Hi!
So I built this 3D printer last week, and designed a neat doodad in blender, but woe is me, for the doodad is going to require a resolution of about 0.08-0.1mm, while my printer is only 0.4mm resolution at a really slow speed.
So I decided it might be better to just set the blank doodads down, the bigger portions machined on a lathe, and then laser etch the fine details. (like designer ring type stuff).
So I did a bit of background research, and it looks like I want whats called YAG or something similar, so i can have free range of not just stainless and aluminum, but also precious metals like gold. Apparently I want 50 watts to have a go at the precious stuff, but only need about 25 or 30 to tackle stainless.
I know very little about all of this, as I haven't worked with a laser above 2 watts, and know little about bench lasers. I'm on a shoe string budget, but not afraid of DIY.
So I built this 3D printer last week, and designed a neat doodad in blender, but woe is me, for the doodad is going to require a resolution of about 0.08-0.1mm, while my printer is only 0.4mm resolution at a really slow speed.
So I decided it might be better to just set the blank doodads down, the bigger portions machined on a lathe, and then laser etch the fine details. (like designer ring type stuff).
So I did a bit of background research, and it looks like I want whats called YAG or something similar, so i can have free range of not just stainless and aluminum, but also precious metals like gold. Apparently I want 50 watts to have a go at the precious stuff, but only need about 25 or 30 to tackle stainless.
I know very little about all of this, as I haven't worked with a laser above 2 watts, and know little about bench lasers. I'm on a shoe string budget, but not afraid of DIY.