Bosch GCM 12 GDL - Replace laser with saw shadow line

[Westy619]

Hi all,

So I recently bought the Bosch GCM 12 GDL as I'm building a workshop and the small footprint to the rear of the machine really appealed to me, however I'm coming from a dewalt and I missed the shadow line light system it uses for accurate cut placement, 100% accurate every time.

I saw a video on youtube of a guy modding a magnetic sewing light to use on the saw but this needed to be powered separately, required cutting plastic bits on the saw etc.

I set about designing a plug and play part that requires no modding of the saw and runs off the DC supply for the saws laser module.

 

[sammy.se]

Very nifty! Can you tell us more about the build?

 

[mynamehere]

I bet you could sell a few of them!

cheers,

Ferenc

 

[AJB Temple]

Slightly puzzled. The laser is adjustable.

 

[Spectric]

This guy is making one for the Bosch saw.

 

[Westy619]

Whilst the laser is functional and fully adjustable as you say, I guess it comes down to personal preference. I prefer the shadow line as it never needs to be adjusted for accuracy, since the blade itself is the point of reference.

 

[johnnyb]

I'm loving this as the laser rapidly goes out of whack.any part details or further help?

 

[Westy619]

I'm loving this as the laser rapidly goes out of whack.any part details or further help?

The LED housing is 3D printed using a model I designed in Fusion 360 so you would need a printer to make it. As I'm a new member I'm not allowed to advertise or sell on here yet but I am doing so elsewhere.

 

[johnnyb]

hint whereabouts

 

[Westy619]

A search for bosch shadow line on a popular online auction site may turn up something.

 

[LBCarpentry]

Love hacks with 3D printers!

 

[DBT85]

I got an ebay notification about this just today.

 

[PerryGunn]

@Westy619 I'm very interested in one of these... but a couple of questions before I pull the trigger...

I assume that it's an LED light so...
What's it's estimated lifetime and is the bulb replaceable?
What wattage is it?
Is the shadow line visible in daylight?

Thanks

 

[Westy619]

@Westy619 I'm very interested in one of these... but a couple of questions before I pull the trigger...

I assume that it's an LED light so...
What's it's estimated lifetime and is the bulb replaceable?
What wattage is it?
Is the shadow line visible in daylight?

Thanks

Hi PerryGunn,

You're correct its an LED light, its an off the shelf IP65 rated mini cabinet light from a reputable brand, I mod the casing slightly as well as adding the correct two pin connector for attaching it to the saw. Power consumption is 1W and lifespan is 70000 hours.

It works fine in daylight, but admittedly direct sunlight is this systems weakness, at least it was on my dewalt. I plan on using the saw in my workshop exclusively so its not a concern for me. Happy to accept returns if you're not happy!

 

[PerryGunn]

Hi PerryGunn,

You're correct its an LED light, its an off the shelf IP65 rated mini cabinet light from a reputable brand, I mod the casing slightly as well as adding the correct two pin connector for attaching it to the saw. Power consumption is 1W and lifespan is 70000 hours.

It works fine in daylight, but admittedly direct sunlight is this systems weakness, at least it was on my dewalt. I plan on using the saw in my workshop exclusively so its not a concern for me. Happy to accept returns if you're not happy!

Thanks, I can do electrical so I can always look at obtaining a higher wattage LED if necessary

Nothing ventured, and all that, so I'll give it a try - off to the auction-site-that-must-not-be-named, go I...

 

[Westy619]

Many thanks!

just waiting on the LEDs to be delivered then I'll get it posted out

 

[Sandyn]

The DeWalt saw uses a class 2 LED product for it's shadow line. It is very bright.
Look at commercial torches for really bright sources, but the problem then becomes heat when you start stripping out the torch. Heat is the enemy of LED chips.

Cree claim their XL-LED is the industry leader. look for torches that use those.

 

[Westy619]

Heres a side by side comparison of my old dewalt and the bosch, both outside in daylight, albeit overcast daylight.

 

[Sandyn]

That looks very good, probably even better than the DeWalt. Does your Dewalt have the Class 2 LED?
If you are in Aberdeen, you might have to wait until March for a bit of direct sunlight!

 

[samhay]

Nice use of 3D printing.
I'd ignore the Class 2 rating - that's for lasers and the Dewalt sticker posted by Sandyn must be from an older model saw - the IEC standard has been revised a few times since 1993 and LEDs are often not included in this standard (or have a laser rating) any more.
The 2 things to look for are the output power and wavelength.