Your Laser Focus Is Wrong

If you're still using the factory focus method for your laser, it's not as dialed in as it could be! This method works for both CO2 and Diode lasers with manual focus!
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Disclaimer: The content presented in this video is for entertainment purposes only. The information provided is not intended to substitute or replace professional advice, and viewers should not rely solely on the information presented in this video. Viewers should always do their own research and consult with professionals in the appropriate fields before making any decisions based on the information presented. The creator of this video does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information presented in this video.
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[@LetsMakeAThing]

I forgot to mention in the video, the custom block would be improved by making it out of acrylic. The wood block is going to expand and contract slightly based on the humidity in your shop. That being said, I've been using wood focus blocks for a long time now and haven't noticed enough of a difference to switch to acrylic.

[@arose62]

Why use a percentage? The difference between the commanded size and the actual cut size is the kerf of the laser. This does not scale up and down, it stays the same regardless of the size of the piece being cut.
It would be better to teach how to measure the kerf, and enter it once into LightBurn's kerf compensation, and then have everything cut accurately to size.

[@malcolmhodgson7540]

Excellent information that I haven’t seen anywhere else. Subscribed.

[@LetsMakeAThing]

Glad you found it useful! Thanks for the sub!

[@marcinczuprynski6007]

Life saver. I thought i damaged my laser somehow. Turns out that positioning bar on my 20W PHECDA was 3mm off, which is way more than i thought it could be. Thank you.

[@LetsMakeAThing]

You're welcome! Glad the video was helpful!

[@orlandodias232]

This guy is a genious. Thanks brother.

[@LetsMakeAThing]

Glad you found it helpful!

[@JAYTHEGREAT355]

You are a master laser goat ..

[@gammaman12]

I haven’t seen this before and I’m amazed on how far off my machine was. Detail looks much better.

[@LetsMakeAThing]

Awesome! Glad the video was helpful!

[@jarogrozni]

I LOVE the reference at the beggining to the Have love will travel :) Great video as always!

[@LetsMakeAThing]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@jarogrozni]

@@LetsMakeAThingOne more thing that just crossed my mind...I have a Ray5 10watt and it has an adjustable glare shield, it wouldn't be a good idea to focus this way with it as it would probably move over time. Maybe something worth mentioning in the video.

[@TheFalconJetDriver]

@@jarogrozni I agree with your statement. I will do the ramp test as he did but I would reference off of the saddle as we use with the 50.00 mm cylinder to set our 10 watt laser. 😀🛫

[@BitSmythe]

*This is such a FABULOUS idea, thank you!* 9:15 Instead of _guessing,_ 8.33 / 8.57 = 0.97 and then changing 103%, it's easier to do the actual math. This calculation is for making it smaller, then you have to guess. To make it bigger, use 8.57 / 8.33 = 1.029 (then he rounded to 1.03). So you can put that in the percentage field. However, it's more accurate (even though it won't make a substantial difference in this case) to do the math correctly.
SO; if you had something designed at 7" and it printed at 8" you can correct easily and accurately. You want to go from 8 to 7, or larger to smaller. So 7/8 = 0.875.
If the print is smaller than the design, put the smaller number on the bottom. Thus [Smaller / Larger = ]. Or [Larger / Smaller = ].
In LightBurn you can enter [8 * 0.875] and LightBurn will do the math for you. It's even smart enough to enter [8 * (7/8)] and get the right answer!

[@LetsMakeAThing]

Thanks for clarifying the math. Explaining it on the fly while trying to record a how-to is not a strength of mine. 🤣

[@BitSmythe]

@@LetsMakeAThing Yeah, multitasking presenting takes talent... You've got plenty!
I'm an excellent poofreader. ;-)

[@Odacir]

Thank for the infomations! I will test on my Zbaitu 20W. A hug from Brazil!

[@LetsMakeAThing]

Hello Brazil!

[@ChadStanton]

Great tip and a really smart way to figure it out

[@LetsMakeAThing]

Thank you! Glad you found it useful!

[@TheFalconJetDriver]

Now this is a fantastic video, with your Longer Ray do you use a focus block that came with your laser I have a Longer Ray 10 that uses a 50.00 mm cylinder to set the focus. It would be interesting to know by using your test to see how accurate your test block is compared to the factory. Cylinder. With your method I know that your spot would be right on point.
The ramp test is great way to find your actual focal point. 😁🛫
I read your reply to the question under mine! I see that you do use a kickstand as the factory set up! I will be testing mine tonight.😁🛫

[@LetsMakeAThing]

I've been using a custom focus block for the 30 watt module on my B1. I made this video because I just got the new 40 watt module (future video) and wanted to share the how to on this method. It wasn't until I got into image engraving that I learned about ramp tests and made the custom block for my B1. Prior to that I had just used the standard acrylic block that came with my Ray5 and Ortur lasers.

[@daveyjones7589]

Has your stepping been set correctly? 3% is a pretty big error. I was led to understand that finest focus should be slightly below the work surface.

[@grantclarke4713]

Thanks for sharing. Was there a difference in height between your block and the kick stand?

[@LetsMakeAThing]

There was! My kickstand height was 7.75 mm and the final height for my custom focus block is 8.57mm.

[@davidryan9808]

If I have just a nozzle sticking out from my laser box as I took the shield off do I just place the measurement box under it with the nozzle resting on the box?

[@LetsMakeAThing]

Great question! If you don't have a shield you can measure directly from the nozzle.

[@paulraycastillo2238]

Wonder if a test was done with the test block that shipped with the laser and if an engraving was done with the new test block. If there was a visual difference

[@LetsMakeAThing]

It depends on the laser and how far off is the focal distance. Also depends on the material and what is being engraved. Besides myself, I've had lots of people tell me that after they made their own focus block they saw a clear difference.

[@ainttakenanyshit]

I just finished my focus test and the factory retractable metal thickness stick sets the focus to ~ 5mm, (from the bottom of the magnetically held light shield). This testing showed the best focus at ~ 10mm. This applies to the Algolaser Alpha model and may also include their Delta model as well as the Delta uses the same 22 watt head. My "surface" engraving/marking was good, but now that a better pinpoint beam can be obtained at a 10mm focus setup I hope to see an improvement. Knowing the focus point will help fine tune the best height/focus for your particular job. In my opinion, for cutting thicker material, I would set the focal point to the depth of ~ 1/3rd of the total thickness and not at a halfway point of the material. Setting for a 1/3rd thickness would provide a better focus for the start of the beams penetration. Once the first third gets "blasted", then the finishing beam cut will finish the burn.... Buy more wood and experiment on your particular machine making your testing using only the wood "space" you need.... Save any appreciable sized scraps for test burning and make a "scrap box" for any future work.... Thanks for this video that helps us burners get the most from our gear....

[@LetsMakeAThing]

Glad you found it useful!

[@gopacktoo]

You may want to calibrate your laser in lightburn to cut the size you enter in lightburn. *machine settings.

[@LetsMakeAThing]

Yep, I messed up and did this before I calibrated my machine with the new laser module.

[@vi683a]

Is it logical to think that the optimal laser focus , for cutting, would be half the thickness?

[@LetsMakeAThing]

Logically, you want the focal point of the laser to be in the middle of the material (half the thickness). However, the true focal distance of the laser is going to vary based on the module, manufacturing process, and QA controls. That's why I recommend the ramp test to determine the optimal focal distance to the top of a material. You could then add or subtract half the thickness of the material you are cutting to your custom focus distance.

[@vi683a]

@@LetsMakeAThing Thank you. I wanted to understand if my thought process was correct about lasers (not owning one yet).