GearHeads Corner

ArtF wrote: Hi John:

Actually, I have 2 lasers. The one I share with you wont accept GCode, only dxf or rld's, ( and Im not sure what
the hell an RLD is..

In that laser I use only DXF's... so it wont run my playing card code. My second laser is a mach4 driven unit. When
Mach4 runs with Darwin, it will trigger my lasers output only in a g1 motion, not a g0. It will put out radiation at a
percentage of max power based on my S-Words command. It also only shoots one shot for each step pulse. (Which gives
me 250 shots per mm, whichis basically like having it on all the time when moving.

  This makes laser cutting and engraving so brain-dead easy I have been doing a lot of laser work indoors with this second unit.
( this is all because its run by the laser control panel in another thread..). This means I havent been braving the cold of my shop to
work on the laser we share. My thought was the design of a 3d printer with a laser diode that cuts cards, and kicks them to a pile
kinda like a modified card shuffling machine. At .3mm per card they may be a bit thick though.. hard to say. And my automatic
card changer ( Bob) is probably not 100% reliable all the time. Ive been pressing CycleStart, when it stops he changes the card and says
OK, and I hit CycleStart  again.. Ill need to build a card changer if I continue on this idea.. he's too expesnsive to feed..

  Anyway, that why you cant load my code, its only for a gcode driven laser, and only if that laser can be trusted to cut only in g1
moves ( and as far as I know, mine is the only one in the world that does that..though I see 2-3 more in the works.
  I have to say though, after using this for quite a while now.. this idea of shooting only when a step pulse is issued is a brilliant
way to control a laser ..should be a standard..

:-)
Art

ArtF wrote: Hi All:

I just recieved a copy of Digital Machinist magazine for Winter and wanted to thank Dan Mauch,
both for sending me the magazine and for the excellent article inside. Its always a pleasure to see others work
from Gearotic, and in a magazine it better still. Thanks Dan for all the work and for documenting it
so well for others. I bow in your general direction,sir. :)

Art