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Thread: CNC Laser Engraving 8bit Shades of Grey 445nm

  1. #41
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    swamidog is online now Jr. Woodchuckington Janitor III, Esq.
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    i've had a little success with the table i'm building, but i have a ways to go before i'm doing greyscale engraving.



    works pretty good on sandstone:

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Last edited by swamidog; 02-23-2014 at 07:59.
    suppose you're thinkin' about a plate o' shrimp. Suddenly someone'll say, like, plate, or shrimp, or plate o' shrimp out of the blue, no explanation. No point in lookin' for one, either. It's all part of a cosmic unconciousness.

  2. #42
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    Congrats Christopher.

    Looks like your getting it worked out very good. What program do you use to control the laser for motion and turning it on/off? I'm wondering if there is a way to control the lasers power by varying it somehow to engrave photos. Some hi dollar commercial CO2 lasers have 256 power levels for 3D engraving, but there not able to engrave subtle 8bit shades of grey like we do with the laser diodes using analog modulation.

    I do not know of anyone that has done this with a CO2. Something to consider in your experimentation with your new build.

    Jeff
    Extensively Re-worked/Re-designed/Modified Servo K2CNC KG-3925, Mini Diode Laser Engraver and now a Shapeoko 2 Laser Diode Engraver.

    https://www.picengrave.com

  3. #43
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    i'm using lasercad for the software and an awc608 controller. i think it will handle some greyscale, but i just got the machine running yesterday, so i haven't had time to really experiment with it. in the meantime, here's a thumb sized elk.

    15% power and 30mm/s feed rate.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Quote Originally Posted by JJWMACHINECO View Post
    Congrats Christopher.

    Looks like your getting it worked out very good. What program do you use to control the laser for motion and turning it on/off? I'm wondering if there is a way to control the lasers power by varying it somehow to engrave photos. Some hi dollar commercial CO2 lasers have 256 power levels for 3D engraving, but there not able to engrave subtle 8bit shades of grey like we do with the laser diodes using analog modulation.

    I do not know of anyone that has done this with a CO2. Something to consider in your experimentation with your new build.

    Jeff
    suppose you're thinkin' about a plate o' shrimp. Suddenly someone'll say, like, plate, or shrimp, or plate o' shrimp out of the blue, no explanation. No point in lookin' for one, either. It's all part of a cosmic unconciousness.

  4. #44
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    Finally, I was wondering when you would get to the thumb sized elk. I have been following this whole area of laser etching/engraving very peripherally for a few months and I am getting the bug. The laser/optics and drivers are obviously not an issue for me, but the decision to build or buy the table and gantry is confusing. I assume that if you were starting out from scratch a CNC router table and control software is sorta what you would need, but is the resolution and accuracy here sufficient?

  5. #45
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    Quote Originally Posted by planters View Post
    Finally, I was wondering when you would get to the thumb sized elk. I have been following this whole area of laser etching/engraving very peripherally for a few months and I am getting the bug. The laser/optics and drivers are obviously not an issue for me, but the decision to build or buy the table and gantry is confusing. I assume that if you were starting out from scratch a CNC router table and control software is sorta what you would need, but is the resolution and accuracy here sufficient?
    the resolution and accuracy of my table are more than sufficient for my needs:

    Click image for larger version. 

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    my build was not quite a kit, but more than scratch. i found it handy to buy pre-made motor mounts/gear reducers/etc as i don't have access to a machine shop or sufficient free time. it was a reasonably complex project, but not too much more so than building a laser projector.
    suppose you're thinkin' about a plate o' shrimp. Suddenly someone'll say, like, plate, or shrimp, or plate o' shrimp out of the blue, no explanation. No point in lookin' for one, either. It's all part of a cosmic unconciousness.

  6. #46
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    Here are some raster clipart to experiment with assuming lasercad can read/convert them to run on your laser.

    http://etc.usf.edu/clipart/sitemap/sitemap.php

    I have used them in the past for educating me on the TTL process of laser engraving these types of clipart images.

    Jeff
    Extensively Re-worked/Re-designed/Modified Servo K2CNC KG-3925, Mini Diode Laser Engraver and now a Shapeoko 2 Laser Diode Engraver.

    https://www.picengrave.com

  7. #47
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    that is an awesome site! it doesn't look like my controller will handle greyscale by dynamically adjusting laser power. i'll try some dithering experiments. in the meantime, i fed it a raster from your link:

    Click image for larger version. 

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    and got this out:

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Quote Originally Posted by JJWMACHINECO View Post
    Here are some raster clipart to experiment with assuming lasercad can read/convert them to run on your laser.

    http://etc.usf.edu/clipart/sitemap/sitemap.php

    I have used them in the past for educating me on the TTL process of laser engraving these types of clipart images.

    Jeff
    suppose you're thinkin' about a plate o' shrimp. Suddenly someone'll say, like, plate, or shrimp, or plate o' shrimp out of the blue, no explanation. No point in lookin' for one, either. It's all part of a cosmic unconciousness.

  8. #48
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    If (when?) I build one of these I don't think I would be able to contain my excitement and would end up engraving everything I own!

    How do you resist this temptation?

  9. #49
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    Quote Originally Posted by Galvonaut View Post
    If (when?) I build one of these I don't think I would be able to contain my excitement and would end up engraving everything I own!

    How do you resist this temptation?
    i'm doing a 60 hour work week, getting my art ready for indian market this weekend, and prepping my materials for the photography class i'm teaching for the museum on friday.
    suppose you're thinkin' about a plate o' shrimp. Suddenly someone'll say, like, plate, or shrimp, or plate o' shrimp out of the blue, no explanation. No point in lookin' for one, either. It's all part of a cosmic unconciousness.

  10. #50
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    Ahh, yes, that would slow me down a bit too

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