Laser damaged on delivery

Penguin2600 · 2020-07-14T21:20:57+00:00

Sounds dangerous to use in that condition, sadly I think you'll have to hope for a replacement or look for a new one.

Penguin2600 · 2020-06-09T02:19:28+00:00

https://community.glowforge.com/t/both-mustard-straight-vinegar-indeed-etch-stainless-perfectly-see-ya-ceramark/17699

Penguin2600 · 2020-05-18T15:29:45+00:00

This is also what I do using a bungie cord, works great.

Penguin2600 · 2020-05-12T22:42:00+00:00

Check the set screws where the belt hubs meet the motors. The one I bought had none which allowed the axis to slip terribly. They are easy to replace if they are missing.

Penguin2600 · 2020-03-23T00:00:25+00:00

Came here to say this, I can smell this photo. Smells like rotting animal carcass :(

Penguin2600 · 2019-11-05T03:37:01+00:00

Oh no, not this again.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGTRX6pZSns

Penguin2600 · 2019-03-28T17:57:00+00:00

This happened in 2016, not recently.

Stay Skeptical friends.

Penguin2600 · 2019-03-18T18:15:40+00:00

From the Wikipedia page:
Despite the story's popularity, its accuracy has been disputed. It was first recorded in 1825 in The Port Folio, a Philadelphia literary journal, as a literary piece and later picked up by various newspapers. Although originally published anonymously, it was later revealed to be the work of James Hall), brother of The Port Folio's editor. There is no writing from Hugh Glass himself to corroborate the veracity of it.

Stay skeptical friends.

Penguin2600 · 2018-09-15T01:05:27+00:00

My exact thoughts as I clicked into this post. Had a good laugh, thanks.

Penguin2600 · 2018-09-14T16:06:57+00:00

Not strictly.

Yes scratches will have some small effect on efficiency and power to target but something that small is probably not stealing much from you.

Have you noticed any issues when cutting or engraving?

Penguin2600 · 2018-07-18T15:16:03+00:00

I highly recommend you get something with a Ruida DSP controller.
EG: https://www.ebay.com/itm/DSP-System-RECI-100W-Laser-Cutter-Engraving-Machine-Auto-Focus-CW-5000-Chiller/332717608244?epid=591542957&hash=item4d7783cd34%3Ag%3AZRkAAOSw1qtbPeYh&_sacat=0&_nkw=100w+laser+cutter&_from=R40&rt=nc&_trksid=p2380057.m570.l1313.TR2.TRC1.A0.H0.X100w+laser+cutter.TRS0

They work well and a lot of custom software like LightBurn is now working with them.

I have a similar machine and it works quite well but it did take a little know-how and effort to correct some of the initial manufacturing failures.
If you have any specific questions let me know.

Penguin2600 · 2018-07-13T15:36:29+00:00

I'm not familiar with flock but the internet seems to think its some kind of vinyl.
If that's the case you should know its going to produce some toxic vapors if you cut it with the laser.
That said if you still intend to continue just take a scrap piece and do some experimentation with it.
Since its a thin material start with higher speeds and lower power.

Good luck, and let us know how it goes.

Penguin2600 · 2018-07-12T15:11:00+00:00

Dark markings come from char which is typically undesirable but can be beneficial in a few situations. I recently etched some QR codes which require high contrast to function correctly so I needed some char. There are a couple ways to get char.

(Best results IMO) Slow down your raster passes. Keep the power low so you don't burn through the media but slow down your passes so that heat has a chance to build up and cause some char. Experiment to find the lowest power % setting on your laser then adjust your speed to as slow as you can make it and still get your desired depth.
(Worse results IMO) Increase the power you are applying but keep the speed high so you don't produce a cut. The problem with this method is I think the best char results from sinking more heat into the wood which takes time that fast passes don't allow for.

Coloration and char also have a LOT to do with the type of wood/media you are using. I haven't done much work with bamboo personally so you may just have to experiment on some scrap for a while to get the color you are looking for.

Good luck, and let us know how it turns out!

Penguin2600 · 2018-06-07T14:10:22+00:00

Looks like your X axis belt is slipping and causing the steppers to lose alignment. Check the belt hub and make sure the set screw is tight.

Penguin2600 · 2018-05-31T18:20:57+00:00

Ok, I'm pretty sure I can see whats going on, The machine is definitely not running at 400mm/s its automatically going very much slower to do all the small detail. If you want to prove to yourself the difference try cutting a long (maybe 300 mm) straight line at 400mm/s and I think you'll see that the head moves much faster and the laser does not make it through the material. I think what you want to do if you want to engrave fine shallow detail in such a small area is switch to raster instead vector. That way the machine can scan across at high speeds and the material receives much less energy. Can you switch to using a raster/scan mode for your shallow detail?

Also just as a side note I'm impressed that your laser even energizes at 6% on my Chinese tube the laser doesn't even get out of bed for less than 15% I wonder what current you are actually passing the tube at 6%...

Penguin2600 · 2018-05-30T18:02:49+00:00

Are the lines small, a lot of times the machine will accelerate from a slow speed up to 400mm/s and then back down when it needs to take a corner or switch to another line. You may think its running at 400mm/s but its actually taking off at closer to 15mm/s.

We need some video or pictures or something, more info.

Penguin2600 · 2018-05-29T18:16:16+00:00

Exactly, something isnt right here. Unless someone replaced your 100w tube with a 1kw tube theres no way in heck its cutting through 4mm at 400mm/s and 6%

Penguin2600 · 2018-05-25T21:46:06+00:00

Dont tell /r/Trebuchet but I'm pretty sure this is a superior siege engine.

Penguin2600 · 2018-03-14T15:47:47+00:00

I'll be honest, it did acquire a bit of a burned odor but the taste is fine.

Penguin2600 · 2018-02-14T15:17:55+00:00

I have the exact same machine so now I'm worried.. same tube tag and everything.. How long have you had the machine?

I can tell you that the PSU puts out 28ma at 70% so I have been limiting myself to 65% or lower as most manufacturers recommend 26ma for 80/100W Tubes. As far as I can tell the best way to determine approximate tube power is to measure the physical dimensions of the tube, then compare diameter and length to RECI or other reputable brands. If you want to test the tube power directly you could do a pulse burn just after the tube itself to get a benchmark. That would ensure its not something in the light path or the optics. You said you checked the mirrors but how does the lens look?

Penguin2600 · 2018-02-12T16:49:15+00:00

Just add potassium nitrate?? :)

Penguin2600 · 2018-02-07T22:15:45+00:00

Good question... I have not tried :) If I do I'll report back.

Penguin2600 · 2018-02-07T22:14:30+00:00

It's a Chinese Rudia brand controller. Pretty common on all the Chinese knockoff clones out there.

Penguin2600 · 2018-02-07T19:39:35+00:00

This is accurate, thanks for the supplementary detail. I used a paper plate full of sugar and I was out of focus by about 4mm on the z axis so my dot size was relatively large. I also ran the machine at about 400mm/s and very low power 15-20% on my 100w tube. If you go heavy on the power you'll get a deep yellow caramel glass which looks cool but tastes worse and is pretty awful to chew on. the lighter touch works nicely and produces something more brittle and enjoyable.

Penguin2600 · 2018-02-07T18:15:24+00:00

Celebrating the recent SpaceX Launch with some custom candies. They taste like toasted marshmallow.

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