1. Photos of the laser

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    I had the front doors of the laser off, which might be a bad idea. In this photo you see the 'hatch' or top cover, and then two doors with key sockets on each side.

    The two doors are actually one, but it is hinged in the middle so that …

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  2. Work Holding and Alignment

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    Work holding and tooling are like 90% of doing well in a machine shop, and maybe 60% in a wood shop.

    I first started with laser cutters in 2009 at TechShop, and that was before I knew about work holding and tooling.

    Then I got to live on a property …

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  3. Laser Love and Beer

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    (an ongoing post)

    Laser Love and Beer! Continuing my hopeful inclusion in North Bay Python.

    I paid for my Laser cutter right before NBay Python 2024, while I was frantically and frenetically working on my talk about cocktail robotics.

    It was in the period I defined as the great laser …

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  4. Costs

    How much have I spent?

    6/25/2024 $1,000 Cash for the laser 7/14/2024 $92.94 Mendo Mill Electric and distilled water 7/14/2024 $33.66 Amazon Power splitter and outlet cover

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  5. First Light!

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    First Light!

    first hole!

    I went to the lodge to keep Sweetie company, and things went late, but we got home and I went back to the shop. And I fiddled and faddled and I had success!

    The first hole cut by the laser...by pushing 'laser' on the control pad.

    Laser Love and Beer

    First …

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  6. Laser Power

    How do I power this beast?

    Sunday July 14, 2024

    The laser, chiller, and air compresser or 220 but use standard 110 sockets

    Laser 220 1.5kw, ~7 amps Chiller 220 Air Compresser 220


    I think that the laser, the chiller, and the air compressor each use NEMA 6-20p 20 …

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  7. Initial Laser Journey

    alt text <img src="/images/first_image.jpg" "First view of the laser!" width="300")

    It's footprint is 54" x 67"

    On June 23rd there was a facebook post. An 80 watt 4' x 3' laser cutter. I jumped on that!

    It is probably 'only' 1200 mm x 900 mm, which pedanticism only …

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  8. Laser cut grating

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    This is a laser cut grating or grill cover. The holes are 1/2". This is a walnut veneer over an MDF core.

    grating

    Ed then suggested that I make smaller versions suitable for model boats, and he took them to the model boat club where several were snapped up by …

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