This page is part of Setting up Your Gerbil, and relates specifically to installing the the Pro-Pack specific hardware:

  • lens
  • drag chain

Drag chain installation

1  Turn off the K40 at the powerpoint

2  Park the laser gantry in front of the circular opening (some K40s have a light fixture here)

3  Take the two screws out of the end bar which is accessible through the circular hole (and control area). Use an Allan key for unscrewing.

4 Mount the drag chain end bar with using the two previous screws.

5  At the laser head unscrew one Philips screw and mount the L bracket with re-using the Philip screw.

Note: the dragchain comes two end chain brackets. Further there is an L shaped bracket for the laserhead end and an Endbar bracket. You need 4 screws and nuts to connect the dragchain to the L shaped bracket and the endbar bracket. The Endbar brack slides over endbar and reuses tow existing Allen bolts.

Shortening the drag chain to 50cm

6  Take the drag chain and remove one of the end chain parts by carefully squeezing and wiggling it out of its locked keys.

7  Split the drag chain in two parts (middle/even length) and insert the previously removed end chain part to make a complete shortened drag chain with two proper end chain parts. An end chain part has holes so you can connect it to the end brackets

8  Mount the drag chain between the two installed end brackets (the drag chain curls toward the back of the machine) by using the 4 supplied bolts/nuts. Two for each end of the chain. Move the gantry slowly forwards/backwards and left/right to test the drag chain’s friction-less function.

9  Route an electric cable through the drag chain and install a miniature fan or route a flexible air hose and install the appropriate air assist pipe or head feature (you can download and 3 d print one. Download examples from our forum). Note: I have been using a mini pc fan with great satisfaction for over 1 year

Air assist option: If you have a 24v pcb fan as air assist

The mini pcb fan has a positive red lead and a negative black lead that you need to extend with the supplied extension cord. The extension cord needs to be fed through the drag chain (included in the Pro pack). Use the stripped lead in the extension cord as the negative ground. You wire this up to the 24V and ground screw terminals on the laser psu. This is the most right connector/terminal that has 4 screw terminals. The first (starting from left) is the 24 volts followed by ground.

Lens installation

1  Turn off the K40 at the powerpoint

2  Unscrew the lens holder. There are two parts in the laser head: the head itself and the lens cap. Both unscrew in the same direction so be careful you unscrew the correct part.

3  Take the existing lens out and insert the lens in the lens cap seat (small indented/grooved circle) by holding the lens edge between your fingers and not touching the lens faces. In case you touch it and leave a finger print,  drag a clean soft tissue dipped with a few drops of alcohol over its face so the alcohol evaporates behind the tissue. This method don’t leave streaks. Don’t rub since that can damage the lens coating.

4 The orientation of the lens is important. The concave (round) side must be facing up. The flat (plano) side must be facing down. A simple rule is if you can see yourself reflected in the lens (at 60 cm away) then you are facing the correct side (top side). If not, you are holding it in the wrong way.

Questions ?  Please check our forum

Go on to Using the Gerbil