[Noisebridge-discuss] lasercutter jam

Wed Apr 10 18:58:49 UTC 2013

Don't know about "home," as I recall you just jog the cutting point to
where you want it to be. I could be wrong about that, but in any case, it
works.

Click unlock to release/activate the laser cutter. It is locked by default
or when you first turn it on, I believe, & when locked, you can't use it. A
safety precaution.

Sorry I wasn't around last night, I attended a different meeting of another
important group I'm part of & hadn't seen in awhile. Success?

+11+

On Tue, Apr 9, 2013 at 9:54 PM, Phil Spitler <phil at bonfirelabs.com> wrote:

> Ok, It's firing ;-) The magnet had shifted.
>
> One more question I can't seem to find in the wiki.
>
> How do I tell the printer where "home" is.
>
> If I jog to a position, does it start printing from there?
>
> Also, the head is moving left and right but isn't moving top to bottom so
> I am just ending up with a single thin line etched.
>
> What does the "lock" button do in the app?
>
> Sorry for the newbie questions.
>
> Cheers.
>
> Phil
>
>
>
> *Phil Spitler*  |  Creative Technologist   |  *Bonfire Labs*  |  t :
> 415.394.8200  m : 415.571.3139
>
> Website <http://bonfirelabs.com/> | Facebook<http://www.facebook.com/bonfirelabs>|
> LinkedIn <http://www.linkedin.com/company/235257?trk=tyah>
>
> On Apr 9, 2013, at 9:39 PM, Martin Bogomolni wrote:
>
> Click red button, try firing.   Click red button, try firing again.
>
> Make sure you also have dialed up the amperage so that the arrow is
> pointing straight up towards the back of the machine.   (I make it a
> habit to turn the knob all the way down when I'm done using the laser)
>
> -M
>
> On Tue, Apr 9, 2013 at 9:33 PM, Phil Spitler <phil at bonfirelabs.com> wrote:
>
> Ok, back at Noisebridge and reducing the speed seems to have fixed that
>
> issue.
>
>
> My next issue is that the laser doesn't seem to fire at all.
>
>
> I tried pressing the 2 green buttons but nothing happens.
>
>
> The instructions also say that the small red button should be in the down
>
> position but that button doesn't seem to have a down state.
>
>
> arghhhh... so close yet so far.
>
>
> Any ideas on this one?
>
>
> Cheers.
>
>
> Phil
>
>
> Phil Spitler  |  Creative Technologist   |  Bonfire Labs  |  t :
>
> 415.394.8200  m : 415.571.3139
>
>
> Website | Facebook | LinkedIn
>
>
> On Apr 9, 2013, at 12:49 AM, Phil Spitler wrote:
>
>
> Great, so you think think it's just a speed issue? That is EXCELLENT news.
>
>
> I'll try tomorrow evening if I can get to NoiseBridge.
>
>
> I hope tomorrow I don't have the connection issue and therefore be able to
>
> get cutting.
>
>
> Much appreciated.
>
>
> Phil
>
>
> Phil Spitler  |  Creative Technologist   |  Bonfire Labs  |  t :
>
> 415.394.8200  m : 415.571.3139
>
>
> Website | Facebook | LinkedIn
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Apr 9, 2013, at 12:44 AM, Martin Bogomolni wrote:
>
>
> Slow down!   What you're experiencing is called stepper binding.
>
>
> Please lower the speed down, and you'll stop seeing the head do that.
>
> It's because the whole machine is 1) very dirty and 2) I just adjusted
>
> the head to ride the rails .. the pulleys have been loose and dragging
>
> for a long time, which means they can bind.
>
>
>
> =M
>
>
> On Tue, Apr 9, 2013 at 12:24 AM, Phil Spitler <phil at bonfirelabs.com>
> wrote:
>
>
> "some" progress was made.
>
>
>
> Somehow the PC is now connected to the Laser cutter and it can control it,
>
>
> not sure what changed, it could have been the magnet, I also reseated all
>
>
> the cords.
>
>
>
> However now when I try to print a document from Retina Engrave, the print
>
>
> head shoots to the left side of the printer and keeps hitting the side of
>
>
> the case.
>
>
>
> It's as if it doesn't know where zero is. I am calling it a day today but
>
>
> may try again tomorrow evening.
>
>
>
> Any idea on this issue?
>
>
>
> Thanks again.
>
>
>
> Phil
>
>
>
>
> Phil Spitler  |  Creative Technologist   |  Bonfire Labs  |  t :
>
>
> 415.394.8200  m : 415.571.3139
>
>
>
> Website | Facebook | LinkedIn
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Apr 8, 2013, at 11:32 PM, Casey Callendrello wrote:
>
>
>
> This often happens when two copies of RetinaEngrave are running. First try
>
>
> rebooting the laser cutter computer.
>
>
>
> If that doesn't fix it, it means we've probably fried the USB board.
>
>
> According to the intrepid hacker who has one of his own, this can happen
>
>
> when the tube gets weak (which ours definitely has). Let's hope this isn't
>
>
> the case.
>
>
>
> --Casey
>
>
>
>
>
> On 4/8/13 11:19 PM, Tony Longshanks LeTigre wrote:
>
>
>
> Hey, sending a quick note / desperate plea for help re: the lasercutter
>
>
>
> to a few people I think have been knowledgeable on the subject. I was
>
>
>
> supposed to give Phil (CC'd) a tutorial on how to use it tonight @
>
>
>
> Noisebridge & we ran into a wall. Tried everything we could think of,
>
>
>
> but RetinaEngrave persistently displayed an "Attempting to Connect"
>
>
>
> status bubble without ever succeeding or advancing past that stage.
>
>
>
> Furthermore, we couldn't even get the laser engraver itself to jog or
>
>
>
> move at all. The laser test worked, but that was it. We had several
>
>
>
> others look at it & tried most every variable: cords, software, logging
>
>
>
> in as different users, &c, to no avail. Among the few things we haven't
>
>
>
> tried are unplugging or replacing the card that the connecting USB cord
>
>
>
> plugs into on the laser cutter, and....suggestions? We do know, on the
>
>
>
> encouraging side, that Martin B. used this lasercutter, apparently with
>
>
>
> success, as recently as one day ago. CCing to Martin. (Sorry if you're
>
>
>
> getting multiple messages.) Martin, do you think in the course of your
>
>
>
> "checkup" on the machine the other day there is anything you might have
>
>
>
> changed that could explain this impasse?
>
>
>
>
> Thanks for any help you can offer!
>
>
>
>
> +11+
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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