Cnc laser engraver do it yourself. Do-it-yourself laser engraver: materials, assembly, software installation. What is needed to complete the job

In this article, we will look at how to assemble a laser engraver with your own hands. Of course, you can buy it on the Chinese market, but this way we will save money and in which case we can repair such a device.

If you want to work with metals, then the laser should be more than 80 watts, but we will collect a weaker version - 40 watts.

There are various laser tubes of this power on sale, their length is from 70 to 160 centimeters.

We will also need a 40 watt CO2 laser tube power supply.

Green control board.

Lenses for laser engraver and O-rings.

Stepper motors on the X and Y axes

Infrared interrupter board.

pressed aluminum profile size 30x30 mm.

The right amount of aluminum profile.

900 mm x 4 pcs. = 3600 mm.

730 mm x 4 pcs = 2920 mm.

610 mm x 2 pcs = 1220 mm.

500 mm x 8 pcs = 4000 mm.

470 mm x 2 pcs = 940 mm.

200 mm x 2 pcs = 400 mm.

170 mm x 2 pcs = 340 mm.

120 mm x 2 pcs = 240 mm.

90 mm x 2 pcs = 180 mm.

As a result, we will need 13840 mm of aluminum profile for our laser machine.

Also do not forget to buy bolts for fastening.

In order for our engraving machine to move, we will need wheels in the amount of 4 pieces, 20mm x 20mm x 640mm in size.

For X axis 640mm rail.

This is how the laser head will move along the Y axis

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laser engraver do-it-yourself: materials, assembly, installation software

Many of those home craftsmen who in their workshop are engaged in the manufacture and decorative design products from wood and other materials, probably thought about how to make a laser engraver with your own hands. The presence of such equipment, the serial models of which are quite expensive, makes it possible not only to apply the most complex patterns on the surface of the workpiece with high accuracy and detail, but also to carry out laser cutting of various materials.

Homemade laser machine in the wood engraving process

A homemade laser engraver, which will cost significantly less than a mass-produced model, can be made even if you do not have in-depth knowledge of electronics and mechanics. The laser engraver of the proposed design is assembled on the Arduino hardware platform and has a power of 3 W, while for industrial models this parameter is at least 400 W. However, even such a low power allows you to use this machine for cutting products from expanded polystyrene, cork sheets, plastic and cardboard, as well as perform high-quality laser engraving.

This engraver will cope with thin plastic

Necessary materials

In order to make your own laser engraver on Arduino, you will need the following: expendable materials, mechanisms and tools:

• hardware platform Arduino R3;
• Proto Board board equipped with a display;
• stepper motors, which can be used as electric motors from a printer or from a DVD player;
• a laser with a power of 3 W;
• laser cooling device;
• DC voltage regulator DC-DC;
• MOSFET transistor;
• electronic boards that control the laser engraver motors;
• limit switches;
• a case in which you can place all the structural elements of a home-made engraver;
• toothed belts and pulleys for their installation;
• ball bearings of various sizes;
• four wooden boards (two of them with dimensions of 135x10x2 cm, and the other two - 125x10x2 cm);
• four metal rods round section, whose diameter is 10 mm;
• bolts, nuts and screws;
• lubricant;
• tie-clamps;
• a computer;
• drills of various diameters;
• a circular saw;
• sandpaper;
• vise;
• standard tool kit.

The largest investment will require the electronic part of the machine

The electrical part of a homemade laser engraver

The main element of the electrical circuit of the presented device is a laser emitter, the input of which must be supplied with a constant voltage with a value not exceeding the allowable parameters. If you do not comply with this requirement, the laser may simply burn out. The laser emitter used in the engraving machine of the presented design is designed for a voltage of 5 V and a current not exceeding 2.4 A, so the DC-DC regulator must be adjusted for a current of 2 A and a voltage of up to 5 V.

Electrical diagram of the engraver

The MOSFET transistor, which is the most important element of the electrical part of the laser engraver, is necessary in order to turn the laser emitter on and off when receiving a signal from the Arduino controller. The electrical signal generated by the controller is very weak, so only the MOSFET transistor can perceive it, and then unlock and lock the laser power circuit. IN wiring diagram laser engraver, such a transistor is installed between the positive contact of the laser and the negative DC regulator.

The stepper motors of the laser engraver are connected through one electronic control board, which ensures their operation is synchronized. Thanks to this connection, the timing belts driven by multiple motors do not sag and maintain a stable tension during their operation, which ensures the quality and accuracy of the processing performed.

It should be borne in mind that the laser diode used in a homemade engraving machine should not overheat.

To do this, it is necessary to ensure its effective cooling. This problem is solved quite simply: a regular computer fan is installed next to the diode. To prevent overheating of the control boards for the operation of stepper motors, computer coolers are also placed next to them, since ordinary radiators cannot cope with this task.

Photos of the electrical circuit assembly process

Photo-1 Photo-2 Photo-3
Photo-4 Photo-5 Photo-6

Assembly process

The self-made engraving machine of the proposed design is a shuttle type device, one of the moving elements of which is responsible for moving along the Y axis, and the other two, paired, for moving along the X axis. For the Z axis, which is also specified in the parameters of such a 3D printer, the depth to which the processed material is burned is taken. The depth of the holes in which the elements of the shuttle mechanism of the laser engraver are installed must be at least 12 mm.

Desktop Frame - Dimensions and Tolerances

Photo-1 Photo-2 Photo-3
Photo-4 Photo-5 Photo-6

Aluminum rods with a diameter of at least 10 mm can act as guide elements along which the working head of the laser engraving device will move. If it is not possible to find aluminum rods, steel guides of the same diameter can be used for these purposes. The need to use rods of precisely this diameter is explained by the fact that in this case the working head of the laser engraving device will not sag.

Making a movable carriage

Photo-1 Photo-2 Photo-3

The surface of the rods that will be used as guides for the laser engraving device must be cleaned of factory grease and carefully sanded to perfect smoothness. Then they should be applied with a white lithium-based lubricant, which will improve the sliding process.

Installation of stepper motors on the body of a homemade engraving device is carried out using brackets made of sheet metal. To make such a bracket, a sheet of metal approximately the width of the motor itself and twice the length of its base is bent at right angles. On the surface of such a bracket, where the base of the electric motor will be located, 6 holes are drilled, 4 of which are necessary for fixing the engine itself, and the other two - for attaching the bracket to the body using ordinary self-tapping screws.

To install a drive mechanism consisting of two pulleys, a washer and a bolt on the motor shaft, a piece of metal sheet of the appropriate size is also used. To mount such a unit, a U-shaped profile is formed from a metal sheet, in which holes are drilled for its attachment to the engraver body and for the output of the motor shaft. The pulleys, on which the timing belts will be put on, are mounted on the drive motor shaft and placed in the inner part. U-shaped profile. Timing belts put on pulleys, which should drive the shuttles of the engraving device, are connected to their wooden bases using self-tapping screws.

Installation of stepper motors

Photo-1 Photo-2 Photo-3
Photo-4 Photo-5 Photo-6

Software installation

Your laser grower, which should work in automatic mode, will require not only installation, but also configuration of special software. The most important element such software is a program that allows you to create the contours of the desired pattern and convert them to an extension that is understandable to the controls of the laser engraver. Such a program is freely available, and it can be downloaded to your computer without any problems.

The program downloaded to the computer controlling the engraving device is unpacked from the archive and installed. In addition, you will need a contour library, as well as a program that will send data on the created drawing or inscription to the Arduino controller. Such a library (as well as a program for transferring data to the controller) can also be found in the public domain. In order for your laser homemade product to work correctly, and the engraving performed with its help to be of high quality, you will need to configure the controller itself to the parameters of the engraving device.

Features of using contours

If you have already figured out the question of how to make a manual laser engraver, then you need to clarify the question of the parameters of the contours that can be applied using such a device. Such contours inner part which are not filled in even if the original drawing is painted over, should be transferred to the engraver's controller as files not in pixel (jpeg), but in vector format. This means that the image or inscription applied to the surface of the workpiece using such an engraver will not consist of pixels, but of dots. Such images and inscriptions can be scaled in any way, focusing on the surface area on which they should be applied.

Using a laser engraver, almost any drawing and inscription can be applied to the surface of the workpiece, but for this their computer layouts must be converted into vector format. It is not difficult to perform such a procedure: for this, special programs Inkscape or Adobe Illustrator are used. A file that has already been converted to vector format must be converted again so that it can be correctly perceived by the engraving machine controller. For this conversion, the Inkscape Laserengraver program is used.

Final setup and preparation for work

Having made a laser engraving machine with your own hands and downloading the necessary software into its control computer, do not start work immediately: the equipment needs final adjustment and adjustment. What is this adjustment? First of all, you need to make sure that the maximum movements of the laser head of the machine along the X and Y axes match the values ​​obtained when converting the vector file. In addition, depending on the thickness of the material from which the workpiece is made, it is necessary to adjust the parameters of the current supplied to the laser head. This must be done in order not to burn through the product on the surface of which you want to engrave.

A very important and responsible process is the fine tuning (adjustment) of the laser head. Adjustment is needed in order to adjust the power and resolution of the beam produced by the laser head of your engraver. On expensive serial models of laser engraving machines, alignment is performed using an additional low-power laser installed in the main working head. However, homemade engravers usually use inexpensive laser heads, so this method of fine-tuning the beam is not suitable for them.

Test your homemade laser engraver first on simple drawings

Sufficiently high-quality adjustment of a homemade laser engraver can be performed using an LED removed from a laser pointer. The wires of the LED are connected to a 3 V power source, and the LED itself is fixed at the working end of the standard laser. Alternately turning on and adjusting the position of the beams emanating from the test LED and the laser head, one achieves their alignment at one point. The convenience of using the LED from a laser pointer lies in the fact that alignment can be carried out with its help without the risk of harming both the hands and the eyes of the engraving machine operator.

The video shows the process of connecting the engraver to the computer, setting up the software and preparing the machine for work.

Nice things with your own hands

As a high school student with an engineering background, I was given the task of creating an independent project. I decided to design and make a laser engraver with my own hands. What came out of it, see for yourself.

With the help of the Invertor program, I created the design of the engraver, in the future, all the details that I later printed on a 3D printer.

This was my first time using a 3D printer and I was surprised at how well it worked. I used to think that 3D printing was useless, but it turned out not to be the case.

The metal rods serve as the y-axis while the entire structure slides along the x-axis. The metal bearings are lubricated with oil to reduce friction.

I made the heatsink for the laser by hand from aluminum and cooling fins from an old computer. This part contains the laser diode and slides along the y axis.

I purchased a 2W 440nM laser diode, and I also need a driver and a lens. The total cost was $100.

We install a stepper motor and a belt to move along the y axis.

Before fastening, make sure that the carriage slides smoothly along the x and y axis.

In this picture you can see the stepper motor responsible for moving along the x-axis. For simplicity of design, I used only 2 motors and 2 belts.

I wasn't sure if the belt and motor alone would be enough to move the x-axis, but luckily it was enough.

After connecting the motors to the Arduino controller, I checked the movement on each axis.

I tried to engrave the inscription "Hello World!".

The walls of the engraver are made of a white board, the holes were cut with a laser cutter. To extract smoke from the engraver case, I installed a computer fan.

The scheme is pretty formidable. In this picture, from left to right, the Arduino controller, voltage regulator, driver for the laser and stepper motor, power supply are connected.

This wooden platform covers the electronics and also serves as a stand for the material to be engraved on.

All that's left is a protective case to shield the user from harmful laser radiation.

The flip top is made of orange acrylic which is designed to block UV light. I have found that acrylic is capable of blocking the blue laser beam.

The finished engraver looks quite professional.

Laser engraver at work.

View the engraving process through the fan.

Here is the result compared to the original. The engraver works much better with solid colors.

The most successful engraving.

It is possible to cut out details from cork tree and paper, I think it will be useful when modeling planes, ships and the like. The cutting process takes place at lower speeds compared to engraving.

Ready gear. Thanks for attention!

DIY laser engraver - an affordable solution for the home workshop

Lasers have long been part of our everyday life. Tour guides use light pointers, builders set levels with the help of a beam. The ability of a laser to heat materials (up to thermal destruction) is used in cutting and decorative design.

One of the applications is laser engraving. On various materials, you can get subtle patterns with almost no restrictions on complexity.

Wooden surfaces are great for burning out. Engravings on plexiglass with illumination are especially appreciated.


A wide selection of engraving machines, mainly made in China, is on sale. The equipment is not too expensive, however, buying just for fun is impractical. It is much more interesting to make a laser engraver with your own hands.

It is only necessary to get a laser with a power of several W, and create a frame system of movement in two coordinate axes.

DIY laser engraving machine

The laser gun is not the most complex design element, and there are options. Depending on the tasks, you can choose a different power (respectively, the cost, up to a free purchase). Craftsmen from the Middle Kingdom offer various ready-made designs, sometimes made with high quality.


Such a 2W cannon can even cut plywood. The ability to focus at the required distance allows you to control both the width of the engraving and the depth of penetration (for 3D drawings).

The cost of such a device is about 5-6 thousand rubles. If high power is not needed - use little powerful laser from a DVD writer, which can be purchased for a penny on the radio market.

There are quite workable solutions, production will take one day off

How to remove the laser semiconductor from the drive does not need to be explained, if you know how to "do things" with your hands - this is not difficult. The main thing is to choose a durable and comfortable case. In addition, the "combat" laser, albeit low-power, requires cooling. In the case of a DVD drive, a passive heatsink is sufficient.

The body-handle can be made from two brass sleeves from a pistol. Spent cartridges from "TT" and "PM" will do. They have a slight difference in caliber, and fit perfectly with each other.

We drill out the capsules, and in place of one of them we install a laser diode. The brass sleeve will serve as an excellent radiator.


It remains to connect the 12 volt power, for example, from the USB port of your computer. There is enough power, in the computer the drive is powered by the same power supply. That's all, do-it-yourself laser engraving at home is practically from garbage.


If you need coordinate machine– you can fix the burning element on the finished positioning device.

Laser engraver from a printer with a dried ink head - lovely way restore life to a broken unit.

A little bit of work with stock feed instead of paper (for flat plywood or metal plate, this is not a problem), and you have almost a factory engraver. The software may not be needed - the driver from the printer is used.

With the circuitry, you simply connect the ink supply signal to the input of the laser, and "print" on solid materials.

Homemade laser engraver for working with large areas

Any drawing for assembling the so-called KIT kits from the same Chinese friends is taken as a basis.


Finding an aluminum profile is not a problem, making carriages with wheels is also. A ready-made laser module is installed on one of them, the other pair of carriages will move the guide truss. The movement is set by stepper motors, the torque is transmitted using toothed belts.


It is better to assemble the structure inside some box, with active ventilation. The acrid smoke emitted during engraving is harmful to health. When used indoors, an outdoor hood is required.

Important! When operating a laser of this power, safety precautions must be observed.

Short-term exposure to human skin causes severe burns.

If you work with metal plates, the reflected glare of the beam can damage the retina of the eye. The best defense red plexiglass will serve. This will neutralize the blue laser beam and allow you to control the process in real time.


The control circuit is assembled on any programmable controller. The most popular are the Arduino UNO systems, which are sold on the same Chinese electronics sites. The solution is inexpensive, but effective and almost universal.


The most common option is to connect to a personal computer. Drawing and engraving parameters are created using any standard graphic editor.

Important! Keep in mind that most controllers on Arduino base work only with vector images.

If your picture is raster, you should trace.

By connecting and programming a USB controller, you can output an engraving job directly from a digital media (flash drive), after creating a file on a computer.
Outcome:

The laser head engraving machine is so affordable that it can be purchased not only for commercial use, but also for personal use.

Making crafts for children, saving on promotional materials for your own company, designer items for your home - this is an incomplete list of the use of the machine.

A self-made installation will delight you with minimal costs.

Do-it-yourself laser engraver from a DVD drive - video instruction

The purpose of the project: the creation of a laser engraver of low power (presumably 5 watts) and from improvised means.

An example of such a project:

From improvised means it is supposed to use:

- guides from inkjet printer. Epson R220 printer. Another scanner and another inkjet printer are on the way. So there should be enough motors, guides, harnesses, etc.

- motors and harnesses / belts are also from an inkjet printer.

— metal base and other parts to create an engraver frame (something from computer cases, something from the remnants of printers / scanners).

— various radiators for cooling boards (in stock).

- coolers for cooling / exhaust, etc. (in stock).

- netbook with software for transferring images to the machine.

- power supply from a regular computer. There is also a cable from a laptop with a 12 volt / 5 amp power supply. Will the built-in power supply from the printer work?

- hamutiki, cogs, bolts and other small change for fasteners.

From purchased parts supposed to use:

- brains. Most likely Ardruino UNO with A3967 or TB6560 drivers (some advised me the TB6560 board, like there is better software (I don’t know)).

- laser. Maybe 5 watts per aliexpress or more if the design allows.

Project stage: collection of information and components.

Total for iron is necessary:

1. 2 (3?) motors from an inkjet printer with belts and guides.

2. 3 alloy profiles for X-axis design.

3. 4 profiles for base frame and Y-axis attachment.

4. 2 drivers A3967 or TB6560.

5. one Ardruino NANO or UNO board.

6. power supply from a computer or from a laptop (12v / 5a).

7. 3 cooling radiators - 2 for drivers, 1 for the board.

8. cable synchronization with a computer.

9. laser with cooling (radiator + cooler).

Need advice on motor power and how to make them easier to work with. Although if he moves the carriage with a whole set of ink briskly, then why can't he cope (along the X axis) with the laser and its radiator? Here the question is rather whether the engines will cope with the Y axis. Maybe it's better for Y to take the engines from the scanner? And in general, what power should the engines be (from and to) for normal movement along the axes?

I also need electrical advice. Do the “brains” I listed feed on 12 volts? Will they have enough power supply from the computer? Where will the laser power supply connect? Yes, there will be a lot of clarifications, for sure. The main post will be added / duplicated as the project progresses.

P.S. please do not write offtopic like "this will not take off." Does the engraver work on video? So someone took off.

P.S.S. I'll add along the way if I forgot something.

With such a pace sensible And very helpful advice and critics will have time to come up with another similar printer and scanner, and so there are already boards with other things, if you order them from China, but by Russian post.

Knowledge of electronics will allow you to compose a simple circuit yourself and more experience in soldering. If I knew everything about the engines, but about which ardruino would be better to install, then I would not even register here, because why would I need advice. Is it logical? There is no experience in ardruino and the like, because up to this point I did not see much point in them, because. most of the DIY projects were either quadcopters or dancing robots, which I'm not particularly interested in.

And now to the point:

1. "Not from but for." The essence of the project is just the opposite (well, this is so, I explain, for bad readers). Those. to prove in practice that something useful can be assembled from improvised old equipment. So exactly FROM and FOR!

2. If not ardruino, then what? Can you describe in more detail what to take in terms of filling?

3. Kits are different and Nema 17 sounds like “that chick over there, but not that one, but the one on the left.” Parts have their own designations, names, articles. The same Nema 17 is not one position, as I understand it. There are 0.6 amperes, and there are 1.7.

Everything that seemed to me necessary for an engraver, I described above and even asked to supplement the list if I missed something.

ABOUT! Invented! If the concept is so difficult to understand, then you can full list(rails, guides, mute 17th, "brains", harnesses, etc.). But only detailed list. If there is a link to such a topic, then you can also link. I will then throw out everything already available from this list and make a general price tag.

P.S. Yes. I forgot to take a picture of the PSU from the computer, but I hope everyone knows what it looks like. And about the size of the treated surface. Well, in theory, A4 would not be bad. I think that the scanner sets the size here.

3. And why is TB6560 better than A3967?

Find datasheets for both and compare - they google it right away, especially on the TB6560DRV2 it is in Russian, although I took these trifles, although I took them for experiments for children (I myself am a supporter of normal drivers, not cheap ones) because everything important is on the drivers themselves. At least the second ones have a working current only up to 750mA (a little more peak), while the first ones have up to 3 A, there is a difference in the maximum working power.

You didn't mention your level of knowledge. With a low level of understanding of electronics, you should not take on this project.

Mentioned and accurately stated:

how many amps should they be in power

Absolutely zero if the power is in amps. So soon the path will be measured in liters. Although such a parameter as power is NOT a characteristic of stepper motors at all. The level of understanding of electronics is two meters below the plinth. Another writer, not a reader.

Arduino flop. Forever.

Far from being a fact - such as in the first post the video "devices" are made on an arduino, especially since there is software for them, and turnkey solutions, even here on the forum a similar thing was presented on the arduinka and even breathed, but again, the aFFtor is too lazy to look for - he is a writer. it's easier for him to ask.

Knowledge of electronics will allow you to compose a simple circuit yourself and more experience in soldering. If I knew everything about the engines, but about which ardruino would be better to install, then I would not even register here, because why would I need advice. Is it logical?

Well, yes - a consumer approach that is logical for today's youngsters: I'm itching, but here on the forum everyone is obliged to help me, otherwise why was it created, otherwise all the goats and so on and so forth, including the "revolution, blah", because I I'm too lazy to look for, and if I knew, then why would I need a forum, because I myself share knowledge - FIG. And in fact:

Why does everyone so sacredly believe that rays of bright knowledge should come from the old-timers, penetrating absolutely black heads through and through? And to reproach everyone that “an amateur is beaten” is a situation considered in the immortal work of Ilf and Petrov. And it's not about boredom, or the notorious trolling. The point is in every questioner. Moreover, notice. from many “trolls” gloating here, answers that cost MONEY very regularly slip through. Read the forum carefully. There are very, very competent thoughts on the organization and on methods, methods, repairs, equipment. one shit, but someone understands the irony. So these are also internal problems of readers. Therefore, there is no need to make a resentment and climb into someone else's monastery with your charter.

I would recommend you read this first. or more full cycle articles by this author “One step, two steps. “, but there are “many letters”. Then after that questions on steppers and their drivers will not be so stupid, but if you understand the article / articles, they will become to the point.

motors and harnesses / belts are also from an inkjet printer.

From what is right here and now there is a printer:

And in the photo, the Epson photo R220, which has NOT a stepper on the carriage drive, but a collector motor, which, in conjunction with the encoder ribbon, works in server mode (photo of the engine here) - googled in flight.

So you are even the type of engine by appearance you can't recognize. which confirms the qualification in radio engineering.

Such an engine past the checkout. those.:

Those. to prove in practice that something useful can be assembled from improvised old equipment. So what exactly is FROM and FOR

in your case, it does NOT work, well, unless the engine from the pump turns out to be a stepper, even less likely - the engine for pulling the material. It was very old printers with a print speed of no more than 4 sheets per minute that had steppers (for example, the ancient Epson Photopaint 800, which was produced in the late 90s - everything is on steppers). And in general, in order to make such projects in the style of “make candy out of shit - I picked everything up from a landfill”, you need to have knowledge at the level of a serviceman of such equipment, then you know which engines will work, and ready-made modules from boards with drivers for these engines can be use and all that, but NOT with a complete lack of knowledge, which you have already confirmed many times in your posts.

ABOUT! Invented! If the concept is so difficult to comprehend, then a complete list is possible (rails, guides, mute 17th, “brains”, harnesses, etc.). But only detailed list. If there is a link to such a topic, then you can also link. I will then throw out everything already available from this list and make a general price tag.

Or maybe, in addition to the list, you can also adjust the drawings for assembly? Or can you immediately make a complete detailing and an assembly drawing with a set of firmware? Or should I send you the assembled sample right away? and then you will do a heroic deed and throw out everything that is not necessary for this from the list you have compiled.

Mdaaa. Super design. Although I was pleased that you write competently, otherwise, usually, topics with similar megaprojects are created by figures who make up to five mistakes in a word. So, if you understand my epistolary quirks, you have a chance, at least to find and read enough literature for the real implementation of such a project, but it will take a lot of hard searching and serious work, and correctly formulated questions can be answered in essence, but don't do everything for you. And about sculpting from shit and sticks, it makes sense to read “this project” and “this one”, then it will become clear why there is such an attitude towards projectors. And why for such projects they started the section “The circus left here“.

So, I made an introduction for the project. I recommend that you find here on the forum a topic with a similar in meaning already made project of such an engraver and study, and, for starters, read the above recommended article by Ridiko, so to start a dialogue. Well, wish you luck.

If I knew everything about the engines, but about which ardruino would be better to install, then I would not even register here, because why would I need advice.

I didn’t work with arduino, BUT if I needed to get information on this circuitry, I would register on sites about arduino. Yes, and to read, get advice, you do not need to register.

I looked at the photo. thought a lot.

Here's what I thought:

- The guides are flimsy and short (the working field of A4 format is not that)

With such details, I would not aim at a laser printer (well, it won’t be interesting), but you can try a 3De printer. pile.

Not more than 3-4 months ago. here one comrade reported on his work. also built lasers. if you didn’t lie for sale, and spanked not even bad ones. The design is very simple - Spartan. but functional. So what am I. If I'm not mistaken, he also used arduino. Most importantly, no fuss with soldering-resoldering. everything is on the slats and clips. (a little welding-frame).

I don’t know how ethical it will be to roll out someone else’s work for obvious plagiarism in the future, but if I already posted it for general viewing. so that was an option. I'll rummage around right now. If I find it, I'll poke my finger (nose).

found. read see. simpler. like nowhere else.

The same project, moreover, a working one.

Gentlemen, I'm collecting cnc from scanners. everything works, but there is a problem.

there are several stepper motors from the scanner. regular tablet. motor thickness 7-9mm, diameter 35mm.

I collect something like a plotter.
I connect to CNC v3 + A4988 + arduino uno. 12 volts for cnc v3 12V is the minimum.

motors get very hot. I tried to adjust the current A4988 to a minimum. motors squeal, still warm.

what to do? I ask for help.
I couldn't find engine specs. can you tell me? at least approximately.
can these A4988 drivers be used for such motors?
What is the easiest way to solve the problem of overheating of engines? otherwise I'm sure they will melt after an hour of work%)

motor thickness 7-9mm, diameter 35mm.

IMHO: bullshit engines. only make nanorobots.

similar (in appearance) like in cheap cassette players stood.

Well, honestly. even just to play - too small

motors squeal, still warm.

as long as I remember. 80 degrees is normal for a stepper. to grab by hand, it seems to be boiling. but no.

when using the gearbox included in the motor, a simple laser module moves normally. without skipping steps.

Probably 5 volts is enough for them. I made this assumption from the fact that some scanners simply work from usb.

I'll try to leave it for a couple of hours at work.

but still, there are ideas to use for other purposes also 3-5 volts bipolar engines:

How and what to manage. maybe directly from the arduino? please help with schematic if possible

Gentlemen, I'm collecting cnc from scanners. everything works, but there is a problem. there are several stepper motors from the scanner. regular tablet. motor thickness 7-9mm, diameter 35mm.

Another project of assembling a "supermegadrive" from what is worn in the trash. If you really want to know the parameters of the engine, then take and restore its power circuit in the scanner, and then, based on the datasheet of its power driver, calculate the operating current.

The time has come when the hyperboloid engineer Garin from the novel by Alexei Tolstoy moved to the kitchen table of an ordinary Moscow apartment.

A couple of years ago, inexpensive laser engraver kits could be found in Chinese online stores. At first, the laser power was 100 mW, then 500 mW ... Recently, a 5 W engraver appeared, such a power of a semiconductor laser already allows not only to burn pictures on plywood, but also to cut plywood.

The laser cutter assembly kit arrived in a quality package. Styrofoam in a cardboard box.
The laser engraver 5500mw A5 Mini Laser Engraving Machine is supplied as an assembly kit: aluminum rails, stepper motors, control board, laser eye protection goggles, body parts for assembly and a control board with fittings. It took one evening to assemble the device.

Design laser CNC simpler design 3D printer, the same guides along which the head is driven by stepper motors. Only a 3D printer has three of them, and they move the head in three dimensions. In our case, it is enough that the head simply moves along the plane in two dimensions. No effort is needed to move it, since there is no mechanical contact with the material of the workpiece. The laser engraver connects to a computer via a standard USB port.

The part you want to cut or the image you want to burn must be drawn in a vector program. The program must save the image file in wmf format.

A file in this format can be imported into the program that controls the engraver.

It is better to use the free SketchUp program for this (enough simple program to create 3D models). The engraver control program BenBox is downloaded free of charge from the seller's website.

Unfortunately, the laser power is not adjustable. The program sets the speed of movement of the head - the faster it moves, the less it burns.

If you want to cut, set the speed lower. To regulate the power, you need to order an additional fee; by installing it, you can adjust the power manually. For engraving, 100-500 mW is enough, and for cutting material - 2000-5000 mW.

During operation, the engraver smokes slightly. With the window open, the smoke did not bother me much. But smoke delays the laser beam, reducing its power and, accordingly, the depth of cut.

Everything would be fine, but connoisseurs laser cutting They write that the lens can be smoked. Therefore, immediately after buying the machine, you need to make a powerful hood or at least install a fan on the engraver head.

HOW THE LASER CNC MACHINE CUT

As you know, the laser does not cut, it burns through. The higher the laser power, the more resistant the material they can process. The point of laser cutting is that the material has time to “evaporate” in the laser beam before the edges of the material adjacent to the cutting point begin to burn.

When cutting deep, the edges of the upper layers of the material burn, therefore, a deep cut with a laser has a trapezoidal shape with a wide side on top. When cutting a material with a weak laser, heating and ignition of the edges of the material occur. the same trajectory.

Only here is not a linear relationship "laser power-number of passes." That is, if you can cut through a thin sheet of balsa or plywood with a 5W laser. then for a laser cut of 2 W, you will have to do not 2-3 passes, but much more. So with the hopes of "buy cheaper and just drive several times along the lines of cuts" it is better to part. You need to take a more powerful laser, preferably with a power reserve.

FOCUSING THE LASER

Focusing of the laser is manual.

We enclose the object for engraving.

When turning on the laser at minimum power, in order to focus it on the object of engraving, it is necessary to manually rotate the adjustment of the focusing lens until the spot size becomes a point, it becomes minimal. In this case, we get the maximum power.

When cutting plywood, the laser beam, having cut through a couple of millimeters, is already defocused, weakens and does not cut the plywood to the end. It turns out that the deeper we cut, the weaker the beam. In this case, it makes sense to focus the laser on the surface on which the plywood blank will lie.

Practical use engraver at home

The engraver is ideal for cutting leather. You can apply any pattern on the skin and immediately cut out patterns with a laser. A big plus of the laser when cutting synthetic fabrics and leather is that the edges are cauterized and then do not fray. Easily engraved plastic. You can make the cover of your favorite stylish engraving on your smartphone.

Lasers have long been part of our everyday life. Guides use light pointers, builders with beam support set levels. The calling of the laser - to heat up substances (up to thermal destruction) - is used for cutting and decorating. One of the applications- laser engraving. On different materials, you can get subtle patterns with virtually no restrictions on complexity.

The implementation presents a rich selection of engraving machines, mainly made in China. The equipment is not very expensive, however, the purchase just for the purpose of entertainment is impractical. Much more fun to do homemade laser engraver with my own hands.

How to make an engraver from a printer?

How to make an engraver with your own hands? It is not difficult to make a CNC engraver from an old printer. It's like an Arduino kit. Detailed instructions, of course, will help you navigate everything.

However, first it is necessary prepare all the required components for the CNC:

• 3 studs from hardware mall;
• duralumin P-profile;
• 2 metal bearings;
• a piece of plexiglass;
• metal nuts of ordinary size and large;
• 3 stepper motors, they can be taken from an old printer.

It is also necessary that the following devices are at hand:

• saw;
• screws;
• screwdrivers and other tools.

The only thing that will need to be done outside the house is to weld the base for the CNC machine, although it is also possible to do it in bolting.

Stages of machine production

The manufacture of the engraver begins with the fastening of the lead screw and profile. The final stage - use a sled.

Working process:

The engraving machine in this modification, developed by oneself, can be an ordinary home dremel. Attach your engraver allowed with plexiglass.

So the do-it-yourself laser desktop engraver is ready. Now it remains only to connect it with the help of limit switches. Given makeshift fixture makes it possible to carry out stone carving at home, but does not make it possible to divide it.

How to assemble a laser engraver using a diode from an old DVD drive?

You can make your own laser from a DVD drive. The optical beam, which is made by one's own hands, is unlikely to manage with iron or wood.

However, it will be entirely possible for them to share:

1. paper;
2. a small sheet of plastic;
3. polyethylene film;
4. other simple and delicate items.

In addition to the above alternatives, a laser made with your own hands from a DVD drive is allowed to come up with many different tasks. In particular, his potential is excellently revealed in the creative field.

If thread is not needed, with a laser from a DVD drive, you can:

1. burn patterns or pictures on wood surfaces;
2. illuminate various objects at a great distance;
3. use as a decoration at home;
4. make direct lines (because the beam is perfectly visible), which will be especially useful when building and repairing.

What will be needed to complete the job?

To make a beam, you need certain elements. They are always sold in ordinary shopping malls electronics, therefore, no extra effort will be applied.

Thus, for the purpose of production, you will need:

The disassembly of the drive must be carried out with special care. If handled carelessly, you can not only ruin the mechanism, but also cause damage to your own eyes. The problem is that the beam has the ability to blind at some time and negatively affect visual acuity.

Now homemade fixture should be provided with electricity. The power supply of a conventional diode must be 3V, and the consumption must be up to 400 mA. These values ​​may vary depending on the write speed of the drive. The laser does not require huge performance. So, for a drive whose write speed is 16X, 200 mA is enough. Increase given value the maximum allowed up to 300 milliamps, otherwise it is possible to spoil the crystal and forget about a homemade laser.

A homemade collimator is easiest to make with an ordinary laser pointer. The cheapest Chinese version will do. All that is needed is to remove the optical lens from the "laser" (it is visible). The width of the half-line will be more than 5 millimeters. Of course, this kind of coefficient is huge and cannot claim the title of a laser in any way. The stock lens of the collimator will help to reduce the diameter down to 1 mm. Although in order to achieve such an effect, it will be necessary to work thoroughly.

Creating a laser with your own hands is a very interesting process. It does not require any specialized parts or large economic costs. Completely quite accurate and shallow knowledge of the electrician. With successful production, you can start using the device. Cutting beam without difficulty bursts balloons, burns through paper and leaves prints on wood. However, when using, one should not forget about technical safety.

Our ancestors were engaged in stone processing in ancient times. This culture has survived to this day, but it has become much easier and more convenient to work with this material, thanks to innovations and modern machines. The laser desktop stone engraver facilitates the work and allows you to make clear drawings on any type of stone.

The laser machine is convenient and fast way put any image on a stone, thanks to which you can make a pattern of any complexity, even those that you cannot create with your own hands. With the help of an engraving printer, you can open your own profitable business. But how much does such a machine cost, and which models are popular?

Stone engraving machine

Today, many companies produce good quality laser machines. Each of them has its pros and cons. The table describes the models the best manufacturers and prices.

These are the most popular models that allow you to start your stone engraving service business. But not everyone has the opportunity to immediately purchase such equipment, in which case you can start your own business with a machine made by yourself. A laser engraver made from a DIY printer is the best way to start a business with minimal investment.

How to make an engraver from a printer?

Making an engraving machine from an old printer is not difficult at all. detailed instructions will help you figure everything out. But first you need to prepare all the necessary details:

• 3 studs from a hardware store;
• aluminum U-profile;
• 2 bearings;
• a piece of plexiglass;
• nuts of the usual size and long;
• 3 stepper motor, you can borrow them from an old printer.

Also, besides this, you need to have such tools at hand: a hacksaw, a drill, a jigsaw, bolts, screws, screwdrivers and other tools. The only thing that will need to be done outside the house is to weld the base for the machine, although it can also be made on a bolted mount. Instructions on how to make a laser printer at home with your own hands are described in the table below.

So the do-it-yourself laser desktop engraving machine is ready. Now it remains only to connect it, using limit switches. This homemade device allows you to carry out stone carving at home, but does not make it possible to cut it.

What stones can be engraved on?

Not every stone can be processed engraving machine, dark colors are best for engraving natural materials, such as:

• granite;
• marble;
• white marble.

The engraving on snow-white marble looks especially beautiful, since the machine is capable of producing a continuous white-stone inscription or pattern, as a result it turns out very beautifully. Laser engraving can be compared to glass matting. After all, with the help of such a machine it will not be possible to make a deep inscription, since the beam is able to melt the material, and in the end result the work is almost invisible. The best effect from the machine is obtained on surfaces, in shades of gray.

But as soon as you manage to earn money for a good machine, it is worth buying it if there is a prospect of working further in this area. Professional machines allow you to create an image quickly, accurately and accurately, this applies even the smallest details. Thanks to a professional-grade laser engraver, it is possible to achieve excellent resemblance to a photographic source. A professional machine, even a desktop one, is capable of writing in any font and size, so it is convenient and practical.

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Starting a business with a homemade engraver is convenient and inexpensive, but in the future, in order to satisfy all the needs and desires of your customers, you still have to purchase modern model engraver, albeit inexpensive. Thus, your business will prosper and pay off in a short time. By learning how to create masterpieces on stone with your own hands, you will make yourself a good name, and customers will come to you with orders.

In contact with

Engravers are widely used in various industries, not only for engraving various materials, but also for drilling miniature holes, polishing, grinding, milling. The same operations with their help can be performed at home. If this is required only occasionally, or you just need to save money on buying a tool, then you can make a mini-drill yourself from unnecessary equipment, which often lies unused in garages or storage rooms. With the help of home-made drills, it will be possible to perform the same operations as with a factory tool of similar power, only you will need to use the appropriate nozzles.

According to the features of their functioning, engravers are divided into milling and laser engravers. In the first, the material is processed with various nozzles. In laser models, all the work is done by a laser beam - this is non-contact engraving. At the same time, such a device belongs to the category of high-tech equipment. But homemade engraver it is possible to do at home.

To create a laser engraver with your own hands, you will need the following parts, tools and materials:

• stepper motors from a dvd drive;
• computing platform Arduino;
• Proto Board with display;
• limit switches for motors;
• laser module (for example, with a power of 3 W);
• a device for adjusting the magnitude of the constant voltage;
• laser cooling system;
• MOSFET (transistor);
• boards for assembling motor control elements;
• frame;
• toothed pulleys and belts for them;
• various sizes of bearings;
• wooden boards: 2 pieces measuring 135x10x2 cm and two more - 125x10x2 cm;
• 4 round metal rods with a section of 10 mm;
• lubricant;
• clamps, bolts with washers and nuts;
• vise;
• locksmith tools;
• drill;
• electric jigsaw or circular saw;
• files or sandpaper;
• computer or laptop.

Stepper motors can be taken not only from DVD, but also from a printer that is practically not used.

The machine is assembled according to the following algorithm:

• create a foundation;
• mount guides with movable carriages;
• assemble an electrical circuit;
• install the necessary programs on the computer;
• carry out adjustment (adjustment) of the laser head;
• check the functionality of the machine.

Connection diagram stepper electric motors taken from an inkjet printer or DVD is shown in the photo below.

The entire sequence of actions that allows you to assemble a laser engraver on arduino is shown in detail in the video below.

The created CNC engraver will cost much cheaper than any factory-produced laser models. It can be used for making stamps, for photoresist, for working with wood, plywood, plastic, cardboard, polystyrene foam and cork sheets. Metal engraving is also possible.

Assembling an electric engraver with a tripod and a flexible shaft

An electric engraver is the most common type of this kind of tool at home. To make a functionally complete device on your own, capable of competing with analogues industrial production, you need an electric motor that runs on alternating current 220V. Such electric motors can be taken from the following equipment:

• Soviet-style reel-to-reel tape recorders;
• DVD players;
• washing machines;
• angle grinders;
• electric sewing machines.

The latter option is optimal, because it is possible to adjust the speed in a fairly wide range using the built-in rheostat.

For domestic use a drill with an idle speed of up to 6 thousand revolutions per minute is enough.

Holding an electric motor from any of the listed types of equipment in one hand is inconvenient, and in most cases it is simply impossible. Therefore, it will be necessary flexible shaft for engraver. Wherein general form the future device will turn out, approximately, as in the photo below.

The functionality of the created device for engraving will depend on the materials and mechanisms used in the assembly. The motor can be put on the table, but it is more convenient to do tripod for engraver, or rather its likeness.

Production of a flexible shaft

With a flexible shaft, everything is relatively simple. It can be done in several ways:

• from an old drive shaft, for example, from a dental drill;
• using the speedometer cable of a motorcycle or car.

The shaft attachment can also be used from a drill or make your own from different materials, for example, from wood, textolite, plastic pipes. From textolite a device (handle) for holding the snap is done like this:

• cut off 2 textolite platinum (sheet thickness should be about 1 cm) about 2 by 10 cm in size;
• connect them together and grind them with a file or sandpaper on the outside to make a cylinder;
• pierced with inside grooves;
• metal rings fix the parts with each other;
• a tube is inserted into the front of the handle, under a cartridge consisting of two separate halves connected with a bolt.

As a result, you get a handle, as in the photo below.

done inner hole between the textolite plates there must be such a section so as not to interfere with the free rotation of the cable. It will be possible to insert nozzles with a shank diameter from 2 to 5 mm into the chuck.

Assembling the engraving machine

It is very easy to make a tripod (base for installing an electric motor) from plywood or the same textolite. To do this, proceed as follows:

• cut out from a sheet of material several pieces (4 is enough) of the size corresponding to the electric motor;
• a motor is attached to one of the fragments using clamps;
• collect a box;
• a hole is drilled in the front for a flexible shaft.

The created structure is suspended from the wall.

Convenient to use factory clamp holder for the engraver, if the size of the electric motor allows. Mount connects to any table. But such a device will need to be purchased additionally.

Further assembly of the engraving device is performed in the following sequence:

• using a coupling created from a drilled bolt, the cable is connected to the motor shaft;

• put a rubber hose of the appropriate diameter on the cable and attach the handle made to it;

• install the start button;
• connect the equipment to the network;

• check the performance of the device.

A homemade drill will allow you to process wood, bone, metal, glass, plastic, ceramic blanks, as well as different metals, natural and artificial stone.

You can also use electric motors to create home-made straight grinders, rated for 380 V, but if they can be adjusted to 220. In such cases, you will need to tinker extra. There is a lot of information on this subject both on the Internet and in books on electrical engineering.

Making a mini drill from a motor

It happens that at home it is required to make small holes in wood or plastic, while drills from a drill are not suitable. In such cases, a homemade mini-drill from a motor will help. It can also be used to wood engraving. And if there is an interest in amateur radio, then using the created tool, you can drill and cut boards.

To create a homemade fixture, you will need to take a miniature electric motor from an old tape recorder. even fit various models motors from children's toys. If you use a mini-engine from a 12 V tape recorder as a drive, then you will also need the following materials and parts:

• power supply unit or several batteries (accumulator) with 12 V output;
• a piece of plastic pipe (about 10 cm long) with such a cross section that a miniature electric motor can be inserted inside;
• heat-resistant glue;
• power button;
• wiring for electrical connections.

Do-it-yourself mini-drill is assembled according to the following algorithm:

• using an electric drill or a knife, make a hole in the tube for the switch;
• lubricate the motor with glue to fix it inside the future case;

• insert the motor into the tube;
• any of the wires through which the motor is powered is protruded into a hole previously drilled in the housing, and the other end is left on the back of the housing;

• one wire from the power supply is inserted into the hole for the button;
• solder the switch to the protruding ends with a soldering iron, carefully isolating the contacts;

• the two wires remaining from the end of the tube (from the button and the motor) are connected to the connector for connecting the power supply;

• cut off the neck of any plastic bottle;
• make a hole in the center of the cover for the connector and glue these parts together;
• glue the neck to the tube;

• connect the assembled mini drill to the power supply;

• by pressing a button, they check the performance of the homemade product.

Supply unit voltage should be selected so that it matches the operating voltage of the electric motor used.

To make a mini drill autonomous, it is enough just to adapt batteries to it.

Homemade dremel from a drill and a blender

If you have an old or unnecessary blender, then it is also easy to make a mini-drill out of it. This household appliance already has a comfortable handle. In addition to the blender itself, you will also need such devices and additional parts:

• tools to disassemble the device (screwdrivers with different tips, pliers);
• caliper or ruler;
• collet;
• soldering iron with soldering kit;
• file for finishing, sandpaper;
• switch.

Can do without last detail, but then you will need to constantly hold the power button with your hand while working with a straight grinder.

An engraver from a blender is created like this:

• neatly disassemble household appliances;
• they take out internal parts: an electric motor and a printed circuit board that controls the operation of the device;
• using a caliper, measure the diameter of the spindle in order to purchase a collet chuck suitable for it;
• if the electric motor is contaminated with something, for example, rust, then it is carefully cleaned with care so as not to damage the windings;
• fix the purchased collet chuck (or made by yourself) on the spindle;
• the power button already on the blender is replaced with a switch: solder the wire contacts;
• adapting a hole in the housing of the household appliance for a new switch;
• install the electric motor with the board in their places inside the case;
• collect the tool.

Depending on the model of the blender you are converting, you may need to do additional holes in its case, or expand existing ones with a file. Doing this won't be a problem.

The entire described process of assembling a dremel from a blender is demonstrated in detail in the video below.

You can not remake the blender, but simply connect a flexible shaft for a factory-made engraver to it. The docking method is shown in the video below.

You can also make an engraver from a drill. The assembly of variants with and without a flexible shaft is shown in the following videos.

Making an engraver from a 3D printer

An ordinary 3D printer is a good basis for creating an engraver, with which you can cut various materials, do crafts and perform other operations. To upgrade an existing device, you will need an additional install fee, which will feed the operational circuits of the equipment and the laser module.

An engraving machine created from a 3D printer is demonstrated in the following video.

In addition to the considered simplest ways to create a homemade engraving machine from a 3D printer, a small electric motor, a small electric motor, a blender and a drill, there are also other options. At the same time, both this technique and other power tools are used as a basis. Craftsmen constantly come up with new modifications, showing design imagination. Implementing in practice any of the above options or independent development, one should provide security created homemade. To do this, it is necessary to isolate the electrical contacts well and to reliably assemble the equipment.