Equipment for building the flight sim

I use a mix of power tools and a cheap Wen rotary tool rather than an actual Dremel.

The main thing people ask about, especially for building the Garmin G1000 suite is what type of laser cutter and 3D printer I use. The answers are kinda boring, but shows what’s possible with care and attention during the build.

Laser cutter

Although I have access to a 60w Epilogue and a Universal laser cutter at the Garage at work, all of the current components (including the full Garmin G1000 suite) were cut on a cheap K40 laser in my own garage.

Sure, I may have gotten lucky, but I also knew enough from those other laser cutters to take my time in setting up the K40, aligning the mirrors carefully, and then understanding how to design parts and use a laser cutter. I’ve been very happy with the K40 laser.

Upgrade-wise, all I’ve done is to 3D-print a new bracket for fume extraction, and replace the blower motor for the extractor. It does a much better job with fumes now.

I also then use K40 Whisperer to process the jobs. I never even tried to install the crappy software that came with the unit.

3D printer

Like a laser cutter, a 3D printer has completely changed how I approach designing and building things.

I have a Creality Ender 3, which is a great balance of performance and budget. Take care, as there are some knock-offs. I had a problem with the control board shortly after I received the unit, but it was quickly diagosed and replaced under warranty by the authorized seller I’d used.

I did 3D-print a few upgrade parts such as a fan guard and filament guide, but then similar to the K40 laser cutter, time and care went into assembling the printer, and it’s worked out great.

I use a Raspbery Pi 3B+ running Octoprint to control 3D printing, and an old Logitech C270 webcam to monitor the status of print jobs.

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