Hi guys,
I’ve got the A150 and I’d like to make some kind of box or just a simple foldable panel protection so that when I’m using the laser or CNC I could have a little protection from the laser, dust etc…
Any suggestion? What kind of material can I use to make a reasonable protection from the laser?
Thanks!
Laser and CNC require very different kinds of protection. For laser, a cardboard box would work; all you need to do is put something opaque between the laser and its scattered reflection in every direction. Putting a box around CNC won’t protect against dust; it will just mean that you’ve got dust all over your machine, and then yourself and your room as soon as you open the box. Protection against dust requires removal of the dust, which means a vacuum system.
SDJ posted pictures of the box he built. Used a fan going through the wall to control dust.
I used a 4" inline variable speed booster fan in addition to the enclosure fan.
A 3/8" plywood box would be cheap and offer laser and flying debris protection.
Interesting… so fo the laser protection it would be fine just a cardboard box? That’s could be really simple and it’s my first interest because I have 2 little daughters around and even if I’ll keep them away… who knows?
For the dust: I have a small A150 and I think I’ll try soon to do some PCB and maybe some little cut on plastic or wood… not big jobs but I’d like to prevent at least the dust to go around the living room where at the moment I’m plying with my Snap. I was taught to just make a 3 faces foldable plexiglass to put around the Snap so that I can watch the process and if the bit get brake or some dust/debris is flying we’ll be safe. What do you thing?
If I’ll find a light dark or coloured plexiglass it will also work for the laser protection?
I’d like to have one solution for both and I’d like to be able to see the CNC progress…mmmhhh maybe I’m too pretentious?
I need a good, simple and cheap solution 
Absolutely not unless it is listed for such an application. This laser is very powerful and you should pause and contemplate the power of a Class 4 laser. Serious risk of permanent eye injury. Laser safety is not to be taken lightly, especially with kids around.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser_safety: Class 4 is the highest and most dangerous class of laser. By definition, a class 4 laser can burn the skin, or cause devastating and permanent eye damage as a result of direct, diffuse or indirect beam viewing.
Laser viewing acrylic costs around $400 a sheet, here’s one for example: https://lasersafetyindustries.com/laser-viewing-window-410-190-532-nm-10-600-nm
If the laser is operated in a family room the machine will need to be shrouded from view or everyone will need well fitted laser goggles on 100% of the time it’s in operation so that no laser light can bypass around the sides or bottom of the glasses.
A good solution would be the plywood box with a ip camera on the Inside of the box. So you can monitor the progress of both laser and cnc operations but be protected.
Thanks guys, I think I will go for 10mm plywood case.
Jtech Photonics has reasonably priced certified safety acrylic: https://jtechphotonics.com/?product_cat=safety-gear
You could add a viewing port, but with little kids I’d err on the safe side and use a webcam (or an old phone, which is what I’m doing.) Even an enclosure with safety glass should be considered secondary protection with certified goggles as the first line of protection. And one shouldn’t be staring at the beam even with both of those.
-S
I’m still thinking about this:
I could make a simple plexiglass 3 side protection (around the machine letting the top case free) to be used for 3D printing and CNC.
For laser I think the same 3 side protection but make of 10mm polywood…
What do you think?
What about the Snapmaker enclosure? Does it worth?
I don’t trust it because it has not been laser tested. For laser you want protection on all sides. How about your 3 sided plexiglass idea with a full 5 sided plywood box that fits over the first for when your lasering?
You could even design a cady that fits inside the plywood box for all the sm tools. So that the box would work as storage when not lasering
Visually, which I know isn’t a very good measure but this laser is in the visible spectrum and I don’t have the test equipment, I would rate the enclosure more effective than the provided goggles. That would put it at at least an OD of 1+, maybe 1.5.
I consider the enclosure good enough to not wear goggles for alignment and power levels below 1%, as the laser is essentially invisible as viewed through the enclosure. At high power I consider the enclosure only good for incidental exposure, like if there is a gap at the side of the glasses and I turn away at the right angle, with very short exposure times.
Forgot to be clear that by certified goggles I wasn’t including the one’s provided by SM in that category.
-S