Needless to say, new to this, and the main goal is to get a small 4x4 picture burned to material. (ideally black painted tile) Or a wood coaster as just an image.
Have tried 3mm chip board, dark and light, and unless I turn the power to over 70% with a slow speed, nothing happens.
I have tried cardboard as well.
After the laser is connected and operating, does the laser pointer/light need to be adjusted?
I have gone over videos, manuals, different help topics, and this probably very simple issue I am missing something probably obvious.
So far, what you’ve described is normal for diode lasers. They do not engrave quickly, but your version of “slow speed” may mean something completely different than mine, so the actual numbers would be good to have.
That’s 8.333 inches a second or 211.66 Millimeters a second. I do not think your system is capable of those speeds. You are also showing a light colored material, is that what you are trying to use? Most common Diode-based lasers produce light that reflects off light colors, reducing the deposited power. Darker colored surfaces reflect less light, allowing more power from the laser to be deposited for cutting and work better.
Hi everyone, I’m new here. I’ve just set up my Ortur M2 20w. It looks to me like your speed is too fast.
I’ve made some successful engravings on the sample 3mm ply material supplied by Ortur.
My settings are 6000mm/min which is 236in/min when converted to imperial. There should be no problem engraving that light material, the problem occurs if the surface is glossy. If the image is too light, just run it again.
So I am using the attached burn test, and my results on black painted tile, plain wood, and chalk painted white wood, and results are all extremely disappointing
Are you sure you are in focus? I use a USB microscope to help with focus. I have a 20w machine too. My distance is about 36mm from the bottom of the heatsink(not lens) to the work piece. I 3d printed small boxes to hold the tile up. I also 3d printed a lens focus ring and Z axis carriage that allows for easy up/down movement. I am doing white tile painted gloss white. Using the newsprint setting for dithering in light burn. Burn settings: 1100/90 318 dpi or 0.080. I get permanent black and white etchings on cheap 4x4 tile. Other notes. Some have luck with the G8 lens. I did not. When I get it in focus, there are so few threads holding it in, it falls out during burn. There is an Ortur FB page that has a bunch of files and helpful tips. Plus people are regularly helping each other out. The last burn I did was a cropped square color imported into light burn, sized 4.3”x4.3”.
heat sink is the part that the lens screw into? (dumb question i know, but new) It is 2-1/8" above material. Listen to this video of my machine making some new sounds when moving.
That sounds ugly. Does the carriage move freely when pushed by hand? Mine used to make that sound when I had the Z axis too low and the carriage couldn’t hit the limit switch. It would try to keep moving but couldn’t. Are you hitting the home button? That allows the machine to learn a starting point. Can the carriage hit the home switch?
Yea, you are 54mm above the work piece. That is too high. 36 mm is 1.41 inches.
I just about gave up on the LM2. Some people are helpful. But, most are kind of protective. They make money with these. And to help others is helping competition. I want to make money with mine. But, I won’t be doing Etsy or anything like that. It will be local. I just figured out the white paint on white tile thing the other day. Took couple dozen tiles and a bunch of video watching.
HI.
Ortur 20w 4" x4" white gloss white tile, coats black matt spray paint, 100 mm/sec, 80% power
254 Dpi. 9.38 mins to print.
Light rubbed with meths after printing,Hope this is of some hepl.
Hi Ron @z3pilot99,
I’ve made a few white tiles that worked great, but suddenly everything is coming out very light. I’ve tried burning a calibration matrix with different speeds and power, then choose the darkest, but then when I try a picture it comes out very light. When I clean off the white paint, it removes all of the detail. I’m using the Ortur 15W. I would love to know more about your process and settings. Thanks.
