LaserUser.com Forum (formerly RDWorksLab)

Auto focus sets the height of the laser head a predefined distance above the material on which the auto focus sensor contacts.

You must define the focus height in the vendor settings.
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looking at you pictures - it appears you are using a single belt driven screw rod to drive your table up and down AND you are using guide bearing on rails to align motion in the Z axis AND you are using gas struts to reduce the effect you moment arm creates because of the cantilever support you engineered.

I don't thing that will work - particularly with the span of your table. I am sure the table will travel up and down. What I am suspicious of is how much deflection will occur between the two corners with gas struts (I would be very surprised if they maintain the rail they are attached to parallel to any point of reference) or maintain the rail the strut and bearing is attached to parallel.

If you bed deflects just a couple thousands it will make aligning mirror a night mare and if the deflection changes with movement you wont be able to maintain alignment.

I would urge and recommend screw rods to drive the bed at all 4 corners or at least one more opposite the currently installed assembly .
While your frame appears to be very rigid - a 0.001 deflection over 35" is aprox 5/32".

It wont take much to create a mirror alignment issue.

Ordered 2 8” duct fans and going to use one of old blowers had laying around. Picked up 2 sheets of galvanized tin to make ducks for exhaust. With open frame concerned about fume in shop. Have not found large bed laser fume extraction system that I can afford so will have to improvise. Finished blower today

Finished brackets for tubes and mirrors. Time to get ready to paint.

We got exhaust mounted in wall with louvre shutters. Will use 2 8” flex pipes to get fume’s out of shop. I’m not A/C tin fabricator so don’t laugh at my work. Tried to have it fabricated by custom shops but they wanted more then my house is worth. I figured I can hang picture over it if it bothers me too much.

looks pretty darn good to me!

Getting ready to paint. Hopefully weather lets us paint

Finished painting and 13 cans later now I know why kids buy this stuff. Done with 8” exhaust ducks and had to remake because of the length of 8” fans. Originally wanted to go out bottom but had to duct out middle for bed z movement.

After looking at auto focus pin I bought I can’t see it doing what I want so I’m going to use U axis for auto focus. Having hard time finding out anything about U axis but I’ll keep digging.

The rods on front of frame next to gas springs allow for adjustment on front corners of frame to bed. The angle framing attached to side is to keep frame from moving sideways and for mirror mounts. My thinking is bed and laser are connected linear bearings rails. And frame adjust to bed at front where there is no support. The gas springs are to simple counter bed weight. When I start adjusting mirrors I will find out if this will work.

looking good and there is no overspray on the deck!

Exhaust fans mounted

Painted cover. Time to start getting wiring done.