-----Original Message-----
From: Shane
Sent: Sunday, September 09, 2012 2:28 PM
To: milwaukeemakerspace
Subject: [MakerSpace] Re: Laser Cutter Focus

Damn.  I was just getting ready to head down there.

I'll probably stop by anyways and see if I can offer to screw things
up somehow.  :D

On Sep 9, 2:13 pm, Pete Prodoehl <ras...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Lasers down!

> Right now the 60 watt and 25 watt are being worked on, but hopefully we
> can
> get one of them back online today.

> The smart guys (as in, not me) are working on adding air assist to the 60
> watt, as it was getting too much charring, and the cracked lens looks even
> worse. We're also looking for a replacement lens.

> The 25 watt needs (we think) a new power supply, and Tom has one ready to
> be wired up, so that might happen today if all goes well.

> But right now, there's no laser cutter online. :/

> Pete

> On Sunday, September 9, 2012 12:50:35 PM UTC-5, jason gessner wrote:

> > Yay!

> > Would you write up instructions on the wiki, please? Wait a minute. Look
> > who I am asking.  :)

> > -jason
> > On Sep 9, 2012 12:14 PM, "Pete Prodoehl" <ras...@gmail.com
> > <javascript:>>
> > wrote:

> >> With the help of Dennis I learned how to manually focus the laser.

> >> So auto-focus does not seem to be working, but manual does.

> >> Though it still took me more than one pass to cut 3mm wood.

> >> Pete

> >> On Sunday, September 9, 2012 11:13:37 AM UTC-5, jason gessner wrote:

> >>> yes, the grid was in place.  I'm unsure if the grid interferes or not.
> >>> It didn't seem to since the 2" focus tool did line up properly with
> >>> the
> >>> wood surface.

> >>> -jason

> >>> On Sun, Sep 9, 2012 at 11:12 AM, Adam Cohen
> >>> <adam.cohe...@gmail.com>wrote:

> >>>> Did you use the autofocus with the plastic grid?  Does it know to
> >>>> account for this grid?

> >>>> On Sunday, September 9, 2012 9:09:28 AM UTC-5, jason gessner wrote:

> >>>>> Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, Pete.  I have the same
> >>>>> experience
> >>>>> with the laser cutters.  :/

> >>>>> So I was trying to cut something yesterday and the results were very
> >>>>> unsatisfying.  The entire cutter is just a hair off level, but the
> >>>>> table is
> >>>>> also not level.  Tom G and I looked at the table and the belts and
> >>>>> it looks
> >>>>> pretty complicated to level it.  Checking the table's level over the
> >>>>> 12" of
> >>>>> my piece of wood was pretty stable.

> >>>>> The symptoms i saw were very wide, unfocused cuts.  The autofocus
> >>>>> looked good - i put the little focus thing under the laser and it
> >>>>> lined up
> >>>>> fine.  I wasn't sure if it was a problem with my file or not, so i
> >>>>> made a
> >>>>> simple square with a 5 pt. black outline in corel draw and it also
> >>>>> came out
> >>>>> out of focus.

> >>>>> I'm not entirely sure how to tweak the focus manually.  Does anyone
> >>>>> know how to do that so we can dial it in?  We don't have any more
> >>>>> lens
> >>>>> cleaning tissues or q-tips as well, so i didn't try to clean off any
> >>>>> of the
> >>>>> mirrors or lenses.

> >>>>> :/

> >>>>> -jason

> >>>>> On Sun, Sep 9, 2012 at 12:12 AM, Shane <Imp...@hotmail.com> wrote:

> >>>>>> Jason was using it and getting really W I D E cuts like the laser
> >>>>>> was
> >>>>>> out of focus.  It was at 2".

> >>>>>> Also, the table isn't level, though I'm not sure how much that was
> >>>>>> behind the wide cuts.

> >>>>>> On Sep 8, 10:28 pm, Pete Prodoehl <ras...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >>>>>> > Shit... what do you mean "Hopefully the laser cutter is feeling
> >>>>>> better
> >>>>>> > tomorrow" ??

> >>>>>> > Seriously... every time I plan to head down in the morning to use
> >>>>>> it,
> >>>>>> > there's some email the night before about it not working.

> >>>>>> > So is it functional right now or...???

> >>>>>> > Pete

> >>>>>> > On Saturday, September 8, 2012 7:29:36 PM UTC-5, Shane wrote:

> >>>>>> > > Okay, the body and axles are nearly finished.

> >>>>>> > > I'm going to go home and figure out some custom wheels for this
> >>>>>> thing.

> >>>>>> > > Hopefully the laser cutter is feeling better tomorrow....

> >>>>>> > > On Friday, September 7, 2012 8:33:19 PM UTC-5, Pete Prodoehl
> >>>>>> wrote:

> >>>>>> > >> OK, so who is working on cars for the Nerdy Derby?

> >>>>>> > >> I'm asking because Matt Richardson is looking to do a blog
> >>>>>> > >> post
> >>>>>> for Make
> >>>>>> > >> Magazine about us, and wants to include a round-up of cars
> >>>>>> > >> being
> >>>>>> built in
> >>>>>> > >> Milwaukee.

> >>>>>> > >> So even if you are still in progress, would you consider
> >>>>>> > >> writing
> >>>>>> up the
> >>>>>> > >> info and taking some photos? I'll be writing up a blog post
> >>>>>> > >> for
> >>>>>> it tonight,
> >>>>>> > >> and after that any additional posts would be great.

> >>>>>> > >> Pete

> >>>>>> --

> >>>>> --
> >>>>> -jason

> >>>>>   --

> >>> --
> >>> -jason

> >>>   --

--