I decided to add this to my shop

[Joe Jones]

I have had good success with using a 1/16" router bit to cut vinyl LPs, but I believe this 20 Watt laser will give me more detail. I can also experiment with mounting this laser onto my Samson 510 table or GoTorch, to see if that is a viable option. It is a gamble, for sure.

Joe

X-TOOL PURCHASE.jpg

[acourtjester]

Joe I have mounted a dual diode laser (Ortur A40640) to my DIY table and it works fine but the software can be a little specific. I have lightburn but I will not produce a g-code that I can use. I have a UCCNC controller and they did come out with a plugin for lightburn but I have not been successful with some projects. UCCNC has their own plugin that works better. When I first started with the DIY table laser mounting I had switch to a Arduino Uno controller (GRBL) and it connected right up to Lightburn worked great. I switched back to the UCCNC for the DIY table so I can do other operations, (plasma, routing, drag knife, ect).

[Joe Jones]

Yeeeeaaaahhhh ... Another learning curve for a guy with no memory.

My neighbor wants to make Christmas ornaments for trees. I will try to combine some of these tools to help her with that goal. Now I have to find a source for fine, THIN plywood or whatever. Hobby Lobby? Amazon? I have no shortage of projects on the stove, but I am alone here, and so things tend to get pushed to the back burners. I must have about 1,200 back burners

Joe


.

[acourtjester]

Good luck in finding thin plywood to cut, YouTubers say basswood, you may need to look online for it. I tried some local plywood and could not cut through, may have been the glue used?? I did cut some black and dark red acrylic that was about 0.200" thick with a few passes full power. This was done with the dual diode laser module (Ortur A40640).

DSCN5119.JPG

DSCN5125.JPG

DSCN5126.JPG

[Joe Jones]

Nice! I am not looking for "thick" as much as I am looking for a narrow kerf to give me more detail in a small piece I think this laser will initially be used to cut things like craft foam, vinyl records, and other thin materials. I know I will be limited, but this is sort of a leap of faith. If I do like what it can produce, I am not beyond jumping into a KERN laser table or an EPILOG cabinet laser for more serious work.

Joe


.

[acourtjester]

this guy talks about kerf thickness and calculations

[Joe Jones]

Yeah, I understand all of that. I am anxious to get this thing and put it through its paces.

Joe


.

[Joe Jones]

Good luck in finding thin plywood to cut, YouTubers say basswood, you may need to look online for it. I tried some local plywood and could not cut through, may have been the glue used?? I did cut some black and dark red acrylic that was about 0.200" thick with a few passes full power. This was done with the dual diode laser module (Ortur A40640).
DSCN5119.JPG
DSCN5125.JPG
DSCN5126.JPG

That is awesome. The possibilities for Christmas ornaments cut from .125" (1/8" acrylic) are endless.

Joe



.

[Joe Jones]

HOBBY LOBBY and MICHAEL'S both carry materials that are ideal for a laser cutter. They have colored craft foam sheets, felt, leather, heavy paper, colored cardboard, acrylic, paper thin metal or "foil" sheets, and PLYWOOD!

Joe

http://www.hobbylobby.com/search/?text= ... view=72082

[rdj357]

I order all my laser project wood from Ocooch Hardwoods (ocoochhardwoods.com). They have plywood with MDF core that cuts much better on our 80w laser without the inconsistencies of glued layer plywood.

A word of caution if you 're planning to cut/engrave vinyl, don't. Cutting vinyl (which by definition contains chlorine) will release chlorine gas when cut which will combine with the water vapor in the air to create HCl which is hydrochloric acid so you'll get the adverse conditions from both a caustic gas and acid. All your metal surfaces will quickly rust, some other plastics will be eroded away, and if you breathe it in you'll be running for the door to get some fresh air. Even with adequate ventilation this stuff makes a helluva mess.

[adbuch]

I order all my laser project wood from Ocooch Hardwoods (ocoochhardwoods.com). They have plywood with MDF core that cuts much better on our 80w laser without the inconsistencies of glued layer plywood.

A word of caution if you 're planning to cut/engrave vinyl, don't. Cutting vinyl (which by definition contains chlorine) will release chlorine gas when cut which will combine with the water vapor in the air to create HCl which is hydrochloric acid so you'll get the adverse conditions from both a caustic gas and acid. All your metal surfaces will quickly rust, some other plastics will be eroded away, and if you breathe it in you'll be running for the door to get some fresh air. Even with adequate ventilation this stuff makes a helluva mess.

Thanks for that tip Robert! Although I don't cut vinyl with a laser, that is something good to know.
David

[Joe Jones]

A word of caution if you 're planning to cut/engrave vinyl, don't. Cutting vinyl (which by definition contains chlorine) will release chlorine gas when cut which will combine with the water vapor in the air to create HCl which is hydrochloric acid so you'll get the adverse conditions from both a caustic gas and acid. All your metal surfaces will quickly rust, some other plastics will be eroded away, and if you breathe it in you'll be running for the door to get some fresh air. Even with adequate ventilation this stuff makes a helluva mess.

Thank you Robert! Yes, I have been watching You Tube videos about using these lasers in the home, and there are ample warnings about what should NOT be burned. However, there are many videos about cutting magnificent art out of LPs. so yes, there is the gas issue. but I do believe a strong fan, and cutting OUTDOORS will minimize the corrosion issue. Maybe my neighbor's corn crop will show a streak of blue corn or something

Chlorine gas or HCI ... You know ... to build a wooden shed out in the field away from the home and shop, it would seem that hanging a lot of metal art in it, and then releasing (by remote control!) a measured amount of HCI, one could hasten the patina process of steel. Wouldn't this cause the metal to RUST very quickly? I wonder how much HCI should be spilled inside of the shed, in order to create the perfect conditions for rapid patina!?

On a similar note, two small, thin glass jars taped together ... one containing bleach ... the other, ammonia. Thrown at the correct crown (gun grabbers?) this homemade "grenade" will create a noxious cloud of gas that will repel the enemy. A good survival tip for the zombie apocalypse.

Joe



.

[Joe Jones]

I saw something today (or was it yesterday?) that is uber-cool! Apparently people are experimenting with using these lasers to powder coat things! It seems that laying down a dusting of powder that you would normally BAKE in an oven, can be sintered ( wrong word?) onto wood surfaces and other surfaces by allowing the laser to instantly melt the powder onto the surface it passes over, with the correct power and speed settings on the laser. One video did this on wood. Another showed using the laser and powder to mark keys.

I found that to be particularly interesting!

Joe


.

[Joe Jones]

One thing I want to experiment with, is cutting thin acrylic and craft foam, and laying it into routed pockets in other materials, like wood, or PVC board, or another sheet of acrylic. The PlasmaCam can cut some awesome stuff with a router, but I am drooling over the potential for doing intricate inlays of things like ... mirrored plex? Also, on the topic of lasers and powder coat powders ... I am going to have to experiment with laser etching things like an old car hood, and then coating it with powder and running the laser over the same pattern again. I see a lot of experiments (both good , and failed ) in my future.

Joe


.

[rdj357]

However, there are many videos about cutting magnificent art out of LPs. so yes, there is the gas issue. but I do believe a strong fan, and cutting OUTDOORS will minimize the corrosion issue.

As you wish. May the odds be ever in your favor.

[rdj357]

I saw something today (or was it yesterday?) that is uber-cool! Apparently people are experimenting with using these lasers to powder coat things! It seems that laying down a dusting of powder that you would normally BAKE in an oven, can be sintered ( wrong word?) onto wood surfaces and other surfaces by allowing the laser to instantly melt the powder onto the surface it passes over, with the correct power and speed settings on the laser. One video did this on wood. Another showed using the laser and powder to mark keys.

I found that to be particularly interesting!

Joe


.

Wet blanket warning. Powder will never be cured correctly with a laser - You might be able to get the surface to flow and get a 'passable' product but considering proper powder curing requires usually 10 minutes at PMT (part substrate at temp for 10 minutes, commonly around 400F) there is no way a laser will ever be able to do it correctly without at least curing the part in an oven post laser.

[Joe Jones]

That is an interesting video. He took the concept too literally. No one is claiming to "powder coat wood." They are claiming to be able to fill engraved wood with the powder, and melt it with a laser so it sticks to the wood, at least well enough to hang the plaque on a nail.

I know about bonding. I know that the powder does not bond to the wood. Basically, the laser is trying to melt the powder into a flat-ish wafer of color that fills an engraved cavity. His laser was both more powerful and faster than the X-Tool laser I bought, so I am going to experiment with this concept anyway.

This does prove one thing. The manufacturers of the powders used to powder coat metal should LOOK INTO making powders for this process. A powder that melts faster and bonds better with very brief, focused heat. After all, isn't color laser toner basically the same thing ... a powder that "bonds" to the paper via a nanosecond exposure to a focused laser light? Maybe they could make micro-bubbles of colored INK that burst and flow when heated? They already know how to make the "Scratch-n-Sniff" cards for perfume samples, and other less noble reasons.

A wood engraving is not about being able to take a gouging from a sharp tool. It is about a color sticking to a surface, not unlike paint, which is applied in liquid form. Then the plaque is hung on a wall, or whatever. I am assuming that a device that would shave CRAYONS into small particles like laundry soap would help in this quest. The advantage here is the obvious control over WHERE the colors fall in an engraving, and with no need for masking or other prep work.

Years ago, silk screening was limited to paint being pushed through a fine screen with a squeegee. I had a heat transfer press to make the T-shirts for my motorcycle towing service. I would print the logo etc. on a sheet of transfer paper and then heat press it onto a T-shirt. Of couse, the heat was not melting the ink. It was melting the substrate that the ink was printed upon, and that would bond to the fabric WITH the colored ink essentially unchanged.

NOW you can stretch a T-shirt over a board and they have color printers that PRINT the image directly onto the fabric. So I will assume that a solution to this issue of using a low wattage blue diode laser to bond a color onto a non-metallic surface is not far off.

I will have to make a point to attend the next FabTech show in Chicago, or Atlanta, or Nashville. I am guessing that someone will have developed an answer to this video by then.

"Somebody said that it couldn't be done ..."

Joe


.

[rdj357]

That is an interesting video. He took the concept too literally. ...........

I can only try to provide the knowledge that's readily available on the subject and this guy knows lasers. To state the obvious, you are free to pursue any means you wish to improve upon or do it better.

NOW you can stretch a T-shirt over a board and they have color printers that PRINT the image directly onto the fabric........

I know, I own one because it is the correct tool for the job. We've actually gone with the trend to change the process and use the DTG printer to print direct-to-film (reversed color and white layers) and then press transfer the print to the shirt so that we don't have to pretreat the shirts. Screen printing still has a very thriving market segment on lower cost-higher quantity garments.

...... So I will assume that a solution to this issue of using a low wattage blue diode laser to bond a color onto a non-metallic surface is not far off. .......

It isn't far off at all, it is a well known process - well not with a blue diode laser (or a CO2 or fiber laser) - rather a UV printer does a fine job.

"Somebody said that it couldn't be done ..."

Joe

The discussion is not whether or not something can be done but that just because you are familiar with a tool does not mean it's the correct one for the job. This is another prime example of Maslow's Hammer aka the law of the instrument. You should absolutely enjoy and experiment with the tools in your shop and with new ones as you get them. Have fun! But just because you ordered a hammer, everything didn't suddenly become a nail.

What is the Law of the Instrument?
According to the law of the instrument, when we acquire a new skill, we tend to see opportunities to use it everywhere. This bias is also known as “the law of the hammer”, “the golden hammer”, or “Maslow’s hammer”, in reference to psychologist Abraham Maslow’s famous quote: “I suppose it is tempting, if the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail”.
https://thedecisionlab.com/biases/law-of-the-instrument

[adbuch]

The discussion is not whether or not something can be done but that just because you are familiar with a tool does not mean it's the correct one for the job. This is another prime example of Maslow's Hammer aka the law of the instrument. You should absolutely enjoy and experiment with the tools in your shop and with new ones as you get them. Have fun! But just because you ordered a hammer, everything didn't suddenly become a nail.

What is the Law of the Instrument?
According to the law of the instrument, when we acquire a new skill, we tend to see opportunities to use it everywhere. This bias is also known as “the law of the hammer”, “the golden hammer”, or “Maslow’s hammer”, in reference to psychologist Abraham Maslow’s famous quote: “I suppose it is tempting, if the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail”.
https://thedecisionlab.com/biases/law-of-the-instrument

[acourtjester]

Ok Joe to add to your new tool an enclosure, this has some great ideas for it.

[Joe Jones]

Ok Joe to add to your new tool an enclosure, this has some great ideas for it.

I wasn't planning on an enclosure. That is a good video though. I had not thought about adjustable height. Of course, I will use a linear actuator, just because.

Joe


.

[Joe Jones]

The honeycomb grates and the air assist have arrived. Basically, it is an aquarium pump Well made, and quiet. It does come with the custom fittings etc., to easily mate up to the X-Tool machine.

When everything arrives I will make a portable enclosure for it. I want to fit it into the rear passenger area of my truck, in case I decide to do the craft fair thing. I will experiment with one (or two?) deep cycle batteries and an inverter, to run this thing where AC power is not available. I will have to do some test cutting to make sure I can get 8 hours of normal use out of the batteries.

Joe

X-TOOL 1.jPG

[Joe Jones]

I bought some Crayons today. I will experiment with them, to melt them into pockets for color, using the laser. Yes, a heat gun would work, and so would placing the wooden piece into an oven for a brief moment. But this is about experimentation, so there are no RULES!

Joe


.

[plasmanewbie]

As tasty as they look, don't eat the crayons Joe! Lol just kidding, Seriously though how much spare time do you have man!

[Joe Jones]

Spare time ... I have a thousand projects STARTED here, but none completed. I have no helper, and no motivation.

I was steaming along a few years ago. I had six vendor booths and a commercial building on the Square. I was feeding them with 150 pieces per week, sometimes more, and they each sold for an average of $25.00.

Then one of life's bitter lessons reared its ugly head in 2019, and I learned about what happens when you TRUST people. I was able to remove that massive knife from my back, but then I let the booths suffer and they all eventually closed. I sold the store at the start of the NWO B.S. covid agenda, and now I am not really motivated to do much of anything.

I am trying to get excited about working in my shops again. I have added several great machines, and my second laser engraver is arriving in a few days. Right now, I have become involved in building and setting up some Halloween props for a church party. I am beginning to make the rocking tombstones, the casket, the blinking eyes at the end of a long, dark corridor, the Zombie Containment Pit, etc. I have three EPSON video projectors that I let them use, as well as two other smaller projectors, and a friend has the full library of Atmos FX videos, so we will use them again this year.

http://atmosfx.com/products/zombie-inva ... 0150b110be

I know I need to "Get out there!" and push myself, but I am really just so thoroughly disgusted with humanity, that I just can't work up the energy to care about much of anything.

Joe


.