What are
/r/lasercutting's
favorite Products & Services?
From 3.5 billion Reddit comments
The most popular Products mentioned in /r/lasercutting:
The most popular Services mentioned in /r/lasercutting:
Inkscape
HackADay
nanoCAD
Creative Commons
The Noun Project
Freepik
OpenStreetMap
Google Fonts
ResearchGate
Pixabay
Pepakura Designer
Shutterstock
Autodesk Tinkercad
CloudConvert
Flaticon
The most popular reviews in /r/lasercutting:
How about transfer tape? I use it as a mask for laser cutting all the time. Works great.
This is 3mm Birch Plywood that I bought from Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Premium-Baltic-Birch-Plywood-Grade/dp/B016H589HC?ref_=fsclp_pl_dp_2
​
And the honey is made of Acrylic Resin and an amber tint. The resin has about a 30 minute working period and takes around 24+ hours to fully set. The pours were done in different batches and on many of the hexes I had to pre-coat with resin so that they didn't later leak out of the bottom.
Tile cutters usually use a carbide steel wheel, they MIGHT work, but there's a better tool.
https://www.amazon.com/Red-Devil-1170-Plexiglass-Cutting/dp/B000BZZ1D0
You can buy these at pretty much any big box hardware store as well. They're a pain to use and you sometimes get breaks that run off the score line, but with this and a straight edge can help break down acrylic sheets up to 6mm pretty well most of the time. Past that and you need a saw or laser.
Most suppliers will break down sheets to whatever size you need, some will charge a small fee other will do it for free if you buy the whole sheet.
If a tile cutter works, you'd still have the same limits.
Just search for "CO2 laser googgles" on Ebay or Amazon.
10600 nm, OD5+. That's what you want. It should be printed on the glass. You can get them from LightObject if you want a sort-of brand name behind it.
Everybody on here is instinctively going to tell you "MOAR POWER" when the reality of the situation is assist gas is what's going to truly influence cut quality and dross buildup.
Air is going to give you a garbage roughness, high dross and a massive HAZ, oxygen is marginally better and Nitrogen is where it starts to become acceptable. However the best gas for aluminum is high purity argon. Check out this article which has empirical testing backing this: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/251709788_The_Role_of_the_Assist_Gas_Nature_in_Laser_Cutting_of_Aluminum_Alloys
My machine doesn't officially support the use of argon so I use Nitrogen (in the rare instances I cut it) and it works pretty decently, thickest I've done is 3/16" which came out very very nice. I only have 2.5kw to play with so I can't comment on 5mm but I can ask some colleagues who have 4 and 8kw machines how they do.
- air assist - even better install a relay to only activate the air-assist compressor when the laser is active (IoT relay--https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00WV7GMA2 )
- make sure it has a Lightburn-compatible main board-if not swap the board out with a Cohesion3D board.
Actually it is exactly that, It is under Creative Commons that includes the provisions:
ShareAlike — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same license as the original.
Are you trying to etch the drawing or cut it?
If you're trying to cut it you probably want this: https://inkscape.org/doc/tutorials/tracing/tutorial-tracing.html You'll have to do a bit of cleanup in Inkscape after converting it to a vector but that's the fastest way I've found of transferring an existing image to a vector format.
I haven't used a K40 so I don't know how they do engraving but if it's like any of the other laser cutters I've used you can just feed it a raster image so I'd just drop the drawing into a scanner/take a digital photo/etc.
EDIT - just read up on the Whisperer software and apparently etching is anything that's not a red/blue path. So you want to do the same thing but feed the resulting black and white SVG directly in for etching instead of converting some of the lines to blue/red
Looks like the ones I have: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B08YRCGVCN
They do not hold the common 3mm acrylic well. 5mm is too thick, my guess is they need 4mm acrylic (0.18" = ~4.5mm) , which doesn't seem super common.
I use this instead of painters tape on large surfaces. It's faster to apply and isn't much more sticky. I'll still use painters tape on cups/bottles to test image size and location.
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B08563Q5ND/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
It is an Orion Motor Works 60W laser. 28x20" cutting surface. I purchased mine from Amazon, but they are darned hard to get. THey seem to get a few in, and immediately sell out. A week or two later, more come in. etc.
It use .dgf, .ai, jpg, .gif, and a few others.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01I1H3G04/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Your cheap solution is something like this. But if your only looking to do a few parts I'm sure you can find a job shop with a trumpf laser marker or similar that could mark steel for you.
Thank for your input.
What do you think about something like this from Gearbest.
If I used it for just engraving wood and not cutting, could I get by with just a window open for ventilation?
I finally found the right keywords when searching. My previous searches were all cluttered with 3D printing websites:
Pepakura is a program that offers a 2D and a 3D view with tools to define cutting lines. It's exactly what I was looking for and might be of interest to others here.
Thanks for the kind words!
Fortunately, it's completely free for unlimited open-source projects/usage for hobbyists, much like GitHub used to have, and for students and educators, it's free for unlimited closed-source use! I'm currently on the education plan.
They have a financial incentive to have a free tier (with open-source projects) since it provides them with a large data set for automatically testing upcoming updates. Since the free tier projects are open source, if their update fails on any model, they can make a copy for internal investigation and bug fixing. That way, they don't have to maintain their own internal data set for testing and updates don't cause loss of work.
Admittedly, the price is pretty steep for commercial use compared to Fusion 360's free/$500 yearly tiers, but I think the price is pretty fair when you compare it with SolidWorks, Inventor, or other pricier CAD packages. It's amazing how low-cost Fusion 360 is to get into for commercial use, but unfortunately, it just can't handle the projects I usually work on.
Great minds, ....
I was reading in there a discussion about the unusually high mains reading in some rural parts of the grids in North America. It's been discussed the fact that most 220V appliances with " UL " certificates can handle even as high as $250V fluctuations ( not sustained ) inputs until eventually they give up the blue ghost. For those cases they are mentions of a 220V regulators that Google cannot find.
I am going to ask the seller about this option:
Anything like this will do. They're pretty cheap on amazon, you can get a honeycomb layer to set on top.
I think some people have things much more elaborate than this, but I don't. That's the fun thing about k40s- there's so much you can do to customize and upgrade it, and there's a great community of other people who can give you ideas.
I just installed my cohesion board myself, I haven't used it yet, but I'm excited for it.
They should be 8 mm, which idk what that is in inches lol. But this is where I bought them/the listing for these specifically
I had good luck with Bob Smith Instacure https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001NI4JWI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Maybe also try letting cure for longer and using clamps if you're not already.
Good Luck!
> I've read elsewhere that adding a small amount of soap to my distilled water could get rid of the air bubbles, but that doesn't necessarily sound like something I'm comfortable with doing yet
Soap will only compound the bubble issue. What you may have seen was using a surfactant, which is a component of many detergents.
You can buy surfactant compounds as "wetting agents" on amazon, like this: https://smile.amazon.com/Wetting-agent-golden-Release-bottle/dp/B0009H0HWK/ (also usually sold at any decent local art supply store).
In a pinch Finish "Jet Dry" liquid contains mostly surfactant chemicals and would probably work well enough. Do not use Finish detergent w/ Jet Dry, you can buy the Jet Dry in a small bottle by itself.
What these chemicals do is lower the surface tension of the water which helps prevent bubbles from sticking - it doesn't prevent them from forming per se, so you'll want to remove the SOURCE of the bubbles, but it's not a bad addition to any cooling water.
After 3 years of using the crinkly cheap azzed duct tube supplied with mine have finally switched over to this and it was a good fit. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076S4GPDW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
You 100% need air assist. Mine is just a tube running through the back held next to the laser with electrical tape. Super simple, but it works and make a HUGE difference. There were giant flames before I added it.
To keep away the burn, this is the best transfer tape. It's cheap, super easy to put on, and super easy to get off. Whatever you do, don't get the clear stuff. I have head that if you stain and varnish the wood before you cut it, you can just wipe off the transfer tape, but I have not tried that method yet.
Other than that, it's really not as complicated or scary as you think.
I added my own meter. It was this one. Worry more about the shape of the case. I cut a custom acrylic panel to mount the stock controls and a power toggle for my air assist. There isnt room here for my toggle switch AND my meter, so I've run my meter to a lower section on my desk. A smaller toggle switch would create enough room.
Regarding your other question of temp sensors/meter; both my temp sensors still work, though I would recommend positioning the 'tube' sensor to the outflow port of the laser tube. Depending on how the pre-installed digital meter is, you may be able to get away with just disconnecting those leads and anchoring them to the analog meter with adequate insulation.
How about this Omtech 40 watt laser cutter/engraver for $479 US/$578 Canadian. I have the 50w version and love it
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZGHNMVT/ref=cm_sw_r_em_apa_glt_fabc_Z34EPHQ248J69NVSP4F3
The boss is very similar to the OM Tech and the Beamo in terms of maintenance. The lasers are ready to run. You have some upgrades, and maintenance items. Very similar between the machines.
Optional Upgrades.
Chiller. The boss comes with a bucket of water and a pump. If you plan to run it for hours at a time, (or if you want something cleaner) you'll want to upgrade to an active chiller. Tubes last longer if they are kept under 78 degrees. I have a CW-5200 on my 80W. You can get one on Amazon for $600.
Rotary attachment. If you want to do wine bottles, or glasses, or anything round, you'll want one of these. You can get aftermarket ones. But, if you buy from Boss, it will be guaranteed to work.
Light Burn. Upgraded software to control your laser. Cost $80. Totally worth it.
Vector Graphics Software - I use inks cape which is open source and free. My wife uses Illustrator which IS better, but costs several hundred dollars a year.
Maintenance
The glass tubes, and the lenses are consumables. A well cared for tube last between 2000 and 10,000 hours, depending on brand. But, they can also die from age if you don't use them. Expect to replace your tube at least every 3 years. If it lasts longer, yay.
Optics are also a consumable. They last longer if you keep them clean. Dirty optics can overheat and die.
Repairs
Nothing SHOULD go wrong for a long time. But, the Boss and OM Tech are using mostly industry standard parts, which you can source all over the place. They should be easy to fix both, even if the parent companies go under. The Beamo / Beambox is using more custom parts. I don't know how hard they would be to repair.
Is it a GFCI outlet, a normal outlet on an Arc Fault Breaker, or is it just a grounded outlet?
How is it grounded? Did your electrician run a new ground from/to the main panel, did they ground the outlet itself to a ground rod, a water pipe, or to the neutral wire? All of these might make a difference, as some of them are not proper ways to ground a GFCI outlet, and somewhat questionable otherwise.
You might try hooking up something like a vacuum or blender to the circuit and see what happens... if it blows, it's either an improper install of a bad outlet (I've installed a lot of GFCI outlets, they do come DOA sometimes, not often)
I'd suggest an outlet tester like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AKX8L0M/
That will tell you if there's a ground or other wiring error.
Also, if it was installed by a professional electrician in the US it is almost certainly a 15A circuit, possibly 20A - good for at least 1600W so your laser is probably fine on it.
So I’m pretty new to lasers, but off of a recommendation from this sub, I bought an atomstack a5 20watt laser for etching my leatherwork. It works really well for that even though it’s only a 5 watt diode laser, it’s about all this laser is good for in my opinion. I have etched hard and soft plastic as well, it will cut using high power setting and slow speed. But etches very well. I paid 330$ to my door. Bought off amazon https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08R9Q7HHY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1. This is the person I purchased it from in China, I had the laser from China in 4 days. I bought on Amazon to protect my purchase from China. There are a few programs that run a laser, lightburn, the program I run after the 30day free trial it’s 40$ you can do a lot with this program. Or a free program from lasergrble that’s ok but nowhere near lightburn. If you have any questions pm me, guys helped me get started so I’m happy to do the same
Please take any electrical advice on the internet as opinions and not professional recommendations :)
That, said, if its a good high quality industrial type power strip, then you'd probably be alright. If its one of those cheap plastic ones that you would more likely see in an office space, then no, I would not suggest using that. Those are usually made very cheaply, and are not intended for high wattage use. The chiller, blower and air compressor are more so the concern, over the laser itself.
Here is one that I use for my powder coating cart: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004CT299A
Its built nice and rugged, and you can use the mounting tabs to secure it to the wall like an outlet box. The added fuse is a nice safety addition as well
You should be able to cut just about anything up to 5mm (1/4") thick with a 40W.
We've been using this Baltic birch a lot lately, fairly decent quality, had a few chipped or warped pieces but most of it was very good:
I don't know if 3d printed materials are safe to laser, but I'd expect that bed to get real gross, real fast. Plastic getting carved up and all that.
I'm thinking a makeshift knife edge table? Using steel rulers. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DP25SRG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_W-aZFbYTTX2G9 Design a 3d-printed base that will hold the rulers on edge. The 1-2 inches of height from the rulers will diffuse the beam enough to leave the base intact.
I do use magnets to secure my work to my honeycomb bed. I do all my designs with an initial vector pass that marks the locations I can safely put magnets. That works fine.
You can definitely laser this stuff. As someone said above, there's a few different types. Look for "stiff" or "industrial" felt. There is a lot of thinner stiff felt sold for crafting purposes like this: https://www.amazon.com/BUYGOO-Fabric-Assorted-Crafting-Projects/dp/B07VXDNBZ4/ref=sr_1_26?dchild=1&keywords=stiff+felt+sheets+5mm&qid=1606839454&sr=8-26
If you want thicker felt, it will come in just grey and you'll have more luck with "industrial" search terms.
If you use soft felt and want to stiffen it, you can mix white glue (in the US it's called Elmer's glue) with a little water and use a paintbrush to paint it on the back side. When it dries it will be stiff like a plastic sheet, but will crack if you flex it too much.
For our first exhaust fan, we bought a cheap Harbor Freight carpet drying fan and jerry rigged it to work with the vent tubing. However it looks like they aren't selling it anymore on their website.
When that fan craps out on us we are going to get this one on amazon. Its an in-line style that actually is shipping with a DIY laser cutter kit called the Fabool CO2. Has good reviews and already has all the adapters for the tubing.
I would stay away from the dust collector fans. They are REALLY loud. Especially if you are using your laser in a room that is used for other activities. You don't want to be wearing ear protection all the time.
Hope this helps!
If you have a 3d printer you can print some of these. https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1244670
Amazon has LED strips that you can use, or get them for cheap from Aliexpress.
https://www.amazon.com/SUPERNIGHT-Changing-Flexible-Remote-Control/dp/B00BP4DUMU/
>MYJG40
If you have Amazon Prime, you need to look at the Amazon listings. I believe this one is Prime free two day elligible or pay more for 1 day:
Purchased similar https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CCYLV8L earlier this year and thus far it's performing as designed, maybe I should be knocking on wood? Paid a bit more going the Amazon route with this seller compared to their Fleabay listing, but I knew the liftgate svc was assured and had some probably misplaced comfort in knowing if issue did arise, Amazon has been helpful in the past. My Chinglish is rusty, purchasing direct from China for US import was immediately eliminated in my mind as potential tariffs and port fee/pick-up soured that idea.
It was the motor tech 60w from Walmart. It’s out of stock now, but it’s available on amazon.
It broke in two months, so I can’t totally recommend it. They also lied and it was actually only a 50 watt tube. That’s China for ya. Still a good deal if you’re okay with fixing it.
Cool story though. I got it from Wal-Mart on clearance for $400 cheaper than amazon, then when it broke I asked Wal-Mart to honor the warranty and since they didn’t want to pay for shipping to return a very heavy, broken cutter that was discontinued, they gave me a full refund and told me they didn’t want it back!! I used the cash to upgrade the tube and power supply and now it’s AMAZING, and only actually cost me $600. Best deal ever.
Don't get either of those. The 4k one is way too expensive for what it is and the red one is an outdated version.
That's the one I have. You can probably find it cheaper on eBay but I just preferred buying on Amazon for the peace of mind.
Make sure you find one with a Ruida controller so you can use Lightburn software.
Watch Ben's videos. They help a lot.
Thanks!
Basically yes for the individual layers lit with a different color LED. I used this set which has them all close together: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CDTEJR0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1, and then what I did is just laid the acrylic slice next to the LED strip to see where it was in relation to the LED strip. So if I was doing the White acrylic piece, I would use a black permanent marker (You could also use electrical tape probably) and colored over the edge where it would touch the Red/Blue LEDs. I then did this for the other layers. That way it is only one strip and not taking up room/spaces between each acrylic, but have separate colors.
I can't say for T2 Laser specifically, but I run Lightburn off a mini PC (specifically, this one) attached to the back of a spare monitor I had laying around. It works well...when Lightburn is the only thing running (it usually is...if I'm doing anything more involved, I use my desktop and share the resulting design over the network).
So, assuming it's similarly lightweight (and a little searching suggests that it probably is)...you probably can't really go wrong.
DAMN THEY ARE PROUD OF THAT !!!
I paid $30 GBP for the Dohicky from Russ, and $18 USD for the meter on Amazon, https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FFYEPVQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
For your testing, you are not looking for a reading, you are looking at the change in readings between start and finish.
Have at least a gallon bucket of water and leave it at room temperature over night. Next morning do your readings with his test pattern in 5% increments all the way to 100%, best three of five. The few tests you do over your working current aren't going to hurt anything. When you find your power and or mA working range, then do that 10% in 1% increments to get it exact.
For me, my 80W tube should max out at 24mA. Testing with the Dohicky let me know that I hit my 80W almost dead center between 23mA and 24mA. So my max current is now 23.5mA. I hit that mark at 63% power on my RDC 6445G. I hit it at 64% power on my old Top Wisdom controller.
That test will also tell you what your actual power curve is, and EVERY tube is different. Even knowing that all tubes have a curve and are not linear in any way, I was disappointed to find my power curve was more like a quarter circle. Luckily I do very little engraving, but knowing my actual power curve told me just how difficult it might be if I really wanted to do it.
There are guys with 100W tubes with a flatter power curve that can do better engraving than I can with my 80W. It's pot luck stabbing in the dark if you don't know your power curve.
Drop Russ a comment on his YouTube video with your email address. He'll remove your address and contact you directly to get a Dohicky coming your way. He's in the UK, and it still only took two weeks for it to get here in the mail.
Shooting at 0.4mm thick aluminum with what appears to be a layer of paint overtop. I linked it in the original post, I think?
Edit: This guy
what about something cheaper like https://www.amazon.com/Comgrow-Smoke-Absorber-Furification-Ducting-Shift/dp/B0BKGKDQNH/ref=sr_1_7?crid=23UNSS732PFBE&keywords=fume%2Bextractor&qid=1671482071&sprefix=fume%2Bextractor%2Caps%2C118&sr=8-7&th=1 . I think the one you posted is way outside my price range. At that point I'd just run a hose across the room and shoot it outside diretly.
As said watch it closely is best, but we are human and suck. So I got this stick on fire extinguisher that I put inside the lid. And also a halotron extinguisher I keep near the machine.
This is the stock on extinguisher: Jogoswall Automatic Fire Extinguisher https://www.amazon.com/dp/B095S3L4GT/ref=cm_sw_r_apanp_YQo5OGK9J1MrR
I got that after I had a small fire so I don't know if it works, but it's supposed to be no residue like the halotron.
these glue bottles are amazing and cheap, if doesnt own these a couple bottles and a gallon of wood glue will sure get a smile... https://www.amazon.com/Milescraft-5222-150-5oz-Precision-Bottle/dp/B09Q4PKF6Q/ref=asc\_df\_B09Q4PKF6Q
Sorry I had surgery on my elbow and didn't get back to reddit.
You linked an air pump, btw. It should work, maybe use the secondary air for a blow off duster.
The water pumps that come with the machine are pretty crap, I got a cw-3000 chiller and its built in pump blew a lot of bubbles the stock pump did not have the pressure to clear from the tube. I dont have any other suggestion, I saw the stock cooling as barely adequate, any burn over a few minutes will raise the temperature and force you to ice it, though you could probably toss some snow in there, lol. Frozen Gel packs for coolers work really well. Maybe get one of these, cheap, visual flow indication and temp. Put it on the output of your bucket pump. 5-24 V so you can power it from your machines supply. There are better water pumps if you want to stay this route awhile, as I mentioned the stock ones are pretty crap.
6" fans are plenty big, and it will be difficult to interface an 8" to the machine, id go 6" max or a very powerful high flow 4" Try for about 300-400 CFM. You wont be able to pull more thru the machine anyways without adding vents.
I did. I got this set here:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B088R9BWF5/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
But you still have to fabricate brackets that mount them to your gantry and such.
I'm eyeing these ones that have glitter and metal, while these others have at least 3 shades for light / shadow effects.
Just catch the best deal of the moment :P
Yeah, it's the 10w. And it should be able to burn through it, and yet I am bamboozled. One time I tried to cut through it, it just said "job failed." That was once. Every other time the flame detector stops me. Screaming till I hit the reset button, and no matter what I do, the job is always lost and I'd have to start over
this is the MDF I am using https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08W37HCFW?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
That is almost exactly how mine looks, only my fan and hose is in the corner behind some studio sound panels made of 100 MM thick 8lb Rockwool wrapped in Muslin, my mom helped me make those. You don't need sound insulation, I play bass, so I have 12 of those panels. My air pump is on a shelf with all my goodies on a Heavy rubber block. They vibrate stuff and make noise so plan for that.
I linked my fan, it has a remote fan control, I glued some magnets to it and its on my control panel. "Jetfan speed control." I run it about 70-80% speed cutting acrylic and it pumps all odor out. None of it is really visible, the laser sits on a metal cart with the chiller under it. Shelf hides the hose going out behind heavy curtains.
I tried with wood dowels from HD, but the size is not regular enough. I found that on amazon; it's perfect (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08XQQ69WD)
I use a paint tap to keep them plat ( I cut them 20 per 20 ). Easy to do.
Gotcha. Have you considered a cheap K40 laser then? For example:
https://www.amazon.ca/VEVOR-Engraving-Machine-Exhaust-Stepping/dp/B06Y2PB3RX/
They're low-end for laser engravers, but they should be enough for scoring/cutting polyester.
I think I'm going to grab this one. Thanks! You are very cool.
I'm using an aquarium pump. It's this one. It has four outputs, which I merged into two tubes that terminate in short pieces of bent copper pipe that form the 'nozzles'. The two nozzles are on adjacent sides of the laser head. Pics here.
It's nice and quiet, and while not the most powerful, it certainly makes the cuts and engraving cleaner and more efficient.
I cut a lot of cellophane for a cosplay and it went very well. So well in fact that, since mine came folded in half from factory, I could just cut both layers in one pass, and they fused nicely together, boosting the visual effect.
This is the cellophane I used: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B36TLK3L
I'd consider adding some oil to protect these pieces! I've used linseed oil in the past and that has worked well. What a lovely idea & design!
I bought Rapid RP05 Eyelet pliers and they seem to work nicely. Just a little bit too big hole but I can live with that. And actually there are "hole punch pliers" to make even smaller holes but no store has those in stock unfortunately. Maybe I'll order those if I need smaller holes. The locations can be engraved with laser to get them punched in correct places.
https://www.amazon.com/Beadsmith-PLHP15-Metal-Punch-Pliers/dp/B0053SH4WG
Any switch bearing the LA 39 is going to be fine, they all wire the same as far as I can see, all are 22 MM. An exact match may not be possible. Here's one on Amazon looks good.
this style of punch works well on thin metal and you can change out the head for different hole sizes.
Just did a quick Amazon search, not neccesarily recommending this exact one.
drawing on right is Standard 75/100mm VESA mount plate. Curved on sides are likely completely unnecessary If they were it wouldn't comply with the VESA standsrds..in which case, it is just a square with rounded corners and 2 square hole patterns.
So the monitor? should work with any vesa mount articulated arm or other vesa mount.
But what is with the drawing on left? Do you actually need a folded bracket with undefined hole pattern on monitor side to accommodate the absence of a proper vesa hole pattern, like this https://smile.amazon.com/VIVO-Adapter-Designed-Monitors-MOUNT-DLS024/dp/B07QW3YN87 And retrofit it into a vesa mount.
I have been using this stuff, and it works great. exactly the same as the cermark I used to use, it actually works better than cermark on brass.
https://www.amazon.com/Brilliance-Laser-Inks-BLI101-12-Aerosol/dp/B07K4Y8D62
You can get a pressure regulator for relatively cheap.
​
I had a quote for an oversized panel at 250+190s/h from cloudray.
I got an all up quote from FASTTOBUY Official US on amazon for 180. Arriving today, ordered on 10/2.
WOW... This is astounding. Can you share project pls? Preferrably Lightburn file? I have a 2-gal Ultra Quiet that I leave at 15-20PSI and I still get charring. Besides, I thought you only use Air compressor for cuts, not for engraving? Id love to see what part set to engrave, what parts image, settings etc, and test them out on mine.
I use transfer tape then airbrush the engraved areas and then remove the tape and lightly sand. If you use spray paint apply it with several VERY LIGHT coats to prevent bleeding. This lets you get perfectly even engraving colors every time. Something like this
It's basically really wide painters tape. It isn't terribly sticky so it's easy to remove.
Not sure about how quiet this one is (its outside the shop and pulls from the laser on the other side of the wall, but it's served me well for the past 2.5 years.
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B005XNNYMU
And I'm using this on my Boss LS1630
That listing claims the glasses block all wavelengths of visible light which would make them a blindfold if true.
Could you supply a link to the exact ones you bought. I have bee reading on Amazon and it seems like a lot of them marked as stainless are not and will not engrave. I was looking at these - https://www.amazon.com/Pieces-Stainless-Groomsmen-Wedding-Bridesmaid/dp/B09T6DY58N - thinking it would be cool to have black and silver but the first reviews says its not stainless.
Any machine you buy, you have to pick it based on what you want to do... Don't buy a Ferrari when you want to do what a Jeep does...
There are lots of products like Glowforge that, even as a good idea, end up 'bricks' of unusable equipment.. The hardware works, but the software half of the business and the product is no longer. With Glowforge you can't even use the machine off-line.
Wife works from home and has the local cable company. Friday, the Internet went down and it needs the modem replaced. Won't be here till noon on Monday... my Glowforge would've look nice all 4 days sitting there... I'm running Starlink, so I have us up on that, most people don't pay for two Internet connections.
Overhead is much greater for these companies... As the general hardware becomes lower cost there's an increase in the software development costs to keep up.. assuming you will use lower cost hardware, which is dubious.
If you want to get into the hobby, I found an 3000mW led laser for $79 on Amazon. Worked out of box (after attaching the X carriage). The company has a 'firmware' upgrade for it and it will run Lightburn... Hard to beat this price to get into a hobby... When you can find it... Noticed the price went up again. I've hung a 30W Neje (maybe 5W out) on it...
You have to grab them when they come up... I got wind it was $69, they were sold out, so it cost me $10 more...
Glowforge is stuck in an area of commercialism that will be difficult to maintain a position... Hope I'm wrong... but history isn't kind.
I ordered this one from Amazon 2 years ago. Orion Motor Tech 50W CO2 Laser Engraver Cutter Machine with LightBurn Software, 20x12 inch Bed, Ruida Control Panel, Digital Power Supply, Rotary Axis https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08NC54VVS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_FngfVhu9jB9Of The company was good to work with. They emailed software codes before the laser arrived. Contacted me to let me know they had left something out of the crate and sent it separately, and upgraded it. Ups brought it in an 18 wheeler. They could not get it into my apartment complex so a friend of mine went with me in his truck to get it. You can always rent a small uhaul moving truck that has a ramp. Considering the cost of the laser you’re buying, the uhaul wouldn’t be much of an add on.
I did that on my 50 watt OMTech, first off you want a Milli-amp meter not an amp meter. 30mA is correct like this: https://www.amazon.com/uxcell-Current-Ammeter-Circuit-Testing/dp/B07CN2G4GN/ref=sr_1_10?keywords=milliamp+meter&qid=1662126579&sr=8-10
You will connect it to the negative side witch should be the thinner black wire. I used 18ga wire. You want to cut the wire, then solder on the extensions and cover with shrink tube, then use eyelets to screw onto the posts of the meter and put shrink tube on them to. You don't want any leakage or for them to come loose. Good Luck
I am so confused now! - https://www.amazon.com/Comgrow-Engraver-Adjustable-Engraving-Temperature/dp/B0B486YVTQ/
Look at the questions...
Will this work with the creality falcon 10w? Need any other parts?
NO, Comgrow air assist cannot work with the creality falcon 10w,
because the caliber size of the creality falcon 10w laser module cannot
be confirmed
So it will fit with no additional parts?
The cheap ones in that sort of style usually have a shroud around the laser (for example).
This is so you don't accidentally look at it or catch a reflection around the side of your safety glasses.
Try find someone with a decent table saw. A V Bit on a router could work but to be honest a table or track saw is the simplest and probably most effective option. You're basically just creating a small mitred box with a couple walls missing.
With the parts being quite small you could even get away with a hand saw and a mitre box especially if you're just using something like pine
I got this one on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00VITZPMK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I don't know anything about cloudray specifically. I use automatic vacuum switches that turn on an outlet when the other reaches a certain load. It works well for the dust collector on my CNC. Powering up the system doesn't draw enough to trigger the switch until the spindle starts up and then it automatically turns it on. I would imagine the laser would function in the same way. I use this one, it has settings for 30w and 60w triggers.
Response time on a DMM is to slow, you might get a reading while cutting but while engraving you won't be able to read it. Plus the constant pulses may even damage it. An analog mA meter is only around $15 while a good Fluke is probably $50 to $200 or more. If it's about the cost,, I'd sell the Fluke, get this: https://www.amazon.com/Cloudray-Ammeter-detect-Current-Machine/dp/B07VJ3GYPS/ref=sr_1_9?keywords=milliamp+meter&qid=1658321764&sr=8-9 and you'll have money left over for Beer and Pizza
- An aquarium pump + tub of water works for many people. It sounds like a bad idea, but it's quite effective. OMTech's come with them. They are cheap. $
- A so-called "chiller" dissipates heat well, but cannot go below the room temperature. They offer safety through verifying flowrate, setting alarms, reporting temps. $$
- A proper chiller will use refrigerant to reach target temps. It provides the same safety as the other chiller. They are quite pricey, but when you consider the cost of a tube it makes sense. $$$$
I own this model for my 80W, but be aware there are fakes of these models around. Because it gets cold in the winter here I run a 50/50 water and antifreeze mixture per the manufacturer.
I use a powerex 5hp scroll compressor with a 30 gal tank. Its nice and I picked it up used for a song so your luck may vary. Oil-free is not necessary as long as you get a good air filter. Motor Gaurd air filters are nice and will last forever on something like a laser cutter. They are often used on plasma cutters to get all the moisture and oil out of the air which is a lot harder on plasma cutters than laser cutters.
Silent is going to be a tough one. There are multi-pump jun-aire systems that are very quiet. Also look at dental air compressors. They tend to be very quiet since they get installed in office buildings. Either way you will need a good air filter.
The AC Infinity mixed-flow inline fans (e.g. S4 and S6) are fairly popular. They are relatively quiet and come with a speed controller, but it's a relatively expensive option and probably a bit overkill for your needs.
I'd probably get one of these cheap inline radial blowers for ~$30 (or a slightly better one):
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08B5V1QB4
Note that this style of fan is often a bit leaky around the seam, but you can fix that with some silicone or alu tape.
> Also would it be better to have the fan on the side with an intake hole on the opposite side or to have the fan in the back with a hole on the front?
It's best to have the fan close to where the fumes exit the building or even outside the building if possible. If the ducting is negatively pressurized, fumes won't escape through gaps and cracks. So, having the fan directly attached to the enclosure is actually not that good. It also may transfer vibrations to the machine.
I recommend to have an opening in the front which is as wide as the work table and the exhaust port in the back. The goal is to have some kind of carpet or conveyor belt of air which drags the fumes straight to the back of the machine. What you don't want is swirling air which just spins around, because then you'll need way more airflow to clear the fumes in a timely manner.
Happy to answer stuff!
Basically any Fiber laser will do it! 20W - 30W with a 110 lens (160mm focus) is probably the lowest wattage I'd get, 10W will work, but will be pretty slow.
I am not suggesting this exact machine, and have no reason to recommend for or against it, but something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Laser-Engraver-Marking-Machine110%C3%97110mm-Rotary/dp/B083ZQTZB5
Basically, if you think you'll ever want to use a rotary, get one with a rotary - it's an absurd pain to install otherwise.
Lenses are the work area - 110, 75, 220 and so on, that's the square mm work area you have. The larger the area, the more tolerant the laser focus, but also the lower the power you can deliver to a piece.
These machines can cut very thin metal into small pieces, but they aren't made for it, they are primarily engravers.
The problem is that there's dozens of them out there, all about similar, all using ezCad, with similar lenses, so it's hard to point to one specific machine, basically you pick the lens, power and options you want, then look around to find a reputable seller.
You can also buy them in the states, but usually expect to pay 2 - 10 times more for the same machine that way.
And my current machine is from rock solid laser, over on ali, and I've had good luck buying hardware from them myself.
I started with a 30W machine, and now have a 60W MOPA.
No idea, probably? It seems at least a few of the Atomstack models are universal with many electronics packages, worth asking them directly
if you are seeing a lot of smoke hanging around you should upgrade your extraction fan.
Mine came with a dinky 6" fan on the back that did NOTHING.
I upgraded to a 6" centrifugal inline and then up again to a 8". I currently use 6" duct from the back to a reducer to the 8" fan, then 8" duct to the outside. I never see or smell any smoke now.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CAHM75W/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
When I got this laser, I bougt a simple probe thermometer and, just like you said, I taped the probe to the return hose.
A few days ago, I ordered this thermometer that bolts into this flow indicator to get a more accurate temp reading.
It was yesterday, while installing it, that I started to wonder if I should swap hoses so I would monitor the return line.
i assume galvo lasers , look up SINO-GALVO-Fiber-Laser-Machine-Scanning/dp/B07RHNR8FQ etc
the lenses are interchangeable but you do need to calibrate them
110 x 110mm / 150 x 150mm / 175 x 175mm / 200 x 200mm / 300 x 300mm with an M85 thread
you do need to longer column length to accommodate all the lens sizes though
For me 1.5-2 years, but I use mine far less than you.
I've never really tested for the "right" amount of air flow, although I do have a anemometer. I hooked this up to my fan so I could find the sweet spot. Too fast and the filters don't have time to do their thing. Too slow and the bed fills up with smoke. So you have to adjust things. Filtering with the aim of removing odor is quite a challenge. Smoke is fairly straight forward.
See my post about neighbors here.
I own a centrifugal fan and like it. I have never tried a cloud, but many seem to like them. I think it depends on the laser and the materials. I have an 80w laser and mine pulls through one 4" particulate filter, two 2" carbon filters, and two 2" hepa filters. It removes all smoke and probably 90% odor.
If you are just exhausting it you wouldn't need one nearly as big as mine. If you are just exhausting with it, mount the fan as close to the exit as possible. It's better to pull the air as long as possible.
Absolutely which is why I asked. Most of the content seems to avoid the cutting depth aspect so I felt like it was a false claim. I also found this one which claims 15mm at half the price but again it doesn't seem to have much on it. SCULPFUN S9 Laser Engraver, 90W Effect High Precision CNC Laser Cutter and Engraver Machine, Deep Cutting for 15mm Wood, 0.06mm Ultra-Fine Fixed-Focus Compressed Spot, Expandable Engraving Area https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09MQMXXGD/ref=cm_sw_r_sm_apa_i_B0E41PJYKF8H4YN2AX11?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
I've cut 1 mm and 2 mm silicone rubber sheets with zero problems. The black stuff isn't particularly sticky, but the neutral/natural silicone thinner material sticks like vinyl and cuts a dream.
Not all honeycombs are alike, as I found out when researching! The one I just bought is stainless steel in a steel frame and it's pretty rigid.
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B08YDFT9CH/
That said, it was also spendy, but it should last. Also, since it's steel, you can use magnets to hold stuff flat on it.
Well that's not good. Mine are stable. and I havent seen chips.
So far
So i wont have it fully enclosed and i’m in a small room where i hang out so it’s important that all the particales are removed will this big fan do the job? https://www.amazon.ca/iPower-GLFANXINLINEEXPC8-Variable-Controller-Ventilation/dp/B07PJ8M656/ref=mp_s_a_1_2_sspa?qid=1651760413&refinements=p_89%3AiPower&s=hi&sr=1-2-spons&psc=1&smid=A3HEJJH0D3Q286&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlm...
That one is very expensive will this one do the job? It’s 8 inches and seems like a monster https://www.amazon.ca/iPower-GLFANXINLINEEXPC8-Variable-Controller-Ventilation/dp/B07PJ8M656/ref=mp_s_a_1_2_sspa?qid=1651760413&refinements=p_89%3AiPower&s=hi&sr=1-2-spons&psc=1&smid=A3HEJJH0D3Q286&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlm...
AC Infinity CLOUDLINE S6, Quiet 6” Inline Duct Fan with Speed Controller - Ventilation Exhaust Fan for Heating Cooling Booster, Grow Tents, Hydroponics https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B07FPFVZTZ/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_i_4XD9S5A2AEW6Q2GB7Q32?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
> that I apply to the individual pieces by h
Wow that's awesome, do you mean something like this? Do stick on the film then cut it or cut it separately and stick it on after?
I understand your point. However, the next step jumps to $2500 for a 55 watts machine. So, for DIY inclined people like yours truly , the K40 is great to learn the trade. And be not affraid, there is a huge online community supporting this machine.
This 55 watto is quite superior than the K40, though
Oh, you can absolutely buy them with the base. You can also just buy the bases themselves.
I guess in the end, just see which buying option works for you. I do have a few of those round blanks on-hand in case a project calls for a more "perfect" circle.
This one was cut from a sheet, due to its more irregular shape... but for the ones that are already shaped and you just need to engrave, you can find 'em on Amazon.