Ok, I’ve made sure the rotary IS engaged this time and a green dot is showing. I thought I would play with trying to setup a Full Wrap on a tumbler on my CO2.
I know my Steps Per Rotation is correct. I used the tape with a line on it. It comes around and stops where it’s suppose to. I’ve enclosed a screen shot and an image of the “box”. The box is not the LONG Line to the right.
I’m trying to do a 6mm x 6mm box to get power dialed in, which you can see in the screen shot. The box that burned is 6mm tall, but 2.4mm wide.
I took a piece of painters tape and did this. I’ve done it this way before as well. I very seldom use my CO2 anymore, but want to do some Full Wraps on my Tappered Tumblers to show a customer what I can offer. My rotary has the steps per rotation marked on it from the mfg. I coulnd’t really use his. It’s marked at 4100 steps.
When I put in 4100 steps, I get a box that is 17.2 wide x 8mm tall. The laser was setup in this case with a 8mm x 8mm box. Also in both cases when I do a frame, you can tell it’s not going to be a box…..
It might be a bit or two before I get back on this. Got to go to my mather-in-laws now… Thankx
You have things confused with your rotary setup. I didn’t watch the full video, but I have a Mansfield rotary. With a roller rotary, the steps need to be set so the roller makes one complete revolution with the test button. Once the steps are correct, retest your box. Then make a box the same size as your tumblers circumferance. Then use that box to test full rotation on your tumbler by sending that box to the laser.
I changed the steps to 4250. Click the TEST button. It rotates and comes back to my mark. All good there.
It will run, and almost finish, but it stops, and I get “Not Enough Extended Space”, and my box is 8.8mm tall x 6.3mm wide. Better, but not quite there yet.
You don’t use the test button on the tumbler. You use it on the roller itself.
The not enough extend space is because the laser thinks you’re close to the Y axis, even though the rotary doesn’t have an end, the laser doesn’t know that. Heree’s an explanation.
If you have a 100mm graphic, but your starting Y axis position is 90 the rotary will stop at 90mm.
You need to check the Y axis position in the move panel and rotate the rotary until you have more than enough space to run the graphic.
Let’s assume your bed is 400x400. If your origin is on the bottom of the graphic, rotate until your Y axis is close to 400. If you use center origin, rotate to 200. You don’t need exact numbers, just close, so there is enough room to run the graphic.
Your machine doesn’t know there is a rotary attached and has unlimited range of rotation, it only knows what dimensions are programmed into it.
Yes, because it’s a roller and not a chuck style, all dimensioning is done by the roller steps. the roller runs around the outside of the tumbler, so 1mm of movement on the roller = 1mm of movement of the tumbler. You only need to know the circumference of the tumbler for design purposes. So once you have the roller steps set correctly you can make whatever size graphic and it should engrave correctly. It took me a little while to fully wrap my head around how it functions.
Not to confuse you, but to show the difference, with a chuck style rotary you must input the circumference of what you’re engraving in the dialog box. The process for setting steps is the same however, you need the chuck, in this case, to rotate one full revolution with the test button.
With either type the steps never change once you have them properly set.
I just looked over his video again and what he’s doing is using the diameter of the tumbler in the move window to test for full rotation. What I’m saying is use the test button in the rotary dialog on the roller. The process he’s using is a good way to verify the setup. I’m going out to my shop in a little bit. I will go through the setup process and make a video for you.
When you turn on the laser it will start the homing process. That’s when you hit esc. That will stop the homing process and cause the coordinates to be 10,000. I did it the way I did in the video using the reset button because my laser had already homed, then I plugged in the rotary with the power on.
If your rotary is already connected when you power up, hit esc as soon as it moves.
I’ll just manually move the head to the rollers in rotary first, then I’ll turn it on, and press ESC. I’ve never bought a flexible tape, so I made the box 5”mm x 40mm and plan on using my calipers to measure with.
I’ve lowered the bed, and placed a tumbler on it. All my tumblers are tappered. Not much, just a little. I’ve used these tumblers on the CO2 many times before I got the fiber. I want to create a 6mm x 6mm box for testing. Even when I do them on my Fiber, I always use a bad tumbler to run my square 6x6 test on.
I’m getting 4.5 side to side, and 6.7 top to bottom.
Thoughts on what I should look at? I hope you had a good Turkey day as well.
This is confusing me. Your square should be correct in the X axis regardless of rotary settings. The rectangle looks skewed also. I wonder if your acceleration is too fast causing some slippage.
So you’re saying with it set at 2010 you get one complete rotation on the roller using the test button? That’s how it should behave.
Try using the move window at a slow speed with the tumbler circumference and see how close it gets. That should eliminate slippage.
The only reason I’m messing with this is because I thought a customer of mine in Florida would like some full wraps of a seascape with turtles to sell. I’ve never done any. If it wasn’t for this, I would just use my Fiber as usual.
I haven’t bought the tumblers yet, so I may just let this slide. HOWEVER, I have used this rotary in the past before I got my Fiber.
Move speed is set to 25.
I’m going to disconnect the rotary, and cut a square of basswood just for giggles. I just cut a 8mm x 8mm in Basswood. Cut like a Lucky Charm.
I just thought I wouldn’t have the working coverage with my 50w fiber using my 100 lens. I use it on all my powder coated tumbs…
I have a 100 and 200 lens for it. I’ve never done any full wraps so I’m flying blind here. I have plenty of scrap 20oz tumblers to use to see. May give it a whirl just to see.
I’m guessing I’ll have to go with the 200 lens to get that wide range of coverage… I have nothing going on today. I may play with it. I’ve already bought the image.
