Laser Cutter Links - Sculpfun S30 Pro
Having push the boat out a little, I now have a Sculpfun S30 Pro Lazer Cutter. It has around a 40cm cutting area, although the 40cm honeycomb base that I bought with it only has a 35cm square usable area. I've got a 50cm unit comming which will be a lot more practical. So now I need to learn how to use it, or to be more accurate, learn what changes I need to the existing gCode system to cater for things like modulating the laser and switching on the air-assist. So lets pull togther just what I know and what resources are available.
Currently it's hooked up to the windows box and I have LaserGRBL running it and have even run one of the test cuts that package produces. So I know I'm going to be able to cut the 3mm material, all be at a perhaps slower rate than the 'advertising' implies. It does not matter really juts how long it takes, as long as the results are good. The problem with LaserGRBL apparently is that it does not have the codes for the air-assist, and I have yet to find ANY manual that tells me that code. The other package on the listing is lightburn and while I can run it free for 30 days then it will add another £90 of outlay. Since it is listed as being able to control the air-assist then hopefully I can at least pull the right code from the created gCode files. Since I would prefer to keep the design work on the linux box, all I need is to add the right extra code to the LaserGRBL files to have full control, and FreeCAD should have no problem with handling that.
Scouting around has picked up another couple of recomendations. VisiCut has not been updated in a while, and lasermagic could be useful. Both run on Linux which is a plus. I also need to have a refresher on just where LinuxCNC has got to. The Router and Taig Mill are both running Mach3 on old builds of windows from when it still ACTUALLY talked direct to the parallel port. My original plan was to simply add a laser head to the Router, but given the difficulty in believing the supplier listings and prices varying in the same ball park as the complete Sculpfun kit, that path was a little of a no brainer. So now it's a matter of converting some of the drawings I have into profiles which I can start cutting.
The kit was from ebay and turned up in a couple of days. At least it was not another one of the 'drop ship' brigade who give you a UK tracking number THEN order it from China! I have to admit I only got around to the assembly video after I'd already assembled it, and it's out of date with what was supplied anyway. I've put a number of these type of assemblies together in the past to know a few of the tricks to get everything square and running smoothly. I must have another go at the 3D printer as well some time.