Cutting acrylic with the XTool D1 pro
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ก.ย. 2022
- Showing the cutting capability of the XTool D1 pro 20 watt using mutiple colors of cast acrylic.
XTool disount code below in the description, limited time only.
For templates that I have made, check out my Etsy shop. I build files for projects and tools for laser engravers.
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XLNT TECH 10 Pieces & 10 Colors Cast Acrylic Opaque (no-Transparent) Plastic Sheet 8 x 8 Inch (.118" Thick), for Signs, DIY Projects. : amzn.to/3UPuPrW - แนวปฏิบัติและการใช้ชีวิต
Another awesome video, and your jig kit was worth every penny!
Thanks, glad you like it. Thanks for watching.. be sure to subscribe..
Thank you very much.
Your welcome
Great testing and thank you for sharing your results.
Thanks…
Another great video Dave! I just watched one of your more current vids of cutting acrylic and went back to the older vids to watch this one. Great informative video!
Thanks
Great video! Thanks for making it.
Glad to do it... thanks for watching
That was a real eye-opener for me...thanks very much! 👍
Glad it helps
There are two types of acrylic for laser engraving - Cast (GS) and Extruded (XT). For anything other than a CO2 laser, you want to use Cast Acrylic at low power and high speed.
Agreed
thank you for explaining this.
Love the videos. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching!
ok thanks for the reply, keep up the great job you are doing
Your welcome
Think the camera settings are working just right. Had good quality picture and sound. Keep'em coming.
Thanks. I believe I am getting it dialed in.
thank you . I needed this. you saved me fro butchering up some expensive acrylic.
Glad I could help!
Thanks 😊 the new camera is great
Thanks
@@TheClackShack finally got clear acrylic night lights (for the grandbabies)and played around I'm getting some good results s50 p30 just laying it on top of black card stock ,cleans up with plain water from a spray bottle (no scrubbing.. so no scratches) . I have gotten so much good info from you wanted to possibly repay a bit ;) thanks again for what you do
@@justpiddlin1470 , good idea.
Just purchased F1 with the purifier through your XTool link as thanks for all the helpful videos. 😊
Thanks… The F1 looks pretty cool. Enjoy
@@TheClackShack thanks!! :)
Thanks! Man, where do you find the energy? Kudos to you for consistently putting out great content. Nice camera 😊
I was just wired to stay busy from birth. Been this way all my life. I also enjoy it so that helps...
Thank you! I’ve been looking for info on cutting colors other than black.
Glad it helped… thanks for watching
sounds like it's time to expand or start new construction on the Clack Shack!
I wish
@@TheClackShack Post frame brother, with R-Panel walls and roofing. That is the cheapest way to fly, especially if you do it yourself!
Your videos are great! Very informative, and not painful to watch like a lot of others. Thank you!
I think I missed the settings for cutting the black acrylic. Could you repeat them for me please? (20w)
Keep up the great work!
Black acrylic usually cuts pretty easy. I run 6mm/s at 3 passes to avoid melting
@@TheClackShack thank you for answering. I caught it when I watched again. 😁
Awesome video as usual. The new camera is amazing. Thanks for all of your knowledge sharing! Did you have the air assist on when cutting?
Thanks, yes. I run air assist any time my machine is running, cutting or engraving.
Super job on the audio with the camera, Dave! Now, I'm about to offer one word of recommendation, but I know you've been through this with other folks screaming about how loud your intro clip is. Well, when you modified it, I think it's too low now.
I don't know if your editing software has a "balance" option, but some do. Some editing programs (even GarageBand for Mac and Windows) have this feature so you don't have wild swings between audio levels. Ha! This TH-cam stuff is like a lava lamp, isn't it? Always a bunch of parts moving around so it makes things hard, kinda like nailing jelly to a tree. 🙂
Overall, you're doing great with the technical side. Of course, the didactic side, you've had that nailed as long as I've been watching your channel. Keep it up, sir!
I am gonna pull it back up some, still working out all of the bugs.
thanks for the video, really helpful, but where did you get that large black acrylic which you cut at the end?
A local shop. He orders it in 4x8 sheets
Great video! Do you know if this machine will cut through 3mm glass?
Diodes can’t cut glass. Etch but not cut
Enjoyed it. I just bought a neje 3 max laser... and that same set of Amazon acrylic! Now I'm wondering how those colors that won't cut will engrave! (Or won't engrave)
Some colors will engrave just not cut. Many of them will engrave white.
Curious what you think of a situation I just ran into with Black Glossy Cast Acrylic. 3mm GlowForge Medium Proofgrade Sheet. I used my 40w with 100% power at 5mm per sec and 1 pass. This was the recommended settings per Xtool. Engraving was absolutely great...it's not white but it looks perfectly clear and sharp edges. My issue was when cutting...multiple times during the cut of my design the acrylic popped very loudly and I even saw the sheet jump up a bit on the bed. At first I thought it was the paper or stickers from Glowforge so I removed all the sheeting and tried another cut. It popped and I saw a flames and pop ups about 4 times total. I had my air wide open (standard xtool pump). So you know the design was a medal holder that was 19 inches wide x 5 inches tall...cuts look pretty good and clean. I'm just wondering if I should increase the speed to like 6mm or even 8mm on a single pass? I'm going to run a material cut and engrave test tomorrow night just to see what I can get.
Make sure your cutting surface is clean and add more air gap below the material or cutting surface. It sounds like vapor explosions from the gasses being heavy or trapped under the material.
This may have sold me on the D1-Pro.
It has some good features.
What settings do you have for clear acrylic, 1/8", 1/4" and or 1/2"
A blue diode cannot cut clear materials. It allows the light to pass through it without burning. The resistance to light is what makes lasers cut.
Those colors probably have titanium dioxide in them. Thanks for experimenting ☺️ All the colors that are working are bright, the ones not working may be mixed with a yellow or white oxide. That’s why some oranges may work, one is mixed with a bright yellow tint and the other with a yellow oxide.
Cool…
off topic question. will Lightburn control the Xtool air assist?
Only if you have the appropriate hardware which most hobby lasers do not. The software requires the machine to have a relay to control air flow.
Hey there, I'd like to hear more about the vac system. The little fan I bought from X-Tool is not very strong.
Get this and some reducers, you will have plenty of fan. This is what I run now. It has variable power. amzn.to/3NI41ry
I have one - struggling with the Acrylic (keeps setting the flame detection off) - Having said that I've not installed the Air kit yet - do you think this is the problem?
Air assist is a must, I turned off the flame sensor due to false alarms.
@@TheClackShack Ahh - didn't know you could.
My results on 6mm Polycarb not clever to be honest - more burnt than cut, and even after several passes I've not got through.
I also don't know if the IR head would be better for this.
I'm cutting clear polycarb - as opposed to your 'solid' colour (color) acrylic.
What color are your safety glasses? Right, orange acrylic. So that specific dye chemical in the plastic reflects blue light. That’s why you can’t cut orange. The other color dyes in the plastic will each have their specific transmission(absorption) and reflection of blue light. That can also vary from acrylic brand to brand. The only way to find out is to test. If the manufacturer changes their process you run the risk the parameters are not optimal anymore .
Agreed
What computer/laptop do you use or recommend to run the program? Thank you
You need a good machine. Make sure it has plenty of resources to multitask. I plan to buy a lower end gaming laptop to replace my machine in time.
if your beginner on this xtool its good but not much capable with ligthburn professional software
Would the acrylic that doesn't cut work if you painted it black and then cut it?
not likely
Hello again - so when cutting acrylic do you put your laser up higher so there isn't such a concentration of heat? And have you ever gotten a yellow laser than a blue? Does that mean that you are damaging the lens?
Not sure I understand your questions
Can you cut white acrylic using d1 pro?
I haven’t had any success with it
If I paint clear acrylic black on both sides, will it work to cut out the acrylic?
No
Love the video! Will a 10watt d1 pro cut it?
My 10 watt standard does
@@TheClackShack And what are your configuration recommendations?
Hmmm, I wander if I can connect a shop vac to the exhaust hose of my xTool M1.
I use a small one for my main enclosure. Best exhaust I have currently
@@TheClackShack I feel it is a great alternative to paying $600 for the XTool exhaust system.
@@charlesm.1638 take the filtering and bags out. Then its just an air exchange system. I wouldn't leave the filters in, could be a fire hazard.
@@TheClackShack Thank you. I would have left them in the shop vac.
What about with mirror acrylics? Like silver or gold
If the main material is black or another dark color, it should work. If it is white then not likely
How did you get the laser to move into and out of position automatically? That was cool...
Not sure what you are talking about. Can you explain?
@@TheClackShack re-home after cut
@@NatesToolbox Setting the "return to" location in lightburn
th-cam.com/video/G9Mh--nr_5E/w-d-xo.html
@@TheClackShack Awesome 👏🏻
Any chance you have a diagram of your enclosure setup? I'd like to do something similar.
My latest enclosure designs are linked on my website under the shop tab, they are free though. www.theclackshack.com
HI, Where did you get your jig? I need that... lol
I make them and sell them on Etsy.
Have you ever cut Plastic plexus glass, I bought this machine because in Amazon Saids that cut more then 300 material
A blue diode cannot cut clear materials, you can cut black and other dark colors. Any transparent or translucent material, I recommend a co2 or fiber laser.
So, you leave the cover on the acrylic? I thought you would remove it prior?
I remove it, I have tested both ways. Off is better
They now have that infra red head. It’s just 2 watts, tested as 2.33 watts. But this will engrave aluminum, brass, copper, stainless, and likely more. It doesn’t work with wood, but does with leather. I wonder if it will do anything with acrylic. Probably not cut, because it’s low power. But should be interesting. I’m thinking of buying the XTool pro with that as a second head. Mostly interested in engraving metal, but cutting plastic as well.
I have seen the demo but the testing I have seen is very limited.
Technology is advancing. Before long, they will make a diode laser that works in the invisible light spectrum that will then cut through materials like CO2 lasers.
dont buy it...lot of issues with lightburn software if your beginner you probably xtool cration software if good for you but for advanced laser thinks its not good
The type of acrylic affects the cutting capabilities of tge laser
Yes it does
Hi,
I tried to cutt black acrylic on my xtool d1 20w with 100% power speed 8 2 passes but it melt and didn’t cut through I don’t know what I did wrong any advice?
Make sure it is cast acrylic from my experience. Also run air assist
Thank you
@@TheClackShack it is cast acrylic but also says in discription pixie glass is that different than just cast acrylic?
on side of your laser head its a distance cut material setting try to move it depending on thickness material
Great video. Is that 10W or 20W?
20!watt
So the acrylic wouldn't work on the 10w diode laser
Can the 20w cutt clear acrylic?
No, blue diodes cannot cut clear
I did notice that all the acrylic that cut well had cast written on it maybe that's got something to do with it.
It is all cast in this batch. The color is the only difference. The loose piece that I have is extruded, i believe
Have you tried painting the acrylic black before trying to cut it
Yes, it makes a nice engrave. Still will not cut
won't work because its only on the surface!
can you engrave and cut clear?
You can mark and engrave clear slightly. Diodes only work on darker colors.
can this laser cut mirrored acrylic?
Etch maybe. Diodes cannot cut transparent materials.
Ok! I'm puzzled. Being green to this space, I'm soaking in a lot of info. I thought the advantage of a CO2 has over diode is it's cutting ability. Cutting material that cannot be cut with diode laser.
To cut all acrylic, yes. Blue diodes can cut black and red fairly well with the right settings. It has more to do with the reaction to blue light than the type of material. Colors that do not absorb blue light will not work with blue diodes. CO2 is not a visible light and reacts with all acrylic the same, even clear.
@@TheClackShack Why was your friend concern about damaging the acrylic with his CO2 Laser?
@@twinenk15 not sure what you are talking about
the white acrylic is a definite no go. the orange should cut without the paper backing, I do it all the time on my d1. The blue wont cut because it absorbs the blue laser wavelength....would need a different kind of laser to cut it.
I should be getting a CO2 soon to try. Then all will be good..
@@TheClackShack which co2 are you going with?
Are these pieces cast or extruded acrylic?
And then you answered my question a few minutes later lol
I try to cover all the info…lol
@@TheClackShack I've been looking into this subject pretty heavily and I've noticed some colors really don't cut well, but one thing I've seen repeatedly is that removing the paper backing (on both sides) helps tremendously with the process.
Might consider giving it a try!
Any luck with clear?
Not with a diode laser
@@TheClackShack thanks
I think it might be the manufacturer. I got the same results.
I’m sure it is
Must be the material, I was able to cut orange. I got white to "cut" melt after 20 passes...lol
Yea, crazy how much difference color makes..
Paint the protective paper black, then there are two types of acrylic, extruded and cast. One cuts better than the other.
Yes, I have read that. I have a CO2 coming to use for acrylic
Oh. Finally, someone who knows something about laser cutters and engravers.
Your video and vocal audio are great. Your intro music bed is about half of your vocal audio. It’s a shame about the 4K limitation. It is definitely great for detail. On the acrylic that cuts, laser light does not transfer to the edges. On the acrylic that does not cut, laser light heat is dispersed and you can see it transferred to the edges. The laser light does not focus. If you had a high power IR laser like a fiber or CO2, it would probably cut. Just be careful, some materials produce toxic out gassing when cut with a laser. Great content as usual.
Yea, That’s why I like my vacuum setup. I actually stole the idea from a chamber that I used at a local college when messing with toxic chemicals in my clan lab tech days.
What about engraving?
It coming…
Cast is considered the better to use. All the very thin acrylic is extruded
Opinions differ but I think it is purpose dependent
Cast and extruded act different for cutting and engraving
Yes they do