I may have mentioned in the past that one of my sons works at a PC repair shop. This, coupled with my predisposition to technology devices, means we have much more e-waste than the average family. This relates to another top of mind project that I've been spending a bunch of time on. Recently, he picked up a 3D printer
that wasn't extruding filament properly. I spent several days investigating this trying to get it revived and working.
My eventual conclusion was that the prior owner likely sent a metallic based filament through a cheaply made hot end that ultimately resulted in a permanent clog. Despite this, everything else about the printer worked great. It didn't seem right to
trash this, so I began to investigate alternate uses for the working parts.
I ultimately decided that it would be cool to convert it into a laser cutter/engraver. I began researching what this would take. I feel like I've got a pretty good plan. I should be able to drive the laser's intensity off of the PWM output that was used to power the hot end fan. I've
already purchased a laser module and an appropriate bed replacement that won't be damaged by the laser (or reflect its light). The final step I need to work out is how I'm going to properly vent the poor air that all of this is likely going to produce. I'll definitely write more about this project in the future.
This air quality issue also inspired me to do a more in depth
study on how 3D printing already impacts my air quality. I was surprised that for the most part, 3D printing did not significantly increase particulate matter. VOCs, on the other hand, went through the roof with many types of filament. The eventual goal for this laser cutter project is to build an air filtering solution that I can use for both 3D printing and the laser work.
