Finally! Setting up the D1 XTool

Its been sitting in its box for ages, but I finally spent some time and got out the D1 and set it up. Partially because I wanted to see what I was going to need to build to house it and actually use the darn thing,

Here are some quick pictures of the setup and the final result. Now I just need to download the software and see what I can do with it.

Just what I needed, more foam. Ridwell won't even take this stuff.

Here we go with all the parts pulled out of the foam.

Here is the basic frame assembled.

And a bunch of stuff going on that you can't see. Took this because it represents me not taking pictures.

The unit came with the 10W laser but when I purchased it they were working on the 20W upgrade and you could purchase it at a discount for being an early bird.

Another box full of parts. The laser now requires its own power supply.

And after a lot of messing around, this is what you end up with at the end. There are a couple of pieces that you didn't see in the other photos. I added the honeycomb plate which is what you see in the center cutting area of the laser. In the right top corner is the air assist to help blow out smoke and debris from the laser's path. Then there are two power supplies. The big one in the front is for the laser itself and the smaller one in the middle is for the device itself and can power the whole thing if you are only using the 10W laser.

After I put this together I went out looking to see what folks had built for enclosures. At that point I discovered that the honeycomb addition creates a few problems because of its height which reduces the Z Axis cutting area. I see a couple of good solutions out there already as well as some very useful jigs. I'm excited to get it up and running, I have a head full of ideas and Calamity is likely to be the biggest benefactor!

New Tools - Longmill Mk2 CnC Router - Sienci Labs

Another tool that I can't put together yet has arrived. This is the Longmill Mk 2 CnC router from Sienci Labs in Canada. The first time ever I have had to pay UPS an import tax! I'm looking forward to putting this one together and putting it through its paces. For now it gets to remain in the box as there is literally no place for me to put it at the moment. It won't be to long now though, we are 15 days, and counting, from our new workshop getting built. Until then I can only dream about mounting up bits and starting projects on this one, much like the D1 laser cutter from Xtool.

New Tools - Keeping it Square - Bridge City Tool Works

I have needed to really tune up my miter saw, every time I think I have it adjusted correctly it seemingly just falls back out of square. While I have a number of pretty standard squares in the shop; a combination square, a carpenter's square and a speed square just off the top of my head none of them are really good for tuning in the miter saw. At this point I have been taking the combination square apart and using that to try and adjust the miter saw blade to get a nice straight cut and it just doesn't seem to do the trick.

I have admired the Bridge City Tools squares and there was a sale (which is about the only way I can afford these) and I just had a bonus from work so I bit the bullet and dived in. I bought a mini miter square, a small try square and (drum roll) a Universal Gauge Imperial Left (yea, I don't know what it is either but it looks cool and it was half price).

The boxes are worth the price of admission, sleeves and heavy weight boxes inside. The squares are just amazing to look at and feel solid in your hands. Just waiting for an opportunity to get back into the shop so I can use them. 

Just the boxes are impressive

First up is the mini miter square, the extra steel piece is the foot which connects with three magnets and can then be slid from one side to other when flushing up against a piece of wood.

The try square so I know longer need to worry that my combination square is not actually square. It even has a profile for dove tail joints built right in.

And then there is this beast; the Universal Gauge (left handed in this case). You can use it to check angles on just about anything and the protractor is built right in. I'm pretty sure its smarter than I am.

Just need to let the cooler weather pass to get back into the shop.