Custom parts with a 45 watt C02 Laser Engraver

[mattasi]

Hello everyone, happy Monday! Are you board? If so (or even if your not haha...)please help me brainstorm some ideas

At my work I am the head of a 45 watt C02 laser engraving machine. This machine is pretty cool, it can cut threw plastics and wood, but can't cut metal. I can engrave metal with text or images, but not cut it.

I am looking for project ideas, for things that I can make with this machine, for our cars?

For example, a month ago, I took out my A/C, but there is a port on the firewall for the A/C lines to connect to. When I took out my A/C from the car, I made a perfect custom fit block off plate, so no spiders etc, can get into the A/C box in case I someday reconnect the A/C...

Another idea I had, was to buy a sheet of gasket material and then cutting out my own gaskets at will. Like T/B gaskets and such.

Anyone have any other ideas/thoughts/questions?
I would love to hear from other people that are into these cars.

 

[TSi Kid]

Spark plate covers? Heat shields?

 

[Funfettie]

Im trying to relocate my fuse box under the air filter area but i cant seem to find a way to seal it up. maybe fab up a plastic relocation box thats water resistant?

 

[PieEyedPiper]

Spark plate covers? Heat shields?

Metal.

 

[Rockyp]

Figure a better design for our 3-piece timing covers. Something that doesn't break and crack constantly. I've seen the clear tops, but the top cover is the only one that doesn't break.

 

[ed1380]

Maybe up in Alaska they're cold and brittle. I've never had a problem with one breaking if you take your time and just don't yank on it.

Any pics? I'm curious as to what the metal looks like engraved

 

[mattasi]

Maybe up in Alaska they're cold and brittle. I've never had a problem with one breaking if you take your time and just don't yank on it.

Any pics? I'm curious as to what the metal looks like engraved

I can send you some examples of things I have engraved threw email. If I upload the pics onto here then they will get deleted because they are not car stuff. I don't have like a photobucket or something, I just upload my car pics to this website, so they are stored on here.

Thanks for the ideas guys, I like the idea of a plastic box for the fuse box.

Any more ideas?

 

[Slo2gen]

I would love to have a grommet for the passenger side of the firewall where the wiring harness comes through! That my friend would be awesome!

 

[jdxnc]

Just curious, what do you normally engrave with that laser? I ask because I do similar work, we have a couple and I've played around with metal and plastic, I've done some etching on stainless and aluminum.

 

[steve-o_95_GST]

Make yourself a heat barrier gasket for your intake manifold and tb.

 

[mattasi]

I would love to have a grommet for the passenger side of the firewall where the wiring harness comes through! That my friend would be awesome!

That's a good idea I going to think about this one a bit more. Just curious what do you not like with the stock rubber one?

Just curious, what do you normally engrave with that laser? I ask because I do similar work, we have a couple and I've played around with metal and plastic, I've done some etching on stainless and aluminum.

I normaly engrave black anodized alumimun. I engrave our companys webside information, companys logo and part#'s on everything we make. Some parts are stainless, alum, brass, invar, and lots of other metals.

Make yourself a heat barrier gasket for your intake manifold and tb.

That's another great idea, I could make that out of Phonlic, great heat properties, and I can cut it out with the laser. Mot going to lie I though about this idea before, but I was thinking about the intake manifold to head gasket heat barrier or something.

 

[Slo2gen]

I'm not running my original harness on the car anymore(I'm running MS) and would rather have a hard plastic grommet or a metal one to attach some MIL spec connectors to for the new harness and what not instead of using the one on the stock harness.

 

[mattasi]

I'm not running my original harness on the car anymore(I'm running MS) and would rather have a hard plastic grommet or a metal one to attach some MIL spec connectors to for the new harness and what not instead of using the one on the stock harness.

Yea man, I have a parts car with no motor in it so I will take down some measurements of the gromet when I get a bit of free time(currently finishing up my motor install). And then think about what material? I can't cut metal, it could be wood up to 3/8", or some kind of hard plastic sheeting. How does that gromet connect to the body of the car? Do you have a connector in mind that you will use? so that I can find the cutout dimensions for it.

 

[Slo2gen]

Yea man, I have a parts car with no motor in it so I will take down some measurements of the gromet when I get a bit of free time(currently finishing up my motor install). And then think about what material? I can't cut metal, it could be wood up to 3/8", or some kind of hard plastic sheeting. How does that gromet connect to the body of the car? Do you have a connector in mind that you will use? so that I can find the cutout dimensions for it.

Hard plastic would work great, as far as what connector I have that saved on my home computer...but I'll google a couple of images of it...

http://image.importtuner.com/f/33730185/impp_1009_10_o+chase_bays+mil_spec_wiring_harness.jpg

http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq280/afazz65/bay/100_1753.jpg

http://www.rywire.com/catalog/images/connector_plate.jpg