Greetings all, I hope everyone has had a safe weekend and that those who have lost loved ones and friends while in service to our country are comforted by the collective respect and gratitude we all have for their sacrifice and for yours.

I’m guessing some of you have wondered why I’ve been so quiet; I’ve been staying out of Cameron’s way as he stretches for the finish line…and it has been HARD! ???? Cameron has been seriously grinding these last five days and has accomplished a great deal. I can’t report that he is 100% done but he’s so close he can taste it. Here is the ground that has been covered:

All of the acrylic panels have been mounted to the machine. Some, like the big front lid and a few others are clear and some are black. He used the laser quite a bit to cut the acrylic not only to fit but to create venting in them as well as holes for electrical outlets and switches. He tells me that cutting acrylic with the laser is a WHOLE lot easier than manual cutting. Indeed.

He also mounted the aluminum side panels that enclose the exhaust tube on the left and the electrical panels on the right for a nice, clean finish.

The separator panel between the bay that holds the laser tube and the cutting area was installed; this will keep the laser tube area cleaner; apparently cutting rubber and silicone makes a big mess that tends to coat everything thanks to the very necessary air assist from the compressor.

If you recall, there was quite the “spaghetti junction” of an electrical panel. All of that has been tightened and tidied and if I dare say, looks uber professional!

The camera was mounted and the rotary attachment has been wired; we are waiting on one connector for the rotary but he has a temporary rig to make it operational.

The X and Y axes have been calibrated for accuracy; that is evident in the acrylic panels he cut for the laser on the laser. Perfection!

The honeycomb was bowed on the right side; Cameron fixed that and now it’s level. This is important because you don’t want the laser head crashing into the honeycomb during a cut, nor do you want an uneven engraving.

There were hours and hours of soldering the wiring for all of the various components and a considerable amount of 3D printing of parts, mainly mounts for wires, panels, and equipment.

He also modified the back door that opens to the laser tube so it would open and close properly, another time intensive endeavor.

Also, Cameron improved the plumbing for the air supply. He wasn’t satisfied with the way he initially did it so he had another go at it and says it is a more permanent solution. He had a lot of thing’s temporarily hooked up so we could try some makes that you’ve already seen. Now those temporary lines and set ups have been hardwired and connected the way they are meant to be upon completion.

All of this is to say there isn’t much left to be done. Cameron estimates that once the last connectors arrive that there are a few hours of work left and he will be able to say he completed the build lock, stock, and barrel! Vollstandig! Complet! Klara! Completo! Terminado!

So, remember all those fabric fish scales Cameron cut for me? I finished my fish! And for any kindred textile artists out there who hate wasting fabric, have a look at how minimal the waste can be.

I’ve been sooo good, not bothering Cameron with the queue of projects I have in my head; I don’t know how much longer I can contain myself! I’ve already exceeded my own expectations ????. Makes will be coming down the pipe soon and it will be time to transition the blog away from the build and toward the adventures to come. A sure sign of this is from Jonathan Frost himself, the architect of the REZO laser plans; he sent Cameron a proof of the plaque he issues to each person who completes the build. It has a serial number for the machine and Cameron’s signature. He is the sixth person to complete the build!

As the author of this blog I set out to document this process for Cameron, to share the story and the build with friends and family near and far, and to share his experiences with the REZO builder community in the hope of being of some help, support, and/or enthusiasm for others who embark upon this journey. But in the interest of the coming transition away from the build I’d like to ask you, the reader, what you’d like to see moving forward. Some have suggested a move to YouTube for our makes and to just post stills here. What serves your and/or your interest in a post build phase? I’d very much appreciate your feedback.

Thank you for joining us here; we look forward to hearing from you. Dana