CNC Laser Engraver.

After looking at other peoples Laser Engravers on Instructables site for some time, I decided to make my own.

Most of the parts I already had laying around in my shed.

The only things I had to buy were the 2 Easy Drivers for the stepper motors, an empty laser module/housing, and a genuine Arduino UNO, I don't mind clones but wanted to be sure this would work.

The engraver is made more or less the same way as a lot of others on Instructables, but a bit my way.

The Arduino is loaded with GRBL 0.9j

It was made with 2 old DVD drive platforms complete with stepper motors. The Laser Diode is from one of them.

I removed the ribbon cables from the motors and soldered my own wires on.

The laser diode driver is based on the popular LM317 adjustable voltage regulator, which supplies a constant current to the laser.

This is how I soldered the leads to the tiny pins on the laser diode:

https://www.instructables.com/id/Easy-Way-to-Solder...

I use Inkscape with 305 Engineering Raster 2 GCode Generator extension and J Tech Photonics GCode generator to convert image or text to GCode. Then I use GRBLControl to engrave.

I actually had a problem with GRBLControl when using 305 Engineers and J Tech extensions.

The problem was that the when loading a job in to GRBLControl the gcode showed up in the list of commands but not the actual image.

I found out why and fixed it. I did a couple of Instructables about the problem, which are here:

https://www.instructables.com/id/Fix-for-Image-Not-...

https://www.instructables.com/id/Fix-for-Image-Not-...

I don't have any drawings or plans, and it does look a bit of a mess from the back, as I just cobbled it together really.

It works as it should and although it is only and old DVD laser diode, it does engrave on the reverse side of mirrors providing I coat the back with a permanent black marker. I just have to remember to reverse the image before engraving if it has text in it. Otherwise it is back to front when viewing the mirror from the front.