Z table. Mesh or honeycomb? Adjustable Z table: manual or motorized? What do you use?
I had mesh, went to LO table. Manual clamp table waiting for a build.
Honeycomb. Manual on my K40, powered on my 50 and 60W lasers.
I have currently a manual z table, but it is just a workarround. The top is a metal plate with rectangular holes. I have a honeycomb that I lay on top and tape it if needed. I want a motorised one as I had seen it in hackaday, I already cut a hole to the button of my laser to have more place for a higher z table. To engrave bigger things like a chest.
Cutting hole Video
https://youtu.be/dCD0nsWNDhkhttp://hackaday.io
Manual Z table with a primary honeycomb bed and a secondary steel mesh bed. The steel mesh offers lower a profile and allows for locking things down with magnets, but sucks for cutting.
Has anyone tried a “wire” bed, i.e. winding wire back and forth between posts across the workspace? If one were to try that, I wonder what type of wire would stand up well to the laser.
@Joel_Brondos I haven’t tied it but I I have seen people using those types of beds. Pretty much any type of metal wire will hold up against these lasers.
@Joel_Brondos I would guess that most any wire would likely work ok, as your not going to get much burn on metal at this power.
I think the challenge would be to get the wire level and tight.
Another approach is to make a clamping bed that holds the edges. Another user came up with this idea and built a proto. This design would work for all but materials that cannot be clamped. I like the idea because its focal point is fixed for all materials. For engraving its stable for cutting the pieces fall to the bottom. I mostly do engraving and cutting so this is a simple approach that requires no adjustment other than at install.
Its in my queue to build and I have a SU design that is untested and parts laying under my desk ;).