We run a ULS M360 and still don’t have a honeycomb cutting bead. Can anyone recommend a good (but cheap!) alternative to the ones ULS sells, or should we stick with getting a ULS one?
Try the Benecore cutting grid, (www.benecorinc.com) it’s on the order of $110, a LOT less than ULS gets. I was also able to fabricate a ruler extension with steel carpenter’s squares sandwiched 5 levels high with acrylic spacers. The alignment is good and it’s much less expensive.
Such a bed is necessary to cut acrylic, right? I am wanting to cut some small (like 1/2″ square) pieces of acrylic and my brother who runs the machine tells me (they live in WV and I live in MI) that cutting acrylic “bleeds” all over the metal cutting bed….
A cutting bed is not absolutely necessary. It is however important that you lift the workpiece off the metal bed so the backlash from the laser doesn’t smudge the back of the acrylic. The honeycomb tables simply provide a place for the laser to go (into nothingness) as well as provide space for the airflow of the filtration system. Without that, you can always do what people have done for years, which is to place a few quarters under the workpiece to lift it off the table, or make your own holding jig to hold it off the table. The honeycomb tables are simply a convenience, as well as having a good set of rulers for easy positioning.
Additionally, you might want to leave the paper on the back of the acrylic to protect it while cutting. Otherwise, reflections off the bottom of the laser will probably mar the surface.