PLACEMAT HEROQUEST

Now the big test. Using laser cutters is definately not something for ‘in the house’ but many of us don’t have a lot of choice where we hobby.

Im experimenting with this in my basement – but previous tests had smoke still rising up through the house. So will this smoke purifier be the ticket to stink and smoke free laser cutting?

For any smoke purification to work you first need to contain the smoke. And thats where the enclosure comes into play.

It consists of a series of panels that velcro together and a small extractor fan to help pull the smoke out of the enclosure by generating negative pressure.

When it all goes together its quite a big beast and is indeed made of fireproof materials. But its not air tight (nore is it meant to be – so keep that in mind!

Upgrading this system is not for the faint of heart, and its important to leave yourself plenty of time so you don’t feel rushed.

The included instructions are very clear, but I do advise checking youtube for videos of others doing this just to build a bit of confidence and spot any gottyas before you begin!

Removing the laser module is easy and gives a chance to see just how much buildup of residue actually happens! So definately ensure you have a regular cleanup schedule to prolong the life of your laser.

Above you can see some of the steps involved in removing components and replacing them with the new ones.

I took my time so the whole process took a couple of hours with regular breaks to watch videos etc to make sure I was on the right track.

Next up was the most daunting and complicated of the upgrades. to add the extension kit and higher power laser module actually require you to take apart most of the machine and replace a lot of the key components including main circut boards.

As I’ve come to expect from XTool all the upgrades were beautifully packed!

An air assit is a fundemental upgrade for laser cutters and should be top of most peoples lists.

It blows away smoke and residue and actually improves the effieciency of a laser so it cuts better.

This one pushes about 30L perminute and its pretty quiet to operate. and comes with all the tubing and connectors you need to add it to any of the available laser modules.

One thing became clear very quickly – to use exotic hard woods was going to take more power than I had at my disposal. So I had to look at upgrading the XTool setup I had. A lot!

I have a specific set of circumstances and this was an opportunity to see if the XTool could fit my needs.

I use the laser cutter in my basement so control of fumes and smoke needs to be a priority.

So to make this work I undertook the following upgrades.

1) Added Air assist
2) Added the extension kit to increase the available cutting area
3) Upgraded the Laser Module to 40W Diode
4) Added an extended enclosure to contain fumes
5) Added the XTool Smoke and Fumes Purifier to capture and contain the vapours.
6) Fire Supression and Other Safety Options

My main goal in this was to try and cut into exotic timbers, and I found it quite a challenge if Im honest.

Exotic timber can be difficult to source in dimensions that would be easy to work with, and they are also very expensive, and for a project like this where I would be experimenting as I go – that cost would build quickly!

But I managed to luck out at my local homewares store called ‘The Range’ where they had cutting boards made from solid Acacia wood for sale at a good size (perfect thickness) and a decent price of about £12 per board.

So I popped it under the laser and started experimenting, while I was at it I decided to try out bunch of other materials and options.

One particular fauxpa I made was mistaking this reclaimed kitchen cupboard door for solid oak – turned out to be chipboard vaneered and was impossible to cut!

Dungeonalia gave me an opportunity to try something new for my favourite game Heroquest.

I have been fascinated with fine wood working now for a while and have wondered if it might be possible to carve a beautiful dungeon board out of wood.

Hand carving would be an enourmous roject well out of my skill range, but I do have access to an open frame laser cutter, so I launched into experimenting with it.

Pictured Above is my 10W diode laser. It has a decent surface area and the 10W laser module is ok for very light work on materials like basswood etc