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OMTech Lasers - 50w co2 laser engraver - build log and experience
- Thread starter thenated0g
- Start date
thenated0g
Moderator
still surprises me how simple the machines are, especially coming from IT and dealing with printers. even compared to a 3d printer its dead simple. Very easy to see all the moving parts and fix things .
After un-crating mine and firing it up for the 1st time, alot of the intimidation melted away. I realized it was really no different than the motion control rig we used in the early 90's for special vfx, complete with all the downsides of when the controller lost track of where the head was or more commonly if you had something obstructing the path of the head or gantry. Even sounded the same with the stepper motors sounded the similar.
jure
Very Strong User
you know that there are kits to add a laser head to a 3D printer , and so reuse the mechanics for a new type of function.
for example :
Creality Laser upgrade
for example :
Creality Laser upgrade
rcsoar4fun
Very Strong User
A laser seems a lot more simple and lightweight because the mechanism isn't having to overcome drag or much momentum.
While building my CNC router I was troubleshooting something and it pushed the whole control box and computer off the bench.
It still scares me a bit.
While building my CNC router I was troubleshooting something and it pushed the whole control box and computer off the bench.
It still scares me a bit.
rcsoar4fun
Very Strong User
Sounds like you need a bigger CNC router table, lol.
Had my laser cutter for a few years now i have done a lot of models with it and can tell you it will not cut fiber glass or carbon fiber first off fiberglass is made up with a resign as well as the carbon fiber and when cutting it the fumes are not good also capable of fire when cutting wood such as plywood it will cut and there is a but here it depends on the glue used to laminate the layers together some ply won't cut no matter how many pass you have it make just chars the wood it's great on engraving stuff good luck have fun don't forget your eye covering. Btw I'm using the Monport laser Engraver.
Yes, some of the newer glues used in plywoods can cause issues with a laser. Best to try some samples before buying a lot.
We have cut G10 fiberglass, it is not pretty, but it does it. Lots of charring. (We do have 150 watts to play with)
We have cut 1/2" plywood with pretty good results. We do not do it in a single pass, nor at high power.
We mostly but 1/4" birch ply or thinner woods, a bit of foam, fabric, acrylic, vinyl, cardboard, G10. I'm probably forgetting a few.
We can cut very thin metals, but only as an experiment. Don't bother!
Since we use ours for production, we use a lot of templates for alignment of materials. Sometimes this is plywood, but more often we use cardboard or masking tape for this.
We have cut G10 fiberglass, it is not pretty, but it does it. Lots of charring. (We do have 150 watts to play with)
We have cut 1/2" plywood with pretty good results. We do not do it in a single pass, nor at high power.
We mostly but 1/4" birch ply or thinner woods, a bit of foam, fabric, acrylic, vinyl, cardboard, G10. I'm probably forgetting a few.
We can cut very thin metals, but only as an experiment. Don't bother!
Since we use ours for production, we use a lot of templates for alignment of materials. Sometimes this is plywood, but more often we use cardboard or masking tape for this.