How to align your mirrors on your Chinese / OMTech CO2 laser
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 ม.ค. 2021
- UPDATE: Check out my latest alignment video with lessons learned: • Laser Mirror Alignment...
The video is meant to educate owners on how I align my Chinese / OMTech 80 watt lasers. Depending on your make and model, you may be able to implement the same practices.
Aligning the mirrors on a laser can be a long and tedious process. Chances are your 2nd to 3rd mirror alignment is going to take your longest so be patient!
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Latest alignment video
Laser Mirror Alignment | How To Guide | CO2
th-cam.com/video/GyOKzy-riLE/w-d-xo.html
Just got my laser set up and started calibrating today. This is just the video i needed. Thanks Cam!
We just got our laser yesterday. Thank you for this tutorial. Very nice and thorough.
Best video I've seen yet for doing this! Thanks for sharing the knowledge
Thank you so much for this video. I bought a laser 18 months ago and still haven’t used it because I couldn’t find a video on how to adjust the mirrors. This is so informative and you make it look easy to do.
Incredible, thorough and precise video. Thank you.
Bruh, THANK YOU!!! I had the hardest time trying to get mirrors aligned. This is truly the best tutorial I have seemed on this because I was missing that last mirror focus procedure!!! Thank you!!
Amazing video! I saw a few others who confused me more than I was, came across yours, and helped me out so much. Thank you!
Just ordered the 2028 80W today. Can't wait to get it thanks for the videos they will definitely help me.
This was more helpful than OMTech's official alignment tutorial video. Thank you!
Thank you so much Cam! It took a while but I was able to align my mirrors with your video. WHEW.
I rewatched your video and thank you for putting this out there. Big help!
Nice video on beam alignment! This will help me immensely!
Thank you for taking the time to make this video. Is really helpful.
Best walkthrough on the net. Thanks Bud
I watched your video again and see where I missed a step. I think this will solve my problem. Again, thanks for taking the time to make such a great video
Thanks for the run thru it explains some of my issues so thanks again
I just received my omtech laser and have been watching many videos on setups. I can tell you that this is one of the top 3 videos I have seen. You do a great job explaining and showing the process! Keep up the good work.
Great job. Thx. Will be aligning one of these machines, tomorrow - so, very helpful/timely...
Dude, this is awesome. Thanks for the video!
Mate that's so thorough thank you so much!
Thanks for the video. I’m hoping this will help me finally get mine done.
awesome tutorial. Very simple explanation
Great video Cam. Thanks for the help!
Thanks Mike!
Excellent explanation! I'm doing this tomorrow for the first time. Hopefully this helps...
I've had my 50w CO2 (this laser) for a number of years now, but I love looking for better views of doing this. What I did was create small birch ply insert sizes, so I can put them in the circles, then use the painter's tape to hold them there. It makes it a lot easier. My circles cut out actually have the compass markings/target rings (some 1 and others 3 mm apart for fine tuning). Your video was developed for anyone to be able to and understand! :) Great job.
Thanks for that, I cleaned out my machine yesterday. Found it to be uneven, so fixed all of that. Went back into aligning mirrors but having issues. After watching the video, I see that I forgot to check the lense alignment. Missed one, ah well, back to checking again tomorrow.
Great detail and tips,
I watched this video to set up my machine and it was very helpful, thank you very much!
This was so helpful and I got my machine set up thanks to your video 😊
I just set up my machine and this video is very helpful, thank you
Dude....thank you so much for this video! I've been going nuts on how to troubleshoot my lasercutter.
This is much better than the omtech tutorial. Thank you for posting. I have an AF2028 on the way
Thanks so much for your video. It's the best alignment video out there
Thank you for the video, it really helped me get my laser engraver going. I was going crazy not knowing why it was not working. This video solved my problem. Easy to follow, and I got my laser working in no time.
Great to hear!
makes the process easy to understand ....Thanks for the info
Absolutely. I hope it helps
Good instruction video. Well explained and takes time for showing the details. Recommended.
Thank you for such a clearly explained process.
You're very welcome!
🎉 thank you!! My 2440 100w was not cutting and I couldn’t figure out how to align the mirrors. I thought they were until following your video. Now they are definitely aligned and my laser is back to cutting 😊
Glad I could help!
This was a great video, the best I have seen on how to line up the mirrors. Thanks so much for taking the time to create this video, it was a HUGE help to me! You Rock!
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge.
Make sure to check out my new alignment video. Just released the other day with new tips
I followed the steps in this video. When I do the pulse test on the 4 corners, the two on the left side are off. What mirror do I adjust to correct this? The left is further down.
Did you figure this out? I am having the same issue...
Thanks for sharing. This will be very helpful
Glad it was helpful!
Best video on this that ive seen
Finally got around to uncrating mine and doing the alignment. All fairly easy until the very final (Vertical) alignment.
Took me awhile to figure out the beam was hitting the side of the nozzle. It would leave multiple holes in the tape! So what I finally had to do was loosen all three adjustment lock nuts and uniform the gap of the mirror holder/frame to at least get it to clear the nozzle.
I have a Laguna PL12/20 Your video was very helpfull- Thx
GREAT VIDEO!! I have really been considering purchasing a laser and I believe you have sealed the deal for me. I have been very imitimidated about a laser since I have never used one. Thank you!!
If you do make sure to use our affiliate code LASERGUYS and join our FB community of over 14k members facebook.com/groups/1364016877267714
GREAT JOB
Very good video, thank you so much!
Thanks allot Cam great video
thanks so much! Your video was fantastic! It is basically dummy proof!
Great video! Thank you.
Thanks so much excellent video
Solid video Cam, thanks for taking the time to explain this process!
Thanks dude! I tried to break it down without being excessively long. When you go to align, don't focus so much on the center of the mirror as you need to be center on the lens when it comes down the tube. If you find that the beam converges offcentered on the mirrors....go with it.
Thanks Cam
Really good video, thanks! I do wish you had more issues with the final adjustments to more effectively show that part.
thanks for the video
Super informative video, thank you! Quick question on using the hatch that allows you to slide a large piece of wood in. How do I callibrate and account for the material being lower, and check that my laser is focused on the material.
thanks, this video helps me today a lot....
Glad it helped
thank you, very useful
This was great. New or tech laser came today and this part was challenging with their very unspecific videos. My 80 w still has one other adjustment directly at the tube where yours is just flat. Can’t seem to find any info on this but your video helped. Af-
2028
Iv just bought the same laser, thank you for the video, really well done. What power and speed do you use to cut perspex and plyboard?
Thank you for tutorial. It helps me a lot...❤❤❤
Be sure to check out my new alignment video. It has some lessons learned and may be easier to follow
Awesome video and explanation just what i needed :-) new subscriber
Awesome, thank you!
Heck yea. Thank you for the video. This is the best video out there and it was very helpful. Liked and subscribed. 👍🏼
Be sure to check out my newest alignment video. I just released it last month. It may be of more help
@@EdmondsWoodshop checking them all out right now. Lol.
Thank you!
What up dude. Curious if youre making more polar vids. Like alignment
awesome video great job
Struggling to line up the corners between mirrors 2 and 3. Any tips or videos you can recommend? Unfortunately yours were lined up perfectly on the 4 corners lol
Good tips.
Ever a a piece cut at an angle but not all 4 sides?
Wondering how to get this corrected but about to redo everything on my laser now...i always guessed on the knobs...lol
Great video
Thank you!!
what do you do if all 4 corners aren't hitting the same spot on mirror 3?
I just found something that works well on the nozzle alignment is I had a mirror so I could see the laser dot and could move it directly in the middle because the red laser dot shines right through green painters tape
Thank you for this video. It was very helpful. I have a question about how to adjust between mirror 2 and 3. It is hitting fine when I have it all the way to the left, both front and back, but when I try to pulse on the far right side, its way off. Which screws do I adjust? Thank you!
For those with higher power laser (60W has min 20% power for me) or cheap thin masking tape (the 3rd fire I decided something else was in order) White Hockey Tape is working fantastic
Heck yea. Whatever works. Blue tape is certainly not THE way, just a way.
Great video. Any idea how you would do the last test on the K40? It doesn't have screws on mirror 3.
Hello, thanks a lot for this great tutorial. My laser tube lost a lot of power very quickly. I tried to align the mirrors as you show but when i pulsed at the first mirror, i don't have a dot, if if i keep the button pulse on, then two dots appears and becomes a line. Is the laser tube dead? It's very difficult to have any answer from the chinese seller. So i'll be very greatfull if you can help me.
Thank from France
Good video. Thanks! But how do you move the bed up and down with the control panel (moving the z axis)?
Great Video ..one thing .. I don't really know anything about doing this, but I don't understand why after aligning both back mirrors and having them both good you would readjust the 2nd mirror because of the 3rd one being out of alignment. Seems like you would have to align the 3rd mirror no ??
best tutorial about the mirror alignment.i love it..but only you can describe detail when we turn clockwise or anticlockwise the screw of the mirror, what happen to the laser, i mean where does it move?
Do you have any suggestions if you are aligning a k40 laser? There's no adjustments on my laser nozzle... I am glad I watched this! Hopefully today will be the day I FINALLY get my laser adjusted!
Thanks for the video, but It wasn't clear how to get mirror 2 pulse marks aligned in the far and close position to mirror one.
I just got a new laser, and I am very worried now because I was testing it out last night just to see if the bed worked up and down (powered)
Well I never read the manual first and did an autofocus without material on the bed ! (I know stupid) well it jammed the auto focus rod and almost got to the lens it kinda jammed it hard. Do you think I have damaged the autofocus/lens ??
Is the autofocus rod on the left of the lens just a rod or does it also have a lens in it ?
Thanks, fantastic video BTW
Great video! One question: I have the same machine as you do... When I adjust the screws, I started small and it made ZERO difference in where the laser hit the tape. I went back and adjusted more and more and finally a LOT, nothing changed the location of where my laser hits. Now what?
Thank you
I have the other version of the omtech red black laser, the omtech is not available here. The x gantry looks a lot better than my one (pulling my hair out today trying to get screws each with 5 washers into the end of a 10mm high piece of extrusion). Could you please provide more photos as I want to try and upgrade my one myself. Thanks
First off use aluminum foil behind painters tape and then no worries about residue on mirrors. Then Simply add tape on top off old tape. It'll speed process up considerably. On 3rd (head mirror) do the mirror alignment without the nozzle and lense in there. Pulse near then far. Then the step you forgot. Make sure the tube is square/alignment. Pulse with nozzle and lense in tube. Make cross hair on wood. Lower table and remove nozzle/lense assembly. Raise table and Come back to same spot as first pulse with lense in/before cross hair marking. Then adjust laser tube up/down, left/right accordingly. I do this for a side gig and have done many. Good video but use these tips and do tube alignment. Then you will have great straight cuts and full power/focused beam all over laser (if bed is also square/same distance to the head). Follow video below.
th-cam.com/video/i5ApIqMR2pM/w-d-xo.html
I like the mirror mounts on your unit. Mine do not have the "side" extension which would make aligning much easier. Do you know where I can get some?
To find the actual center of the last mirror shine a light up the nozzle, grantee it's not the center of the opening on the side .
Can you please show how to prevent the beam from clipping on the nozzle? I barely see any videos using these type of machine and most people distrust these machines. By the way, your video was awesome, looking forward for more videos about OMTech CO2 laser.
Your nozzle should be adjustable. Use a pencil and some scrap paper and lay down a thick dark layer of graphite. Rub the graphite onto your nozzle tip. Now take a piece of scotch tape and carefully press it onto the nozzle. Fire the beam at the lowest power level your machine will allow. Take the tape off the nozzle and there should be a "bull's-eye" from the graphite on the scotch tape with a hole somewhere in the center. It's important you know the orientation of the tape or it'll be useless. Use the adjustment screws usually just above the nozzle or head assembly to "push" the bullseye in the direction that will allow for the beam to pass through without clipping.
This was a great video and explains this process quite methodically. What about a bed levelling video? From my experience these machines (not unique to Omtech) is that the honeycomb bed is far from level in itself. Mine also started sagging over time. I've heard some swap these out with a fixed plate of some sort - usually a 6-8mm aluminium plate - but I don't know what that would mean in terms of reflection when you're cutting. I like the fact that I can use magnets to hold down my material on the honeycomb bed. Thoughts?
So we have an order of setup on our website (under construction) where bed leveling is one of the steps. We didn't create the video as it does a well enough job explaining what needs to be done but I'll link the guide for you.
www.laser-guys.com/post/order-of-setup-setting-up-your-new-omtech-laser
Hello. I am rewatching your video and, again, extremely helpful. Can you point me to a video or resource that teaches me how to determine the maximum and minimum power i should set on the ruida controller? Thanks again!
The power settings on the controller are for your pulsing power. It’s the settings in lightburn that control the output of your power. Here is a good video on what min and max power are for
th-cam.com/video/pjud3FHn9H4/w-d-xo.html
@@EdmondsWoodshop thank you for this. One last question that did not seem to be addressed on your video. When I am trying to alight mirror number 2 with the gantry moved to each of the 4 corners, I am consistently seeing the pulse in different locations. Meaning the pulse show in the same place when the gantry is in the two closest corners (the left side in my case) but is in a different place in the 2 furthest corners (the right side). Each mirror adjustment moves both but never aligns all 4. Any suggestions on aligning these or what I may be doing wrong? Truly appreciate all you do for me and the laser community!
hello, when you changed the pipe, you also changed the mirrors
hello, i am right now setting my mirrors with help from your video, and i have a question, is big problem if my pulses on 2nd and 3rd mirrors are not absolutely on same places at the start and end of axis (2nd mirror pulse at the start of axis is in center, at the end of axis is a little bit next to first pulse... the 3rd mirror same thing), but the laser beam from the nozzle is at the center at every corner and even in center of table ? thank you for answer :)
Cloudray make a small adaptor for standard mirrors and lenses, it has two pieces of wire in a cross across the tube, you drop a piece of card into the device and fire the laser, it burns a small spot on the card, when you look at the card the cross intersects up and down and left to right on the burn, that tells you exactly where you mirror is out without guess work and without the damn sticky tape, card is much easier to use. the mirror alignment tool costs around 10 dollars and works on cloudray mirrors and heads or others with the right size hole in the mirror holder.
They make the same too again which screws into the bottom of the laser head tube that then makes sure that your focused laser beam is perfectly central to the laser head nozzle and does not touch the sides anywhere. You have to take the guesswork out of alignment always and these simple tool do it, i made my on a 3d printer and used fine copper wire for the cross, next time i had a larger order with cloudray i bought theirs, they both work but the 3d printer ones can melt if you beam is out. check their website for details..
Hello! @Edmonds Woodshop, I am in need of some help! I got the mirrors aligned, but the laser is hitting the bottom of the nozzle. What is the best way to resolve this before aligning the nozzle itself? I have looked for other videos but it seems everyone's was good from the start so they didnt have to adjust that piece! Please help!! Thanks!
The comments look promising, I've been stuck with an unalienable laser for a year... tried so many times unsuccessfully. Is successful, I will update!
In your example all the corners are aligned perfectly, but mine don't line up on each other, how to correct that if in the from it is perfect in center and in the rear it way to much in the left
Can you do a video on how to Level the Laser Bed ? thanks
Thank you! What model do you use? And do you think autofocus is a must-have, and worth sacrificing 4" of depth capabilities? Or is manual focus just as simple?
I use the MF2028-80 (Manual Focus). Link is in the details. I absolutely think autofocus is a waste! Manual focusing and autofocusing takes the same amount of time, and the autofocus just ends up getting in the way of things. I love the manual bed, because I can fine tune the distance that I need without playing with the auto bed AND I get extra depth capabilities because there isn't limit switches preventing me from going down all the way