Sometimes it is necessary to beautifully sign a gift, but it is not clear how to do it. The paint is blurry and wears off quickly, a marker is not an option. Engraving works best for this. You don't even have to spend money on it, since any person who can solder can make a laser engraver with their own hands from a printer.
Device and principle of operation
The main element of the engraver is a semiconductor laser. It emits a focused and very bright beam of light that burns through the material being processed. By adjusting the radiation power, you can change the depth and speed of piercing.
The laser diode is based on a semiconductor crystal with P and N regions located above and below. Electrodes are connected to them, through which current is supplied. There is a P - N junction between these areas.
In comparison with an ordinary laser diode, it looks like a giant: its crystal can be viewed in detail with the naked eye.
The values can be deciphered as follows:
- P (positive) area.
- P - N transition.
- N (negative) region.
The crystal ends are polished to a perfect condition, so it works like an optical resonator. Electrons, flowing down from the positively charged region to the negative one, excite photons in the P - N transition. Reflecting from the walls of the crystal, each photon generates two of its own kind, which, in turn, also divide, and so on ad infinitum. The chain reaction in a semiconductor laser crystal is called the pumping process. The more energy is applied to the crystal, the more it is pumped into the laser beam. In theory, you can saturate it ad infinitum, but in practice everything is different.
During operation, the diode heats up and has to be cooled. If you constantly increase the power supplied to the crystal, sooner or later a moment will come when the cooling system will no longer cope with heat removal and the diode will burn out.
The power of laser diodes usually does not exceed 50 watts. If this value is exceeded, it becomes difficult to make an effective cooling system, therefore, powerful diodes are extremely expensive to manufacture.
There are semiconductor lasers for 10 or more kilowatts, but they are all composite. Their optical resonator is pumped by low-power diodes, the number of which can reach several hundred.
Composite lasers are not used in engravers because their power is too high.
Creating a laser engraver
For simple work, such as burning patterns on wood, complex and expensive devices are not needed. A homemade laser engraver powered by a battery will be enough.
Before making an engraver, it is necessary to prepare the following parts for its assembly:
Remove the recording head from the DVD drive.
Carefully remove the focusing lens and disassemble the head body until you see 2 lasers hidden in the heat-dissipating housings.
One of them is infrared, for reading information from a disk. The second, red, is the writer. In order to distinguish them, apply a voltage of 3 volts to their terminals.
Pinout of pins:
Be sure to wear dark glasses before checking. Never check the laser by looking at the diode window. You only need to look at the reflection of the beam.
It is necessary to select the laser that is lit up. The rest can be thrown away if you don't know where to use it. To protect against static, solder all leads of the diode together and set aside. Saw off a 15 cm segment from the profile. Drill a hole in it for a clock button. Make cutouts in the box for the profile, the charging socket and the switch.
A schematic diagram of a do-it-yourself DVD laser engraver is as follows:
Tin the contact pads on the charge control board and holder:
Solder the battery compartment using wires to pins B + and B- of the charge controller. Contacts + and - go to the socket, the remaining 2 to the laser diode. First, solder the laser power supply circuit using surface-mounted mounting and insulate it well with tape.
Make sure that the leads of the radio components are not short-circuited with each other. Solder a laser diode and a button to the supply circuit. Place the assembled device in the profile and glue the laser with thermally conductive adhesive. Fasten the rest of the parts with double-sided tape. Replace the tact button.
Insert the profile into the box, bring out the wires and fix it with hot glue. Solder the switch and install it. Repeat the same procedure for the charging socket. Use a heat gun to glue the battery compartment and charge controller in place. Insert the battery into the holder and close the box with the lid.
Before starting to use, you need to set up the laser. To do this, place a sheet of paper 10 centimeters away from it, which will be the target for the laser beam. Place the focusing lens in front of the diode. By moving it away and closer, achieve a target burn. Glue the lens to the profile at the point where the greatest effect has been achieved.
The assembled engraver is perfect for small jobs and entertainment purposes like lighting matches and burning balloons.
Remember that the engraver is not a toy; you cannot give it to children. If the laser beam enters the eyes, it is irreversible, so keep the device out of the reach of children.
Manufacturing of a CNC device
With large volumes of work, an ordinary engraver will not cope with the load. If you are going to use it often and a lot, you will need a numerical control device.
Assembling the interior
Even at home, you can make a laser engraver. To do this, remove the stepper motors and guides from the printer. They will set the laser in motion.
A complete list of required parts is as follows:
Connection diagram for all components:
View from above:
Explanation of designations:
- Semiconductor laser with heat sink.
- Carriage.
- X-axis guides.
- Pressure rollers.
- Stepper motor.
- Pinion gear.
- Toothed belt.
- Fastening guides.
- Gears.
- Stepper motors.
- Sheet metal base.
- Y-axis guides.
- X-axis carriages.
- Timing belts.
- Mount supports.
- Limit switches.
Measure the length of the guides and divide them into two groups. The first will contain 4 short ones, the second - 2 long ones. Guides from the same group must be the same length.
Add 10 centimeters to the length of each group of guides and cut the base to the dimensions. From the scraps, bend the U-shaped supports for the fasteners and weld them to the base. Mark and drill holes for bolts in them.
Drill a hole in the radiator and glue the laser there using heat-conducting glue. Solder the wires and the transistor to it. Bolt the radiator to the carriage.
Place the rail mounts on the two supports and secure them with bolts. Insert the Y-axis guides into the mountings, put the X-axis carriages on their free ends. Insert the remaining guides with the laser head installed on them into them. Slide the fasteners onto the Y-rails and screw them onto the supports.
Drill holes in the attachment points for electric motors and gear axles. Reinstall the stepper motors and slide the drive gears onto their shafts. Insert axles pre-cut from a metal rod into the holes and fix them with epoxy glue. After it has solidified, put gears and pressure rollers with bearings inserted into them on the axles.
Install the timing belts as shown in the diagram. Tighten them before securing. Check the movement of the X-axis and the laser head. They should move with little effort, rotating all the rollers and gears through the belts.
Connect the wires to the laser, motors and end switches and tighten them with cable ties. Place the resulting bundles in the movable cable channels and fix them on the carriages.
Bring the ends of the wires out.
Manufacturing of the case
Drill holes for the corner pieces at the base. Step 2 centimeters from its edges and draw a rectangle.
Its width and length matches the dimensions of the future hull. The height of the case must be such that all internal mechanisms can be accommodated in it.
Explanation of designations:
- Hinges.
- Tact button (start / stop).
- Arduino power switch.
- Laser switch.
- 2.1 x 5.5mm jack for 5V power supply.
- Protective box for DC-DC inverter.
- Wires.
- Arduino protective box.
- Body mounts.
- Corners.
- Base.
- Legs made of non-slip material.
- Lid.
Cut out all the body parts from the plywood and fasten them with the corners. Place the cover on the housing using the hinges and screw it to the base. Cut a hole in the front wall and push the wires through it.
Assemble protective covers from plywood and cut holes for buttons, switches and sockets in them. Place the Arduino in the shroud so that the USB connector lines up with the hole for it. Set the DC-DC converter to 3 V at 2 A. Secure it in the casing.
Reinstall the button, power socket, switches and solder the electrical circuit of the engraver together. After soldering all the wires, install the covers on the body and screw them on with self-tapping screws. For the engraver to work, you need to upload the firmware to the Arduino.
After flashing, turn on the engraver and press the "Start" button. Leave the laser off. Pressing the button will start the calibration process, during which the microcontroller will measure and memorize the length of all axes and determine the position of the laser head. After its completion, the engraver will be completely ready for work.
Before you start working with the engraver, you need to translate the images into a format that Arduino can understand. This can be done using the Inkscape Laserengraver program. Move the selected image into it and click on Convert. Send the resulting file via the cable to the Arduino and start the printing process, having turned on the laser before that.
Such an engraver can only process objects consisting of organic substances: wood, plastic, fabrics, paintwork and others. Metals, glass and ceramics cannot be engraved on it.
Never turn on the engraver with the cover open. The laser beam, entering the eyes, concentrates on the retina, damaging it. Reflexive closing of the eyelids will not save you - the laser will have time to burn out a part of the retina even before they close. In this case, you may not feel anything, but over time, the retina will begin to flake off, which can lead to complete or partial loss of vision.
If you catch a laser "bunny", consult an ophthalmologist as soon as possible - this will help to avoid serious problems in the future.
Very often, performing a relief image on a wooden surface, craftsmen, in order to facilitate their task, use special drills with various attachments. As this equipment, you can use both a dental bur and special hand engravers for a certain kind of material (glass, wood, metal). Wood carving with an ordinary engraver just for novice craftsmen requires certain skills and carries some difficulties.
The very first problem that you will have to face is choosing a drill from the huge variety of options on the market today.
Learn to carve wood with an engraver for beginners with your own hands
How to choose the right drill?
Despite the great variety of drills on the market, choosing the right one, knowing the necessary technical characteristics, is not so difficult. The main selection criteria are engine power, which determines the number of drill revolutions per minute, and torque.
Choosing a drill, you always have to make a choice between the ability to withstand heavy loads and the ability to work for a long time at high speeds, because no machine, unfortunately, combines these two important qualities. It is for this reason that the best option is to purchase two drills with different technical characteristics.
The best options for wood carving will be:
- Powerful drill with reinforced handpiece.
- Compact micromotor capable of high revs.
If you really like to save money, and also get along with technical equipment, then you can assemble the first drill yourself: for this you need to take a motor from a washing machine or any other engine of sufficient power and, using a belt drive, connect it to the hose from the drill. All this action requires dexterity and some skills, besides, the sleeve itself and the tip will still have to be bought.
Technical drills.Russian production produces rather powerful armless drills "Profile" with a pedal - This model is very reliable and allows you to perform an incredibly wide range of technical operations: drilling, grinding and much more, despite the low speed.
For years, it has won its authority in the market of the Foredom SR drill from the USA (you can see this device in the photo below). Very reliable in operation, even under high loads. All parts can be purchased at almost any store that sells tools for jewelers. The choice of attachments is very large and varied: from power collets to convenient quick-detachable ones.
Micromotors.Micromotors These are a kind of mini drills - they are more compact and do without a flexible shaft. Their motor is mounted directly behind the tip. Such machines are very convenient to use for the most delicate work, it is for these purposes that they are very convenient.
Among the Russian ones, the DPM 25-2 drill with a specialized medical handpiece should be distinguished. It sits very comfortably in the hand, the burs change easily and quickly, and the price for a machine with such characteristics is not at all high. Nevertheless, it should be noted that the medical handpiece is not designed for heavy loads, and therefore, if used too often, it can quickly fail. The micromotor cannot be repaired as the carbon brushes, which are washable over time, cannot be replaced. Thus, from time to time you will have to change the engine or purchase a new drill entirely. Otherwise, this is not a bad, budgetary and convenient option. You can also look for good analogs from Korea.
Floating drills attract with their functionality and reliability, but in Russia Marathon or Strong drills are expensive. They have very high rates of speed and power - up to 30,000 rpm and a power of 65W. These indicators are very decent for a micromotor. The best masters work with just such drills.
It should be noted that the above micromotors are only suitable for small burs and small burrs. Using large cutters on them, you will significantly reduce the resource of the tool and its service life. It is for this reason that you must have at least two types of drills in your arsenal.
Usually, the drill is equipped with a flexible shaft, which is convenient to use when making small details in the thread. However, when using a flexible shaft, the drill loses half its power.
Tips for making a thread.So, carving is best done on wood species with a monolithic structure: linden, beech, alder, pear. Pine, ash and oak are less suitable for this purpose.
The first step is to transfer the sketch to the board and shade the background that you will be removing.
The picture around the office should be outlined with a small auger with a round star-shaped section. After that, the entire background is clogged with the same drill, perhaps of a larger diameter, for faster work execution.
In order to choose a background in a large volume, it is convenient to use the limiter attachment that comes with the drill.
The depth of cut must first be adjusted and practiced on an extra piece of wood.
After completely cutting through the background, it is sanded with sandpaper.
After that, the details are cut in the drawing itself.
After completing the work, you should grind the whole picture and cover it with a stain, then go with a sandpaper so that the stain remains only in those places where the background is lower.
Related videos
In the video tutorials below, you will see a couple of examples of how craftsmen work with wood engravers, as well as reviews on drills from some manufacturers.
Making an engraving machine with your own hands is a rather difficult task. Despite this, there are craftsmen who can make a homemade CNC engraving machine at home, which is many times more complicated. In this article, we will provide detailed instructions, following which you can create your own device for engraving workpieces.
Of course, designing such a device at home requires a lot of material costs and solid skills, but by making such a machine yourself, you can save a significant amount of money and create a device that best suits your production goals.
Where to begin?
If you decide to make an engraving machine with your own hands, we recommend that you immediately design a CNC device. This will significantly increase the productivity of the device and make it easier to work with it. After that, decide on the layout of the device. As a basis, you can take an old mini-drilling machine and replace the drill in it with the milling cutter itself.
- Select a mechanism that will be responsible for moving the working unit along the planes. For this purpose, you can use carriages from an old printer. In addition, a device designed in this way will make it relatively easy to connect a digital unit. It should be noted that carriages are best taken from large printers. This will greatly strengthen the design of the machine.
- Equip your machine with a powerful stepper motor. For this purpose, we recommend using old electric motors.
- Pay particular attention to the milling unit.
- To carry out the transmission from the engine to the working unit, it is best to use a toothed belt drive.
Assembling the device
After we have decided on the layout of the machine and the origin of its main parts, it's time to start assembling our machine for engraving blanks. The basis for the device can be made a rectangular beam, which is installed on the guides. It is recommended to fasten the rest of the structural elements to the beam with screws.
The fact is that our entire structure must have increased rigidity, since rather serious loads will act on it during operation. The lack of reliable fasteners and the instability of the installation will certainly affect the quality of workpieces processing.
At the same time, do not overuse welding work. The fact is that welds are quite seriously susceptible to deformation and destruction. It is especially difficult for such connections to endure various vibrations, of which there will be quite a lot during the operation of the device. The guides should also be made of durable material, resistant to a wide variety of deformations.
Otherwise, this structural element will have to be changed after a relatively short time after the start of using the machine. The design of the device must include a lifting mechanism for the milling unit. It is best to use a helical gear for this purpose.
The vertical axis for the machine is best made from an aluminum plate. Its dimensions should be compared with the dimensions of other elements of the machine structure. When we already have the axis ready, you can start installing the stepper type motors. The first will move in the horizontal direction, and the second in the vertical direction. The transmission method is belt. Before using the machine, it must be operated manually.
Electrical equipment and software
Any modern engraving machine will be as efficient as its software. High-quality electrical equipment also plays a decisive role.
What a digital node should look like:
- The software must have all the necessary drivers for the installed machine elements. In addition, the machine program must correspond to all operating modes of the device. First of all, the software must have reliability and functionality.
- The unit must be designed with an LPT port.
- The numerical software is connected via the LPT port.
- After installing the CNC on the machine, all the necessary drivers and programs are installed.
When assembling a digital unit of an engraving machine, it should be remembered that the quality of the work performed will certainly affect the operation of the device. Before using the device, you should carefully check the functionality of the software. After correctly setting up the entire machine and troubleshooting, a homemade device will be able to perform many functions with high quality.
Video: DIY engraving and milling machine.
Which engine should you choose?
Any engraving machine with numerical software should be equipped with an electric type stepper motor. For these purposes, engines from old printers are perfect. Most of these products were equipped with a pair of suitable motors. In addition to the units themselves, rods can be removed from the printers, which are also suitable for our device.
It is worth noting that the full-fledged work of a homemade engraving device, it should be installed not two, but three such motors. Thus, you need to look for either two dot matrix printers, or buy the necessary parts on the market.
Optimum design of motors should include five separate control wires, which will greatly increase the functionality of the apparatus. An important indicator for the motor is the number of degrees per step. An important factor is the operating voltage and winding resistance. Information about these indicators will help to correctly configure the operation of the entire device.
- A nut and stud with the required dimensions can be used as a drive.
- Fasteners for parts can be made using a drill and a file. For this purpose, a bushing with a screw is perfect.
- The motor shaft is most often secured with a thick rubber wire with good winding. Using this element, you can qualitatively attach the engine to the stud.
The above instruction is suitable not only for making a homemade engraving machine, but also for constructing other devices with numerical software. For example, using these recommendations, you can make an apparatus for coordinate boring of parts. Depending on the power of the machine, it can handle workpieces from different materials (metal, wood, chipboard).
Good time everyone!
In this post I want to share with you the process of creating a laser engraver based on a diode laser from China.
Several years ago, there was a desire to purchase a ready-made version of an engraver from Aliexpress with a budget of 15 thousand, but after a long search, I came to the conclusion that all the options presented are too simple and, in fact, are toys. And I wanted something desktop and at the same time quite serious. After a month of research, it was decided to make this device with our own hands, and rushed ...
At that moment, I still did not have a 3D printer and experience in 3D modeling, but everything was in order with drawing)
Here's actually one of those ready-made engravers from China.
Having looked at the options for possible designs of mechanics, the first sketches of the future machine were made on a piece of paper ..))
It was decided that the engraving area should be at least A3 sheet.
The laser module itself was one of the first to buy. Power of 2W, as it was the most optimal option for a reasonable price.
Here is the actual laser module itself.
And so, it was decided that the X-axis would go along the Y-axis and its design began. It all started with a carriage ...
The entire frame of the machine was made of aluminum profiles of various shapes purchased from Leroy.
At this stage, the sketches on the notebook leaves no longer appeared, everything was drawn and invented in the Compass.
Having bought 2 meters of a square profile 40x40 mm to build the frame of the machine, in the end only the carriage itself was made from it ..))
Motors, linear bearings, belts, shafts and all electronics were ordered from Aliexpress during development and plans for how the motors would be mounted and what kind of control board would be changed on the fly.
After a few days of drawing, a more or less clear version of the design of the machine was determined in the Compass.
And now the X-axis was born ..))
Y-axis sides (sorry for the quality of the photo).
Fitting.
And finally the first launch!
A simple 3D model of the general view of the machine was built, in order to accurately determine its appearance and dimensions.
And away we go ... Plexiglas ... Painting, wiring and other little things.
And finally, when everything was adjusted and the last part was painted black 8), the home stretch came!
Engraving equipment, with the help of which you can successfully perform various technological operations, is actively used today by both specialists and home craftsmen. Although purchasing such a device on the modern market does not present any problems, many of those who would like to have it in equipping their workshop do differently and make an engraver with their own hands.
Despite the simplicity of the design, the homemade engraving machine allows you to successfully perform the same technological operations as the serial model engraver. Such operations include, in particular:
- milling of flat and shaped surfaces, as well as holes and grooves of various configurations;
- drilling and boring of small diameter holes;
- cutting thin sheet material;
- cleaning the product from traces of corrosion and other stubborn dirt;
- application of inscriptions and patterns to the treated surface;
- grinding and polishing.
The materials that a homemade electric engraver can handle are metal, wood, plastic, ceramics, glass, bone, artificial and natural stone.
What is required
The functionality, reliability and technical characteristics that a homemade engraving machine will have depends entirely on what materials and mechanisms you will use to make it.
To make a simple yet easy-to-use and functional engraver, you will need the following accessories.
- A flexible shaft and a working attachment to it, in the clamping mechanism of which the tool will be fixed. As a flexible shaft for the engraver, you can use a drive shaft from a drill or a cable that drives the speedometer of a car or motorcycle. The working attachment can also be removed from the drill or made independently from a piece of textolite by turning it to the required diameter and drilling a stepped hole in its inner part. The diameter of the hole in the working attachment of the engraver must be selected in such a way that its walls reliably hold the stationary part of the drive cable, but at the same time do not impede the rotation of its movable core. A tube is inserted into the hole in the front of such a homemade working attachment, inside of which the chuck of two halves, fastened together with a screw, rotates freely. The chuck, which must be necessarily balanced, can accommodate a tool with a shank diameter in the range of 2–5 mm.
- A set of tools with which the processing will be performed. If you use a handle from a drill as a working attachment for a homemade engraver, then the tools should also be from dental equipment that fit it in the diameter of the shanks. For a homemade working nozzle, as mentioned above, any tool with a shank diameter from 2 to 5 mm is suitable.
- A drive motor, which can be any motor powered by an electric current with a voltage of 220 volts. This could be a motor from a DVD-player or from an old reel-to-reel tape recorder, a washing machine, or any other household appliance you are not using. An electric motor from a sewing machine is optimal for a homemade engraver, because it already has a rheostat in its equipment, which allows to regulate the shaft rotation speed within a fairly wide range. Such engines, as a rule, are capable of developing a shaft rotation speed of up to 6 thousand rpm, which is quite enough for a household engraver.
Bed Cover Bracket and clamp
Bush and elbow Holder Electric motor connection diagram
To make an engraver, you will also need an electric drill, a sharpening machine and a standard set of locksmith tools.
How a homemade engraving machine works
A homemade engraver of the proposed design works according to the following principle. Rotation from the electric motor is transmitted by means of pulleys and a rubber belt to a flexible shaft, which, in turn, communicates it to the working attachment and the tool fixed in it.
A do-it-yourself engraving machine can also be made in a different design, which assumes that the flexible shaft is connected to the electric motor by means of an adapter coupling. At one end, such a coupling is pushed onto the motor shaft and securely fixed on it with a pin, and a movable flexible shaft core is inserted into the square hole made at its second end.
After all the structural elements of the future homemade engraver are prepared, they begin to manufacture it.
- For a reliable and stable fastening of all structural elements of the engraver, it is necessary to make the simplest base-base, for which you can use a sheet of textolite or thick plywood by cutting out a piece of the required size from it. At pre-marked places on the surface of such a base, an electric motor and a bracket with a clamp are attached, in which the rear tip of the flexible shaft will be fixed. After tightening the fastening nut on the bracket of the bracket, the end of the flexible shaft must be firmly fixed in it.
- Prefabricated pulleys, which can also be removed from old appliances, are fixed to the motor shaft and to the flexible shaft's movable core. To perform such a fixation, it is necessary to drill holes in the flange part of the pulleys and on the shafts, into which the pins will then be inserted. Regular epoxy will help ensure a secure connection. The transmission of rotation from the electric motor to the flexible shaft, carried out by means of pulleys and belts, is convenient in that, by changing the diameters of the pulleys used, it is possible to regulate the rotational speed reported to the grower.
- The final stages of manufacturing the engraver of the proposed design are the installation of a rubber belt on the pulleys of the flexible shaft and the electric motor, connecting the motor to the electric power supply, fixing the working attachment with the tool at the front end of the flexible shaft and testing the finished device.
To make your engraver safer to use, make a compact cover for its electric motor and belt drive (you can use ordinary plywood). Since when working with the device, hands are busy holding the workpiece and the working attachment, you can equip the engraver with a foot pedal to turn it on and off. The basic element of such a pedal, which is also often made of plywood, is a conventional push button.
As a drive for the engraver, you can use a grinder with a "flying" gearbox.
When deciding which flexible shaft to use to equip your homemade engraver, it is better to choose drive elements from dental drills. This is recommended for the reason that such shafts, even those removed from old drills, are already equipped with working attachments with collet-type clamping mechanisms, in which the used tool is very conveniently and reliably fixed.
Meanwhile, the use of a flexible shaft from a dental drill as a driving element of the engraver's attachment has certain inconveniences. They consist in the fact that for dental attachments it is not always possible to select the tools required when working on an engraving machine. This problem is solved quite simply: many tools for the engraver can be made independently, using available materials for this.
So, sufficiently high-quality cutters for engraving installations can be made from broken drills, if, using a conventional grinding machine, you give their working part the required configuration. Abrasive heads of various shapes, which are actively used when processing with an engraver, can be made from fragments of a grinding wheel of medium hardness.
First, such debris must be equipped with a shank, which is made of steel wire with a diameter of 2.6 mm. Then such a shank is inserted into a previously made hole in the abrasive debris and embedded in it with epoxy resin. The last thing that remains to be done to turn such a blank into a full-fledged tool for the engraver is to give its abrasive part the required configuration using a grinding machine equipped with a high hardness wheel.
