Laser Etched Periodic Table

Chemistry Department Periodic Table of Elements

This wiki page will be used as a centralized means of keeping track of the progress made on our periodic table.

Instructions for Using the Laser

Step 1. Turn on laser by turning on the power strip to the left of the laser. You will be able to tell if it is on. You may want to turn on the emergency exhaust for the adjacent fume hood while the laser is in use.

Step 2. While the laser is initializing, log onto the computer.

Step 3. Click on the RetinaEngrave3D program. Click on the Generation 5 Hobby 20x12" laser.

Step 4. Home the laser by pressing the home button on the laser.

Step 5. Put a piece of wood in the engraving area so that it is laying flat. Use the arrow buttons on the laser to move the guide laser (red dot) to the point that you would like the laser to begin at. Focus the laser for this thickness of material.

Step 6. Open the Element Template Document, located below. Go to the page containing the element that you would like to print, then hit CTRL+P to print.

File:Elements_for_PT.docx

Step 7. Ensure that you select "Full Spectrum Engineering Driver" as your printer and change the print setting to print only the current page.

Step 8. Click on the RetinaEngrave3D program. You should see that your element has loaded. Click on the Vector Cut tab. Click on the box outlining the element and change it to a color that is not black.

Step 9. On the right-hand side, you should see options under "Vector Layers" for two colors: the color of the box and the color of the rest of the element. Change the Number of Passes for the Black Color to 0 and the Speed for the Yellow Color to 15. Leave the remaining settings alone.

Step 10. Still on the right-hand side, you should see an option for "Raster Speed". Change this to 40.

Step 11. Towards the top-middle portion of the screen, you should see an option called Vector Mode. Change this to Raster then Vector.

Step 12. Hit the Start Job button. (This looks like a play button.) The laser should start engraving your wood! Keep an eye on the laser while it is engraving, as there is a potential fire risk whenever we engrave.

Step 13. Enjoy your newly engraved element! If you are finished engraving, turn off the laser. If not, you can repeat the process beginning with step 5.