I decided to add this to my shop

[acourtjester]

Hi Plasmanewbie No the glass tile is just off the shelf in the store no prep to it, Make the plan in Lightburn, place the tile on the surface, click on the frame button and align the tile. Then press start. If someone want to do many of these they could just make a jig to drop the tile in so no framing needed. I am just back from Lowe's with a few more tiles, I found I can use LED strip lighting along the edge to shine into the tile edge, looks great.
Little cheap LED stirp with altanting LED, a better strip would give a more solid appearance.

acourtjester flash MOV.zip

[plasmanewbie]

No kidding, that's pretty awesome, I assumed much more went into that then just off the shelf and onto the laser. Checked your light strip video, also awesome! Thanks AC

[acourtjester]

There are other processes that do take more prep, Like etching glass or clear acrylic. But there are many Youtube videos out there, that's how I learn.
There are some very interesting things that can be done. This is the one I watched for the glass tiles

Here is another I just bought the material for.

[adbuch]

These are some great videos Tom! Pretty much thinking outside the box, so to speak. I've yet to do any laser engraving, but it sure looks like fun.
David

[Joe Jones]

I like these vids. It makes me want to make a trip to Lowe's to fill a shopping cart with assorted things to try!

Joe

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[adbuch]

Maybe take a trip to Amazon and get that new 3D printer you are after. So many to choose from, and some excellent advise has been given on the other threads.

[Joe Jones]

Maybe take a trip to Amazon and get that new 3D printer you are after. So many to choose from, and some excellent advise has been given on the other threads.

Yeah. Amazon doesn't offer the level of printer that interests me. They have all of the smaller ones, with the tiny build envelopes. They are CAPABLE and affordable, but they don't excite me.

Joe

[cutnweld]

Prusa makes a pretty good printer I hear. Joe you can get one with a tiltable bed even, opens the door for a lot of print options

[Joe Jones]

Before I buy one, I will probably attend another FabTech show. By then, the "latest and greatest" machines will be available, and I can make a decision based on that information. I am sure that 3D technology has a long life ahead. There are so many brands out there. My cursory search on the Net lead me to the CreatBot 600 D1 PRO, but there are others that I have not heard of, I am sure. One thing is certain. My machine WILL be Made in 'Merica!

Joe

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[Joe Jones]

Prusa makes a pretty good printer I hear.

Again, NICE ... but too small, and too "hobby level" for me.

When I attended FabTech in Chicago in 2013, I had my pen in my hand, ready to buy the DEMO unit of a massive 3D printer that was the size of a Chicago city bus! I was so impressed by this machine, and the FULL SIZED SPORTS CAR it printed, complete with seats and swinging doors, etc. that was sitting in the lobby at the entrance to the convention.

There was a 'YUGE boat there too, maybe 25 feet long ... also printed by this machine. Their special "show only price" was 1.22 million dollars. Oh, how I thought about all of the stuff I could create with it. I went to the other 3D printer booths, and wasn't looking at lasers at the time. The Stratasys machines were particularly interesting, and that FORTUS 900 was just mind boggling at $450K. I also looked at the early offerings of metal printers, and wandered around the waterjet tables, the CNC routers, and all of the other toys that were all calling out to me.

But I pulled in the reigns, and decided instead to hold off until I knew more about them, and I took my 18,000 mile USA motorcycle tour. I did buy the FARO scan arm demo unit at FabTech, with plans to head in a certain direction, but life got in the way, so I sold it about five years later at a loss. There was nothing wrong with the scanner, but technology ages, and it wasn't as "cutting edge" as when I bought it.

11 years later, a lot of that money is spent. I returned a LOT of favors, and built two great shops, and packed them with tools. Now I have to be more conservative in my decisions. The CreatBot 3D printer is more in line with my current situation.

Joe

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[Joe Jones]

I went to Lowe's today, and also Hobby Lobby. I bought an assortment of things to try with this laser. Tiles, felt, craft foam, wood, plywood, etc. etc. If I don't burn my home down, I should be fairly good at using this by the time I go through $250.00 of assorted materials.

I set up the machine for Wi-Fi, so the cutter will be OUTside with a strong fan blowing on it, while I am INside with the laptop. No more fumes in my house.

Joe


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[acourtjester]

Post some photos of your work, and did they put a smile on your face

[Joe Jones]

Post some photos of your work, and did they put a smile on your face

I will, once I get this all set up. I have dual glass rear doors. so I will set the laser outside on a table and put the laptop inside on a table. With a good fan running, I can put something out there to cut, and not allow the fumes into the house, while still watching the progress. At least IN THEORY, the smoke and fumes will be blown away from the house. If that doesn't work, I will set up the laser farther away, and use a HD Wi-Fi camera to watch the progress from the comfort of my living room. These lasers are anything BUT fast. So it is not a matter of jumping up and down from a seat.

Joe

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[Joe Jones]

I purchased a $60.00 license for LIGHTBURN to run this laser. I have another program that runs my other laser, but it would not recognize the X-Tool machine.

Yesterday, I went to Hobby Lobby and Lowes, and loaded up the carts with everything I thought I could experiment with. One or two of each item. $250.00 later, I have a whole assortment of things to test.

The adventure begins!

Joe

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[plasmanewbie]

Sweet Joe! Get laser beaming that stuff, curious for see how it works out.

[Joe Jones]

Today ... frustration. The laser communicates with the ASUS laptop fine, using X-Tool's software. I downloaded LIGHTBURN, which is another program for running lasers, and it is more capable, with more options for power adjustments, etc.

You would THINK that you load the software, turn the laser on and start cutting! NOPE! I need this driver, and that firmware upgrade, and this utility program to install a language, and ... and ...

So I finally found a file I needed with a .lbdev extension, that apparently needed to be on the PC prior to turning the machine on. I downloaded it, and pointed Lightburn to it, and it finally worked!

Now to set up the machine outside with a fan, and start experimenting with the 120 different things I bought to try out. I am sure some of them will not work at all, some of them will etch, or carve, or even CUT well, and still others will just burst into flames.

Note to self: Buy a canary in a small cage, and keep it near me at all times

Joe

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[acourtjester]

Another do dad I made etching glass tiles. The boss goes to a Mexican place with other ladies for lunch once a week, just more fun to be had. Not the best wood worker around.

Tucan's Ladies Club.zip

Tucan's Ladies Club Light.JPG

[plasmanewbie]

That's great Tom, I bet the boss loved it! Ya your woodworking looks like mine, the only woodworking I am any good at is firewood lol

[Joe Jones]

I really have to get on this. I now have two lasers, and I am searching for the TIME to work with them.

Joe

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[adbuch]

Very nicely done Tom! That's one great looking sign. It's just amazing what can be accomplished using a few simple tools.
David

[Joe Jones]

Okay, the socket cap machine screw set arrived from Amazon. I replaced the crappy stripped stepper motor pan head machine screws sent by X-Tool with the socket cap screws and mounted the stepper motor. They used RED Lok-Tite in the threads! 3mm machine screws, with RED Lok-Tite to hold it together. This is a LASER. It doesn't vibrate! It glides around, slowly! I want to meet the YAHOO who decided that these tiny easily stripped cheap Chinese machine screws need to be secured with RED Lok-Tite!!

Joe

X-TOOL WITH EXTENDED FRAME.jpg

STEPPER MOTOR CAP SCREWS.jpg

PAN HEAD VS SOCKET HEAD 2.jpg

PAN HEAD VS SOCKET CAP HEAD.jpg

PAN HEAD SCREW VS SOCKET HEAD SCREW.jpg

[Joe Jones]

They sent the extended frame, and my first though as, "WHY didn't they provide a way to link the original with the extended frame, to give the user even MORE work area?" It would seem logical, since the original sides are now extra parts I will never use. Maybe they will offer longer ends, to widen the work area to 900 mm square? That would require a wider gantry as well. Maybe I can sel them on eBay, along with the original wiring harness which is also now useless to me.

Joe

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[acourtjester]

The marketing guy said we can make more money this way, their strategy.

[Joe Jones]

I really could see this machine in a 48" square format. Their frame extension gives 900 mm of X travel. They need wider side frame members and a wider gantry to make it 90 mm square. That would be awesome. But then, MAYBE they are sticking with the narrow format so the machine can be rolled or carried through the average doorway? The machine IS supposed to be portable, after all.

Joe

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[Joe Jones]

It turns out the pan head screws were not stripped. It was just the incredibly cheap Allen wrenches they sent along. My "good" Allen wrenches were able to bite the head to rotate it without an issue.

Joe

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