I'll have to try the laser out on some thin aluminum, just for grins. I really doubt it has enough power to do much, but what the heck. The laser is only 2000mW.
My original intent on building the plasma table was to use it for everything, but after a bit of research, it sounds like the plasma needs to be fast and light, and any contact type work needs to slow and heavy built. My router table is super strong, very overbuilt, using 5/8" aluminum for the gantry. (I found a sheet of it in the salvage yard.) In my defense, it was the first CNC table I had ever built. But it works pretty good for any milling type operation. It would never do as a milling machine, but I have used it for light duty aluminum type work.
So I have ended up with two CNC machines and a very crowded shop. Maybe my next project should be a shop expansion!
fast and light, yes and no. If you can build it fast and heavy, great. I understand this, but built mine heavy duty anyways and couldn't be happier. I am however running dual 960oz in steppers at very close to their peak power with 50volts and 6amps each and another 960 for my X. I have 850 IPM Rapids and 75 Accel which i could probably push further, but that was plenty sufficient for me, as i was shooting for atleast 600. My positional accuracy is .00585 before micro, and .000585 after 10x microstepping. Plenty sufficient for anything i will want to do. I do some thinner gauge stuff, but mostly 1/8" through 1/2". I wouldn't be using the table for any heavy duty milling, just light duty aluminum and plastics mainly. It actually holds better tolerances than my benchtop converted CNC mill with the way i designed it. I already have a switched AC socket on the control box for a simple router spindle, and solenoid air valve on the z for the scribe which i would T into with 2 valves and just turn on which ever output i needed, scribe or mist for router. I just havent gotten that far yet. I also trust it more than my benchtop mill.
Wolfes Metal Fab wrote:If i could get a laser that would cut 1/8" or even 1/16" steel or aluminum, and maybe some engraving, that would be nice.
Laser cutting metals needs a lot of power. Lasers for cutting metals are in the kilowatt range and are hugely expensive to buy and run. I tried cutting aluminium foil with my 40W laser and it didn't even leave a mark.
