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Thread: Technical specification for my new laser machine - a few questions

  1. #46
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    John, thanks for your concern. The frame is indeed 15 mm higher and the 2mm thick steel plate is resting on the knife bed. I do have only a few mm's space left between the plate and the auto focus but I'm not sure what happens when the machine gets powered on. So, just to be sure I will remove the plate (and the knife bed for that matter) before I attempt the initial startup of it all.

    And I just received the replacement ventilator. It's much smaller and lighter than the Chinese fan. I will install it this weekend so I finally can give the lasermachine a shot.

  2. #47
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    Machine won't move up and down on it's own. That's for sure. Just watch it and don't forget it's there if it will hit. BTW, the ONLY way to stop it in reset mode or startup mode is to hit emergency stop.
    and when you hit the frame button to outline your design, it doesn't stop until finished either.... So if speed is set slow, it take a while
    Woodworking, Old Tools and Shooting
    Ray Fine RF-1390 Laser Ray Fine 20watt Fiber Laser
    SFX 50 Watt Fiber Laser
    PM2000, Delta BS, Delta sander, Powermatic 50 jointer,
    Powermatic 100-12 planer, Rockwell 15-126 radial drill press
    Rockwell 46-450 lathe, and 2 Walker Turner RA1100 radial saws
    Jet JWS18, bandsaw Carbide Create CNC, RIA 22TCM 1911s and others

  3. #48
    As for failing, mine quit at around a year. No warning, just wouldn't turn on. Could've been just the switch but since my other 3 HF blowers were over 10 years old no issues, another one has been there ever since.
    ========================================
    ELEVEN - rotary cutter tool machines
    FOUR - CO2 lasers
    THREE- make that FOUR now - fiber lasers
    ONE - vinyl cutter
    CASmate, Corel, Gravostyle


  4. #49
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    Doug,

    Just an idea. You might consider putting a smoke alarm in your attic above the fan so you have some early warning of a problem. You could also install a wireless camera (or wired if that is easy) so you can actually see the fan before you go running up to the attic.

    That is what I have done in my crawl space below the house where my fan is located.

    Dave
    900x600 80watt EFR Tube laser from Liaocheng Ray Fine Tech LTD. Also a 900x600 2.5kw spindle CNC from Ray Fine. And my main tool, a well used and loved Jet 1642 Woodlathe with an outboard toolrest that helps me work from 36 inch diameters down to reallllllly tiny stuff.

  5. #50
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    Okidoki, yesterday I installed the new superduper exhaust fan, and it's great. It exhausts, it's silent and small. I love it. I did mount the fan to the wall with a piece of unused thick rubber mousemat as a vibration damper inbetween. I now can scrap the Chinese junk fan.





    So today I was finally able to power the machine for the first time and to play around a bit. First thing that I designed and made is a small cosmetics double-layered display with in-between stand-offs, everything of 4mm clear acrylic. My wife, who is a sales manager in cosmetics, loves it. So I have her blessing, I guess.



    Yep, I'm up and running with my new laser machine. Next thing to do is check the alignment of the mirrors and lenses and leveling out the bed with the laserbeam, if necessary.

    I would again like to thank everybody again who shared their knowledge and experience with me, I hope to do the same in the future.

  6. #51
    Quote Originally Posted by Erik Goetheer View Post



    Do you grill in your attic? That's so convenient.
    Jeff Body
    Go-C Graphics

    China 50W Laser
    Model # SH-350
    Controller RDC6442
    Vinyl Plotter Graphtec CE600-60
    Software used
    Inkscape, FlexiStarter, VinylMaster 4, RDWorksV8

  7. #52
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    Congrats Eric!! Nice job on your first go around too! Anxious to hear how you like the machine as you get more familiar with it!

    I agree with Jeff! Grilling in the attic is a terrific idea! You can make use of your old blower to fan the flames of your grill up there, as well as to simulate having the wind in your hair as you grill! Excellent thinking!!! <grin>
    900x600 80watt EFR Tube laser from Liaocheng Ray Fine Tech LTD. Also a 900x600 2.5kw spindle CNC from Ray Fine. And my main tool, a well used and loved Jet 1642 Woodlathe with an outboard toolrest that helps me work from 36 inch diameters down to reallllllly tiny stuff.

  8. #53
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    Quote Originally Posted by David Somers View Post
    .... I agree with Jeff! Grilling in the attic is a terrific idea! You can make use of your old blower to fan the flames of your grill up there, as well as to simulate having the wind in your hair as you grill! Excellent thinking!!! <grin>
    Yep, this way I can grill the whole year round. LOL And it will give the Chinese blower something to do. Great idea!

  9. #54
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    I aligned the mirrors today, as well the laser tube and the vertical beam alignment. All using the great tutorial that I found at Just Add sharks.

    The mirrors were really perfectly in alignment (1), the tube needed a little lift at the back, which resulted in a perfect Bulls eye at mirror 3 (2).



    BTW, to all but especially the newbies (of which I'm one), check ALL nuts and bolts of your Chinese machine. I had quite a few that were probably tightened by a little kid, or baby. They were sooooo loose. Especially a lot of the locking knots of the mirror mounts.

  10. #55
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    Eric,

    You might let Blanca know about anything you found she and the floor crew should be aware of. Like the loose locking nuts.

    Dave
    900x600 80watt EFR Tube laser from Liaocheng Ray Fine Tech LTD. Also a 900x600 2.5kw spindle CNC from Ray Fine. And my main tool, a well used and loved Jet 1642 Woodlathe with an outboard toolrest that helps me work from 36 inch diameters down to reallllllly tiny stuff.

  11. #56
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    Iowa USA
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    The only issue I had with my Ray Fine fiber was the inexpensive fan motors used in the main unit. I replaced them with ball bearing units off eBay and the noise is gone. All my screws and connections were perfect. The machine worked out of the box and I am now to the point where I can do just about any type of engraving I want. The Rotary however is put aside for another day.....
    Retired Guy- Central Iowa.HVAC/R , Cloudray Galvo Fiber , -Windows 10

  12. #57
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    Quote Originally Posted by David Somers View Post
    Just a thought, but a laser and a CNC can work together nicely, complimenting each other in terms of materials and thicknesses. A CNC can cut thicker materials for an assembly that would not work well on a laser, and then your laser can do the fine engraving that it is so accomplished at. If you are buying from China doing both is not a bad combination and the costs may be less than you think. That is how I ended up with both for what that is worth.
    As the resident contrarian, a few observations:

    1. Any job the laser can do, it can do better/faster than the CNC. (Including making parts for a CNC...DAMHIKT.)
    2. The workflow kabuki dance for the CNC just isn't any fun if you've already spent a couple years getting spoiled by the design-print two-step of the laser. Design, sort and separate by tool, generate multiple material-dependent tool paths, 'print', change bits, 'print' again, lather rinse repeat...
    3. The computer that makes both of these widgets do anything useful is much happier indoors, with air-conditioning and a beer supply. The laser is more than happy to share that space, which is a lot more than I can say for the CNC, which has a rather appalling disregard for the comfort and sanity of its owner/operator.
    4. Unless you spend more for the CNC than the laser, through-cutting thick wood on the CNC is also a multi-pass job and you still end up doing "post-processing" to deal with the tabs that keep the cut-outs attached to the waste so the whole thing doesn't launch in random directions when you get to the bottom. The two ways around this problem are either (1) to cut a pass or two with the CNC, then do a rough-cut with the bandsaw, and finish with the flush-cut bit on the router table, or (2) use the laser to cut a template in 1/4" MDF, followed by the same rough-cut on the bandsaw and cleanup on the router table. At that point you wonder why, since method 2 is faster than method 1, you have that big lump gathering dust in the garage and put the CNC up for sale. (Note: I am NOT in the sign-making business.)
    Last edited by Lee DeRaud; 02-28-2017 at 6:01 PM.
    Yoga class makes me feel like a total stud, mostly because I'm about as flexible as a 2x4.
    "Design"? Possibly. "Intelligent"? Sure doesn't look like it from this angle.
    We used to be hunter gatherers. Now we're shopper borrowers.
    The three most important words in the English language: "Front Towards Enemy".
    The world makes a lot more sense when you remember that Butthead was the smart one.
    You can never be too rich, too thin, or have too much ammo.

  13. #58
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lee DeRaud View Post
    As the resident contrarian, a few observations:

    1. Any job the laser can do, it can do better/faster than the CNC. (Including making parts for a CNC...DAMHIKT.)
    2. The workflow kabuki dance for the CNC just isn't any fun if you've already spent a couple years getting spoiled by the design-print two-step of the laser. Design, sort and separate by tool, generate multiple material-dependent tool paths, 'print', change bits, 'print' again, lather rinse repeat...
    3. The computer that makes both of these widgets do anything useful is much happier indoors, with air-conditioning and a beer supply. The laser is more than happy to share that space, which is a lot more than I can say for the CNC, which has a rather appalling disregard for the comfort and sanity of its owner/operator.
    4. Unless you spend more for the CNC than the laser, through-cutting thick wood on the CNC is also a multi-pass job and you still end up doing "post-processing" to deal with the tabs that keep the cut-outs attached to the waste so the whole thing doesn't launch in random directions when you get to the bottom. The two ways around this problem are either (1) to cut a pass or two with the CNC, then do a rough-cut with the bandsaw, and finish with the flush-cut bit on the router table, or (2) use the laser to cut a template in 1/4" MDF, followed by the same rough-cut on the bandsaw and cleanup on the router table. At that point you wonder why, since method 2 is faster than method 1, you have that big lump gathering dust in the garage and put the CNC up for sale. (Note: I am NOT in the sign-making business.)

    I have both will your laser cut 1 inch thick PVC that my CNC cuts in one pass and both live in an air conditioned shop side by side. I make more from my CNC than my laser.

  14. #59
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    David, good idea, will do.

  15. #60
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jerome Stanek View Post
    I have both will your laser cut 1 inch thick PVC that my CNC cuts in one pass and both live in an air conditioned shop side by side. I make more from my CNC than my laser.
    What part of "resident contrarian" did you not understand?

    It's quite possible that my (now departed) CNC would have cut 1" PVC in one pass...never tried it, can't stand the stuff, and we were discussing wood. And that "one pass" still requires some kind of post-processing, unless you've got something fairly pricey in the way of vacuum hold-down to eliminate the need for tabs. And it sounds like you have something very pricey in the way of chip/dust collection if you're routing PVC in the same room as a laser and attending computer.

    Just a note: I'm one of those mutants who own a laser because I can and it's cool, strictly as a hobby. The terms "shop" and "profit" translate into "garage" and "you'd pay money for THAT?!?" in this context.
    Last edited by Lee DeRaud; 02-28-2017 at 8:25 PM.
    Yoga class makes me feel like a total stud, mostly because I'm about as flexible as a 2x4.
    "Design"? Possibly. "Intelligent"? Sure doesn't look like it from this angle.
    We used to be hunter gatherers. Now we're shopper borrowers.
    The three most important words in the English language: "Front Towards Enemy".
    The world makes a lot more sense when you remember that Butthead was the smart one.
    You can never be too rich, too thin, or have too much ammo.

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