It’s been a few weeks since I got the laser engraver, and everything I ordered has arrived. Some things turned out differently than expected, as is often the case. In the first post about this device you can read what was planned. Ultimately, the following was implemented:
- Enclosure with smoke extraction and lighting*
- LONGER honeycomb plate*
- Air pump as air assist*
- Limit switches*
- Quick adjustment of the Z-axis
I didn’t install the cable chains:
After the enclosure and base made of OSB-reinforced chipboard had been properly installed, I noticed that the cable chains would not have had any room to roll out. Instead, I used Velcro cable ties to guide the cables. This works well, nothing drags or sags. In the meantime, some things have already been engraved and cut.
Endstops
It was surprisingly easy: I used LaserGRBL to check whether the latest firmware was flashed, which was the case. Then I mounted the purchased end stop PCBs on the 3D-printed brackets, extended and sleeved the cables and simply plugged them into the designated sockets on the mainboard, nothing else.
AtomStack Studio was able to reference immediately without any problems and the LEDs on the boards also light up when triggered. It first moves to the limit switches and then almost perfectly to the 0.0 position marked on the axes. Very good, I had imagined it to be more complex.
Enclosure and Air Assist
Not bad at all for the price. The fan is acceptably quiet and provides good airflow. The lighting is nice and bright. You can’t ask for more than that; I don’t really have anything to complain about. It was also super easy to assemble, and despite the simple design, the whole thing is surprisingly stable.
The air compressor wasn’t cheap, but you can tell:
Good build quality, vibration-isolated, and made of metal. It’s also tolerably quiet and very finely adjustable. I would buy it again.
The 3D-printed part for the laser head needed a little work, but then it fit well and works exactly as expected. No more smoke residue!
Current status
The notebook and compressor are located outside due to the smoke. I did not specifically seal the enclosure at the bottom of the plate, but no smoke escapes nonetheless.