RGB progress - slow & painful...

[Stuka]

I definitely hope to be available for this year's SELEM - any tentative dates set yet?

They were pricy, but I'll have to say I'm glad I went with the Newport mounts. Easy to adjust, lots of base attachment options, and the way they're built, should last through several attempts at building the "perfect projector" !!

[buffo]

I definitely hope to be available for this year's SELEM - any tentative dates set yet?

The date for SELEM 2008 is already set. Carved in stone even. We've already got the venue pre-booked.

SELEM 2008 will be held on Saturday, August 16th and Sunday, August 17th, in Newton, North Carolina. We have the entire Auditorium reserved at the Newton - Conover Civic and Performance Place. We will have early access to the auditorium Friday afternoon (the 15th of August) from about 1 to 5 PM to load in gear and set up. SELEM officially starts on Saturday at 10 AM and will run until around midnight or until we get tired, whichever comes first. Then we start up again on Sunday, again at 10 AM, and run until around 6 PM in the evening.

I suggest you plan to arrive in Newton early in the afternoon on Friday, the 15th of August. That way you can unload your gear before the event. Also, don't forget the pre-SELEM dinner party! That will be held at the Artist's Cafe (less than 3 blocks from the venue) starting at 6 PM. We'll all have dinner together, then retire to the lounge upstairs (above the bar) where we'll relax, have some drinks, enjoy some cigars, and just generally talk trash for the next few hours. (Last year we stayed there 'till almost midnight!) Don't miss it! The pre-SELEM dinner party is a *hell* of a lot of fun!

Adam

[ImageLight]

Hey Stuka,

Very nice job on your projector, I only wish my first one looked as good.

[Stuka]

Spent the afternoon in the metal shop (a.k.a. "the garage") to begin construction on the case for my RGB rig. Sheet metal for the base, front, back, sides, and top were provided from a local metal shop, while all the other hardware comes from the local home improvement centers.

This is the initial stages of what will be a split-level case, with the 12 x 24 pre-drilled breadboard mounted to the top of the frame, and all the support electronics, cooling fans, etc. on the lower deck. There should be PLENTY of space on the lower level for additional equipment, so I'm already working on ideas on ways to fill the space !

I've already decided - my NEXT projector will be "cut to fit, drill as I go" - since using a predrilled breadboard, in the long run, really didn't save any time, as none of the imported gear seems to fit right!!
(However, it is a REALLY nice breadboard, purchased from One Stop Laser Shop!)

[Hemlock Mike]

Stuka -- I'm about a month behind you !!! Keep the pix coming

Thanks -- Mike

[Stuka]

Stuka -- I'm about a month behind you !!! Keep the pix coming

Thanks -- Mike

Will do!

Are you using pre-drilled, or "Drill as you go"?

[Hemlock Mike]

Drill as you go for me. I have a mill and lathe for the close work. Everything is referenced 42mm above the plane to match the Scanpro20 galvo set.

Mike

[Stuka]

I've added a drill press since I got into this money-pit hobby, but so far, that's it. If this is going to continue, I may have to add some "proper" metal-working gear to the shop!!

[loopee]

Hey Stuka
It’s looking good!
Don’t worry about time, your better of taking your time thinking/planning/doing and end up with a better overall design that’s going to work in the future.
It’s taken me roughly nine month to get mine to the stage it’s at now, and I had to build a workshop in my garage space first.


I’m a drill/tap person as well, can’t understand why people pay the expense for a pre-drilled table to then go and mount everything on a smaller piece of aluminium for adjustment.
I consider the base plate to provide two things:
1. A rigid base for the optics and lasers
and
2. Additional heat sinking for the lasers

Pitts
I’ve used that method of tapping in the past and would agree to a point, yes it is faster but I wouldn’t recommend it for tapping 10mm thick plate (that's not saying it can't be done), anything under 6mm yes over no, also the right size pilot hole is imperative as is lubrication.
And hand tapping isn’t fun especially when this happens thankfully I managed to get it out (BTW, I think I’m up to around 140 taped holes in my projector)


Troy

[laserLips]

Troy, that happend to me when I was tapping wholes. I was so angry. I wacked the snapped bit as hard as I could to get it out, used pliers, gloves, anything I could think of but couldnt remove it.

In the end I used wire sleave cutters ( the things that cut away the platic coat on wires)
Phew!
Graham