Thanks. Metric I found its much easier to use metric instead of converting minute fractions of an inch to make a design after calculating tolerances. While this was outside of RC it was crystal clear how much easier the manufacture was after doing and the design.
I realize this is a video for mostly beginners to the hobby and I have been toying with the idea of getting back to building balsa planes as I did religiously when I was a kid, but I'd like to share some things for everybody. For Tip#1: LightBurn is like salt on eggs. Eggs are great right out of the shell, they're good cooked and broiled, poached, and hard boiled... but adding salt? You can't really imagine having another egg without a little salt. LightBurn is absolutely mandatory and nobody ever says they regret paying the $55 or $110 for the full license. Just get it, you won't regret it. Also.. get an enclosure for your diode laser. I'd recommend, if you have the $$$, to consider a CO2 laser instead but they're significantly more expensive. Two advantages with an enclosure: the exhaust fan is good at removing smoke and any ash you have left over, and air assists. I was a firefighter when I was younger and I always thought it to be counterintuitive to feed a fire with air but when it comes to lasers, having a proper air assist actually completes the combustion process & makes the laser cut far more efficiently & a LOT less dangerously. Your stock catching fire is because you don't have enough air. It's also why you need to be cutting at a higher power & lower speed, which gives you more of a chance to start a fire. You keep a fire extinguisher close by and you watch your cuts: thank you for mentioning that to your viewers! That is a very VERY important aspect. Many, many people have lost their entire homes because they think it wouldn't happen to them. I have a 60W CO2 laser with a 20"x28" cutting bed (usable is about 19.5"x27"), automatic Z-axis autofocus, and I paid about $3,100 including shipping. Aftermarket, I purchased a 6" exhaust fan to upgrade the cheap Chinese loud fan. I purchased a premium lens from American Photonics, and I replaced my air assist from a sad little fishtank aquarium pump with a 6-gallon air compressor and fitted a regulator to my laser cabinet. I use my laser for my business so my upgrades are completely justified, but even if I was just using it as a hobby laser, I'd skip the diode 2-axis laser and go with the CO2. Again, much more costly but if used correctly, you have a very low chance of fire, you'll use a lot less electricity, and far less wasted materials. Even as a hobby laser, trust me, after some time you'll see it saves you time, money and energy.
And you have now set the lazy builder RC record for the longest post. Absolutely lots of good tips there things that I should mention more often in my videos regarding safety such as goggles fire extinguisher plenty of air ventilation all good points I appreciate you taking the time to mention those things.
Good to see someone sharing their experience specifically for RC modeling. What I didn’t catch is what wattage your laser outputs? I’m considering buying a laser cutter but I’m stuck on the power (10, 12 or 20W diode laser) I’d like to be able to cut up to 4mm plywood in one go. Otherwise I expect to cut 1-3mm balsa mostly.
Mine is 10watt. If your looking to cut 4mm in one pass then 20watt or higher is a better option. Go as high as you can afford because turning the power down for thinner wood is the best option.
Appreciate that, sir, but the truth is I only started doing these videos because I was having to repeatedly explain myself face-to-face with individuals one at a time who were curious about how I was doing this sort of thing so these videos help me to have more time to fly by simply referring their questions to Lazy Builder RC. lol
Subscribed! Thanks for the info. Just bought my first laser the Neje max 11watt 2weeks ago with the intention to make an RC plane. I’ve modeled up a Sig Kadet Mark 2 in Fusion from my paper plans I still have from my first build in 1987. Plan is to make this electric. Would you mind telling me where you purchased your balsa/ply stock from? And were you satisfied with the quality of wood?
National Balsa, Balsa USA, and Hobby Lobby. I like Hobby Lobby only because I can walk in and hand pick the wood without any additional charge. The online places are good and have an excellent selection but you'll wanna buy in bulk to justify shipping charges. Thats really cool that you can model in Fusion. I have some old plans I'd like to digitize and change a few things. But for now, I got lots of other projects going. Thanks for subscribing.
Thanks for the info ….👍🏻 I went to our hobby lobby and grabbed a few sheets to practice with. They didn’t have much, half of the items were out of stock. nothing bigger than 3” wide. Looks like I’m going all in with Balsa USA.
First off thank you for the kind words. And consider this, if all you did was cut ribs and bulkheads, you would save yourself hours and hours of time and it really does make the art of scratch building balsa Planes fun again. Now if I could just figure out how to get the laser to do all the finish sanding I would be set for life. lol.
It’s an Xtool D1 with an extension added. I had to change the software from D1 to D1 pro to get Lightburn to recognize the entire size which is now somewhere around 17 inches wide and 36 inches long of usable space. It’s the standard 10 watt laser, which will hopefully soon have air assist and a camera system for doing overlays in Lightburn. Ooopppss. Spoiler alert!!
So when I import the plans into LB, I shouldnt have to resize them? I only have a 400x400 size bed so I may have to split the fuselage up if thats the case.
Yes And I have a video out that will help with that. My “beginner “ series will help get you up to speed on most everything you need to know to get started. Also the Pitts biplane videos deal with oversized parts cutting. Especially on the fuselage.
I honestly don't remember. It was some off-brand thing from Amazon. Kinda like this: www.amazon.com/SCULPFUN-Ultra-Fine-Compressed-Protection-Fixed-Focus/dp/B09MQMXXGD/ref=sr_1_4?crid=3AV5YP06YY9IE&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.8iz7LHag67hQlLmTtPf4a3_yi3jn-oo0Qa4L3Hyqu0LnZo__rrv1wdHzjsJEuGqtX21ySX5S5kyjKbIAjTbAy5Rb53uOx78rABzMimypgwJ9G1W0TnQG_J9smsduF5txY5zuyDwnUAOayBRz_rmYeDEcSiysjB-XGXQDIYhhAdWj-d-5f3gd83a87_iE9DHM_zuuBpJznJ7J-iE_WYafAVIcH0hnJV2MiR3QFp7O41vq_Xb4tn4kADB52cAhvrm54rrmjCXX1Y1DWudvVZIed5jQrAlz_FctT2yW7Tv6cs4.HCImuYHhLNJ0JcAExnQda4BGmteQ9eBui-_siyCVmIE&dib_tag=se&keywords=laser%2Betcher%2Bmachine&qid=1713152272&sprefix=laser%2Betcher%2Caps%2C164&sr=8-4&th=1
There are ways in Lightburn to set the laser to home in other words, go back to a starting position, but as a beginner it’s much quicker to manually set the laser to a home position and you’re gonna wanna do that between each cut or the laser won’t read right and your second cut will be off. Also, if your laser is like mine and doesn’t have limit switches, it may bang hard against the side of the railing and start stripping out the geared belts because it thinks it has more room than it actually does. If you find yourself in that situation, simply turn the laser off manually reset it to its original position like I did in the video then turn the laser back on it will reset itself in Lightbourn.
Nice intro for people who have not messed with this yet.... like me. Thanks for the video.
I appreciate the positive comment. Thank you for watching.
Thanks. Metric I found its much easier to use metric instead of converting minute fractions of an inch to make a design after calculating tolerances. While this was outside of RC it was crystal clear how much easier the manufacture was after doing and the design.
I have to agree. At least as far as engineering goes. Much easier when dealing with tight tolerances.
Love the balsa plywood idea. I will be adding that to my notes to self.
It works and can be done a lot faster than piecing together 1/4 square sticks. Thanks for watching!!!
I realize this is a video for mostly beginners to the hobby and I have been toying with the idea of getting back to building balsa planes as I did religiously when I was a kid, but I'd like to share some things for everybody. For Tip#1: LightBurn is like salt on eggs. Eggs are great right out of the shell, they're good cooked and broiled, poached, and hard boiled... but adding salt? You can't really imagine having another egg without a little salt. LightBurn is absolutely mandatory and nobody ever says they regret paying the $55 or $110 for the full license. Just get it, you won't regret it.
Also.. get an enclosure for your diode laser. I'd recommend, if you have the $$$, to consider a CO2 laser instead but they're significantly more expensive. Two advantages with an enclosure: the exhaust fan is good at removing smoke and any ash you have left over, and air assists. I was a firefighter when I was younger and I always thought it to be counterintuitive to feed a fire with air but when it comes to lasers, having a proper air assist actually completes the combustion process & makes the laser cut far more efficiently & a LOT less dangerously. Your stock catching fire is because you don't have enough air. It's also why you need to be cutting at a higher power & lower speed, which gives you more of a chance to start a fire. You keep a fire extinguisher close by and you watch your cuts: thank you for mentioning that to your viewers! That is a very VERY important aspect. Many, many people have lost their entire homes because they think it wouldn't happen to them.
I have a 60W CO2 laser with a 20"x28" cutting bed (usable is about 19.5"x27"), automatic Z-axis autofocus, and I paid about $3,100 including shipping. Aftermarket, I purchased a 6" exhaust fan to upgrade the cheap Chinese loud fan. I purchased a premium lens from American Photonics, and I replaced my air assist from a sad little fishtank aquarium pump with a 6-gallon air compressor and fitted a regulator to my laser cabinet. I use my laser for my business so my upgrades are completely justified, but even if I was just using it as a hobby laser, I'd skip the diode 2-axis laser and go with the CO2. Again, much more costly but if used correctly, you have a very low chance of fire, you'll use a lot less electricity, and far less wasted materials. Even as a hobby laser, trust me, after some time you'll see it saves you time, money and energy.
And you have now set the lazy builder RC record for the longest post. Absolutely lots of good tips there things that I should mention more often in my videos regarding safety such as goggles fire extinguisher plenty of air ventilation all good points I appreciate you taking the time to mention those things.
Good to see someone sharing their experience specifically for RC modeling. What I didn’t catch is what wattage your laser outputs? I’m considering buying a laser cutter but I’m stuck on the power (10, 12 or 20W diode laser)
I’d like to be able to cut up to 4mm plywood in one go. Otherwise I expect to cut 1-3mm balsa mostly.
Mine is 10watt. If your looking to cut 4mm in one pass then 20watt or higher is a better option. Go as high as you can afford because turning the power down for thinner wood is the best option.
Thanks for creating this type of video.
Appreciate that, sir, but the truth is I only started doing these videos because I was having to repeatedly explain myself face-to-face with individuals one at a time who were curious about how I was doing this sort of thing so these videos help me to have more time to fly by simply referring their questions to Lazy Builder RC. lol
Subscribed! Thanks for the info. Just bought my first laser the Neje max 11watt 2weeks ago with the intention to make an RC plane. I’ve modeled up a Sig Kadet Mark 2 in Fusion from my paper plans I still have from my first build in 1987. Plan is to make this electric.
Would you mind telling me where you purchased your balsa/ply stock from? And were you satisfied with the quality of wood?
National Balsa, Balsa USA, and Hobby Lobby. I like Hobby Lobby only because I can walk in and hand pick the wood without any additional charge. The online places are good and have an excellent selection but you'll wanna buy in bulk to justify shipping charges. Thats really cool that you can model in Fusion. I have some old plans I'd like to digitize and change a few things. But for now, I got lots of other projects going. Thanks for subscribing.
Thanks for the info ….👍🏻
I went to our hobby lobby and grabbed a few sheets to practice with. They didn’t have much, half of the items were out of stock. nothing bigger than 3” wide. Looks like I’m going all in with Balsa USA.
A good choice, I have several Sig Senior Cadets and one Mark 2.
Love flying Senior Cadets when I just want to relax and cruise the sky.
When I get to trying lasers I will be looking at your videos. Thanks, WA7VQR.
First off thank you for the kind words. And consider this, if all you did was cut ribs and bulkheads, you would save yourself hours and hours of time and it really does make the art of scratch building balsa Planes fun again. Now if I could just figure out how to get the laser to do all the finish sanding I would be set for life. lol.
Thanks for the tips. Doesn’t look like a stock machine. How big is it?
It’s an Xtool D1 with an extension added. I had to change the software from D1 to D1 pro to get Lightburn to recognize the entire size which is now somewhere around 17 inches wide and 36 inches long of usable space. It’s the standard 10 watt laser, which will hopefully soon have air assist and a camera system for doing overlays in Lightburn. Ooopppss. Spoiler alert!!
So when I import the plans into LB, I shouldnt have to resize them? I only have a 400x400 size bed so I may have to split the fuselage up if thats the case.
Yes
And I have a video out that will help with that. My “beginner “ series will help get you up to speed on most everything you need to know to get started. Also the Pitts biplane videos deal with oversized parts cutting. Especially on the fuselage.
Can you please share the model of your first laser that is at the beginning of the video. Thanks
I honestly don't remember. It was some off-brand thing from Amazon. Kinda like this:
www.amazon.com/SCULPFUN-Ultra-Fine-Compressed-Protection-Fixed-Focus/dp/B09MQMXXGD/ref=sr_1_4?crid=3AV5YP06YY9IE&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.8iz7LHag67hQlLmTtPf4a3_yi3jn-oo0Qa4L3Hyqu0LnZo__rrv1wdHzjsJEuGqtX21ySX5S5kyjKbIAjTbAy5Rb53uOx78rABzMimypgwJ9G1W0TnQG_J9smsduF5txY5zuyDwnUAOayBRz_rmYeDEcSiysjB-XGXQDIYhhAdWj-d-5f3gd83a87_iE9DHM_zuuBpJznJ7J-iE_WYafAVIcH0hnJV2MiR3QFp7O41vq_Xb4tn4kADB52cAhvrm54rrmjCXX1Y1DWudvVZIed5jQrAlz_FctT2yW7Tv6cs4.HCImuYHhLNJ0JcAExnQda4BGmteQ9eBui-_siyCVmIE&dib_tag=se&keywords=laser%2Betcher%2Bmachine&qid=1713152272&sprefix=laser%2Betcher%2Caps%2C164&sr=8-4&th=1
@@lazerbuilderrc1536 Thank so much. It is difficult to piece through the power and type required to cut the materials needed.
I have been looking at these. Cheaper and more value than my Xtool 10 watt. atezr.com/collections/laser-engraver
Could you explain #6 a little more in depth?
There are ways in Lightburn to set the laser to home in other words, go back to a starting position, but as a beginner it’s much quicker to manually set the laser to a home position and you’re gonna wanna do that between each cut or the laser won’t read right and your second cut will be off. Also, if your laser is like mine and doesn’t have limit switches, it may bang hard against the side of the railing and start stripping out the geared belts because it thinks it has more room than it actually does. If you find yourself in that situation, simply turn the laser off manually reset it to its original position like I did in the video then turn the laser back on it will reset itself in Lightbourn.