Laser Lab

Laser Cutter Documentation on the wiki is getting scattered. Here's an attempt to put links all in one place

• Details on the Charley Laser Cutter aka Mongo
• Details on the Rabbit Laser Cutter aka Rabbit

• DO NOT CUT POLYCARBONATE AKA LEXAN !!!
• Restricted Materials Reference
• Extensive document on plastic safety and behavior Processing Plastics With CO2 Laser
• Guidance on Materials that are prohibited: Laser Material Warnings and Caveats

IF YOU'RE NOT SURE, LOOK UP AND READ THE MSDS (MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEET)

• 2017 Laser 101 & Output possibilities
• 2017 Laser 101 Refresher Training

• BASIC WORK FLOW
• Laser Cutting Workflow -- OLD Needs to be updated

• Laser 102 Advanced Techniques (soon to be uploaded)
• Laser 102 Intro to Software (Older Class)

Laser 103 EVA Foam, Glass & Mirrors, Stone & Ceramic, Cork, Paper & Cloth, Laser Ink (TO BE UPLOADED)

Laser 104 Rotary Tool Class Presentation

Rotary Tool Workflow Rotational Tool Attachment Workflow PDF Updated for RDWorks - Updated NOV2017

NOTE: USE DIAMETER of 32 MM not 35!!!

Laser Ink Stamp Cutting

Laser 201 Class Presentation

LASER TEST files examples used in class: https://www.bosslaser.com/laser-test-files

3D Illusion Edge Light Sign

Laser Cut Lamp Shade

Laser Materials

Laser Cutting Frame

Photo Engraving on Mongo

Box Making Resources

• RD WORKS - Lab computers are on v8.01.34
• Manufacturers Website - Have browser do translation, go to downloads section and find RDWorks v8.01.34 --OR--
• Manufacturers direct link to RAR File for RDWorks v8.01.34 Lasercutter Software
• Use a program like 7-ZIP (free) to extract the RAR file.
• If you are a MAC user, we recommend using parallels (VMware) and install Windows 8 or 10 on the VM

• INKSCAPE
• Inkscape Download and Tutorials
• Lasercutting tips for Inkscape
• Inkscape tips to Convert text to paths
• Inkscape boxmaker Plugin
• Inkscape Living Hinge Plugin
• On Mac OS X, extenstions are places in /Applications/Inkscape.app/Contents/Resources/extensions
• Photo Engraving Resources

• IMAGE and VECTOR CONVERTERS
• CONVERTIO vector and image online conversion
• CLOUD CONVERT vector and image online conversion
• Online 2-bit bmp converter

Places to buy materials: Project Material Sources

* Wood Sheet Material

• Colorado Heirloom - Alder, Maple, Cherry, etc sheets that Epilog uses for their Aztec Calendar demonstration
• Michaels (half mile from NovaLabs) carries Revell birch plywood sheets ranging from 1/32" to 1/2" thickness
• Northland Forest Products - Manassas Retail Location - Birch plywood, and other wood products.

• In the lumber business, thicknesses under roughly 1/8" are considered 'veneer', sizes above that and under about an inch considered 'thin lumber'. So searching for 'hardwood thin lumber' is a productive way to find new sources online, like:
  • D & D Hardwoods - 1/16", 1/8", 1/4", 3/8", 1/2" thick exotic hardwoods
  • WOODCRAFT - Springfield - 1/16", 1/8", 1/4", 3/8", 1/2" thick exotic hardwoods
  • WOODCRAFT - Rockville - 1/16", 1/8", 1/4", 3/8", 1/2" thick exotic hardwoods

• Coroplast Sheet Material
  • White or colored plastic corrugated sheet used for road side signs (political/real estate, etc). Can be cut on laser or CNC.
  • Signs by Tomorrow in Sterling stocks 3/16" thick and can order 1/4" thick sheets in 4' x 8' size
    • 45449 Severn Way, Suite 173, Dulles, VA 20166 http://www.signsbytomorrow.com/dulles/

• Acrylic Sheet Material

Price snapshot as of 1/23/2020 for 3/16" Clear Acrylic

• Pricing assumes the purchase of at least 2 sheets worth of material (64 square feet)

Thingiverse laser projects

Instructables Laser projects

Inventables (materials)

Joinery

http://wiki.hive13.org/Laser_Settings - Hive13 laser tips

http://spikenzielabs.com/SpikenzieLabs/Laser_How_To.html - Spikenzie Labs laser HOWTO

http://wiki.heatsynclabs.org/wiki/Laser_Cutter