Unscrew the laser module and put it aside. (Avoid the laser shines into your eyes or onto something that could burn.) Keep plugged in.
Mount two spacers onto the bed for clearance below the cutting wire frame. Just two wooden slats mounted with wood screws.
Mount the EPS cutting wire frame with tywraps. (It is actually a jigsaw frame with a resistance wire (nickel-chrome alloy wire of 0.3 mm) instead a saw blade and a power supply ~3A.)
Find or create an image (black and white) of an object of which you can make a single line outlined object. Here a Christmas tree.
Add this image into SnapmakerLuban (laser modus) and choose VECTOR (or choose VECTOR in SnapmakerJS and import the image). Scale and turn the image so it will fit onto the Snapmaker. The origin (0,0 coordinate) is the starting point must be just outside the object.
Process the image, Multi-pass off, Work Speed 1000 mm/min is fine. Generate G-code. Do NOT continue to Load the G-code to workspace but Export G-code to File!
Edit the NC file with a text editor. Edit the third last line into âG0 X0 Y0â to prevent the Snapmaker cuts through your object at the end. (Normally the laser operation ends at the centre of the image!?!!) Optionally remove line 28 with the M3 command to prevent the laser switching on. Save the text file.
Go to the work area and open the G-code file. Start Snapmaker, connect and move to the starting point: Set Work Origin.
hopefully soon they will release the firmware for the module MCUs so that you donât need to have the module head just setting there attached. but i love the work around!
Thatâs really cool!
I created my own foam cutter table (kind of like a scroll saw) that I use by hand to cut foam for rc airplanes. Iâd thought about using the laser or cnc to do it on my SM, but that could be a great way to do it.
Maybe a stupid question, but isnât it possible to just cut it with the laser directly? I understand it might create some fumes you donât want to breath in, but is that so different from cutting it with a heated wire?
and even if it didnât start on fire (because you could defocus the laser and reduce power to reduce heat on the foam), cutting a thick piece would take forever with the laser (think of all those passes) where as this cuts any thickness in one pass
It might not actually take many passes.
I just put my logo on the bottom of a couple slate trays that had some foam-type cushioning on the bottom. I had intended to just lightly melt the foam just enough to leave a mark, but forgot to change my power settings. At 2000mm/m and 100% power it went through 3mm foam no problem. White might not work as well as black.
What it did:
It was a short job so I watched it (with goggles and enclosure) and I have a good ventilation system that goes outside. I figured that even if it was pvc or something else that was bad to burn it was so small it would be fine.
Keep the work speeds up and most things arenât going to burst into flame. If they are theyâre going to do it right at the start. I have a halon fire extinguisher standing by. Might smolder a bit.
@brent113 And thatâs not polystyrene, we said polystyrene would catch fire XP.
But really, I donât think the lower density Styrofoam in the video would have responded as well to the laser as the foam @sdj544 used⊠but both are very cool!!
