Simple Laser Setup

[kirby]

Here is a simple laser setup that I came up with. It is just a plain pen laser with an on/off switch. The bonus is that it takes standard AAA batteries. I just align the dot up where I want my origin and run a custom program that moves the router to the point where the laser was at and zeros. The only problem that I came across was that the laser was to bright and to big so I put a filter on the tip and reduced the diameter of the laser with a cap with a small hole. Now the laser is the size of the periods on this page maybe a little smaller however it works great.
399

[myxpykalix]

maybe i'm blind but i don't see anything?

[michael_schwartz]

Jack, take a look to the right of the router below the motor for the Y axis, I believe that is the laser

From the sound of it, the laser point is offset, and when you zero the spindle is moved to that location. I like how this works, and I might try it.

[adrianm]

One of the many things I have on the to do list for my 'bot.

I noticed in some of the other laser pointer threads that most people seem to have gone for cross hairs instead of a dot. Personally I think I'd prefer the dot.

[sailfl]

I have a cross hair laser. The cross make it easy to line up but it is a personal prefrence.

I have my laser mounted off of the router bracket on the right front side. Easier to align for me.

[myxpykalix]

Hi Micheal, i saw that, i guess i was looking for a red line or dot. I had 2 lasers set up to make a crosshair right at the bit but it was a hassle to try to line up and then when you have the dust control on it would be in the way.

[kirby]

The reason that I chose this setup was
1. I did not have to modify the shopbot in any way all I had to do was install a longer bolt to hold the plate on.
2. It is square to the table surface there no matter how thick the material is, the laser and bit are always the same distance apart.

Here is a pix with the laser on however it is very dim due to the filter.
400

[michael_schwartz]

What laser did you use, and did you make or buy a diffuser.

I bought a cheap laser pointer at wallmart today and I think I am going to give this a try.

[bob_s]

I use a very similar setup with a $4 laser pointer. If the dot is to bright or big try and put a small piece of dark gray plastic in front of it. Mine came from a plastic bag for safety glasses. The neutral density makes the dot appear about 1/4 size and it's easier on your eyes. I use a simple spring clip from staples. the ones that are triangle shaped from the side, as a "switch" to hold it on when I want to do a test cut with the laser. If you write a little custom program to move the bot from laser to cutter, and another to reverse the offset process it makes a great tool to prevent mistakes and expedite setups. A simple "C6" or "C7" does it.
Please be sure you understand the process before using this data
----------------
this is my "C6"
------------------------


'Move cutter to laser point
'(PUT: Title to be Displayed on first line)
' The following lines with apostrophes can just be notes to you ...
' ... more notes ...

' THEN, put all the stuff you want to do in the following lines ...
' ... just like any ShopBot Part File.
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------
'UNITS: Inches

'this will move the cutter to the laser point offset x+1.613 Y-1.898
PAUSE

'the comment above a pause will become the question that you
'see on the screen when you run the file


PAUSE,2

'this sets the move speeds
MS,3.0,0.5
'this sets the bot to "relative postioning" mode
'so that the offset move is only a relative change
sr
'the offset needed for my tool point
'to be where the laser point was
M2,1.613,-1.898
'this sets the bot back to "absolute positioning" mode
'so that 0,0 is in it's normal place
sa

'zero the X and Y here or Quit to leave it
Pause


Z2

'as noted above this will put your 0,0 to this new location
'I use this for running files "offset" from my normal 0,0
'without using offsets

'- ****--be sure to zero back to your 0,0
'I either rezero with the C3 command or just using the "ST" command
'which will set the current location to it's "table base" coordinates

end



----------------------------------
This is my "C7"
________


'Move cutter to laser point use C6 to put cutter where the laser was
'(PUT: Title to be Displayed on first line)
' The following lines with apostrophes can just be notes to you ...
' ... more notes ...

' THEN, put all the stuff you want to do in the following lines ...
' ... just like any ShopBot Part File.
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------
'UNITS: Inches

'this will move the laser point to the cutter offset x-1.613 Y+1.898
PAUSE




PAUSE,2

MS,3.0,0.5
sr
M2,-1.613,1.898
sa

end





-----------------------

[kirby]

I used the BTE-45 from Zbolt.com. It is a little pricy but the laser housing is made from brass and it used standard AAA batteries. I'm hoping that this laser will stand up the the abuse (High School Kids are Tough on Things).

To dim the laser I used a jel from our stage lighting and placed it in the gray cap I made to neck down the laser dot.