DIY 4th Axis for laser

[rcpilot82]

I am wanting to build a rotary 4th axis for my Rabbit laser. Has anyone out there made one? Since laser 4th axis are light duty (no tool pressure) I would think an accurate axis could be built fairly easy and for alot less than what they are sold for. I am working on some sketches but wanted to see what has been done by others.

[miljnor]

Ive seen laser 4th axis that were merely 2 rubber wheels with some sort of encoder for doing round objects. Ie bottles just set on top of it.

[rcpilot82]

I was planning on doing a roller setup as most of the things I would use this for would be better in a roller setup. I figured someone had done this before and could maybe save me the "design" time.

[rcpilot82]

I guess i will have to continue on with my design. I will be making it from acrylic since there is no real load other than the weight of the object being engraved. I am also thinking about making a reversable drive assembly so that one end has rollers and the other end has a chuck.

[miljnor]

If i was making one and not concerned with loading time, because its not for a production deal I would definitely use a chuck of some sort so I could do NON-round parts.

or do both and call it good.

but this is only a hobby for me. I use real machines at work.

[rcpilot82]

Originally Posted by miljnor If i was making one and not concerned with loading time, because its not for a production deal I would definitely use a chuck of some sort so I could do NON-round parts. or do both and call it good. but this is only a hobby for me. I use real machines at work.

This is not for high quantity parts, just messin around and some side stuff to support my hobbies. I am looking into how I want to approach the double sided drive end.


Lol, this started so I could make my own RC Airplane kits and is complimented by my router. It has turned from a hobby to an obsession and a side buisness.

[miljnor]

Ya I started a laser cutter for the same reasons....its still in the build stage because I had a business failure for a couple of years....now im starting back on it.

build some RC plane stuff and if someone asks I'll sell some too!

good times