Does anyone have/use a nail bed instead of honeycomb?
Crude example but shows the concept
I would like to see more nails. This concept improves airflow and reduces smoke residue due to less interaction of the laser with the metal support.
Cheers
Sasquatch
Yeah, I use a pin bed. Or often just a magnet bed.
I ditched the honeycomb. I hate the thing.
I have a piece of sheet steel laid down and a bunch of 1/4"D x 1/2"H magnets. Sometimes I just use the magnets alone especially for fairly stiff material (plywood or stiff paper) and I’m careful not to put the magnets under ares to be cut. A 1" grid drawn on the sheet metal with a sharpie helps me to locate the magnets in “safe” areas.
Other times the cut pattern is too complex to keep the magnets out of the way so I stick drywall screws on top of the magnets so there’s just a point touching the work.
About the only time I ever use the honeycomb is with rubber stamp material which is both heavy and floppy and needs tons of support. And doesn’t matter if the backside gets a little reflected flash back from the honeycomb.
Here’s my bed with a few magnets stuck on it. You already know what it looks like with some screws stuck on top.
EDIT: Oooops! forgot the photo. “Where’s the beef” indeed!
I use stacks of magnets for almost every job… my laser doesn’t have a honeycomb bed… but I ordered one (will arrive on monday) because I think I have a use for it with cutting and engraving leather.
My orginal bed is made of a sheet of aluminium which makes using the magnets a bit harder. (there are some steel supports for the aluminium so the magnets DO have a function)
But my next step is to put a steel sheet in instead.
I originally made a honeycomb bed for my home build, but found the rear splash burning too much. I then made a bed of aluminium angle and that was better for extraction than the honeycomb, but still too much rear burn. Its main purpose was to make a very flat stiff but light (relatively) base. I now have installed a steel sheet on top of the aluminium angle bed and use magnets. I would probably only use the honeycomb if I was engraving/cutting very flexible materials like paper or leather. So now I have three different beds to chose from depending on the job.
Cheers
David
I have a Thunderlaser Nova 24 which came with a honeycomb bed and have been thinking of making some pins that would fit in the honeycomb holes and taper to a radiused point. I have a CNC lathe so making these, probably from SS should be pretty straightforward.
Just buy some pop rivets that you then put into the honeycomb, easy and cheap. I have been using this method for a couple of years.
Thank you for your input. The only thing that’s keeping me from using this solution is the fear that there is play in the rivet as it gets inserted into the honeycomb and it would shift the material being engraved. This will be created my the vibration of the stepper motors and head moving. If you touch the laser machine one can feel vibration when its operating.
Just to make sure we are talking about the same thing @Grumpy_Old_Man
Yes that is what I use. I place the large end into the honeycomb, it is a tight fit with no movement.
That’s a good and inexpensive idea.
