Author Topic: Laser Engraver/ Cutter (Read 5646 times)

Lesgold · « **Reply #20 on:** December 27, 2023, 03:12:59 pm »

My daughter ended up playing with the design all day. She would look at pictures of bees, make a few changes and then ask for comments from another daughter via text on the phone. Eventually, the final image was created and all parties were happy. It was then sent to me so that I could do my bit with the software. I wanted to try a design on a turned wooden lid just to see how it would print on a surface that wasn?t completely flat. The lid was turned and a method created to ensure the engraved image would be centred. The burn turned out quite well but it was decided that settings for some of the bee parts needed to be darker. There was also an error in the image that needed correction. With the changes made, a final test burn was performed on some MDF and the image was saved. I would tend to burn the image on lighter coloured lids that lacked character.

The15thMember · « **Reply #21 on:** December 27, 2023, 03:52:29 pm »

That is so beautiful! I can't believe how accurate they got the wing venation!

Lesgold · « **Reply #22 on:** December 27, 2023, 04:06:41 pm »

It was really good watching the process that my daughter used for the design. Everything was drawn in layers in Photoshop and I was given quite a few bee designs. I just noticed that the pic that was posted wasn?t the final drawing but it was close. The image will now come in handy for lots of areas related to what I do. Honey labels, lids, signs for markets, engravings on comb honey frames etc.

BeeMaster2 · « **Reply #23 on:** December 27, 2023, 09:24:58 pm »

Les,
I just finished the adapter for my new scope. I ended up making the thin plate out of a chunk of brass that a neighbor gave me.
Here are 2 pictures of it installed:

Lesgold · « **Reply #24 on:** December 27, 2023, 09:34:36 pm »

It must be satisfying when it all comes together. Well done Jim. It just looks like a store bought addition to the scope. This type of stuff can be time consuming and very addictive.

William Bagwell · « **Reply #25 on:** December 27, 2023, 10:49:37 pm »

Quote from: Lesgold on December 27, 2023, 03:12:59 pm

My daughter ended up playing with the design all day. She would look at pictures of bees, make a few changes and then ask for comments from another daughter via text on the phone. Eventually, the final image was created and all parties were happy. It was then sent to me so that I could do my bit with the software. I wanted to try a design on a turned wooden lid just to see how it would print on a surface that wasn?t completely flat. The lid was turned and a method created to ensure the engraved image would be centred. The burn turned out quite well but it was decided that settings for some of the bee parts needed to be darker. There was also an error in the image that needed correction. With the changes made, a final test burn was performed on some MDF and the image was saved. I would tend to burn the image on lighter coloured lids that lacked character.

Tried AI to generate pictures? These only took minutes and your welcome to any. Ignoring instructions for no background for some reason...

BeeMaster2 · « **Reply #26 on:** December 27, 2023, 11:15:46 pm »

Les,
I took the gun out to the shop to sight it in. The very first shot, the scope came flying off. The v on the plastic side came off. I modified the design to put brass plates on both sides. It is printing right now.
Jim Altmiller

Lesgold · « **Reply #27 on:** December 28, 2023, 12:41:30 am »

They look great William. Thanks for that. I might keep a screen shot or two for reference. They are very similar (but more detailed) to what my daughter designed. It would be interesting to import one of the images into Lightburn and see what could be produced. Testing a new design always shows where a product works well or needs improvement. I?m sure that you will nail it now that you have identified the areas where extra strength is required. Would love to see the printed article. Please show us all.

The15thMember · « **Reply #28 on:** December 28, 2023, 01:33:16 am »

The only problem is the AI cannot seem to decide the correct number and position of bee legs!

The human design still wins in my book.

Lesgold · « **Reply #29 on:** December 28, 2023, 02:00:18 am »

I did notice that but wasn?t going to say too much. You guys on the other side of the world drive on the wrong side of the road and I therefore assumed that your bees had eight legs as well. I?m sure there is some twisted logic in there somewhere🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪

William Bagwell · « **Reply #30 on:** December 28, 2023, 06:41:24 am »

Quote from: Lesgold on December 28, 2023, 12:41:30 am

I?m sure that you will nail it now that you have identified the areas where extra strength is required. Would love to see the printed article. Please show us all.

? Have no engraver. Various other things I could try, your design as a control image at various strengths. Remove background after the fact...

William Bagwell · « **Reply #31 on:** December 28, 2023, 06:42:30 am »

Quote from: The15thMember on December 28, 2023, 01:33:16 am

The only problem is the AI cannot seem to decide the correct number and position of bee legs! The human design still wins in my book.

Only slightly better at human fingers

Lesgold · « **Reply #32 on:** December 30, 2023, 12:56:54 am »

Thought I?d have a go at making a box using finger joints. There are a number of websites that allow you to do this and then import the resulting plans into Lightburn. The program that I used also allowed you to compensate for the kerf of the laser cut which was a bonus. I decided to try the software and see what would happen. The box took about 30 seconds to design and about the same to import. The results were very impressive. I started to do this from scratch yesterday but realised that it would take a bit of thinking and planning to get it right. This method was a time saver. I will draw one up in Lightburn purely for the experience and also to learn a few more of the tools needed for the job.

Ben Framed · « **Reply #33 on:** December 30, 2023, 01:21:52 am »

Of Williams AI choices I like the following one best. Maybe the main wings could have been set back just a little more? Or maybe been a little shorter Or more rounded? Close though? The dot on the back looks good too!

Ben Framed · « **Reply #34 on:** December 30, 2023, 01:28:07 am »

Les the bee on the Jar lid looks superb with the wood grain!

Lesgold · « **Reply #35 on:** December 30, 2023, 01:30:52 am »

I agree Phillip. I had a look at it yesterday and thought it would be a very good starting point for an image. I did import it into Lightburn to see how it would look but the hair on the body and the shadows played tricks with the software. It would be an excellent image to manipulate in an editing software app to sharpen up outlines.

William Bagwell · « **Reply #36 on:** December 30, 2023, 02:58:03 pm »

Finally got rid of the flowers...

Lesgold · « **Reply #37 on:** January 03, 2024, 12:40:42 am »

Saw a bee puzzle file online so I decided to purchase and download it. Cost about $4 for the file. It took 15 minutes to cut from 3mm plywood but the joints were too open for my liking. Glued the project together with superglue and it does look neat. I may look at modifying the design to see if I can get closer fitting joint work and perhaps strengthening the legs which are very thin in places.

Lesgold · « **Reply #38 on:** January 11, 2024, 11:43:18 pm »

I?ve had an idea that I may be able to cut joint work for nuc boxes using the laser so I did a bit of a mock up to see how it would work. Decided to try 9mm ply as a starting point. A simple box could be constructed utilising the 9mm dimension as it would match up nicely to the rebate required for frame rests. Finger joints on the sample were 20 and 25mm respectively. There was no reason for the size, I was just playing with the material. An allowance was made for the kerf and the joints were cut. I was actually surprised at how well they fitted together. If anything, they were a fraction too tight. This would be a simple fix in the future. Thicker ply or a combination of ply thicknesses could be used if extra hive insulation was required. The design for the nuc would only take about 30 minutes to organise and a jig would be required to position timber in the correct location.

Lesgold · « **Reply #39 on:** January 13, 2024, 01:46:39 am »

The idea of cutting nuc boxes was put on hold for a while as I had another idea creep into my pea sized brain as I was bottling up some honey for the up coming markets. I was in a bit of a daze just standing there filling one jar after another and then it just hit me. Could I use this engraver to cut material for my comb honey frames? I couldn?t get away from the bottling job quickly enough to get into the software and start on an idea. When I make up my mini frames for comb honey, the biggest consumer of my time is the materials prep. If I could get the laser to cut out the timber, I would have a bit of a win/ win situation. First of all the precision would be exact and then there is the time saver due to the machine doing its thing while I am attending to other jobs within the workshop area. My current comb honey frames are stapled together and do the job nicely but if I had the machine working for me, I could produce things slightly differently. I spent about 20 minutes coming up with a basic frame to see what would work. I used an off-cut of 3mm ply for the test and put the cutter to work. Finger joints held together well and the whole idea got me inspired to develop the idea further. I think that I will work on a few refinements over the coming months to improve the style and shape to make the system a bit better to work with. From now on, any playtime in this area will be put into the comb honey thread that I started many moons ago.