Laser cutting ping ping balls

[Andrew Larkin]

Looking to cut a hole into some ping pong balls.

Might be a bit of a challenge.

Traditional balls are celluloid. Latest ones are ABS.

Any laser wizz suggestions on possible technique?

[Mitch Pommers]

Having a look ABS might not be a good material to put into the laser:

> ABS does not cut well in a laser cutter. It tends to melt rather than vaporize, and has a higher chance of catching on fire and leaving behind melted gooey deposits on the vector cutting grid. It also does not engrave well (again, tends to melt). Cutting ABS plastic emits hydrogen cyanide, which is unsafe at any concentration.
Source: http://wiki.atxhs.org/wiki/Laser_Cutter_Materials

The approached you could take would depend heavily on the shape you want and if you want it going all the way through.

If you wanted a circular hole on one side, I would think some careful drill pressing would work well.

If you were thinking if a different shape I'd do something along the lines of:
- Put a piece of scrap up off the laser bed
- Set the work origin to the center

- Cut a circle out of that piece of scrap

- Cover the surface of the ping pong ball with something that will engrave
- Use some math to figure out where the new focal point should be when the ping pong ball is sitting in that hole

- Use a little tape to make sure the ball won't get blown away
- Do another job using the laser to etch on to the ball the shape you want
- Use some careful exacto knife work to cut the shape out

Alternatively:

- Use the laser cutter to cut a template out of tape

- Put tape on ping pong ball

- Use some careful exacto knife work to cut the shape out

Mitch

[Patrick Barnes]

What about an eggbot with a rotary tool in place of the pen?

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[Sophie Parker]

What making a tool of scrap of the right diameter, or the reverse end of a drill bit, heating it with a blowtorch, and simply melting through? If you get the temperature right it should form a nice clean edge and take a second each ball.

[Max Nippard]

A cheap soldering iron with a conical tip could work to.

Well ventilated area of course

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[Thomas Squires]

Hi,

I am new to the robots and dinosaurs robot club. I was previously a member of MURC or Macquarie uni robotics club. I was not a uni student so I had to leave. I have built my own robot recently and aim on programming it soon. I have not yet met face to face at the robots and dinosaurs club. Though I do live in Gladesville locally.

I aim to join the robots and dinosaurs club once covid restrictions have passed. My brother has an EECS degree from UNSW and works as a computer programmer and introduced me to robotics that I like doing and have taken an interest in.

Regards,

Tom

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[Andrew Larkin]

Sophie gets the (virtual) prize. Tried several techniques but this was the best.

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