harryball
05-15-2009, 01:31 PM
In this installment of "stuff I've done to the bat bot" is the Laser Alignment guide. I'll post more photos and information when I get a chance.
I added a laser that uses 120v input to a transformer that has variable power output for the cross hair laser. I run mine at about 75% which gives me lines that don't appear to bleed.
I ran the 120v power through the relay board and use output 8 to switch it on/off. On my pendant (see my other thread http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/messages/28/41724.html?1241812358 ) I have a green + button to turn the laser on/off. I chose to switch the 120v input rather than the 0-5v output to the laser so the transformer would not be powered up all the time. The penalty for this is a warmup time for the laser of about 3 seconds. Not a big deal and I like the idea of the transformer being off when not needed.
Once aligned just run a simple XY laser align (also configured to a button on my pendant) and it moves the spindle over to the cross hair location and sets 0,0. I actually find this quicker and more accurate than using the prox switches to set the XY home position for the table 0,0. As for working out on the table, it's fantastic.
If you always mark your 0,0 with a registration dot, with a little practice you can re-align almost perfectly. I tried this with a cut project, I cut the part and left it on the table. I then reset the 0,0 using the laser and ran the file again. I might have been off 1/500 or so. I could hear the bit buzzing one side of the work with no sound on the other. On the part itself, I couldn't see any error and the measurement of the part was still virtually perfect.
120
121
/RB
I added a laser that uses 120v input to a transformer that has variable power output for the cross hair laser. I run mine at about 75% which gives me lines that don't appear to bleed.
I ran the 120v power through the relay board and use output 8 to switch it on/off. On my pendant (see my other thread http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/messages/28/41724.html?1241812358 ) I have a green + button to turn the laser on/off. I chose to switch the 120v input rather than the 0-5v output to the laser so the transformer would not be powered up all the time. The penalty for this is a warmup time for the laser of about 3 seconds. Not a big deal and I like the idea of the transformer being off when not needed.
Once aligned just run a simple XY laser align (also configured to a button on my pendant) and it moves the spindle over to the cross hair location and sets 0,0. I actually find this quicker and more accurate than using the prox switches to set the XY home position for the table 0,0. As for working out on the table, it's fantastic.
If you always mark your 0,0 with a registration dot, with a little practice you can re-align almost perfectly. I tried this with a cut project, I cut the part and left it on the table. I then reset the 0,0 using the laser and ran the file again. I might have been off 1/500 or so. I could hear the bit buzzing one side of the work with no sound on the other. On the part itself, I couldn't see any error and the measurement of the part was still virtually perfect.
120
121
/RB