Homebrew PCBs

a tight cable and pulleys setup has worked for dot matrix printers for years for positioning back and forth.  if you find the right old printer, that assembly can be removed and used, including the stepper.  

for a tightly focused laser perhaps the laser assembly from a laser printer.  it would work if you could mount it at the exact distance as it was in the original printer (it's focal point) from a new larger drum or platen(?i think that's the term).  

of course, taking two printers apart to do the same thing a laser printer does anyway, may not be the most direct solution, but where's the fun in that?.



  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Adam Seychell 
  To: Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com 
  Sent: Tuesday, April 09, 2002 10:03 PM
  Subject: [Homebrew_PCBs] laser diode photoplotter


    Hello group,
      Has anyone here thought about building or even built a drum 
  photoplotter based on a red LED laser diode ?  This would be used for 
  making printing masks, et. There has been much discussion among amateurs 
  on building a CNC mill/drill machines, however I am under the impression 
  that this is definitely  NOT an task for the beginner, even if he/she 
  has access the right tools. A drum photoplotter appears simpler in 
  construction as there is only 1 axis required to position the light 
  head. Basically the drum plotter works by rotating a relatively large 
  drum with a film sensitive to red light (available from Kodak) 
  positioned around the outside of the drum. The drum spins at fairly high 
  speed (> 10 rev/sec) and the light source (red LED laser diode and 
  focusing lens) slowly and accurately moves along the length of the drum 
  in a straight line. The spinning drum sounds relatively simple to build. 
  The moving light source looks a lot more complicated / expensive. My 
  only thoughts how to go about this is to use a ball bearing screw and 
  linear bearing. I priced some  ready to go ball screw guided assemblies 
  but the costs were prohibitive. Is there no other option ? I own a drill 
  press and a small lathe in my workshop. I am open to all comments.
    



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