Hey Rich (btw, it's Dan, not Dave
), thanks for all of your help in pointing me in the right direction. I intended on pushing for an 80-100W laser from the get go as I knew I would want to cut some semi-beefy stuff... posterboard is for targets
I've spent quite a bit of my free time working on my business (LED lighting) and cranking out new projects, so little has been left for research. I have a large stack of catalogs on my desk at home, ranging from linear guides to optics. As I mentioned in my last post, I may attempt to get one of the smaller machines from eBay (where I'm reasonably protected through my credit card) and rebuild it to my specs. I can pick up a small machine for under $1k, which gets me the optics and mounts, laser tube, etc. I could get longer rails and drive belts for a few hundred dollars and have a workable machine within a few weekends of custom building and adjusting.
I'm more interested in getting something working, even if it isn't 100% perfect, so I can start working on some projects that have been sitting on the drawing board. Once I'm pushing stuff out of the door, then I can go back and redesign the pieces that I'm not completely happy with. I imagine the entire machine will be rebuilt as time goes on, including drive electronics, motors, gantry, etc. Once I'm at that point, I can document the entire build. I'd rather have complete plans for a system that can be built from scratch rather than having to retrofit someone else's machine.
Still looking for that reputable laser tube reseller, though... not an easy find... impossible so far, actually
