Silvertail A0 Laser Cutter/Maintenance Manual

Please note: Laser cutter maintenance should only be performed by the trained monkeys. This document exists for their reference.

Mirrors are numbered from 1 to 3, with #1 being the closest to the laser tube.

Aligning Optics

This is the procedure for a minor re-alignment, where you're mainly concerned with moving mirror #2. Mirror #1 should never need touching unless something seriously bad has gone wrong. Mirror #3 is a bit more of a fiddle too.

1. Make sure the "Laser Set" option on the laser controller menu is set to 100ms and 20%. Russ can attest that failing to do this may result in a masking tape fire.
2. Move the laser head to the bottom-right corner of the bed (this is the easiest place to start).
3. Put a piece of masking tape on top of the aperture in the laser head (in front of mirror #3).
4. Close the lid and fire the laser by pressing the "laser" button. You may need to press it 2-3 times to make a visible mark, but any more suggests that mirror #2 is wildly out of alignment (in this case, talk to Russ).
5. Adjust mirror #2 (undo the backnuts first) so it's hitting dead-centre of the aperture. You've only got three screws to play with, and each one angles the mirror diagonally.
6. Once aligned, move the laser head to a different corner of the bed, and check again. If the spot varies in position, there is probably a misalignment with mirror #1.
7. After alignment, always clean any optics which have had masking tape near them. The adhesive will vaporise and stick to the mirror.