Richard Thornton 2

Just throwing another brick in the pond. When using a drawing imported into LightBurn or LaserGRBL, do you need the lines to be polylines or are ‘standard’ lines OK. I ask this after watching https://itat-forum.bmfa.uk/topicid/77 Which just like Ron’s zoom was extreamly informative and have already made use of 2 functions who’s icons have been sitting there all along just waiting to be used.

You lucky devil. They now charge £28 a year to keep it up-to date, that’s after you’ve bought the £90 version.

Can you elaborate please, difference between M4 and M3 ( and to avoid any abuse I appreciate it’s normally 1mm 🙈)

That’s a very good idea, thanks for the help. I wasn’t sure how that would be achieved. Going to take the plunge and order a Sculpfun S30 pro with air assist.

Ron, on your old Sculpfun cutter, can you ‘start’ a cut at a reasonably accurate position and is this done manually or by placing the object be cut in a position in relation to the bed. I realise it seems an odd question

If you import a drawing in DXF format, does it then cope with the curves?

Trying to sort out all the pitfalls before reaching for the credit card. (While the present Missus is in the garden!) Both the ATOMSTACK and SCULFUN models I am looking at or comparing, have extender kits. It seems that you can increase the cutter size from about 400 x 400mm to 800 x 400mm in the Y axis, there is a kit for the Sculfun that enlarges the X axis as well, BUT where do you get a honeycomb cutter bed that big without having to purchase 2 standard bed? Surely the cross over will cause issues. I see there is a 500 x 500mm but seems pointless extending the cutter without a matching bed, or am I being thick? Don’t all rush to reply, please 😈

Not meaning to ruffle feather at all. I like the way LightBurn works, ie the logic which is a preference only but also the fact that you have the ability to produce a “test cut” to sort of calibrate your cutter to the material your cutting. Finally, as I am yet to actually part with £90 when my free trail is up, I was particularly hoping that someone would point out that LightBurn and LaserGRBL are just as good as each other and what’s possible in the one program, is in fact, doable in the other.

Morning Basil. Interesting topic. I remember watching a tv documentary on the manufacture of the Spitfire Memorial located in Castle Brom and when the fabricated the support struts, instead of nice sweeping curves, the software that the drawing was initially drawn on, or just incase that’s libellous, the software operating the flame cutter, cut a series of straight lines to produce a curve. Funny how you remember stuff that at the time I thought ‘oh’ and now years later, wonder what draw that has been filed away in my head.

Thanks Ron. Following on from your BMFA ITAT zoom video, I noticed that you used that ‘template’ tester which at the time I hadn’t realised that it was bespoke to LightBurn and isn’t part of the cutters setup. So it looks like £90 extra spend on LightBurn, which does offer a 30 day trial period, BUT it seems a totally superior program when compared to LaserGRBL, but nothing in life is for free. 🙊🙉🙈

Ah, maybe I have mislead you Robin. It’s a Martin Baker Mk4 Ejection Seat. One of these.

Thanks for the heads up Ron. Just registered as it sounds interesting. Now to find the other zooms you mentioned re Fusion and CAD

Evening Ron. I have been glued to my iPad watching your BMFA zoom chat about your Fusion 360, conversion to DXF file and loading it into the Lightburn software and doing the job. ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT. There is so much information, unbiased and constructive with leads to previous zooms by others which I will be looking for. Really inspirational.

Ha, that made me laugh. We recently had a visit from 3 children, 2 lads, 7 and 3, one lads, 18 months and I spent 3 hours, collecting tools that came with “what’s this for? Trying to get to the electric tools that were still plugged in before the ‘on’ button was pressed. I am hoping that this addition to my man cave helps to build more accurate bits, particularly as I have taken to rebuilding a pair of floats for my Tiger Moth. Current creations have stalled as they are too heavy, not really the correct shape and are creating epoxy, fibre, foam issues that start small and then just get worse.

Fusion 360 is a seriously powerful tool but I struggled with it as I couldn’t get my head around the logic of it. I get on with AutoCAD, but have only just started working in 3D. I have been drawing a Martin Baker Mk4 in AutoCAD, trying to learn to discipline of the Z axis. I am hoping that this will assist with talking Fusion again.