My typical media will be something like this .5mm acrylic. Would that be something worth the extra effort in cooling and exhaust?
Wouldn’t I have the same concerns for air assist and ventilation with a diode laser?
Bed considerations- I have no idea what to think about there. I think most of what I looked at had blade and honeycomb beds included. For my acrylic stuff, do I need something different?
Power- I’m already planning to avoid anything that isn’t standard US voltage.
I feel like a CO2 laser is overkill for my needs, but the 3050 bed size is plenty for me, so it’s very tempting. I also feel like there’s a lot of tradeoffs with the diode solutions that make them less desirable. If there was a 30cm x 50cm diode solution, that people like / find reliable, that would be interesting too. But in most cases, the diode setups still seem to require a lot of extra effort for exhaust / enclosure needs.
Oops, wrong one then. But it would still work. The ones I have now that were made for me are .5mm. That 1.3mm would be a little thick, but it would work fine. The thickest I would need to cut is 3mm, but that’s rare.
On the other hand, I could possibly cut turret board holes on the laser. Black G10 shouldn’t be a problem, right?
I’m a big fan of trying and adjusting as required especially if you’re within general parameters. If you try to go too far ahead you risk solving for problems that don’t exist or introducing new ones that you didn’t anticipate.
Yes, in general. However, the speed of CO2 laser cutting creates exhaust gases more quickly which you need to address. Even if the overall volume of gases were the same the rate at which they are being generated is higher. Similar situation with the air assist. Also, once you have a CO2 laser everything is going to start looking like things you want to burn.
CO2 laser will give you more flexibility in the type of acrylic you can engrave and cut. Depending on the situation, a diode laser may get you a more detailed engraving. Not sure in this case though so deserves experimentation.
There’s really no way around this part. Burning in any case will create fumes. If you were in a really drafty barn or something you could get away with engraving wood or paper without a venting system.
I’m also considering getting the OMT 40W table top CO2 laser to mess around with that. Until I need something larger when my stocked panels run out.
What controllers work with it that are compatible with LightBurn?
I think my main hope right now is to get a good deal on a refurbished OMT laser. But in the meantime, it might be fun to mess with something else. I like that it’s a fully enclosed unit for the same price as the diode stuff…even if it is smaller. Is it junk, or will it be useful for the smaller stuff I’m doing?
The two most often cited drop-in replacements are Cohesion 3D ($230) and Mini Gerbil (new model 3 out for $115).
You could get any number of other boards to work with some work including the DSP controllers. The other two are just the most common and are specifically intended as drop-in replacements to the mounting level and are well supported.
There are tons of folks doing lots of good work with K40s, especially with some upgrades. They shouldn’t be underestimated.
Drop-in replacement is my jam. Is there anything about the Cohesion 3D board that warrants it costing twice as much as the MG3? A quick glance from a PCB design perspective makes the MG3 look superior, though I have no perspective on real-life performance.
Are there any specific threads or upgrades I should be considering? I know the laser tube is often upgraded, but I’d like to put that off if I can. One guy on youtube linked to a bunch of Cloudray upgrade stuff for it. There’s too much stuff to consider with all of this, I can see it becoming a time consuming hobby just tinkering with this stuff.
I believe the major differentiator for Cohesion 3D is that it supports 3-axis control whereas Mini Gerbil is limited to 2-Axis. I think Cohesion 3D may have been earlier to market as well. Awesome Tech has been quick to refine the Mini Gerbil over its various iterations.
As far as upgrades @jkwilborn has touched on it. You’re really chasing the dragon with this stuff and as you say, becomes a hobby on its own.
I also have the Atomstack A5 Pro and had the same issues with cutting. I came across a recommendation in this forum to look at the M50 upgrade module which despite its price I picked up. Easy to swap in and it did solve my cutting problems. Much faster and cleaner. Happy with the Atomstack now.
I think I’m pretty well set on the K40 now. I’m going to get the latest version that has the temp readings on top.
I figure I should also get a chiller and air assist while I’m at it. Is the CW-3000 worthwhile, or is there something better I should get? I’m not going to spend more on a chiller than the machine.
The 3000 series chillers, are really not chillers. They are a radiator with a fan in them. How well they work depends on the ambient temperature of the area.
I lived in the Phoenix Arizona valley area. It gets ‘hot’ there. Most of the time there, the 3000 series would act more like a heater than a chiller. I had to move to a 5200 series that actually has a refrigeration system.
My time with heads are restricted to the larger Chinese types, but I found that lots of the stuff just doesn’t ‘bolt on’.
Depending on what you do will determine the type of extractor you need. Cutting material that produces lots of smoke and debris compared to engraving on glass… Definitely need one for ‘smoke and debris’, there might be no need for one if all you did was engrave glass or porcelain. The wider the scope of operations the more $$$… Want to do cups/mugs… more $$$.
Keep in mind that you can trade $$$ for labor in some cases… either way it costs you.
That was my concern with the 3000. I think I’ll hold off and see how it goes with the stock water pump. I’m in MA and it’s cold here now anyway.
The head I’m getting is specifically for the k40.
I’ll be doing Rowmark acrylic stuff, some wood, might try glass and other stuff for fun. I’m assuming the fume extractor is a good idea vs the stock exhaust?
I just ordered the K40, with the 80W fume extractor, and they conveniently had a discounted CW-5000 chiller, all from the same seller on eBay. Hopefully none of that turns out to be problematic.
I’m also ordering a 65L/min air pump, the air assist nozzle, and some safety glasses. I’ll probably also get a drag chain for the air assist hose, and I just emailed awesome.tech to order the MG3.
If there’s anything else I should grab, please let me know.
Less mass on the moving parts the quicker it can accelerate and run. Less overscan is needed since it can slow down, change direction and get back up to speed with less distance.
The ‘red dot’ was a pain, so I ditched it within the first couple of weeks. By the end of the 2nd month I had replaced the head assembly and found the drag chain pretty useless and in the way for me. The LED never was accurate, good for a ball park and that’s it.
I use templates that fit in the machine to align materials.
But it would still work. The ones I have now that were made for me are .5mm. That 1.3mm would be a little thick, but it would work fine. The thickest I would need to cut is 3mm, but that’s rare.
