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biracial bear for uncut posted:I won't have a PC right next to the machine. Was thinking about using a Pi3 with LaserWeb to drive it (already have a Pi3 set up with a keyboard, monitor and mouse to function as a really space saving shop PC, though I don't actually use it for much except to run my 3d printer with an instance of Octopi that also lets me view the desktop directly if I forgot my phone). Unless someone can show me otherwise, I doubt that LaserWeb can drive that DSP controller. Those "DSP" controllers almost always only speak RDworks/coreldraw/Raycam/LaserCad/RandomChineseLasercutterProgram. Laserweb looks like it controls Gcode based cutters and refits. quote:Also what does the air assist need to be regulated to?
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Jun 15, 2017 05:10
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Not specifically a chinese laser question, but I'm having a laser problem. This isn't my laser, but it shows a very similar sort of tank-tread like belt enclosing the air supply hose, a lot of lasers have a something like this.  My problem is that as the laser moves left and right and the links/treads in this chain-like thing flex, it's wobbling the laser head when each link initially is picked up or put down. Would some sort of lube help? If so, what would be a safe lube?
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Jun 20, 2017 05:10
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Head mount isn't rigid enough. Either beef that up or replace the cableveyor with a strip of spring/bendy steel or plastic. It'll support and align the cables without 'cogging'
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Jun 20, 2017 10:03
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That's weird, drag chain really shouldn't be causing the head to wobble. E: like shouldn't be obviously, but I mean shouldn't be as in "should not be able to"
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Jun 20, 2017 15:34
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The chain segments seem very rigid and there's quite the little snap each time a new segment begins to bend. Would some sort of lube help at least in the short term? If so what lube would be safest to use?
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Jun 20, 2017 18:16
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I'd use silicone grease, but again, that's a band-aid on the fundamental problem which is "drag chain should not do that." If it's a click or a snap between the links that sounds like a mechanical burr or something.
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Jun 20, 2017 20:12
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I got some more feedback "The design of the X-axis cable carrier is suspect to me. I'll post a photo later that compares the two types of cable carriers in the big laser. the Y-axis cable carrier has rounded joints, while the problematic X-axis cable carrier has square sections in the joints, that clearly rub when the joint bends. This is likely the source of the problem. Replacing with a different X-axis cable carrier design might be all it takes." We also have a very tight angle on it. "The way we installed the cable carrier created a relatively tight radius with the links. Only about 3-4 links are involved in the 180 degree change of direction - perhaps this encourages the abrupt bump as the joint moves. It might be possible to change the angle of attachment to the laser head to increase the radius of the chain, which will involve more links in the bend. Or. maybe raise the attachment point to achieve the same. That might produce a smoother transition for each link - just a theory at this point." Ah, the fun with a home-made laser.
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Jun 20, 2017 20:20
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The only way the laser head should shift when drag chain is used is if it's woefully under-designed. Even a crappy Shapeoko head would be rigid enough to avoid all of that. How hard is the drag chain to bend when you take it out? It should flop all over itself under it's own weight without any issues, if not then the chain is bad.
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Jun 20, 2017 20:34
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I think this is my problem, the radius of the cable holder thing is way way too tight. Top is how it is, it's mounted 90 degrees to the head. I think if we adjust it to 45 degrees or so it could relax things. This is the bad chain we got. See how it has square ends that bind when the radius gets really tight? 
Baronjutter fucked around with this message at 20:47 on Jun 20, 2017 |
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Jun 20, 2017 20:45
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That or the chain just isn't long enough.
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Jun 20, 2017 20:54
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Just found the thread from the 3d printer one. Was thinking of grabbing one of those engravers on aliexpress for etching into some fabric and leather. Anything I should watch out for?
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Jun 22, 2017 12:15
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Stupid_Sexy_Flander posted:Just found the thread from the 3d printer one. Was thinking of grabbing one of those engravers on aliexpress for etching into some fabric and leather. Anything I should watch out for? Which one? Also, if it's the tiny one with zero eye protection don't ever look at the machine while the laser is on.
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Jun 22, 2017 15:10
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My friend modded the laser "chain" to come off at a higher angle, but it's still wobbling from the chain, and the chain looks stiff. You can clearly see the links aren't falling in a gentle arc.
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Jun 22, 2017 22:19
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That drag chain should be all  I know you said the links are stiff but is it also maybe over stuffed inside? An empty drag chain should be straight up limp and floppy (except for side to side and past the stop point). That being said, a head still really shouldn't be thrown off by the force of pulling along a recalcitrant drag chain. A stiff drag chain should just mean the motors work harder than they need to.
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Jun 22, 2017 23:26
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Does anyone have a smaller Chinese laser like the neje? I want one for burning monograms and logos on stuff and the size is great but my items (chopping boards for example) are larger so I wonder if I can cut the thing apart to take a larger work piece.
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Jul 8, 2017 16:02
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If the stuff you want to fry is too large to fit in the machine then it's not the right tool for your job. There are similar machines built on bigger xy gantry designs that you can fry your eyeballs with instead of the neje.
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Jul 8, 2017 18:09
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So my bumpy laser wasn't from the chain, it's from the top wheel on the laser head. The outside of the wheel feels clean, so something must be wrong with the bearing inside? it's just a little rubber wheel thing attached by a bolt into the laser head. Would some contact cleaner maybe melt what ever's grunging up the inside of the wheel or is that not a safe thing to spray near a laser? It looks like we'll have to take the whole drat head off to even see what the problem is.
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Jul 8, 2017 19:23
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thegasman2000 posted:Does anyone have a smaller Chinese laser like the neje? I want one for burning monograms and logos on stuff and the size is great but my items (chopping boards for example) are larger so I wonder if I can cut the thing apart to take a larger work piece. There are eleksdraw products on banggood that would probably suit your needs. diode lasers 500-2500mw and frames made from either acrylic or metal. I dont recommend exposed lasers though (at least buy some quality laser protective eyeware if you live a braver life than I) https://www.banggood.com/search/eleksdraw.html I use it to draw with a sharpie or a pen mostly https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIqJ4MHzbqo moron izzard fucked around with this message at 20:01 on Jul 8, 2017 |
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Jul 8, 2017 19:38
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Dented bearings maybe? I wouldn't go spraying that stuff willy nilly. Don't be lazy. Do it right. thegasman2000 posted:Does anyone have a smaller Chinese laser like the neje? I want one for burning monograms and logos on stuff and the size is great but my items (chopping boards for example) are larger so I wonder if I can cut the thing apart to take a larger work piece. There are some larger frames for around the same price based on aluminum extrusion
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Jul 8, 2017 19:39
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Oh poo poo yeah I am taking precautions. Glasses and the whole unit in an enclosure. I don't want to spend loads on something that may not make me a penny back so 60 for a try seems a fair gamble. It's for customising coasters and poo poo like that but some of the designs have one axis being the build base which is obviously I good if I want to cut to bottom off and stand it on the piece I am engraving. Thanks for the link! Looks an elegant design to be fair.
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Jul 9, 2017 09:50
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Baronjutter posted:So my bumpy laser wasn't from the chain, it's from the top wheel on the laser head. The outside of the wheel feels clean, so something must be wrong with the bearing inside? it's just a little rubber wheel thing attached by a bolt into the laser head. Would some contact cleaner maybe melt what ever's grunging up the inside of the wheel or is that not a safe thing to spray near a laser? It looks like we'll have to take the whole drat head off to even see what the problem is. Contact cleaner should be fine, liquid lighter fluid might be better. Just keep it out of the optics just in case. Leave the enclosure open for an hour or so afterwards to let it evaporate. If cleaning does work then don't forget to oil / grease the bearing afterwards as you will have washed away whatever lube may have been there. If it's still notching then chances are it's hosed, probably foreign matter. Bearings aren't expensive or hard to find - it will be a standard size, just order a new one. I'd suggest a sealed bearing (SS suffix) rather than simply a shielded one (ZZ), as you have unknown contaminants in your build area and air assist may be kicking them up, they're also maintenance free - they have grease sealed inside which will last the life of the bearing. You should be able to push/pull the bearing out of the wheel and press in a new one without much bother.
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Jul 11, 2017 14:33
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We're looking to get a laser cutter for our makerspace. I see the redsail x700 mentioned on a lot of sites from 2013-2016 for other makerspaces, but I'm having some issues actually finding that model anywhere. Does anyone have experience with redsail, or know a good us based reseller? One of our members is getting yanked around on pricing trying to buy it direct.
moron izzard fucked around with this message at 14:51 on Jul 11, 2017 |
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Jul 11, 2017 14:49
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moron izzard posted:We're looking to get a laser cutter for our makerspace. I see the redsail x700 mentioned on a lot of sites from 2013-2016 for other makerspaces, but I'm having some issues actually finding that model anywhere. Does anyone have experience with redsail, or know a good us based reseller? One of our members is getting yanked around on pricing trying to buy it direct. The truth is, these lasers don't really have names, and you'll have to look pretty hard to find one by the original manufacturer, and you may not know even if you do. It's like talking about a K40 aka dc40 aka K3020 laser, they all look the same, have pretty much the same internals, with different shortcuts taken, and are mostly clones of clones. Go on ebay, search for 60w cutter make sure it has the extras you want (examples: motorized z axis, "dsp" control, or rotary attachment) and find one that looks like what you're interested in, and that's pretty much as good as you can get. Price difference is reasonably well correlated with fewer shortcuts. EDIT: You can try the "cnccheap" ebay store, which according to this is their US direct sales arm. This one in particular says it's a Redsail x700. For what it's worth, when I was in your position about a year ago, I looked around a while, and then just shrugged and bought whatever. Aurium fucked around with this message at 04:40 on Jul 14, 2017 |
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Jul 14, 2017 04:25
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Do any of the chinese laser cutter electronics have support for open source firmware / drivers / host application? Or is that a matter of completely replacing the controller with something like smoothieboard.
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Jul 16, 2017 04:25
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LaserWeb on the host software side, but the motion controller needs to be changed out for sure.
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Jul 16, 2017 04:55
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Mister Sinewave posted:LaserWeb on the host software side, but the motion controller needs to be changed out for sure. Also what is DSP even supposed to mean in this context? I'm guessing its basically the keyword they paste into listings to indicate a relatively newer controller model (32bit vs 8bit/atmel control)?
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Jul 16, 2017 19:18
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peepsalot posted:So LaserWeb won't work with any "DSP" controllers, and requires a smoothie compatible board? I think it should work with any gcode based controller, like any of the grbl boards, or if you stuck a ramps or whatever in it instead. DSP is pretty much just a keyword. The controller in the early cutters were very primitive. Current was set by a knob, and the controller could only manage one operation at a time, so you could pretty much only cut, or only raster, if you were clever. The DSP controllers were fast enough to manage a display, and be smarter with different operations, and have a file system. You can still by lasers with the old style of controller.
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Jul 16, 2017 22:55
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peepsalot posted:Do any of the chinese laser cutter electronics have support for open source firmware / drivers / host application? Or is that a matter of completely replacing the controller with something like smoothieboard. I replaced my board with a cohesion mini 3d board a couple months ago. $100, drop in with no rewiring etc. 15 minute upgrade.
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Jul 16, 2017 23:51
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So has anyone here who ordered a Glowforge received one yet? The only place I've seen actual users discussing them is on Glowforge's forums. I'd be interested in some reviews from less biased sources.
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Jul 22, 2017 17:45
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nobody- posted:So has anyone here who ordered a Glowforge received one yet? The only place I've seen actual users discussing them is on Glowforge's forums. I'd be interested in some reviews from less biased sources. Jeremy Williams talked about his on the tested podcast https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehNaHO3ZjV0
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Jul 23, 2017 00:28
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nobody- posted:So has anyone here who ordered a Glowforge received one yet? The only place I've seen actual users discussing them is on Glowforge's forums. I'd be interested in some reviews from less biased sources. Ordered mine Sept 2015, just got it several days ago. I’ve printed a few things on their Proofgrade hardwood with no problems. It seems to be what they promised. I’d be up for questions on it. It’s my first C&C, my other 3D printer is a Form 2. I also have a NextEngine 3D scanner. Mostly I dink around making Gaming stuff like D&D minis and/or Wargaming terrain with them.
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Jul 23, 2017 10:04
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Evor 3 posted:Ordered mine Sept 2015, just got it several days ago. I’ve printed a few things on their Proofgrade hardwood with no problems. It seems to be what they promised. I’d be up for questions on it. It’s my first C&C, my other 3D printer is a Form 2. I also have a NextEngine 3D scanner. Mostly I dink around making Gaming stuff like D&D minis and/or Wargaming terrain with them. Do you like it?
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Jul 23, 2017 18:01
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Evor 3 posted:Ordered mine Sept 2015, just got it several days ago. I’ve printed a few things on their Proofgrade hardwood with no problems. It seems to be what they promised. I’d be up for questions on it. It’s my first C&C, my other 3D printer is a Form 2. I also have a NextEngine 3D scanner. Mostly I dink around making Gaming stuff like D&D minis and/or Wargaming terrain with them. CNC and your 3D printer is also a CNC machine 
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Jul 23, 2017 23:16
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Sagebrush posted:CNC I do like it (but it’s been less than a week) and thanks for the education Sagebrush. I’ll throw up some pictures once I make something worthy of SA.com
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Jul 24, 2017 07:41
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  Focus friends 
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Jul 25, 2017 21:45
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Weird question: My laser tube seems to have a minimum power it fires at, and that minimum combined with the laser's fastest speed is still producing a beam that's too strong for some things I'm trying to do. Does anyone have any ideas on how to work around this? I'm almost thinking if I could basically put "sunglasses" on the head of the laser to some how reduce the power of the beam coming in?
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Jul 27, 2017 18:57
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Baronjutter posted:Weird question:
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Jul 27, 2017 19:26
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Couple things to mention: First of all, speed can be misreading. The results of 50mm/s and 300mm/s can look identical if the cut is a small object. With accelerating and deceleration of the head taken into account the head can't actually reach a high speed before it has to slow down again. A thing you can do is, if it exists, use the dashed line/perforation setting. You can get an effectively lower power level by playing with that. Not all laser controllers have a PPI setting.
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Jul 27, 2017 19:58
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Evor 3 posted:Ordered mine Sept 2015, just got it several days ago. I’ve printed a few things on their Proofgrade hardwood with no problems. It seems to be what they promised. I’d be up for questions on it. It’s my first C&C, my other 3D printer is a Form 2. I also have a NextEngine 3D scanner. Mostly I dink around making Gaming stuff like D&D minis and/or Wargaming terrain with them. Does it work well with non-proofgrade materials? Is their web-based software intuitive and reliable? Have you experienced any slowdowns or accessibility issues? How about the laser cooling system? Does it work well continuously, or does it have to stop frequently to cool down? Why are Glowforge owners so drat cagey when it comes to sharing details?
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Jul 31, 2017 00:35
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peepsalot posted:Do any of the chinese laser cutter electronics have support for open source firmware / drivers / host application? Or is that a matter of completely replacing the controller with something like smoothieboard. So, oddly enough, the same day you posted this Scorch released a reverse engineered open source k40 host driver. http://www.scorchworks.com/Blog/k40-whisperer-k40-cheap-chinese-laser-control-software/
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Jul 31, 2017 01:16
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