Microcarpentry
Laser Cutting, 3D Printing & CNC
Design & Instruction
by Richard Lawler
richard@microcarpentry.com
Saturday, October 2, 2021
Modular Modular Synth Table
Wednesday, March 3, 2021
I ❤ MY PRUSA i3
My 3D printer is now my favorite go-to tool. I used to dismiss 3D printers as only being capable of making Happy Meal toys. Now I make all kinds of parts for all kinds of problems and uses -- plumbing, photography, telescopes, household appliances. I mostly design the parts in Fusion 360 then export the parts in SLA format to the Prusa Slicer application to prepare them for printing.
Thursday, September 17, 2020
Changes to Fusion 360's Personal Use License
In September 2020 Autodesk announced some changes to their Fusion 360 license for Personal Use that may have some makers confused or disappointed.
Autodesk posted details about these changes on their blog: Changes to Fusion 360 for Personal Use
I teach several classes at Chimera Arts Makerspace in Fusion 360. The introductory class in the series: "Introduction to Fusion 360 for Makers" helps makers evaluate whether Fusion 360 is a good choice for their projects and a safe investment of their time.
My initial reaction to Autodesk’s changes is that the move is unsettling and confusing, but, on closer examination of the details of the changes, it may be for the best in clarifying the uses of the software, something many beginners stumble over when trying to come to terms with the huge feature set of the program.
Tuesday, October 8, 2019
Microcarpentry.com has a new home
Thursday, July 18, 2019
My Shaper Origin Meta Project - Using Shaper Origin to make a worktable to work with the Shaper Origin
Saturday, May 18, 2019
Fusion 360 Classes
There is a sequence of two classes -- one is for beginners and the second is intermediate-level.
The beginner class is Introduction to Fusion 360 for Makers; it is a 2 hour class taught on the first Wednesday of the month at 7pm.
The intermediate-level class is Fusion 360 Techniques for Laser Cutting and CNC Routing. This class assumes you have mastered the material from the beginner class and goes on to explore specific techniques suited to working with sheet materials for making multi-dimensional projects. This Fusion 360 Techniques class is taught on the third Wednesday of the month at 7pm.
Each class is $50 and open to the general public. Sign up for specific classes through www.chimeraarts.org.
Saturday, May 4, 2019
Book review -- Design for CNC
The book's website will give you some idea of the content.
http://www.designforcnc.com/
Saturday, April 20, 2019
Friday, April 19, 2019
Tapered Joints
Friday, March 29, 2019
Alternative Joints
Wednesday, March 27, 2019
Postcard Box
Railroad Clock
This railroad platform-style clock was made of parts from a clock that had broken. The clock mechanism, the printed face with the numerals and the bezel glass were reused in this design.
Wednesday, March 20, 2019
3Dconnexion SpaceMouse Wireless Kit
SpaceMouse Wireless (upper-left), CadMouse Wireless (upper-right) |
Update: I can no longer recommend the CadMouse Wireless or SpaceMouse on Mac. I have found the drivers have become too problematic.
I am now using a Logitech MX Master 3 for Mac in conjunction with the Logi Options+ software for my Fusion 360 work.
Tuesday, March 19, 2019
Draft Box with Double-Hinged Lid
Small Tansu
Ultimately, this small tansu is intended to be a desktop secretary.
Tuesday, March 5, 2019
The Voccell DLS Laser Cutter
The Voccell DLS 50 Laser Cutter |
Sunday, March 3, 2019
The Glowforge
Many delays and feature-changes ensued, and the first finished units were not shipped until July 2017. Most of the backlog was fulfilled over the following year, but some international orders still lingered.
Thursday, February 22, 2018
The Makita Cordless Track Saw
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Festool makes excellent track saws that dominate the market for good reason. I've used a Festool track saw for years, and I'm a huge fan. But Makita has turned my head with their new cordless track saw -- the XPS01.
Thursday, August 10, 2017
IMPROVED: Fume Coffin Pre-Filter
I developed and built the Fume Coffin - Laser Cutter Exhaust Vent Filter to assist with filtering the exhaust vented from my 50 Watt CO2 laser cutter.
But it's not easy to service the Pre-Filter.
In the original Fume Coffin design the Pre-Filter lines the interior of the cylindrical HEPA filter. And accessing it requires opening the Fume Coffin and disassembling the HEPA filter assembly.
This project replaces (or supplements) the original Fume Coffin's Pre-Filter with an inline Pre-Filter that's designed to be easily monitored (it's see-through) and easily serviced.
https://www.instructables.com/Fume-Coffin-Pre-Filter/
This new Instructable is an optional add-on for the Fume Coffin project.
Tuesday, July 11, 2017
Fume Coffin Instructable - Laser Cutter Exhaust Filter
It's called the Fume Coffin, and it's a laser cutter exhaust ventilation filter for my 50W CO2 laser cutter.
Design documentation, build instructions and analysis are all here:
https://www.instructables.com/Fume-Coffin-Laser-Cutter-Exhaust-Vent-Filter/