I’m thinking about adding beam combiner assembly between my 20mm Mirror1 and tube.
Does the combiner lens need to be the same diameter as mirror1, or is it ok, or better to use a 25mm combiner?
Think this Cloudray will be the easiest for me, and not have to realign nor tweak the mirrors.
Thoughts?
I don’t think it matters. The beam will travel straight through it. I just ordered the 25mm but I have 25mm mirrors.
Another thought the 25mm will be a little wider than the 20 when it’s angled 45 degrees.
$ 25 sounds fair, are you happy with yours? how much energy do you lose with this special mirror, approx?
Its a bit more than $25. I just ordered it. The 25mm is $50USD for the kit plus shipping.
sorry, it went too fast … 
I don’t believe it matters but be aware there can be up to 10% loss in power and some of that will be reflected off the combiner so be careful what that’ll be hitting.
The combiner mount I made for my K40 has had a small hole melted into the side of the mount over hours of usage. IIRC my K40 mirrors are 20mm and my combiner is 25mm.
ok, thanks Jeff. I didn’t think that it matters if combiner is larger, should help making alignment easier too.
I did see that the entire kit comes with a Red Dot tube where you can rotate the end to focus the dot to be more crisp, so I do like that.
Clever solution. Thanks for sharing it.
Also, thanks for the link to the Photonics site. Sounds like in a perfect world you can minimize the losses to just 1%.
Interesting reading and lots of new ideas. Thanks. I think =)
So have the CloudRay combiner installed.
I do not like the screw adjustments, as you have to push the plate against springs, and adjust the nut on the backside, not as easy as the mirrors where you just turn thumb screw. Cloudray should change the Red Dot adjustment to work like a mirror mount.
Question about the focus point though?
When I twist the end, goes from a rect bar or line, to a dot.
But, does the dot focus change at 5 feet on the ceiling which looks good, versus 3 inches to the first mirror?
I have a red dot coming thru the nozzle, but is very very dim, so thinking I’m missing something in alignment or on focus.
Thoughts?
you should be able to put a piece of paper in front of each mirror, shine the red dot laser, mark the spot and then pulsing the laser should burn the spot on the paper. Done at each mirror.
If that holds true and your red dot is very weak at mirror #3(laser head) I would look to see if the combiner is correctly oriented and 2 the red laser is powered well enough.
My American Photonics combiner is placed after mirror #1 and pretty bright by the time it gets to the work surface.
Hey Doug
Thanks for the reply.
I put paper and can see red dot centered on hole 3.
Im wondering of its my original mirrors. They are not shiny, like a real mirror. Im not sure what the material is, but they are dark greyish.
I dont even have the plate in front of each with a hole, so I have to put tape directly on mirror, then clean with acetone and iso each time.
Here’s pic of mirror.
sorry
pic upside down, but can see mirror 2
I need to buy new mirrors next.
hmm, not a good idea using tape and worst using tape stuck to the mirror and firing the laser… I don’t know about your gray mirrors but melted glue on a mirror is no-no. Instead of tape use paper and never on the mirror.
Yes, would be a good idea to get new mirrors…
Also, these are not Lightburn issues so why don’t you move your machine specific posts to the Makers Forum K40 section? K40 Laser - Maker Forums
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