What is the total footprint?
Enclosure dimensions are 1000 x 650 x 320mm. Add to that the height of the buttons on top ;-).
What is the projected total conversion cost?
One of the original goals I set out at the beginning of this project was to keep the total conversion cost under €500. If you take a look into the B.O.M., you’ll see that I am slightly over that amount. However, some of the items on there may be replaced by cheaper alternatives (honeycomb for example can be replaced by much cheaper mesh plate). It also greatly depends on what parts you may already have on hand and what tools you have access to.
In short: €500 / $600 is a perfectly feasible baseline, provided you can make some of the custom parts yourself. With the cost of a K40 added to that, you still get a decent 600 x 400 mm lasercutter for under €850 / $1000!
I don’t have a lathe/cnc mill. Where can I get the custom parts that I can’t make myself?
Sadly I won’t offer any part sets for sale anymore. You’ll have to look around locally or be creative, like I did.
Is there a possibility to build the LAYZOR without owning a K40?
At this point in time, I will only endorse a K40 conversion, not a from-scratch build. Simply because that’s how I did it and what I have experience with. However, there is no reason to believe it would be impossible if you are resourceful enough and have some prior knowledge about how lasers work.
Can you give some more specifics on that adjustable Z? Is it motorized?
There is about 100mm of Z travel. Adjustments are easily made with the large jog wheel on the top panel. One full 360° turn corresponds with 1mm of Z travel, making even the tiniest adjustments very intuitive. Fast Z-travel is done by driving the jog wheel with a cordless drill. Personally, I see no need for more control than that. And quite honestly, I doubt the stock controller and power supply can handle an extra motor to begin with.
So at this time I have no plans to make the adjustable Z powered. But nothing is stopping you from adding a motor if you really want it.
Will this build work with 50/60/80 Watt laser tubes?
First off: I have no experience with higher wattage tubes so you are on your own in this. That said, fitting an 800mm 50W tube should be possible without issue, provided you upgrade the PSU accordingly. Any higher than that may be possible with some modifications, but as a drop-in replacement, I don’t think so. Basically you will be limited by the physical dimensions of the tube vs. the enclosure.
I suggest downloading the CAD file and check for yourself what’s what.
Can I share your free files?
No. I offer them on this site for free. In return I respectfully ask to point interested parties to this webpage and not share my work outside of it.
What level of technical proficiency do I need to possess in order to successfully see this conversion through?
I would say you need to be fairly confident around mechanical and electrical applications. You need to be able to troubleshoot independently, just like I had to do. You also need to have access to at least common ‘basic’ tools (power drill, miter saw, multimeter, thread taps, etc.). I did most of the legwork, and I’ll try to make the plans as clear as possible. However, I can’t account for all the different K40 versions out there (+ I can always make a mistake too …) so some problem-solving skills are pretty much a must. That said, this also isn’t rocket science. Common sense gets you a long way.
If you are looking for a plug-and-play solution this project is not for you.
How dangerous is this project?
Lasers are inherently dangerous: they work on lethal voltages and they will blind you / burn your skin in an instant. To top things off their beam is completely invisible to the human eye, so one moment of carelessness is all it takes … Also keep in mind that K40 electronics are notoriously wonky to begin with. I added some safety features to the LAYZOR design that are lacking in a stock K40, but I cannot stress enough to always take the necessary precautions. Wear safety glasses at all times, always have a fire exinguisher at hand and make sure your machine is grounded correctly. Don’t touch any wires/electronics if you don’t know what you’re doing. Here’s a more exhaustive repository of CO2 laser safety tips: https://www.repairfaq.org/sam/laserco2.htm#co2saf.
If you keep all of this in mind you should be good to go ;-).