[Lab] [ORE_bits] RE: laser mirror holders

Thu Nov 4 15:12:29 EDT 2010

You might be right but I think it might be better to build other parts for
laser out of plastic.

If you can meet tonight, I think we should do it anyways to see if there are
other parts that can be made with a cupcake.

On Thu, Nov 4, 2010 at 3:09 PM, Paul & Andrea Mumby <themumbys at gmail.com>wrote:

> PLA might be able to hold it's own relatively well, as it's a much harder
> plastic than ABS, will be dimensionally stable longer than ABS would. But it
> does soften at lower heat than ABS (PLA softens at about 80 degrees C)
>
> The structural stability wouldn't be as big a concern to me as the
> temperature...  Then again I've never used these before or worked with any
> high powered lasers or optics. So I don't really know. I just don't see
> these being under that much mechanical load at any given time.
>
> One thing to consider is using the plastic to build a short-run prototype,
> which can get the machine off the ground, then you could use the same STL
> files if those work, to machine the same item out of aluminum stock later,
> once the part is basically proven.
>
> Just a thought.
>
> As a quick side note, what's the rated max power output of your laser tube?
> (mostly just curious) lol
>
> - Paul
>
> On Thu, Nov 4, 2010 at 2:57 PM, Darcy Whyte <darcy at siteware.com> wrote:
>
>> I think most of the time the laser will be running at 10W or so.
>>
>> But I think a strong case has been made against plastic with your point
>> and also the previous point about deformation over time.
>>
>>
>>
>> On Thu, Nov 4, 2010 at 2:55 PM, krazatchu . <krazatchu at hotmail.com>wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Mirrors are not perfectly efficient...
>>> At 100w, even small inefficiencies will be significant...
>>> Poor dissipation of even half a watt of heat can cause some serious
>>> localized heating...
>>>
>>> At higher powers, the laser mirrors are water cooled....
>>> I have no idea of exact numbers however, nor what search terms would
>>> reveal...
>>>
>>> Michael
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> ------------------------------
>>> From: darcy at siteware.com
>>> Date: Thu, 4 Nov 2010 14:44:52 -0400
>>> To: themumbys at gmail.com
>>> CC: lab at artengine.ca; ORE_bits at yahoogroups.com
>>> Subject: Re: [Lab] laser mirror holders
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> pretty well an inch. They say they are 1" or 25mm. Pretty thin. Like a mm
>>> or so.
>>>
>>> I don't think it heats .
>>>
>>>
>>> On Thu, Nov 4, 2010 at 2:43 PM, Paul & Andrea Mumby <themumbys at gmail.com
>>> > wrote:
>>>
>>> exactly 1" circle?
>>>
>>> Also what is the approximate thickness of the mirror?
>>>
>>> And to your knowledge does the mirror heat up during use (and if so to
>>> what approximate max temperature)? I would assume they are designed to fully
>>> reflect the wavelength your laser operates at, but if they heat beyond a
>>> certain point we need to consider the thermal stress on the printed parts,
>>> since the thermoplastic used in 3d printing softens at a fairly low
>>> temperature (both PLA and ABS) I would need to compensate for that in the
>>> design.
>>>
>>> Thanks!
>>>
>>> - Paul
>>>
>>>
>>> On Thu, Nov 4, 2010 at 2:00 PM, Darcy Whyte <darcy at siteware.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>> It should be easy to drill and tap into a cupcake part if needed. If you
>>> have a better idea, cool....
>>>
>>> The mirror is a 1" circle.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Thu, Nov 4, 2010 at 1:58 PM, Paul & Andrea Mumby <themumbys at gmail.com
>>> > wrote:
>>>
>>> I assumed it didn't need to be the same as the ebay one, but that gives
>>> me an idea of the mechanics, so I know what type of behavior I'm
>>> emulating...
>>>
>>> I'm not sure about the threaded hole idea, but I'm sure I can get
>>> something equally as effective from a printed part for sure.
>>>
>>> If you can bring the existing one that would give me another hands-on
>>> example, and I could take some pics of it too to use for reference... is the
>>> mirror itself circular? or square?
>>>
>>> I'll let you know shortly if we can meet tonight.
>>>
>>> - Paul
>>>
>>> On Thu, Nov 4, 2010 at 1:27 PM, Darcy Whyte <darcy at siteware.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>> The mirror holder on my cutting head has a 1" threaded hole. you slip the
>>> mirror into the hole and there is a threaded circle that you screw in to
>>> pinch it down into the hole.
>>>
>>> If we are able to meet tonight I'll bring that one.
>>>
>>> It doesn't have to work the same as the one on ebay. As long as it can
>>> hold the 1" mirror and be tilted for adjustment (through a screw or
>>> something to make it accurate).
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Thu, Nov 4, 2010 at 1:23 PM, Paul & Andrea Mumby <themumbys at gmail.com
>>> > wrote:
>>>
>>> Ok, so if I get the mechanics from those photos, their particular design
>>> has the flat square bracket (with the circular hole) which would be the
>>> plate which the mirror itself would be fixed against. This pivots on a
>>> ballbearing in the corner of the L shaped bracket, with 2 center springs
>>> under tension, which keeps the corner set screws under compression, allowing
>>> you to adjust the X and Y tilt, the L shaped bracket has 2 holes one in each
>>> "arm" which I'm assuming are for mounting the whole apparatus to your
>>> machine...
>>>
>>> I'm not sure how the mirror is affixed to the flat plate with the
>>> circular hole, they mention plastic tipped screws, but I don't see that
>>> anywhere in the pic, but I might be missing that... Either way if my above
>>> assumptions of the mechanics are correct, I should be able to mock up a
>>> design for this quite easily...
>>>
>>> If you have any other input to offer that might let me get something
>>> mocked up in time to show you tonight.
>>>
>>> I'll confirm with my wife when I get home from work if tonight is ok for
>>> a quick meeting, and if she's ok with that then I'll email you and confirm
>>> timing and such early this evening...
>>>
>>> Does that work for you?
>>>
>>> Thanks!
>>>
>>> - Paul
>>>
>>> On Thu, Nov 4, 2010 at 12:44 PM, Darcy Whyte <darcy at siteware.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> Did you follow the ebay link I sent?
>>>
>>> Okay, we can meet up tonight later if you want. Just send me the address
>>> at time to darcy at siteware.com. I can probably come around 9 or just
>>> before 10 for a quick meeting.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Thu, Nov 4, 2010 at 12:41 PM, Paul & Andrea Mumby <
>>> themumbys at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> I'm in Bayshore... My house and workshop are a bit of a disaster area
>>> lately though lol... I think my wife would shoot me if I invited someone in
>>> right now :)
>>>
>>> Either way, we could meet quickly to discuss your options, if you have
>>> some hand sketches or something of the parts, and bring along some samples,
>>> and dimensions, I could mock something up tonight/tomorrow, and we could
>>> discuss it more at the faire... your right in that there might not be a ton
>>> of time, but I was surprised how easily the design/testing cycle works now
>>> that I have rapid prototyping capability... Small parts take 20min to print
>>> or less, so I can easily whip up a design in an hour or less, print it, and
>>> take an iterative design approach to something that is normally much more
>>> monolithic... It wastes a bit more material, but since material costs are so
>>> low for the plastic filament, it's totally worth the agility gained in the
>>> design process...
>>>
>>> Let me know what your thoughts are and we can talk about it.
>>>
>>> I'm a bit busy tonight and tomorrow, as I also have some paperwork to
>>> catch up on for my home business, and some other todo items to deal with
>>> (I've been multitasking between print and other stuff) but I could probably
>>> afford an hour or so either tonight or tomorrow between 8pm and 10pm to
>>> discuss options. Otherwise we can talk at the faire and meet up sometime
>>> following that if that works better.
>>>
>>> Even an email with some sketches/dimensions and pics of parts and so on
>>> might let me mock up something quickly if that's preferable as well.
>>>
>>> Thanks!
>>>
>>> - Paul
>>>
>>> On Thu, Nov 4, 2010 at 12:26 PM, Darcy Whyte <darcy at siteware.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>> I would think that there wouldn't be much time to do it during the Maker
>>> Faire. The printing would be easy but the design (and any experiments) would
>>> take a while.
>>>
>>> I think the plastic cost is cool.
>>>
>>> Where are you? If you want to try some test runs, I could drop by if you
>>> want.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Thu, Nov 4, 2010 at 12:18 PM, Paul & Andrea Mumby <
>>> themumbys at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> There will be several 3d printers at the maker faire, I would bet you
>>> could have mirror holders made at the maker faire with enough
>>> bartering/negotiating lol... 1" holding brackets wouldn't take long to
>>> print, it would mostly be design/testing time that would consume the most
>>> effort...
>>>
>>> I'd be fine with printing them for you at maker faire for cost of plastic
>>> used (which would be minimal, hell I would likely do it for free depending
>>> on the volume of plastic). provided we have the time/resources to design the
>>> parts. I'm sure a lot of the other guys will have more Industrial Design
>>> experience than I do though.
>>>
>>> Anyway, point being there will be at minimum 5 3d printers, and possibly
>>> as many as 7-8 at the maker faire. So between all of them I'm sure your
>>> parts could get done ;)
>>>
>>> Also there is talk about kickstarting the RepRap Loaner program at the
>>> ottawa Maker Faire, so we will be trying to build a reprap mendel at the
>>> faire, and use it as a community loaner model.
>>>
>>> I've been working on printing parts to have at the maker fair in the
>>> evenings this week (just for examples) so if you have a design in mind, or
>>> some info, perhaps I could run a few off as tests tonight or tomorrow, and
>>> bring them along, get a bit of a head start.
>>>
>>> Let me know.
>>>
>>> - Paul
>>>
>>> On Thu, Nov 4, 2010 at 11:55 AM, Darcy Whyte <darcy at siteware.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>> I'm now wanting to make mirror holders. The mirrors are 1". I need two of
>>> them. They should have a tilt adjust.
>>>
>>> Any ideas?
>>>
>>> The artengine makerbot? What is the status of that? What is the procedure
>>> for booking it?
>>>
>>> I'd like to try and have them done before Guy and I are finished making
>>> the mounting brackets for the laser tube.
>>>
>>> Here are some mirror holders on ebay:
>>>
>>> http://cgi.ebay.com/2-Thorlabs-1-Optic-Mounts-Holder-Laser-Mirror-Lens-/160361359773?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item255648299d#ht_1115wt_869
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>
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