Using the SUN with a PlasmaCam table.

[cutnweld]

Do you have some burning projects to show us? I am curious to see how this turns out.

[Joe Jones]

The solar tracker has been delivered however I have several pressing projects that are taking priority right now. The deadline for the Halloween props has been moved up by three weeks so I have to make about 20 tombstones in the next couple of weeks as well as some other props. I am also committed to helping a friend build a greenhouse behind his home, made out of two of the harbor freight 10 x 12‘ greenhouse kits combined together into a 12 x 20‘ greenhouse. I expect that that will require some custom brackets and braces which I will have to make on the plasma table. So as much as I want to get to the solar tracking experiment which I think will come out very nice, it will have to wait until a couple of other things are out of the way.

On the plus side, the owner of Plasmacam sent me an email to explain that it is possible for the Plasmacam table to adjust the speed of a cut in a single path, and he told me where to find the information on that. So that is really exciting news! If the focus of the magnifying glass can be made sharper or wider based on the height over the material, and the speed at which the Plasmacam moves along any given path can be variable, this gives me great flexibility in creating files that should come out to be extremely interesting.

Joe

[Joe Jones]

I ordered a new DHC2 complete gantry to go with the new set of spare rails I have here. I can take a spare carriage and set this up quickly. The controller in my 510 table is removable so it is a simple matter of moving it to a mount for the tracker setup. This disables my 510 table, but I am a one man shop, so I only run one table at a time anyway. I am really anxious to try this!

Joe

[Joe Jones]

Do you have some burning projects to show us? I am curious to see how this turns out.

I will start with test files. I am going to draw a series of lines, and set the cut (er ... BURN) speed to a different speed for each line. Once I know the exact cut height for the "hot spot" sharpest focus of the sun's rays, I will run the machine over a sheet of Birch plywood and note the results of each line.

Then I will experiment with running a series of lines at the SAME speed, but at slightly different cut heights. Each line will be a few thousandths of of inch difference in cut height, to take the sun's rays slightly out of focus, but HELD at that level which is not something I can do by hand. In THEORY, this will create a bank of gradient shades of brown, since the BTUs of heat put into the wood will change with the focus of the sun spot.

Then I will do a bank of "FILL" shapes, where I will fill an array of squares at same height / different speeds, and same speed / different heights. This will give me an idea of what settings to use to get what results, dark black, or dark brown, or lighter brown, or tan, etc..

The full sun will be as consistent as a plasma flame, so that is not really a variable, although I am sure that a cloudy day would give me interesting results.

Once I know basically what the machine will produce on a clear, sunny day, I can start drawing some art files and begin the journey.

If YOU would like to create a test file for me to burn, I would be happy to do that! Remember that the Full 3D upgrade is required to adjust the speed, and I am still not sure if I can change the cut HEIGHT for an individual path without the Full 3D upgrade. Make the test area about 12" square so it is easy to photograph and post here.

I sure would like to get this dialed in though.

Joe

[cutnweld]

any updates? Kind of curious to see how it works out.

[Joe Jones]

any updates? Kind of curious to see how it works out.

I would like to clone myself. The unit is here, along with everything I need to build it. I cannot find a spare hour of time to do anything. Halloween is days away, and I am still supposed to make a dozen or more large tombstones out of foam. I have two projects to design for people on DesignEdge software. I have 24 license plates to burn for car club, and a large steel plate to cut for a customer/friends. I just did a 22 hour day yesterday, driving up to Ohio and back again, non-stop, to pick up a machine for a friend. I had to stop under two gas station canopies during heavy rains to keep the water off of the exposed electronics.

I sure want to do this project. I just cannot do everything. It will have to wait a while, until I can find the TIME to do it.

Joe

[cutnweld]

I'm not sure how it where you live, but here in NW ontario it will be to cold to do much outside, hope you can do some burns. I think it is possible, tho I'm not totally convinced practical..

[Joe Jones]

I'm not sure how it where you live, but here in NW ontario it will be to cold to do much outside, hope you can do some burns. I think it is possible, tho I'm not totally convinced practical..

The experiment will be good, once I can put it together. A laser can change its power and speed, but it cannot alter the kerf width of the light ray. A magnifying glass held under the sun is infinitely more flexible in the path it can lay down onto wood, because altering the distance between the wood and the lens changes the focal point and the heat BTUs. So a magnifying glass can lay down bands of softer browns and tans that no laser can produce. Using the software with height control, X-Y speeds, and figuring out exactly how to get any given result, will ultimately produce awesome images.

Even in the cold winters, a magnifying glass can burn cold or frozen wood.

My only problem is that I have so many things on the front burners, all demanding my immediate attention. I just don't have enough hours in the day. I just canceled my banjo lessons for the foreseeable future, because I just cannot seem to set aside four or five hours per week to PRACTICE. I really wanted to learn how to play this instrument, but I have failed.

I bought a 3D printer, and the trial period for Fusion 360 software is about to expire, and I haven't even had the time to give it a real test. So now, I have to decide whether to just pay for it and HOPE to learn it in the coming months, or forego that as well. What then, shall I do with the printer, which is still in the factory wrapping, sitting in my wood shop waiting for my attention.

Here comes Christmas, and my hopes of creating an assortment of holiday decorations to sell have fizzled. The craft show in Nashville is in a month, and I haven't even begun to make anything for it yet. I have the machines. I have the tools. I just don't have the TIME.

Joe

[rdj357]

A laser can change its power and speed, but it cannot alter the kerf width of the light ray. A magnifying glass held under the sun is infinitely more flexible in the path it can lay down onto wood, because altering the distance between the wood and the lens changes the focal point and the heat BTUs. So a magnifying glass can lay down bands of softer browns and tans that no laser can produce.

Joe,

A CO2 gantry laser is quite capable of running out of focus and thus changing the kerf width/intensity of the beam. We use this a lot when engraving wood like cutting boards so that the engraving will stand out as a burnt wood color. If a machine has a stepper controlling the Z axis through the controller, Lightburn can use a different Z offset for as many layers as you want to create. The only thing I see that wouldn't be possible is a full variable Z axis/focus control along a single path. That said, I can use a greyscale image, run the machine out of focus, and vary the power based on the 0-255 pixels of the greyscale image and create pretty much the same effect.

Anyway, just wanted to clarify that varying browns and tans are created with lasers a lot. I prefer to dither the image but hey, everyone gets to have fun and experiment and do cool stuff any which way they want!

[adbuch]

A laser can change its power and speed, but it cannot alter the kerf width of the light ray. A magnifying glass held under the sun is infinitely more flexible in the path it can lay down onto wood, because altering the distance between the wood and the lens changes the focal point and the heat BTUs. So a magnifying glass can lay down bands of softer browns and tans that no laser can produce.

Joe,

A CO2 gantry laser is quite capable of running out of focus and thus changing the kerf width/intensity of the beam. We use this a lot when engraving wood like cutting boards so that the engraving will stand out as a burnt wood color. If a machine has a stepper controlling the Z axis through the controller, Lightburn can use a different Z offset for as many layers as you want to create. The only thing I see that wouldn't be possible is a full variable Z axis/focus control along a single path. That said, I can use a greyscale image, run the machine out of focus, and vary the power based on the 0-255 pixels of the greyscale image and create pretty much the same effect.

Anyway, just wanted to clarify that varying browns and tans are created with lasers a lot. I prefer to dither the image but hey, everyone gets to have fun and experiment and do cool stuff any which way they want!

Nice explanation Robert!! This is very cool stuff - makes me want to buy one to play with. Thanks for the great information.
David

[Joe Jones]

Ugh. So many things to do, and so little time or energy...

I have not forgotten about this solar tracker project, but it is there in the shop, in the original shipping boxes, waiting for me to make it a priority.

I also had a jolt awake moment a few nights ago, and a new design for the pipe cutter popped into my head. I had to jump out of bed to scribble down some notes and sketches before it left me forever. I have the other one half built, and it would work great! However, I have sort of abandoned the idea, only because it would require a person to buy a spare PlasmaCam gantry motor, carriage motor and Z motor, and that is nearly a $1,500.00 investment itself, now that PlasmaCam raised their prices to #^&* levels. I changed the design to eliminate the need for the spare gantry and carriage motor. With this new design, one only needs to purchase (or otherwise acquire ) a standard Z motor and backing plate, and you are in business!

I am beginning to assemble a spare 5x10 table in my driveway. I purchased it purely for experimentation a couple of years ago. No controller. No software. Just tired old metal and filthy grates. It will be ideal for testing my totally awesome rebuild of the PlasmaCam table's rails and gantry, and ultimately host the NEW pipe cutter atop the rest of the mods. I decided to mount the whole rail and gantry assembly onto the synchronized linear actuators, the same ones I have on my 4x4 table. (See video) I am also ditching the boom arm and Tarzan will need to find another way to cross over the table because the swinging cables will be replaced with drag chains along the X and Y axis. I am puling all of the stops out on this one.

Joe

[Joe Jones]

[..] just wanted to clarify that varying browns and tans are created with lasers a lot. I prefer to dither the image but hey, everyone gets to have fun and experiment and do cool stuff any which way they want!

Yes, but I am betting that the artsy-fartsy folks with sandals and pony tails will love an art piece that was made with the SUN and a magnifying glass, more than they would treasure something burned with a laser.

This will be more of an "I WONDER!" project than any effort to develop it as something to sell or share.

Joe

[cutnweld]

Sun up yet?

[djreiswig]

Joe has some family issues he's working through. I doubt he's been in the shop much lately.

[Joe Jones]

I am still in ComieFornia dealing with the aftermath of a death and my sister’s future. The solar tracker is still in the Box in my shop. I may get to it later in the summer, but I also have to deal with replacing the roof on my house from the storm damage and other more pressing matters so who knows? I may not be able to set this up until next spring.


Joe

[cutnweld]

Oh dear. I'm sorry to hear of the loss. I'll stay tuned, the idea interests me.