New CO2 laser, is my tube messed up?

Community Laser Talk
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Just received my omtech 100w in the mail yesterday. It’s my first CO2. I spent some time getting things unpacked and set up into the night last night. I left off with getting the chiller set up, fluid running, no air bubbles. I noticed what looks like a crimp in the inner tube. I’ve posted on Reddit, as well as contacted omtech support. Support stated they were forwarding the pictures to a team that will let me know if it’s ok or needs to be replaced. Nothing is leaking, and the chiller is running in the video. I have not fired the laser yet.

Have you guys seen this before? Pic and vid to follow:

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Sure doesn’t look right. Looks like maybe a defect in the glass

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Hi Jason

I am far from an expert on Co2, a lot of forum members are though so they can give some proper insight.

I have never seen that before though.
I wouldn’t fire it be for getting a few “all clear” from a couple people here.

@jkwilborn could you take a look?
@JohnJohn

1 Like
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Thankfully I noticed before starting the alignment process. I don’t feel comfortable firing it quite yet lol. Still waiting on omtech too.

5

Give a few mins to the mind hive to get their coffee in :smiley:

They will come in with some ideas.

Granted I have not seen many 100W tubes either, so maybe it’s normal.

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Just to give an update. I just kicked the chiller on, and watched it move some air bubbles through the system. When the bubbles go to this area, they reacted as if they were going around this area (though not dramatically). So it certainly seems like a defect in the glass.

No idea if that effects the gas chamber, or how it might effect the laser…

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Hey @titansarrow, I just got off the phone with OMTech and sent a support ticket for my tube that stopped working after 6 months. It certainly didn’t have a visible defect - as yours does. Point being I sent three photos and 15 minutes later they acted like a brand spanking new tube would be in the mail to me fairly immediately.

Here’s their support site.

Do yourself a favor and just chuck that defective tube and request a new one!

Hope that helps!

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I actually just got off of a chat on Reddit with an omtech rep. He sent the info over to their lead tech, and they gave me the go ahead to fire it up. They also said that should something happen, we have this on file, and a new tube will be sent out.

I have been pleasantly surprised by omtech’s customer service today. Given the lack of that pretty much everywhere, that’s high praise

3 Likes
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I’m glad to hear that OMTech looked after you.
I don’t recall having seen a tube like that in service before.

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Thanks… however… here’s the reddit conversation…

:smile_cat:

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Thanks!

Either or is good! :slight_smile:

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Thought it looked familiar…

Some of the information distributed on Reddit is … safe to say, rather poor.

I think as long as there is enough coolant moving, it probably won’t be an issue.

I ran a thick mix of glycol in mine… you’d fire up the chiller and it looked like a block of foam, then it was a pretty continuous stream of small bubbles… The coolant, which is clear, is almost white from so many bubbles. You can see it exiting the tube at the end of this video…

I am happy to hear OMTech has stood up with warranty service… I still criticize all of the companies for deliberately inflating performance specifications of these machines. OMTech clearly knows the 880mm tube will not produce 50W, as advertised… They all do it.

Good luck

:smile_cat:

1 Like
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That looks like a support for the central tube, I have seen it on other tubes.

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You see it commonly on higher power tubes … so I’d think this was normal manufacturing.

:smile_cat:

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I also have an omtech 100w. I have been using it since last October with no problems. My son noticed that anomaly but it has not affected my using my laser.