I'm a new laser owner. I've had mine about two weeks. No experience whatsoever with lasers, or CAD or CNC. I'm retired. No business. I just have the laser for fun in my woodshop.
I tried yesterday to do some power test with some 3/4" acrylic sheet cut 1 1/2" wide. I stood it on edge, so I'd have plenty of depth. I unhooked the x axis plug (where you plug in the rotary device). I did the same program Russ did. 10mm no output, 6mm cut, 10 mm no output. I did it at 1mms. So I'd have a 6 second burn. I did 20% power up to 90% power burns with the nozzle in place. The depth of cut stepped up with each increase in power. I measured it very carefully through the 3/4" acrylic. I didn't see the expected drop off around 70%.
Any way, I initially tried to do the test as Russ did it with the nozzle off. What I found out was the nozzle tube is in a collet. I can set the nozzle any random height I want.
Where is it supposed to be? I pushed it all the way into the collet and tightened the ring nut. So it is as short as possible.
What is the effect of making the distance longer?
I got my amp meter yesterday and will be installing it today. I know that will help me answer my questions on power tests.
Thanks for your help.
RP
Lens setting
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Robert Edington
- Posts: 29
- Joined: Fri May 10, 2019
- Location: Brenham, Texas
- Country: United States
- Nickname: RP
- Laser Machine Make or Type: 50 Watt Chinese Ebay laser
- Laser Power: 50w
- Laser Bed Size: 200 x 300
- Home Position: TL
- RDWorks Version: v8
- Windows Version: 10
- Accessories: Rotary
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Gene Uselman
- Posts: 2180
- Joined: Thu Jul 07, 2016
- Location: Suburban Minneapolis, Minnesota, US
- Country: USA
- Nickname: Gene
- Laser Machine Make or Type: QC
- Laser Power: 130W
- Laser Bed Size: 900x1300
- Home Position: TR
- Control Software: LIGHTBURN
- RDWorks Version: RDw .19 & Lightburn
- LightBurn Version: Latest
- Ruida Controller: RDC6442
- Windows Version: Win 10 Pro
- Accessories: I have a combining lenses, pin tables [homebuilt], honeycomb tables , wireless remote, Modifed Ultimate Air Assist, home built non-powered rotary device, PrusaMK4 and Mini Prusa printers.
The length of the tube does not matter- some people loosen it and use that up and down position to set the focus- as you would have to if your bed is not movable/motorized. I have a remote control that can be set for two different speeds so I set the focus that way. If you have a pass-thru or a rotary device you may have to lengthen/shorten the tube to suit.
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Dave Vigness
- Posts: 526
- Joined: Sun Dec 15, 2019
- Location: Kansas City - Rural
- Country: USA
- Nickname: Dave
- Laser Machine Make or Type: Chine Red and Black
- Laser Power: EF RF2 80W
- Laser Bed Size: 20 x 26
- Home Position: TR
- Control Software: RDWORKS
- RDWorks Version: 8.01.54
- Ruida Controller: RDC6445
- Windows Version: 7
- Accessories: Power Switch for air assist / exhaust blower, Ma meter with switch for external digital, dual digital temp gauge, LED lights under gantry and and and.
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The other use depends on the construction of your cabinet. In my case, a longer lens tube allows me to feed material in through the lower door so I can use longer pieces eliminating some waste. Others have cabinets that allow the same thing with the tube all the way up coming in the main door. Basically it just gives you options.
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Gary Thompson
- Posts: 31
- Joined: Tue Aug 27, 2019
- Location: Belfast
- Country: Northern Ireland
- Nickname: Gary
- Laser Machine Make or Type: Mantech
- Laser Power: 60W
- Laser Bed Size: 600 x 400
- Home Position: TL
- RDWorks Version: v8.01.16
- Windows Version: 10
- Accessories: Rotary attachment
I've discovered that if I make the nozzle tube too short I can't get the 6mm gap above any thin material I'm trying to cut on the machine's original bed (even with the bed raised to the very top). The smallest I can get is about 10mm.Robert Edington wrote: Tue Mar 03, 2020What I found out was the nozzle tube is in a collet. I can set the nozzle any random height I want.
Where is it supposed to be? I pushed it all the way into the collet and tightened the ring nut. So it is as short as possible.
What is the effect of making the distance longer?
Just a bit of a nuisance when you're chopping and changing what you're cutting.
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Jeffrey Aley
- Posts: 388
- Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2017
- Location: Folsom, California
- Country: United States
- Laser Machine Make or Type: Kehui
- Laser Power: 50W
- Laser Bed Size: 500mmx300mm
- Home Position: TL
- RDWorks Version: 8.01.24
- Ruida Controller: RDC6442
- Windows Version: Win10 Enterprise
- Accessories: Spray bottle with water (for small fires)
Fire extinguisher (for big fires)
The farther the lens is from Mirror 3 (i.e. longer lens tube), the more accuracy is required to get the beam vertical (centered on the lens).
If the beam coming from Mirror 3 is perfectly vertical, you can have a lens tube 50' long, and the beam will still hit the center of the lens. But if it's off by a fraction of a degree, you'll have more problems at greater distances.
If the beam coming from Mirror 3 is perfectly vertical, you can have a lens tube 50' long, and the beam will still hit the center of the lens. But if it's off by a fraction of a degree, you'll have more problems at greater distances.