I'm a software developer by day and tinkerer by night.
I had a big win with work a few years ago and bought a large laser cutter to tinker with. Unfortunately, I then got life busy (work and kids) and the laser cutter has not been given the attention it deserves (Wife calls it the caravan, cos that's what she could have had for the same money, and its about the same size and colour).
My purest hobby is radio controlled air craft and most of what I tinker with is about designing, enhancing or creating them OR the other tools used to create them. To this end I also built a few home made 3d printers and the initial desire for a laser cutter (aside from cutting parts for aircraft) was to build and cut an acrylic enclosure for the 3d printer. That is still yet to happen.
I also wanted to cut some led lit acrylic signs for my office, also yet to happen.
What I have done with it.....
Cut coffee cup coasters for the office with the Logo etched in (Acrylic). (I did do a lot for a marketing thing and gave them away)
Cut and etched a Name badge for my mates, dads boat that he has been building in his garage for the last 10 years.
Piled stuff on top of it
.Why the delay in completing projects....well it seems "cheap" Chinese lasers are just not as easy as I had anticipated, and I had anticipated some hiccups (from my experience with 3d printers).
After doing the Coffee coasters (2+ years ago), I discovered my laser would not focus the same from one side of the bed to the other and I just haven't had the time (or burning need) to fix it (until today).
Over the last 4 days I have upgraded a 3d printer from a Rumba 8bit control board to a 32 bit Duet Wifi with Duex5 expansion boards. Now its all tested and working, I need to cut a new control board enclosure for the 3d printer.
Gotta say, I am surprised the laser cutting systems (or at least mine), don't use the same g-code based files and software the 3d printers use.
Anyway, off track...
That's my intro.
Adrian Bear
. You have a lot of stuff going on there alright and I can identify with the many conflicts involved when you have the correct tools [or too many?]. Every time you do something you see a couple other things that could/should be done. Couple that with old age and the speed of getting stuff done can actually move backwards. But... it is fun and can be very satisfying if you can survive. Gene