a lot less fiddling abound with up in down when you move it by yourself, my school laser has a powered z axis and I find it a lot more frustrating to get at just the right height
Yeah that's a great point, thanks for your comment!
In the video you have lead screws moving the z axis (table) with 4 steadying rods. On your documentation the steadying rods have been omitted. Are the rods not required?
no
My vote is for a powered z axis. Got room for a rotary access as well?
don't tempt me haha
I would love the ability to etch glasses. Having that option would push me even more to doing this build.
I'm confused on the laser head you purchased or the mirrors location. Which are you switching to get the beams path to work correctly because currently that setup doesn't work.
haha I was wondering if anyone noticed that! I just threw them on quickly when I was adding the components, but don't worry the mirror will be turned the right way round before I shoot a laser at it!
...So WHY did you say in the printed build guide to initially position the vertical shafts 100 mm in from the corners?? That's WAY MORE than 100mm!!
Is the diameter 20mm for Mirror 1 and 2 holders?
I say do a manual Z table. I see you are using nema 17 motors and it might struggle to lift the bed once there is weight on it. If I may ask, why not go with nema 23 motors?
Thanks for the comment! good point about weight vs nema 17s. I went with 17s because that's what my last build used and they were fine, however upgrading to 23s is definitely still on the table
@@FurtherFabrication Sounds good. Thanks for the series. It will be a great resource for people looking to get into co2 laser. did you come up with an exhaust design?
Not sure if I missed it, but I am curious as to why you chose belts instead of lead screws? Was a it a weight and or cost saving method or you hadn't considered lead screws over a pulley/belt system. .: EDIT :. Yes, a motorized Z axis.
Great question! cost, but mostly movement speed. I've never come across a cutter/engraver that used lead screws on the x & y. There's so little weight moving around on the gantry that I don't think lead screws would be a benefit.
@@FurtherFabrication Fair enough. However isn't the movement speed issue be resolved with a higher thread pitch? The only reason I ask, is lead screws offer greater accuracy as belts tend to stretch over time with use.
Cut your zip-tie ends flush with a flush snipper (for example Knipex 78 03 125) so you don't scratch yourself bloody on those razor sharp ends (tip from AvE).
Haha yeah that's probably I good idea, thanks!
Did you get a good deal in the extruded frame parts?
I had a local supplier nearby which saved on some shipping costs, but it's still a large percentage of the overall build cost
Is the X Axis genuine hiwin or a clone? I used genuine hiwins in my 3D printer build but they are very expensive.
7:46: The PAID instructions CLEARLY show the pulley oriented THE OTHER WAY with the screws on THE BOTTOM. SO I did that, and the belt keeps jumping off the takeup pulley, because the travel of the belt is being forced upward due to the orientation shown in the PAID instructions...That's GREAT, now I get to disassemble all 4 vertical threads/brackets to reverse the pulleys. ARRRRGH!
Is it planned to have material pass through?
At the moment it's got pass through on both ends
Do you have a 3D print files for parts of this laser?
How many watts of your photography light？
Yeah power it now.
POWER!
What is approximate cost for this build?
You could put together a small kit of the 3d parts for sale to those who don't have access.
Yeah that's a possibility, though I'll try to find some good alternative parts as well
I just had a number of bearing supports arrive and noticed that the bearings were misaligned (pushed in not square); you may want to check that.
Thanks for the heads up! A couple of the pillow block bearings I got were also seated misaligned.
@@FurtherFabrication Love your project; have you considered using corexy belt arrangement?
Thanks. No I hadn't, I've seen them used on 3d printers but I don't have any experience with them myself.
@@FurtherFabrication First, the bearings are self aligning, so that's why the bearings looked skewed. The corexy arrangement means long belts, but no moving motors or wires; for a laser you don't need the resolution of a 3d printer. I have 45 years in the cnc service industry.
hello, why do not you use a screw lock?
Yeah good question. I've never really had any issues with screws loosening up, and I often take parts on and off while I'm tinkering, so I'd rather not have locked in threads. personal choice I guess.