Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 22

Thread: Resources for Lumia

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    North of Jackson Michigan USA
    Posts
    361

    Default Resources for Lumia

    Greetings, all;

    Welcome to the PL Lumia Forum.

    Here is something I put on the MIA PL Wiki back in 2013, updated slightly for today:
    ___________________________

    As some of you know, I am deeply embedded in the art of lumia these days. I do shows at art competitions and have a big gallery show coming up in October that will involve 17 linear lumia laser projectors.

    Pix of my Grand Rapids show are here:

    http://mikegouldlaserartist.com/webg...s10/index.html

    PL has been of enormous help to me over the years, so it’s payback time. Here is a list of where to get parts for lumia, based on my many years of research.

    Hardware
    I am currently toiling away deep in the sub-basement of St. Wilfred’s Lumentic Institute, cooking up new nifties and spending a lot of quality time with my new band saw:

    http://www.northerntool.com/shop/too...1386_200481386

    Ideal for cutting up aluminum for motor and lens mounts, base plates, etc. Note that you want to set it for the slowest speed and you need to keep the wheels clean of aluminum debris. These aren’t really designed for metal work, but if you use a 14tpi blade and keep ‘em clean, they work a treat.

    Once you cut your aluminum, you need to clean the edges with a bench sander:

    http://www.amazon.com/Shop-Fox-W1828.../dp/B00B4US0SY

    This also works to remove sharp edges on lumia disks; just be very careful with the powdered glass this generates. Use a vacuum system and a breathing filter.

    Then you need to shoot some holes into your aluminum. I use this:

    https://www.ryobitools.com/power-too...e-laser-system

    It has not one, but two lasers built into it!

    I buy my Aluminum cheaply at Alro, which has outlets around the US. The one in Ann Arbor has an enormous variety of surplus bits and pieces, and has been supplying me and CDBeam for years now. My home away from home…

    http://www.alro.com/Locations/Locations_AA.aspx


    Motors
    To do this right, you need to spin a glass disk or other media very slowly in front of your laser of choice.
    I use a DC geared motor: with DC you can easily control the speed and direction of your media. This led me on a merry chase for the last 3 years, but I finally tracked down the ultimate lumia motor:

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/DC-12V-2RPM-...-/351900958125

    Attn: Dave or other dealers – how about stocking up on these puppies?

    Hubs
    Next you need to attach the media to the motor shafts – I use these hubs:

    http://www.pololu.com/catalog/product/1203

    Make sure you order the hole size that matches your motor shaft.

    I epoxy these to the glass disks I use.

    Speed control
    PWM (pulse width modulation) is your friend. Lots circuit boards out there for this. For years I used these:

    http://www.bakatronics.com/shop/item.aspx?itemid=383

    A quickie-built kit. I have received some that were missing some drilled holes, easily fixed with a 1mm bit.

    Then I discovered these:

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/271046566081...84.m1439.l2649

    Cheaper, pre-built, working well for me with the above motors. I have around 8 of these, and one has died. I am using these for testing while I await the custom 3-channel PWM board my Chief Engineer is designing for me..

    Lenses
    Surplus shed for these, used to turn laser points into lines:

    http://www.surplusshed.com

    I buy long cylindrical lenses and cut them into smaller items with this:

    https://www.amazon.com/SKIL-3540-02-...R08/ref=sr_1_1


    Ideal for glass cutting, but very messy. Do this in a garage wearing a raincoat, as you will be coated with glass dust suspended in water. I also use this to cut up glass vials for torture tubes. This el-cheapo saw works great, but you need to replace the blade with a good one, such as this:

    https://www.amazon.com/QEP-6-1008BW-...5Q/ref=sr_1_31

    Power Supplies
    For my museum install, I am running 3-cond. Conventional AC line to each box, and turning it into 12VDC to run my lasers and motors. I like these supplies:

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/370701394876...84.m1439.l2649

    Super cheap, and reliable so far.

    For wire:

    http://www.skycraftsurplus.com/

    Again, dirt cheap.

    Glass
    For lumia, you need to experiment with a variety of textured glass. I am fortunate in living within easy driving range of one of the biggest stained glass suppliers in the country:

    http://www.delphiglass.com/

    I like this glass, among many others:

    http://www.delphiglass.com/stained-g...extured-petals

    Note that they have assortment packs:

    http://www.delphiglass.com/spectrum-...ral-glass-pack

    Now to make your glass disks, you need a circle cutter – I use this one:

    http://www.delphiglass.com/glass-cut...ut-lens-cutter

    Once your glass is cut, I find it works best to drill out a ¼” circle in the center so the disk is adjustable up and down the motor shaft. First you need to find the center of the glass circle:

    http://www.amazon.com/Woodstock-D309...dp/B0000DD4KF/

    You drill your center hole under water with this:

    http://www.amazon.com/Amico-Diameter...dp/B00880CG0Q/

    These are even cheaper on eBay.

    The above should help you get started, or ease your way if you are already addicted.
    Hope this helps some of you. Thanks again for all the fish.

    Lux Plus Esto…Mike
    Runs with Lasers

  2. #2
    Join Date
    May 2013
    Location
    Fort Mill, SC
    Posts
    556

    Default

    Those are some great suggestions. Thanks
    Watching Lasers Since 1981

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    1 hr from everything in SoCal
    Posts
    2,748

    Default

    I would suggest adding these to your motor section. I use the .6rpm motors and they are great:

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/0-6RPM-120RP...LOUkhRd5xqJdvw
    If you're the smartest person in the room, then you're in the wrong room.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    North of Jackson Michigan USA
    Posts
    361

    Default

    Thanks, great find!
    Do you PWM control them?
    The price is definitely right, but the size and form factor might be a problem in smaller projectors (like mine).

    ...Mike
    Runs with Lasers

  5. #5
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    1 hr from everything in SoCal
    Posts
    2,748

    Default

    I do pwm control them. I use a dmx LED dimmer. I just have a diode across the motor to counter back emf. They're pretty small, easily managable.
    If you're the smartest person in the room, then you're in the wrong room.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Churchill(hour S from Houston)
    Posts
    1,354

    Default

    Nice share Mike-- thanks!!
    btw we found, finally a motor that is TOO SLOW-- 24 RPDay- or 1 RPH-
    it appears to be not moving and thus quite booring to watch- all the way to the edge of a 4 inch glass helps a little as well as the smallest possible beam.
    its 24VAC- so afaik not easy to regulate.. I am powering with a doorbell transformer at 12vac-(meters 16vac w/ no load) which *might* be slowing it even more--IDKFS.

    you are right about Delphi- I got the textured architectural glass assortment pack --about half are usable.

    thanks again--Len
    BEYOND-FB3/APC40Mamba Black(clone & currently on loan) 2X 5paghetti & 2 I-Show 2X KGB 1000mW 532 DT40K (pair)XFX 1300 RGB full color RGB 30K DIY 3.5WRGB work in progress et al..assorted ttl chi-jectors--LOTS of LUMIA DIY pjs-
    Powered by Pangolin
    Former (2.5 yrs) ILDA Member- :-(
    uncertified ILDA LSO -- dont ask

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    Edmonton Alberta
    Posts
    27

    Default

    Mike,
    I may attempt this at the urges of Adam Burns for my project.
    Do you happen to have a step by step guide for a full on newbie? I will be posting my own build of another project in a few months. It will be on display end of June 2017. I was hopping to play with Lumia in the center of my project inside a 3x3 cube.

    Regards,
    Wally

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    North of Jackson Michigan USA
    Posts
    361

    Default

    Hi Wally;

    Where are you? Please fill out your info for this forum, as there may be someone near to you who can help you mano a mano.

    Here is an article I wrote for Make magazine #20 (which you can buy online):

    http://makezine.com/projects/make-20...x-laser-shows/

    Here is a graphic I put together as part of our CDRH variance entry which may be of assistance:

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	LifLoptics.jpg 
Views:	73 
Size:	263.7 KB 
ID:	51820

    These are various ways of configuring lumia devices.

    Good luck...Mike
    Runs with Lasers

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    SoCal / San Salvador / NY
    Posts
    4,018

    Lightbulb Not really a 'resource', per-se, but.. Presenting the 'MOALT'...

    Heya Mike..

    ..Diggin the section.. Nice werk.. Hope we can get our beloved Wiki back, someday, but.. Till then, nice joerb..

    ..Anyhoo, was going thru some 'Laserium Movepocalypse' photos, and came across this pup.. Thought ya'll might njoy the 'pr0n'.. Not quite sure who made these (there's a *possibility* that these may have been a prototype built-by (or, inspired-by, anyway..) Gary Stadtler, of the old-skool 'Aurora PS' fame.. Not sure, tho..) But, what I Am sure of is.. This is the 'Mother of All Lumia Turrets', easily.. Built to withstand WWIII, IV and V..

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	MotherTurret_1.JPG 
Views:	75 
Size:	180.2 KB 
ID:	51833 Click image for larger version. 

Name:	MotherTurret__2.JPG 
Views:	69 
Size:	129.9 KB 
ID:	51834

    ..Each 'layer' was designed to be both indie-rotatable (all fx-positions do rotate, together..) and indie-selectable.. And then the *second-layer* (the 'cover' there..) would provide an additional layer of lumia-sickness, ie: imagine shooting a beam thru a burst-grating, on one layer.. Then thru a lumia, on the second.. or visa-versa.

    ..Of course, the 'box', there, is not set-up (as-shown..) to actually 'pass content' - it is all sealed-up / no beam I/O, presently.. I am guessing this was a 'test-jig' for the stepper-control rig, etc, dunno.. But, could easily be machined-out to provide I/O, and plenty of room for pre-lumia pos'n prisms / lenses, etc..

    ..as the saying goes, 'They don't build stuff like they Used to', and I'm pretty-sure this is the 'poster child' for that statement.. If nothing else, maybe it can provide some 'inspiration' / idea-seeds for the budding Lumia-grasshoppers that visit, herein..

    cheers..
    j
    ....and armed only with his trusty 21 Zorgawatt KTiOPO4...

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    North of Jackson Michigan USA
    Posts
    361

    Default

    Cool! Thanks for sharing.

    ...Mike
    Runs with Lasers

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •