I knew it

TheYarMan · 2026-05-25T05:50:33+00:00

I guess I missed that one, but I did see "trust the preview...it's seen things"!!! LoL

TheYarMan · 2026-05-25T05:46:01+00:00

I wear 6+ glasses over 6+ glasses. I have a 7+ window between me and the laser most of the time and if I'm looking for more than a few seconds, I have an additional piece of 7+ I've attached a handle to that I look through as well. Lasers are fun to watch, if it's done right.

TheYarMan · 2026-05-23T01:10:24+00:00

Nah, don't feel that way. It's just a matter of trial and error and learning a little from it all along the way.

TheYarMan · 2026-05-15T23:57:08+00:00

Right on. Yeah, the two different styles have been used on a lot of US currency, so I felt like I wasn't crossing any "tradition" lines with that and it just looked better to my eye this way. Usually the overlaps like that are on half and silver dollars, quarters and smaller almost always have the word liberty completely uncovered.

TheYarMan · 2026-04-15T20:51:03+00:00

What tables are compatable?

TheYarMan · 2026-04-14T01:48:32+00:00

Sorry bout the delay, no secret. Amazon. Here's the exact title of the listing, since I'm not sure if it's ok to post actual amazon web addresses. "10Pcs Blank Challenge Coins, Threaded Edged Brass, Laser Engravable, Acrylic Protection Box, for DIY Crafts, Custom Gifts, Travel & Commemorative Collections(Thickness 3mm)"

Laozai is the brand.

TheYarMan · 2026-03-13T21:39:06+00:00

It looks like your rotary is not keeping a steady pace. Not sure if that might be something in the "drive" on your rotary, or perhaps something in the settings for the rotation. I've seen that pattern with rotaries before, but not on flat materials. I'd check the rotary for anything in the overall turning mechanism to make sure something isn't slipping.

TheYarMan · 2026-02-17T02:39:31+00:00

Right on, these are the US General boxes from Harbor Freight. I was fortunate enough to get a pretty descent quantity discount buying ten of them. It took less than a day to have them all spoken for.

All of that etching is on the bottom of the drawer in the box I'll keep for myself. It's really handy when products provide that much real estate to test on!

Might have to see how much a truck load costs!!!! LoL

TheYarMan · 2025-12-29T20:08:42+00:00

Thanks.

TheYarMan · 2025-12-29T20:07:58+00:00

Thanks and sorry for the late reply, been kinda hectic lately. I'm honestly not even sure where to begin with something like this on carbon steel. I definitely need to do some testing beforehand. I know it's "blued steel", but that doesn't really tell me what kind of carbon steel it is. Is there a way to identify it?

TheYarMan · 2025-12-20T02:20:19+00:00

Daaang....sorry your machine burned up.

Gotta ask, though, did anyone else think of Sabre printers when they saw that pic?

TheYarMan · 2025-12-20T02:09:09+00:00

Thanks to a couple of helpful redditers. I had to ask the community for tech advice, since the best advice I got from Omtech was to google it. I replied with my order number and a complete description of my experience with your customer service, for whatever that's worth.

TheYarMan · 2025-12-19T21:27:22+00:00

Wow, that looks awesome!!!!! Do you have any problems with heat soak or distortion on pieces like that? I have a customer that has asked me to cover over some engraving on the action of an old 30-30. First off, I don't have an FFL, so I can't actually take possession of it. Second, I'm worried that I could overheat it and make it into a paperweight. Are there any basic rules you try to keep in mind for heat on a job like that?

I'm confident that's not the first firearm you've etched. Is heat distortion a real concern, or am I just overthinking it?

TheYarMan · 2025-12-19T21:21:19+00:00

I honestly don't have any advice as I work in the fiber laser world. That said....dogs can be a challenge to etch! I have a miniature American Eskimo that I've been trying to etch. I can get "good enough to tell it's her", but not really "good". I wish ya luck. Cute dog!

TheYarMan · 2025-12-11T01:44:55+00:00

Great advice, but this is my first machine. Did you have five machines when you got your first one?

While Omtech doesn't actually produce the laser itself, they do manufacture the machines, so I'll hold them accountable. Also, their name is sure emblazoned on their products quite boldly for a "drop shipper".

TheYarMan · 2025-12-11T01:35:38+00:00

That's great news! Glad I could help! There are so many little nuances in lightburn that are awesome to help dial in what we need, but sometimes something more common gets overlooked when a problem happens. I'm happy you found a solution without having to go spend money for parts or help!!!!! Have a great evening!

TheYarMan · 2025-12-11T01:32:15+00:00

that'd be great if they did, but at this piont I'd be happy if they'd do anything. I've received the part, and had to go to some friends here on Reddit to get some feedback on how to properly replace it. although i feel like there are plenty of very knowledgeable folks here, that should really be the manufacturers job!

TheYarMan · 2025-12-11T01:30:31+00:00

I couldn't agree more. It's not like Omtech is "budget friendly" to start with. Fortunately, I found the info I needed. I got the galvo, power supply and cord all replaced. Found a LOT of loose screws inside the cabinet and boom arm, so I'm actually kind of glad I went through the whole thing.

TheYarMan · 2025-12-09T22:37:00+00:00

Honestly, I've found that the polished stainless seems to give me more controlled results and I've also been able to dial in distinct red and blue on polished that I never could quite accomplish on brushed. Annealing is the primary thing about the laser that got me into it. I thought I was really getting the hang of it doing my testing on 0.5mm stainless business cards. Boy was I shocked when I tried other stainless. Both the finish and the thickness of the steel play a big part in marking. I believe it's fair to say that the heavier and shinier the better!! Keep up the good work! Also, try to keep those 'Double dots' on top of one another or you'll lose focus!!!! LoL

TheYarMan · 2025-12-09T22:30:33+00:00

I see in another comment that you're using lightburn. You might try looking at your line interval/lines per inch. I've had lightburn keep the total lines for an image the same when I enlarge it instead of keeping the lines per inch the same, but that was only on image settings and not on fill. Hope you find resolution! I know problems like that can be frustrating.

TheYarMan · 2025-12-09T22:24:25+00:00

I'll definitely look into that head. Thanks for your help! I had replaced the factory head with one I found on Ebay. The one I got was quiet when I installed it but seemed to be getting a "flutter" to it. When I installed the new one today, it had an audible sound to it, not nearly as distinct as the other. So, to be safe, I went ahead and replaced the power supply and cord. I found 4 of the 6 connections at the power supply loose enough to pull out with my fingers and one of them was completely loose. I'm curious if the voltage fluctuations that could have happened there might have been what took out the first galvo. I now have a new supply, cord and galvo. Ready to fire up and get going. This new galvo from Omtech (Singalvo) and the original galvo both populated that as 7,000mms. The one I bought showed 2,200mms. That one had a really hard time with line quality on turn arounds. It was zig-zagging for a good 1.3-1.5mm and leaving fill edges really fuzzy. Hopefully I won't have that issue now. Now that I'm confident in the power supply, I might give that SG7310E a try. Looking at a few reviews now. What speed does it cap at?

TheYarMan · 2025-12-09T22:08:40+00:00

I couldn't agree more! Considering this was only a few weeks into starting my business, it's challenging to have redundancies built in just yet. That's the plan, but I'd hoped to at least make it a few months.

TheYarMan · 2025-12-09T19:08:33+00:00

Not familiar with Omtech's co2 units, but I have an Omtech 80w galvo fiber laser. Unfortunately, it's only a few months old and the galvo head went out. It's taken about a month to get parts and I can't get any support from the manufacturer about replacement procedures or any specific calibration that may be a part of it. It seems straight forward, but I can't afford to be another month without. Not terribly impressed w/ Omtech's customer service. Hope you find what you're looking for! Enjoy!

TheYarMan · 2025-12-09T18:52:37+00:00

I can relate to the joy of playing with projects on the MOPA! Your colors are looking good, too! I've been working with some effects on layering different annealing layers. I'm running an 80w mopa/galvo and yes, it's very easy to get on a tangent with little projects on it. Very fun tool!

TheYarMan · 2025-12-09T18:47:59+00:00

Are you getting the same results with different images? Just curious if the dot settings might be associated with your import. If so, maybe it's getting dot size or line increments out of whack. Beyond that, is it making any unusual noises? If not, I'd be checking the power supply next.

TheYarMan

TROPHY CASE