One of the items that has been on my wish list is a laser engraver.

I got Atomstack p9 m50 from atom-stack.com.

I've made some videos about it, and you can watch my laser playlist on YouTube from here.

It's a great tool and a well-built machine that produces immediately satisfying results, but one of the main problems with using it is properly scaling the image and centering the object to be sculpted in the operating area.

In this tutorial, I'll show how to make and use custom mesh planes to help you scale and center the image you want to sculpt on an object.

The size is related to the maximum working area my engraver gets when making the mobile carriage very close to its limit

Also, if in theory it has to be in P9 format (i.e. 148 x 210mm), I found that my work area was only a little bigger than 140 x 170mm, so I decided to use a 10x10mm grid to keep this limit

It's best to use a vector format like dxf to get a scalable picture without thickness, using an exported bitmap image allows the laser to reproduce its line thickness through more channels.

I added two grid files in svg and dxf format, so you can modify them to your needs I also added a grid with reference letters.

You'll need a sheet of cardboard or plywood measuring 210 x 330mm (209x329mm to make sure there are no distractions).

Make it slide inside the aluminum frame and it will be supported by the wiring bracket and centered by the acrylic frame.

The engraver does not have limit switches that define the initial position, so you have to manually move the laser head to the upper/left corner of the operating area, close to the limit of the carriage.

This becomes the starting position and corresponds to the red dot in the LaserGRBL software.

Remember that every time you turn on the engraver or manually move the carriage, the initial position becomes the actual position that changes.

Now, with the open file icon, you have to load the dxf file format I attached in the previous step.

Atomstack S10 Pro Laser Engraver

If you apply the correct settings suggested by Eleks Maker (PPM 320-320), the image will load and scale correctly, ready to print.

To ensure centering, you can test by bounding icon. This moves the carriage around the maximum perimeter of the image.

Deselect Laser in the LaserGRBL menu and select Servo to simulate overall dimensions without turning on the laser.

Remember to make sure you have the correct laser before you start
Focus on the surface and use the correct sculpting parameters.

Tested on stock material of the same thickness and surface.

Click the start icon and the mesh of the work area will be sculpted automatically.

First it carves the perimeter, then it carves the vertical and horizontal lines

This grid will help you understand the available work area and better align your objects for sculpting along the X-Y axis

Remember that every time you turn off the engraver, it loses its initial position. Therefore, you have to manually move the laser head near the upper left limit and, with the help of the "momentary on" icon, gradually realign the laser beam to the initial intersection point.

With a simple trick, grids help to draw drawings with precision and place exactly what to sculpt.

Import the mesh in dxf format using the open file (blue) icon. It will be imported with the upper left corner corresponding to the starting position of the LaserGRBL software (red dot).

Use the grid as a reference to place the object to be sculpted in place.

Now click on the imagine (green) icon from the drawing menu and import the image you want to transfer on the surface.

This allows you to overlay this image on top of the grid image.

Now, if you select an imported image, you can move or scale it, using the grid below as a reference, which helps to accurately predetermine the position and size of the sculpt.

Now that everything is ready, you can press the start icon.

https://www.atom-stack.com/blogs/news/the-new-first-quad-core-diode-laser-engraver-s20-pro-review

https://www.atom-stack.com/blogs/news/the-a10-pro-laser-engraver-with-touch-display-review