The laser cutter has now arrived, training is complete and its all set up ready for me to cause havoc:
(Workshop is a work in progress!)
Fine tuning the laser speed and power settings is key for neat edges. Every material type, surface finish, sheet thickness and even colour requires different settings for a perfect cut. First thing I did was run a series of square cuts and engraving details with varying power and speed settings to determine the best results. If you cut too quick it doesn't penetrate through the full sheet thickness, cut too slow and you get flashback (reflection) from the knife bed which leaves small pits along the edges:
Here is a video of the machine in action, cutting the very first full test panel:
[MEDIA=instagram]BWccu-SAM6e[/MEDIA]
The panel looks great and fits perfectly onto an existing case, very happy with the results:
Also received stock of all the raw Perspex sheets for the initial case stock, its been pre-cut into various sizes to suit each panel type based on optimal nesting. Storing large amounts of Perspex is going to be tricky in the space I have, this is around half of the Acrylic received:
Next up I should be receiving all the 3D printed pieces by the end of this week, ready to start inserting all the metal threads.
