**Introduction**
The Lasersaur is a CnC open source laser cutter. This is **NOT** a guide to built the Lasersaur, this is to transfer information from the current group to future groups. The main goal of the Lasersaur project is for students and faculty to have access to a laser CNC on campus for them to use for various projects. [Most of the Lasersaur at this point has been built following this guide][1]. One thing to make note of is that previous members did not build this but was built by a start up that the Open Source Hardware Enterprise purchased. Now, most of the machine is built close to what is specified by the guide but some parts are different and custom, some of these will be discussed later.
![Front of the lasersaur][2]
**Specifications**
The laser that the machine uses is a C02 laser, documentation can be found in files. The main brain of the computer is the smoothieboard V1. [There is a wiki page for the smoothieboard online and is probably the greatest resource for this specific Lasersaur.][3] This wiki page contains everything from actually wiring the laser and saftey switches to gcode and configs to change in order to make sure this are running properly. When starting I recommend strongly reviewing this site and understand the insides and outs before continuing. That being said you will find majority of what you need here. Of course, just like the lasersaur guide, not everything matches to a T so pay attention to the details.
**What did ours look like**
As the semester ends, the Lasersaur has a lot of work to do but had a large focus on saftey. An emergency stop was installed onto the front, limit switches and trying to close gaps where stray lasers could escape from. [We were able to make interface with the entire system using laserGRBL.][4] LaserGRBL has configuration setting built for smoothieboard, although it is still a work in progress and not perfect. The laser was not fully functioning for us but was recieving a PWM signal from the board. It was never tested but may work with laserGRBL. Reasons it may not have been working is the laser is "expired" and has leaked out too much C02 or the wiring is wrong. The mirrors reflecting the beam are scratched but should only affect how focused the beam gets. **WARNING** **WHEN TESTING THE LASER MAKE SURE NOBODY IS IN THE ROOM AND PEOPLE WHO ARE HAVE PROPER EYE PROTECTION YOU WILL LOSE YOUR VISION** **WARNING**. Pictures for how we have the Lasersaur can be seen below and should be reasonably labeled. The config file can found with other files in the OSF.
**What is there laying around**
Since the Lasersaur is quite *prehistoric* there is quite a bit of stuff laying around. If you look under the Lasersaur, you will see right away that there is a good amount of materials that can serve as replacement to the chassis. In the drawers and cabinets there is a some test cuts, connectors, and other spare parts such as a motor and replacement mirror. There is two pairs of glasses that are properly rated for the laser, except one of them has a cracked frame (might be repairable with the 3D pen but not sure if thats a great idea). There is also a 3d printed chassis with an LED inside that fits perfectly on the end of the tube for the laser and helps adjust the mirrors to focus the beam without turning the laser on. It should be noted that the wires are broken on the led, but should be easy to replace. There is also a space mirror sitting around for reflecting said beam, those mirrors can easy cost anywhere between 200-300 dollars and we are unsure about the complete specs for the mirror. [There is cheaper versions that can be found on Amazon although we are unsure if they are the exact ones.][5]
![Picture of the mirror][6]
**What's left to work on**
This is not a said and done list of what should be done before the Lasersaur is complete. This is an open source project and changes can be added till the enterprise deems it complete. The Lasersaur should be completely sealed off so no stray beams from the laser can escape the build of the machine. Next, the system should be safe of any possible failures. Safety switches should be working effectively, the cooling system works properly, and there is proper ventilation in the main chamber. The machine should be well secured and have parts that move around that should not be. The Lasersaur should be ready to cut but there is still some unknown issues with the laser.
[1]: https://github.com/nortd/lasersaur/wiki
[2]: https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/946607012412788757/1036714789453434890/IMG_3472.jpg
[3]: http://smoothieware.org/smoothieboard-v1
[4]: https://lasergrbl.com/
[5]: https://www.amazon.com/Plated-Reflection-Mirror-Laser-Machine/dp/B01DP2HRD2
[6]: https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/691808683730141274/1030135278578442250/IMG_8455.jpg