[hackerspaces] Lasersaur on kickstarter.com wants $10k to develop an open source laser cutter

[John Griessen]

john arclight wrote:
> This sound interesting. Most importantly, I think we need a good,
> sturdy 3-axis gantry [...]all of the heavy-duty movements I've seen have involved one-off
> salvaged components[...]So I would encourage [...]an open design that could have
> multiple components bolted on.

At the enDesign makerspace in Austin TX, we have a gantry that is a pseudo copy
of a mechmate that uses V shaped ways and wheels.  One source is:
http://www.linearvguides.com/linearvguides/vguidewheels.htm
Not sure of prices, but these wheels and guides have been around for twenty years at least
and are likely cheap.  The smallest wheel is good for 280 lbs down, 65 lbs force sideways.

The ways are mounted on a steel frame and can be trued up with washers.  Getting
a steel frame built by welding, yet flat and square is a skill and design
problem.  Ours is undergoing mods to straighten weld warp by making opposing welds.
That may be good and can be designed in also.  We still need a few pieces for the Z axis
and they may get documented as pythonOCC 3D model code that can be shared.

John