View Single Post
Old 03-17-2012, 03:07 PM   #4 (permalink)
bennelson
EV test pilot
 
bennelson's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Oconomowoc, WI, USA
Posts: 4,435

Electric Cycle - '81 Kawasaki KZ440
90 day: 334.6 mpg (US)

S10 - '95 Chevy S10
90 day: 30.48 mpg (US)

Electro-Metro - '96 Ben Nelson's "Electro-Metro"
90 day: 129.81 mpg (US)

The Wife's Car - Plug-in Prius - '04 Toyota Prius
90 day: 78.16 mpg (US)
Thanks: 17
Thanked 663 Times in 388 Posts
I recently got to use the laser cutter at the Milwaukee Makerspace! Man, is that thing cool!

After just a few minutes of training, I imported the vector art of the Open ReVolt logo and started etching on some scrap plexiglass!

I also figured out how to CUT with the laser cutter. It's not all that powerful, so cutting takes a few passes, but comes out so perfectly clean, with a nice smooth edge!

I made two different versions of Open ReVolt tokens. Just the logo cut out in a round shape. Could be used as a keychain or something I suppose! (I even added a little hole at the top for that!)




The clear plexiglass was "top-etched" - the side you are looking at is the front. I figured that when I actually do the lid of the motor controller case, I want the logo cut from behind, so the top is smooth, and doesn't get dirt and gunk in the engraved logo. For the orange token, I mirrored the logo art, so that you look THROUGH the smooth side and the logo is cut on the back.



I ended up having to go back to the Makerspace this morning (I left my laptop there last night!) I had my travel coffee mug with me, and started wondering if I could laser etch my name on it.

Sure enough, I can. I just had to make sure it wouldn't roll while the laser etched it.



I also grabbed the lightning bolt from the Open ReVolt logo and used it on the back side of the coffee cup.



A friend of mine there has been doing some work carving plexiglass and edge lighting it with LEDs. It's very similar to what I would like to do with the controller case.



I still have to figure out the boxmaker software, choose the material, learn how to power a string of green LEDs, but THEN I can make a really awesome controller case! (Don't worry, I'll be sure to post all the files when I'm done!)
__________________


300mpg.org Learn how to BUILD YOUR OWN ELECTRIC CAR CHEAP
My YouTube Videos
  Reply With Quote
The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to bennelson For This Useful Post:
MPaulHolmes (03-17-2012), Ryland (03-17-2012)