Usually I blog about coding projects I'm working on, but in this instance, I thought I'd share some links to some nifty accessories I have made and use with my Creality Falcon 2 Pro laser engraver.
Back in 2019, I purchased an Ender 3 (original) 3d printer from a supplier online. Back then, Ender 3 was more of a kit. You received a box full of individual parts and a single page of paper with some very cryptic instructions and literally no illustrations on how to assemble the printer. Luckily, I spoke to a couple of sales people at my local MicroCenter who directed me to a great video showing in great detail how to assemble the unit from scratch. I managed to build the printer without making any of my usual assembly mistakes.
My primary purpose for purchasing the printer was to make accessories for the basement workshop I had just finished building out. I lined the walls with IKEA Skadia pegboards, but rather than purchase dozens of IKEA's accessories, I planned to print my own. There are an amazing number of free 3d print files available for the Skadia pegboards. Mostly I print tool holders and sewing accessories for my wife who shares the workshop for her own projects.
Jump ahead to 2025. I'm now retired and in the course of looking for new projects to occupy my time, I got interested in laser engraving. I invested in a cheap NEJE device which cost me $40 which had a pretty pathetic 1 watt laser and a worksurface of 3-4 square inches. I made a few labeled garden stakes for my yard and engraved my wife's headshot on a piece cardboard before realizing I had to invest in a serious machine if I was going to make anything useful or artistic.
That's when I bought the Creality Falcon 2 Pro. I watched a lot of YouTube reviews of different desktop lasers, several of which seemed like good choices. I ultimately settled on the Creality unit because I'd had such good luck with the Ender 3 printer. Like a lot of people, I quickly realized that I needed to make modifications to the basic unit and build some accessories to enhance its operation. The rest of this blog provides a short list of the accessories I've 3d printed which I found most useful.
Exhaust duct
If you're just getting started with laser engraving, be aware that having a good exhaust system to vent smoke and dust from the engraver is essential. Unless you live somewhere you can work outdoors, you will quickly realize how important it is to have a good exhaust system in place. My workspace is located in our basement where we have small windows around the base that you can open from the inside. I was able to subsitute the glass window in one of the frames with one made from plexiglass to which I attached the duct and screen I list below. The vent attaches to the 70 mm inner diameter flexible duct host that comes with the Falcon laser, and has a screen to keep out small "critters".
Outlet Elbow for Smoke Extraction
The built-in exhaust port vents smoke horizontally whereas my exterior vent is located above the laser engraver. Luckily, someone designed a custom outlet elbow that easily replaces the default exhaust that comes with the Falcon 2 Pro. I'm not certain whether this helps exhaust the smoke any more effectively than simply bending the flexible duct host, but I prefer this arrangement; your preferences may differ from mine.
Honeycomb Bed Holder
The Falcon 2 Pro has a set of built-in supports to rest the material you're cutting on. These worked fine for certain projects, but I started to have problems when I worked with pieces of plywood that were not completely flat. There's really no easy way to hold the sheet of wood down with those parallel brackets in the Falcon. A lot of people recommend buying a honeycomb bed to replace the brackets. The bed provides good airflow plus there are several ways to hold wood in place during engraving.
I chose to buy a 500 mm x 500 mm bed that fits inside the laser engraver. Initially, I used a few of the brackets to support bed but later switched to setting it on a set of rubber feet that came with the bed and set it on top of the sliding drawer. This arrangement minimized airflow through the honeycomb so I began to look for a better solution. I stumbled onto this 3d print project which allows my bed to rest at the same level as the Creality brackets without obstructing the debris drawer which I access regularly for cleaning.
Magnetic Honeycomb Holdowns
I started out using different kinds of "pins" that people have designed to hold down wood on a honeycomb bed, but found that over time they wouldn't stay in place or overlapped too much of the wood's edges, or sat a bit too high and would get hit by the laser as it moved across the wood surface. I eventually discovered this set of magnetic holders which solved all these problems. They utilize large neodymium magnets to hold the edge of the wood tightly against the surface of the honeycomb bed. Two words of caution regarding magnet holdowns. One, I've heard that some beds may be made with materials that do not work with magnets. Make sure the bed you buy does before you purchase it. Two, avoid some of the 3d print objects that use small neodymium magnets. I tried a different design that held two small magnets only to find that the smaller magnets don't have strong enough attraction to keep your wood held down and prevent movement.
If I find any more useful 3d prints, I'll list them here as time goes on. Meanwhile, enjoy your Creality laser and make some interesting stuff.
