Laser Parts Arrived

Laser-cut parts for eShapeOko

The laser-cut parts arrived today.  They are very good!  Cosmetically, they don’t look much, but the precision is excellent.  The hole for the eccentric spacer is the only one with a tight tolerance.  I’ve measured a few of them, and they are all 7.14 mm, according to my calipers (the nominal dimension is 7.14 mm).  The eccentric spacers fit very snugly.  The other holes are cut to very good tolerances too, much better than the quoted ±0.1 mm.

Detail of laser-cut stainless steel motor plateAs you can see, there are no “nubs” or other cutting problems (this is the bottom side; the other side is even cleaner).  The only minor problem is the occasional splash mark, but that’s just ugly — or a reminder of the science-fiction-like technology used to produce these parts: that is molten stainless steel splashed there, while being cut by an ultra-fine, computer-guided lightsaber.

The aluminium parts have a continuous burr around the cut on one side, and I am going to try to remove that before they get to you (because it’s embarrassing).  Before you ask, the round cutout is off-center by design.

We’re still waiting for the very last item, the spindle mounts, due “early next week”.

2 thoughts on “Laser Parts Arrived

  1. They will be just fine unpainted, but if you prefer to paint them, by all means, please do. Or you could use a belt sander to give them a brushed look, or maybe sandblast them to a matte finish. I’m sure they would also look great polished and shiny, but I don’t know how to do that.

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