I just came across. I have a Chinese laser as well. A bit bigger than 50w but my point is you do an incredible job of explaining the what's, when's etc. I watch a ton of laser videos and your's by far is the most truthful and accurate. Kuddos my friend. Great job!!!!
Every time I've been interested in a nerdy fabrication rabbit hole in the past year your videos turn up. It's time to subscribe. My partner has a 100w laser with a 2'×3' bed. It needs a new tube, but we'll be taking care of that soon. Can't wait to see what you make!
It is important to consider a water chiller and also add a thermometer, because once the water temperature reaches 86 degrees fahrenheit or so, you must stop the work or you can damage the laser tube. I have more than a year with my 50w and it has worked without problems! Great video!
This is the best cost breakdown ive ever seen. I got about $3000 for this project and its good to know i can go ahead and go for broke on a good system that will last me a lot of projects.
I am not a gamer or cosplayer but the quality of this video is high level and thorough. I am going to subscribe, please do make more lasering vids! Thank you!
This particular 3050 enclosure is manufactured mainly by Shandong Kehui Laser Equipment Co., Ltd. I recently bought one and the 2021 model have got pass through hatches now. The machine was bought directly from that factory and trucked to my country within 2 weeks time. As I intended to make rubber stamps with it, I immediately replaced the tube with a "Yongli T2" 50W tube and power supply, the best of the best Chinese glass laser tube there is on the market, it's output quality is only inferior to that of an RF metal tube.
What a great video! Thanks for all the details you've really really helped me figure out what I want to do here. I ordered a beam box Pro and had problems with it ended up sending it back. I was willing to spend the extra money so that there wouldn't have to be any tinkering and I could just plug it in and use it. But after that experience and watching your video you've inspired me to go ahead and do it the "hard" way, and it actually doesn't look difficult at all. You just saved me a couple thousand bucks! LOL!
You're officially on another level of Hobbying. Now that you have all three machines, I will be curious to see what projects you choose to print on fdm, sla, and now Laser. Nice job.
Super helpful and detailed info, including the cost breakdown. Not ready to pull the trigger yet, but this gives me a great idea of everything involved. Will look through your other videos to see if there is info on how it performs.
Awesome vid! I learned a whole lot from this vid. I bought a true 50W laser machine and it should be here this week. And thanks to your vid I'm a bit more prepared for what to expect in putting it all together. I also have a LaserPecker Pro with a stand but that's is nothing compared to what the 50W laser machine will need and do.
Nice work on the tube upgrade. The hanger files from thingiverse you remixed from were originally remixed from mine....I was like hey those look familiar :) I designed those a long time ago and forgot.
This is nothing, there are some out there where all that is left of the original is the case. A whole laser cutter could have been built with a larger cutting area and better parts for less money. Some are useful to watch, some just make you laugh.
Getting it into the basement was a concern, but had a secondary option in case I couldn't so bought the 20x28 60 watt Yellow one. Turns out the base unbolts with 4 bolts and was able to get both easily down into the basement. I also took the hood and doors off to lighten it up by about 60 pounds. A lot of what you suggested mirrors what I went through as well, however, have to disagree on the honeycomb. When cutting you want to pull the smoke through the bottom of what you are cutting, which the honeycomb allows, and if you want more draw, such as for engraving, just get a pack of cardstock 8.5 x 11 to cover the unused area. Also do NOT use any aluminum inside the laser where the beam can contact it. Aluminum will reflect the laser beam and can cause eye damage or worse. I just recently bought the same extractor you did, 36DB at full power. Now I can run the laser full blast and hold a regular conversation. At full speed the entire laser while cutting is 62DB at the cover, From where my desk is, it is only 58DB tops. I have a 2U rack mount server that is much louder!
Glad you were able to fit the larger laser into your basement! Yes, I did end up buying a honeycomb and I raised it off the bed with some wood on the edges--this allowed for more airflow. Yeah, I love how quiet that fan is!
Have you thought about making a spiked stand for your work ? My thinking is: The advantage is that spikes (pointing up) would stop vibrations in the workpiece and would allow good airflow. Paint them black to stop reflections. Spiked stands are used a lot in the semiconductor industry for this reason. And you can find them in good speaker stands. Get a bolt, turn it in a lathe or drill and make it onto a point. You can cut off the bolt head and tap the base or use 2 nuts to clamp to flat base (made of flat sheet metal bars in a square/rectangle).
Yes, I've seen others make a pin board, which I think would work well for the reasons you mention. I've been using angled aluminum and that has been a good solution.
Great video, I agree!. I bought the same laser, and have the plan to upgrade it. Thinking about 60w tube, power suply, and Peltier cooling system (diy). My lensis are 12 mm in diameter, and I am not satisfied with my optic system (I can't tighten the screw that holds the lens because the thread is bad), and would like to upgrade it to 18 mm focal lenses, and 25 mm mirrors, but I couldnt find laser head set that is compatible with this machine. Do you have some idea where to find that? At the moment , problem is that y axes are moving only half the way that thay should move (hope that the screws are loosened)Thank you!
Thanks for this and congrats on getting your own laser cutter! Been looking at lasers for a while and then discovered that a library in my area has a maker space that is free to library card holders and they not only have two 3d printers (I just use my Ender3), they have sewing machines, turntables, tape decks, computers, recording studio, etc, AND a nice big Universal VLS 3.50 50 watt laser. It's great. So, I took my custom designed Keyforge token files over there and that's where I discovered just how long it takes to engrave and cut a full sheet of acrylic - it ain't super fast (and now I know why some custom acrylic token sets for Keyforge or Netrunner cost so darn much). In my experience it takes about an hour to engrave and cut out one sheet full of tokens. Maybe I was doing it wrong, but once I can get over there again safely I'll try cutting some other projects. I look forward to hearing more about your projects with this.
@@gaminggeek241 yeah, it's cool. I just had dreams of bootstrapping a little side biz making tokens... but with driving across town (from west of Minneapolis over to St Paul) and cutting time and materials I just couldn't make the numbers work. if it was something I could do at home, though...
If you don't mind me asking, what part of Missouri? I am a shop teacher in Arnold looking at adding laser to our options. We have CNC in woodshop and 3d printing in engineer lab.
Just ran across your video. I am considering getting something myself non-commercial use. Now that you've had some time with it how did things work out? I'm actually trying to figure out which unit I need to engrave bricks for my American Legion post.
Machine is still good, although if you can, try to have it in a garage. Even with my good exhaust system, the burning smell still gets in the room and I have to open windows to get it out. You'd have to make sure the laser has enough power and capability for bricks though--not sure if it can do that.
Get a couple of cheap folding sawhorses and a 3/4" hunk of plywood (24x48?), because it was painful watching you work on the ground to build a 'bench' for your laser. Great info in the vid. Based on all the K40 vids, I have decided to just go ahead and design my own 'K40' with a 90w reci tube and the 'box' made from aluminum sheet, and FRP for the 'no burn' areas. From what I gather, nearly EVERYONE must nearly rebuild their machine, so I might as well get a leg up on not wasting time getting some 1/2 a$$ chinese 1/2 built thing; and I get to pick ALL the specs, like REAL legs, and all the fails on the chinese units. I will use quite a few of your ideas...
Hi I have a Ray Fine laser cutter with an 80 bulb. Today when I used the machine the "Y" direction it made a lot of noise when it usually does not. When laser cutting acrylic it started to cut smooth edges (like normal) and it changed to vibrating so the edges look like strips on the edge of a coin. Any suggestions on how to remedy this? THANK YOU
We had this exact model at the maker space at my college. We had all the things you didn't get. For the honeycomb issue, place it on top of the wood. The honeycomb is one of the best and cheapest upgrades. I imagine you'll be doing a lot of terrain on this like I did and I found I got a lot better quality Cuts if I use the honeycomb. Since these lasers can't cut more than 1/4 inch , the amount of Z travel you lose by double stacking is pretty negligible. Any part that is in contact with the wood is going to get vaporized MDF adhesive and acrylic stuck between and I found it really marred the end product, Glue and paint wouldn't stick. Plus the fumes were always worse if I didn't use the honeycomb. I'm curious to see your experience. Do you plan on doing a follow up after you've had a 100 hours on the machine?
I've put in about 16-20 hours of research on what laser I should get. This video has been the BEST one yet as I was leaning towards these Chinese after reading all the cons of each big name company. I do have a question on the Lightburn Camera. Its a very cool feature that had been drawing me towards FSL, Dremel, and Glowforge but how accurate do you feel your camera is to where you actually start the laser?
It's not super accurate to be honest. I had to adjust with the offset and it gives me a general sense of where the laser will land, within 3mm give or take. I use it more so that I can maximize cutting leftovers rather than needing it to be dead on. Others have been able to calibrate it to be super accurate but I haven't bothered since I don't need it.
@@paulshircliff I'm not a 100% sure what the differences are but if you contact Thunder, I hear they have great customer service and are willing to answer any questions. You can also ask on the FB page for those new to lasers that I linked in the descriptions. Yes, my machine has a cutout for extending the laser tube. I haven't made a housing yet but plan on doing it sometime.
Any issues with that power supply and did you verify that it is actually a 60W as claimed? Wondering if they do the same thing with those as with the tubes? Did you need to use a different focal length mirror with the tube (I see you linked one) or was that just a preference?
No issues with the power supply powering the 60W tube. The longer focal length mirror was my preference since it does a better job cutting (shorter focal length does better for engraving).
Lightburn is a software package you download and install on your computer. Then you connect to the machine either via an ethernet cable or USB (I have USB connection) and Lightburn will detect your machine. Then you can run everything through your computer. Does that make sense?
@@blackbreeddesignz7872 What name did I see my laser as? This tutorial is helpful in setting up the connection: th-cam.com/video/BkNeVjbZncc/w-d-xo.html
Hey I was excited to see that you put a link to the plans for the table you made, but when I click the link it says the file is in the trash of your storage. Any chance you could put that file back up? Thanks, Steve in Northeast Ohio.
So I just received my 55 W OM Tech laser. And in the manual it says you must ground from the computer and from the laser to a grounding rod. My question is how do you ground from a laptop? And how did you set up your ground?
If you are in the United States, your electricity in your house should be grounded. So as long as that is true and you have a three-prong plug, your laser should be grounded (laptop is not as important). Make sure though to check and make sure your laser actually has a ground wire and that it is connected to the body of the laser. See this article: awesome.tech/k40-laser-grounding-instructions/ Also, the purpose of a ground wire is in case of a short, you won't get zapped when you touch the machine. As long as your wires are secure, this shouldn't happen.
The length of the laser helps determine the wattage. Typically, they label the wattage on the laser but the Chinese ones don't include it so you don't know it's lower. But they do provide length so you can figure it out based off of that.
Awesome video! This has been really helpful for me deciding whether or not to get one :) Where in Missouri do you live? I'm in KC and was wondering if there are many other laser folks in the area.
Great video, thanks! Do you think the Lightburn app and camera stack up to the Glowforge’s capabilities regarding the onboard camera? I find the Glowforge’s ease of use tempting, but it looks like you’re getting a lot more laser for your money.
Glowforge is going to be plug-and-play where everything will work seamlessly right out of the box, including the camera features. You are paying for that ease and if you don't need the extra wattage (I have 50% more power than the Glowforge to cut 1/4" stock quickly and easily) then that is the correct machine for you. It's sort of like buying a Mac vs. a PC running Linux where you can save money with the latter, but you have to tinker and adjust in order to get it to work. You also can't do cups/tumblers with a Glowforge so keep that in mind.
Thanks for the video! I'm currently torturing myself with the idea of getting a CO2 laser. Currently using a 7w diode on my 3018 mini CNC, together with Lightburn. However, I'm not convinced if a K40 would suffice, even if paired with "K40 Whisperer" software (would love to stay with Lightburn) and the mods one would (or should) apply to a K40 to get a machine that is safe to use. The 50 and 60 watt models are way more expensive, better equipped and I would then try to make sure it is a Ruida one (not always clear with offers on ebay) but then, they are huge and heavy and I have to go upstairs in 1st floor. Unpacking and finding the tube to be broken would sting me to the heart - I wonder if that is often the case. My primary use case would be engraving and cutting acrylic and sometimes plywood. I understand CO2 lasers cannot engrave nor cut metals but that's ok.
Yeah, the K40 with upgrades would be around half the cost of a 50W so if you are tight on cash, I would go that route. But it depends on what you want to do with the machine. I'm happy though with the power that I have because I can cut through 1/4" stock with no issues, remaining at less than 50% power.
I'm mostly using it to make inserts for board games and it's still going strong. Although in retrospect, for the light lasering that I'm doing now, a $500 10-20W diode laser is probably a better fit than this (although you can't engrave clear acrylic with diodes).
I am thinking of purchasing a fiber laser machine, but all the videos I have looked at regarding cost of, no one has yet to mention if they had to hire an import broker, or what if any importing and customs process were involved?
The laser machine does come with free software but I preferred to buy Lightburn because it is much easier to use. But you can use the free software that comes with the machine--there are other tutorial videos available online.
Yes, I made sure to have Ruida because I wanted to use Lightburn which seems easier than the included software. If you don't use Lightburn, you don't need Ruida, although there are some other advantages if you do a google search on the differences.
Thank you so much for such an in depth video. You rock. Please, if you can help. can you screenshot your machine settings in Laserburn? I have the same machine but reset to factory settings. BIG MISTAKE. Please if you can help this ill restore my machine. Thank You!
@@gaminggeek241 I sent an email. However, if you go to [edit] -> [Machine Settings] all you have to do is expand all settings and that will be the best settings for the 50w laser. my email address is alberto@burgosbrand.com THanks in advance
I got one of the menacing looking laser attachments for my 3d printer and I suddenly realized something... it's not powerful enough to take over the world. Very discouraging.
Gaminggeek ... Im building a portable paint case and would love to convert it to laser cut to possibly sell a some in the future, I want to swap the 3D printed parts for maybe cut acrylic. BUT the case is 12.5" x 19.5/8" the largest piece. heres photo of design so far imgur.com/oefNhlj . as you can see the 12 1/2 " will be a problem, unless I redesign the case further. thoughts .
That looks awesome! Using a laser cutter would definitely cut down on production time, although you would need to glue together (still would be a lot faster). Yeah, unless you get a 60W machine or larger, you will need to shave a half inch off of the 12.5" side, although it is theoretically possible to move a larger sheet and finish the cut since Lightburn allows for that to happen--you would just need to create a jig so that when you move the sheet, the cut lines will match up. Even though the laser movement is restricted to 12"x20", the bed is large enough to have probably a 14"x22" piece of wood that you could shift over.
@@gaminggeek241 thxs for fast reply, one the things I like about the faster is you can easy cut box Joints in the ends for stronger more accurate connections and Cut slots for the shelves and such to fit together making it easier assembly and much easier to keep square. I might be able to adjust the bottle angle and cut the 12.5 to 12" , already thing of a few ideas so it holds another brand of wet pallet which is larger. any thoughts of anything im missing.
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The real cost break down is super helpful appreciate the transparency!
I just came across. I have a Chinese laser as well. A bit bigger than 50w but my point is you do an incredible job of explaining the what's, when's etc. I watch a ton of laser videos and your's by far is the most truthful and accurate. Kuddos my friend. Great job!!!!
Every time I've been interested in a nerdy fabrication rabbit hole in the past year your videos turn up. It's time to subscribe. My partner has a 100w laser with a 2'×3' bed. It needs a new tube, but we'll be taking care of that soon. Can't wait to see what you make!
Thanks for the sub, July! That's a huge bed size compared to mine so you should be able to make a lot of cool stuff!
It is important to consider a water chiller and also add a thermometer, because once the water temperature reaches 86 degrees fahrenheit or so, you must stop the work or you can damage the laser tube. I have more than a year with my 50w and it has worked without problems! Great video!
Great video! The bad thing for me and other people in Croatia is that final cost might be over $5000 due to duty taxes and other weird things.
That was a huge amount of knowledge you shared, thank you!
This is the best cost breakdown ive ever seen. I got about $3000 for this project and its good to know i can go ahead and go for broke on a good system that will last me a lot of projects.
Glad it was helpful!
I am not a gamer or cosplayer but the quality of this video is high level and thorough. I am going to subscribe, please do make more lasering vids! Thank you!
This particular 3050 enclosure is manufactured mainly by Shandong Kehui Laser Equipment Co., Ltd. I recently bought one and the 2021 model have got pass through hatches now. The machine was bought directly from that factory and trucked to my country within 2 weeks time. As I intended to make rubber stamps with it, I immediately replaced the tube with a "Yongli T2" 50W tube and power supply, the best of the best Chinese glass laser tube there is on the market, it's output quality is only inferior to that of an RF metal tube.
What a great video! Thanks for all the details you've really really helped me figure out what I want to do here. I ordered a beam box Pro and had problems with it ended up sending it back. I was willing to spend the extra money so that there wouldn't have to be any tinkering and I could just plug it in and use it. But after that experience and watching your video you've inspired me to go ahead and do it the "hard" way, and it actually doesn't look difficult at all. You just saved me a couple thousand bucks! LOL!
You're officially on another level of Hobbying. Now that you have all three machines, I will be curious to see what projects you choose to print on fdm, sla, and now Laser. Nice job.
Super helpful and detailed info, including the cost breakdown.
Not ready to pull the trigger yet, but this gives me a great idea of everything involved.
Will look through your other videos to see if there is info on how it performs.
Great video. Very informative and the details you added I have not heard anywhere else.
Awesome vid! I learned a whole lot from this vid. I bought a true 50W laser machine and it should be here this week. And thanks to your vid I'm a bit more prepared for what to expect in putting it all together. I also have a LaserPecker Pro with a stand but that's is nothing compared to what the 50W laser machine will need and do.
Glad this was helpful! Good luck with your new machine!
Your videos have been super helpful! Thanks so much friend.
Nice work on the tube upgrade. The hanger files from thingiverse you remixed from were originally remixed from mine....I was like hey those look familiar :) I designed those a long time ago and forgot.
Thanks for making the original available! They keep changing up the laser design so we have to keep updating the files!
Honey, I bought a laser machine for $50 bucks and only spent $2,500 for the upgrades.
This is nothing, there are some out there where all that is left of the original is the case. A whole laser cutter could have been built with a larger cutting area and better parts for less money. Some are useful to watch, some just make you laugh.
Getting it into the basement was a concern, but had a secondary option in case I couldn't so bought the 20x28 60 watt Yellow one. Turns out the base unbolts with 4 bolts and was able to get both easily down into the basement. I also took the hood and doors off to lighten it up by about 60 pounds. A lot of what you suggested mirrors what I went through as well, however, have to disagree on the honeycomb. When cutting you want to pull the smoke through the bottom of what you are cutting, which the honeycomb allows, and if you want more draw, such as for engraving, just get a pack of cardstock 8.5 x 11 to cover the unused area. Also do NOT use any aluminum inside the laser where the beam can contact it. Aluminum will reflect the laser beam and can cause eye damage or worse. I just recently bought the same extractor you did, 36DB at full power. Now I can run the laser full blast and hold a regular conversation. At full speed the entire laser while cutting is 62DB at the cover, From where my desk is, it is only 58DB tops. I have a 2U rack mount server that is much louder!
Glad you were able to fit the larger laser into your basement! Yes, I did end up buying a honeycomb and I raised it off the bed with some wood on the edges--this allowed for more airflow. Yeah, I love how quiet that fan is!
Very good explanation, thank you very much for this in depth review of the topic
Subscribed......Thanks for the info... Dam prices went up. I've got the k40.
This was very helpful and very clear and concise explanation, thank you for your honest review nd helpful hints. great work,...
What a fun video. Big thumbs up for the Atari T-Shirt. :-)
Have you thought about making a spiked stand for your work ? My thinking is: The advantage is that spikes (pointing up) would stop vibrations in the workpiece and would allow good airflow. Paint them black to stop reflections. Spiked stands are used a lot in the semiconductor industry for this reason. And you can find them in good speaker stands. Get a bolt, turn it in a lathe or drill and make it onto a point. You can cut off the bolt head and tap the base or use 2 nuts to clamp to flat base (made of flat sheet metal bars in a square/rectangle).
Yes, I've seen others make a pin board, which I think would work well for the reasons you mention. I've been using angled aluminum and that has been a good solution.
Great video, I agree!. I bought the same laser, and have the plan to upgrade it. Thinking about 60w tube, power suply, and Peltier cooling system (diy). My lensis are 12 mm in diameter, and I am not satisfied with my optic system (I can't tighten the screw that holds the lens because the thread is bad), and would like to upgrade it to 18 mm focal lenses, and 25 mm mirrors, but I couldnt find laser head set that is compatible with this machine. Do you have some idea where to find that? At the moment , problem is that y axes are moving only half the way that thay should move (hope that the screws are loosened)Thank you!
Thanks for this and congrats on getting your own laser cutter! Been looking at lasers for a while and then discovered that a library in my area has a maker space that is free to library card holders and they not only have two 3d printers (I just use my Ender3), they have sewing machines, turntables, tape decks, computers, recording studio, etc, AND a nice big Universal VLS 3.50 50 watt laser. It's great. So, I took my custom designed Keyforge token files over there and that's where I discovered just how long it takes to engrave and cut a full sheet of acrylic - it ain't super fast (and now I know why some custom acrylic token sets for Keyforge or Netrunner cost so darn much). In my experience it takes about an hour to engrave and cut out one sheet full of tokens. Maybe I was doing it wrong, but once I can get over there again safely I'll try cutting some other projects. I look forward to hearing more about your projects with this.
Wow, that's the most incredible library I've ever heard of! Compared to 3D printing, an hour for a full sheet of tokens doesn't sound too bad!
@@gaminggeek241 yeah, it's cool. I just had dreams of bootstrapping a little side biz making tokens... but with driving across town (from west of Minneapolis over to St Paul) and cutting time and materials I just couldn't make the numbers work. if it was something I could do at home, though...
Warning Glowforge has a serious tube cooling problem where the laser shuts down until the tube cools off... check online for further information.
“This is the rotary and it’s pretty cheap” @15:05 a nut falls off!! AWESOME!! Great breakdown video..no pun intended😆
Wow! Killer vid! I appreciate your cost conscious approach.
Great break down. Probably the best for these laser cutters.
Local hardware store special orders me Baltic birtch. Only cost a couple dollars more but cuts real nice.
If you don't mind me asking, what part of Missouri? I am a shop teacher in Arnold looking at adding laser to our options. We have CNC in woodshop and 3d printing in engineer lab.
I'm in Kirkwood. Tell me if you need any help.
if the honey comb is rigid, (if not add a frame) and add legs to it so it lifts it up and air can escape under it.
How is this thing holding up? Any new feelings after owning it for 2 years? Awesome video!
Just ran across your video. I am considering getting something myself non-commercial use. Now that you've had some time with it how did things work out? I'm actually trying to figure out which unit I need to engrave bricks for my American Legion post.
Machine is still good, although if you can, try to have it in a garage. Even with my good exhaust system, the burning smell still gets in the room and I have to open windows to get it out. You'd have to make sure the laser has enough power and capability for bricks though--not sure if it can do that.
@@gaminggeek241 Thanks. Excellent video!
You did build a protective cover for the tube stick out of the machine right?
Get a couple of cheap folding sawhorses and a 3/4" hunk of plywood (24x48?), because it was painful watching you work on the ground to build a 'bench' for your laser. Great info in the vid. Based on all the K40 vids, I have decided to just go ahead and design my own 'K40' with a 90w reci tube and the 'box' made from aluminum sheet, and FRP for the 'no burn' areas. From what I gather, nearly EVERYONE must nearly rebuild their machine, so I might as well get a leg up on not wasting time getting some 1/2 a$$ chinese 1/2 built thing; and I get to pick ALL the specs, like REAL legs, and all the fails on the chinese units. I will use quite a few of your ideas...
Hi I have a Ray Fine laser cutter with an 80 bulb. Today when I used the machine the "Y" direction it made a lot of noise when it usually does not. When laser cutting acrylic it started to cut smooth edges (like normal) and it changed to vibrating so the edges look like strips on the edge of a coin. Any suggestions on how to remedy this? THANK YOU
Dude, youre awesome. keep it up
If there ever was a 'bruh' moment, it was when you were using your miter saw on the ground/drive-way to build a table for your laser lol
nice video ,
~ are you able to cut metal with this model 50W ?
~ and what type of metal ?
No, you cannot cut metal with most CO2 lasers. You need a fiber laser to do that.
We had this exact model at the maker space at my college. We had all the things you didn't get. For the honeycomb issue, place it on top of the wood. The honeycomb is one of the best and cheapest upgrades. I imagine you'll be doing a lot of terrain on this like I did and I found I got a lot better quality Cuts if I use the honeycomb. Since these lasers can't cut more than 1/4 inch , the amount of Z travel you lose by double stacking is pretty negligible. Any part that is in contact with the wood is going to get vaporized MDF adhesive and acrylic stuck between and I found it really marred the end product, Glue and paint wouldn't stick. Plus the fumes were always worse if I didn't use the honeycomb. I'm curious to see your experience. Do you plan on doing a follow up after you've had a 100 hours on the machine?
Thanks for the video.
I bought this laser.
What model of camera did you install because I saw there were some models there?
I bought the 90 degree $80 camera but you could also probably get the 60 degree as well and get a little less distortion.
Who would give this a thumbs down?!? WTF? Go watch something else, trolls.
GREAT VIDEO!
For the water cooling system, you should really use a filter, or use distilled water with computer water-cooling system(fans on radiator, etc)
can you make a video on setting it up for my first print? including software setup.
Hi,
I have the same laser as yours. I'm looking for VENDOR settings, do you have a copy ? Thanks in advance.
Sorry, I don't know what Vendor settings are.
Excellent video and good information
love this video I have ordered the same laser can you tell me which lens option you used for the lightburn camera?
I bought the 90 but wish I had purchased the 60 because the mounting is so high.
I've put in about 16-20 hours of research on what laser I should get. This video has been the BEST one yet as I was leaning towards these Chinese after reading all the cons of each big name company. I do have a question on the Lightburn Camera. Its a very cool feature that had been drawing me towards FSL, Dremel, and Glowforge but how accurate do you feel your camera is to where you actually start the laser?
It's not super accurate to be honest. I had to adjust with the offset and it gives me a general sense of where the laser will land, within 3mm give or take. I use it more so that I can maximize cutting leftovers rather than needing it to be dead on. Others have been able to calibrate it to be super accurate but I haven't bothered since I don't need it.
Thanks for the great info! Would a 50w laser be a worthy upgrade, as opposed to the 60w?
Buy a disposable barbeque, throw away the charcoal and use the aluminium mesh instead of a honeycomb bed works well and costs very little.
very clear! thank you!
awesome~ thanks for your sharing as I'm struggling the selection of Boss, Thunder and Chinese laser machine~
If you have the money, I'd get the Thunder--best bang for your buck without needing to mess with the machine.
@@gaminggeek241 what is different in theThunder (say the mini60 40 watt)?? also did you extend the metal housing around your longer laser tube?
@@paulshircliff I'm not a 100% sure what the differences are but if you contact Thunder, I hear they have great customer service and are willing to answer any questions. You can also ask on the FB page for those new to lasers that I linked in the descriptions.
Yes, my machine has a cutout for extending the laser tube. I haven't made a housing yet but plan on doing it sometime.
I guess I'll finally be able to use my grant chiller for something other than distilling moonshine LOL it's like a $2,000 robotics platform chiller
Did you consider adding a honeycomb base?
Any issues with that power supply and did you verify that it is actually a 60W as claimed? Wondering if they do the same thing with those as with the tubes? Did you need to use a different focal length mirror with the tube (I see you linked one) or was that just a preference?
No issues with the power supply powering the 60W tube. The longer focal length mirror was my preference since it does a better job cutting (shorter focal length does better for engraving).
So cool 😎 but my wife would kill me instantly as soon as this big crate arrives at our door 😂
His poor wife.
Keep the crate and you can sleep in it! :)
Make her something amazing with her grandmother or mother’s picture on it...she’ll forgive you!
Hi thanks for the info shared,will like to know how to connect to lightburn using that machine as i too have one.
Lightburn is a software package you download and install on your computer. Then you connect to the machine either via an ethernet cable or USB (I have USB connection) and Lightburn will detect your machine. Then you can run everything through your computer. Does that make sense?
Thanks bro. Under what name did you see it as
@@blackbreeddesignz7872 What name did I see my laser as? This tutorial is helpful in setting up the connection: th-cam.com/video/BkNeVjbZncc/w-d-xo.html
Hey I was excited to see that you put a link to the plans for the table you made, but when I click the link it says the file is in the trash of your storage. Any chance you could put that file back up? Thanks, Steve in Northeast Ohio.
Sorry about that! Try the link now and tell me if it doesn't work.
@@gaminggeek241 Yes Sir! Link is now working. Thanks for your help.
Do you think adding the auto focus kit is necessary?
I don't have the auto focus and it's fine.
*Great Advice!!!*
I like your background audio
Love the information on this video.
The link for your table plans is broken. Just wondering how wide you made it?
Sorry, I fixed the link so it should work now.
So I just received my 55 W OM Tech laser. And in the manual it says you must ground from the computer and from the laser to a grounding rod. My question is how do you ground from a laptop? And how did you set up your ground?
If you are in the United States, your electricity in your house should be grounded. So as long as that is true and you have a three-prong plug, your laser should be grounded (laptop is not as important). Make sure though to check and make sure your laser actually has a ground wire and that it is connected to the body of the laser. See this article: awesome.tech/k40-laser-grounding-instructions/ Also, the purpose of a ground wire is in case of a short, you won't get zapped when you touch the machine. As long as your wires are secure, this shouldn't happen.
Nice work! Question, how did you know that your laser is actually fewer watts than what is noted?
The length of the laser helps determine the wattage. Typically, they label the wattage on the laser but the Chinese ones don't include it so you don't know it's lower. But they do provide length so you can figure it out based off of that.
Awesome video! This has been really helpful for me deciding whether or not to get one :)
Where in Missouri do you live? I'm in KC and was wondering if there are many other laser folks in the area.
This is awesome, thanks for sharing!
Great video, thanks! Do you think the Lightburn app and camera stack up to the Glowforge’s capabilities regarding the onboard camera? I find the Glowforge’s ease of use tempting, but it looks like you’re getting a lot more laser for your money.
Glowforge is going to be plug-and-play where everything will work seamlessly right out of the box, including the camera features. You are paying for that ease and if you don't need the extra wattage (I have 50% more power than the Glowforge to cut 1/4" stock quickly and easily) then that is the correct machine for you. It's sort of like buying a Mac vs. a PC running Linux where you can save money with the latter, but you have to tinker and adjust in order to get it to work. You also can't do cups/tumblers with a Glowforge so keep that in mind.
What a nice guy. However that model is not available in the UK....shame.
Thanks for the video! I'm currently torturing myself with the idea of getting a CO2 laser. Currently using a 7w diode on my 3018 mini CNC, together with Lightburn. However, I'm not convinced if a K40 would suffice, even if paired with "K40 Whisperer" software (would love to stay with Lightburn) and the mods one would (or should) apply to a K40 to get a machine that is safe to use. The 50 and 60 watt models are way more expensive, better equipped and I would then try to make sure it is a Ruida one (not always clear with offers on ebay) but then, they are huge and heavy and I have to go upstairs in 1st floor. Unpacking and finding the tube to be broken would sting me to the heart - I wonder if that is often the case. My primary use case would be engraving and cutting acrylic and sometimes plywood. I understand CO2 lasers cannot engrave nor cut metals but that's ok.
Yeah, the K40 with upgrades would be around half the cost of a 50W so if you are tight on cash, I would go that route. But it depends on what you want to do with the machine. I'm happy though with the power that I have because I can cut through 1/4" stock with no issues, remaining at less than 50% power.
Lightburn only charges $40 for their software if you buy it direct. Is that a 6" exhaust hose?
Yes, that is a 6" exhaust hose.
Thanks very much, very informative!!!
Nice video,thanks
are you still using this laser and how have you liked it? thanks
I'm mostly using it to make inserts for board games and it's still going strong. Although in retrospect, for the light lasering that I'm doing now, a $500 10-20W diode laser is probably a better fit than this (although you can't engrave clear acrylic with diodes).
I am thinking of purchasing a fiber laser machine, but all the videos I have looked at regarding cost of, no one has yet to mention if they had to hire an import broker, or what if any importing and customs process were involved?
I didn't have to use an import broker as the ebay seller I bought from was here in the US and had already imported from China.
@@gaminggeek241 gotcha, thank you.
so you mean the laser machine does not include light burn software or operating software?
The laser machine does come with free software but I preferred to buy Lightburn because it is much easier to use. But you can use the free software that comes with the machine--there are other tutorial videos available online.
did you have to adjust stuff to align it or anything or did it cut right out of the box?
What angle of lightburn camera did you get?
Thks
Great video! Thank you
A cheap aquarium cooler does the job with my laser which is the same as yours.
Excellent vid!
What is the size of the exhaust port on the machine?
4"
@@gaminggeek241 Thank you! I just purchased this machine and want to get my exhaust set up in advance of its arrival.
Why do you insist on the laser including Ruida? Is this so it's compatible with Lightburn?
Yes, I made sure to have Ruida because I wanted to use Lightburn which seems easier than the included software. If you don't use Lightburn, you don't need Ruida, although there are some other advantages if you do a google search on the differences.
Thank you so much for such an in depth video. You rock. Please, if you can help. can you screenshot your machine settings in Laserburn? I have the same machine but reset to factory settings. BIG MISTAKE. Please if you can help this ill restore my machine. Thank You!
Which settings specifically? I'm still figuring mine out and so far, have only changed the offset. Also, send me an email so I can send screenshots.
@@gaminggeek241 I sent an email. However, if you go to [edit] -> [Machine Settings] all you have to do is expand all settings and that will be the best settings for the 50w laser. my email address is alberto@burgosbrand.com THanks in advance
Great Video!!!!!
Did you have it imported from china? If so how much did you pay in customs and terrifs and other fees?
No bought it from a US distributor in California off of ebay.
@@gaminggeek241 dang im trying to figure out how much im going to have to pay
use sawblades for a table. cheap and easy to make.
you really are on all fronts of interest. gg
Haha, well, my wife says I am ADHD! I'm inclined to think she is right!
A 60 w laser is not a 60 watt output laser. The Chinese lasers use the input wattage aka the power supply wattage as an advertising trick.
Go with a RF laser ...10 times the life, No water chiller Req'd, not made of glass (Metal), more expensive but worth the price if it fits your needs.
13:08 That's odd. `Total` is mismatch.
Nice! 🙂👍
Can you straighten the milliamperes meter, it’s messing with me 😀🤯
P.s. I heard aluminium is dangerous as a base due to reflection s
can't unsee
I got one of the menacing looking laser attachments for my 3d printer and I suddenly realized something... it's not powerful enough to take over the world. Very discouraging.
Haha! Yeah, I think you need Death Star level to be a global menace!
Around $40 bucks for that table? I need that....just need to find someone with a saw
Bed. Some guys have used hacksaw blades, on edge.
That's a great idea!
@@gaminggeek241 Yeah, I thought so, too. A lot of blades, but as it'd be steel, I can still use rare earth magnets as hold downs for bent ply.
Says plans are in the trash when I click on link
Oops, sorry about that. Fixed.
Ha il passtrough?
No, mine doesn't have a pass through.
Gaminggeek ... Im building a portable paint case and would love to convert it to laser cut to possibly sell a some in the future, I want to swap the 3D printed parts for maybe cut acrylic. BUT the case is 12.5" x 19.5/8" the largest piece. heres photo of design so far imgur.com/oefNhlj . as you can see the 12 1/2 " will be a problem, unless I redesign the case further. thoughts .
That looks awesome! Using a laser cutter would definitely cut down on production time, although you would need to glue together (still would be a lot faster). Yeah, unless you get a 60W machine or larger, you will need to shave a half inch off of the 12.5" side, although it is theoretically possible to move a larger sheet and finish the cut since Lightburn allows for that to happen--you would just need to create a jig so that when you move the sheet, the cut lines will match up.
Even though the laser movement is restricted to 12"x20", the bed is large enough to have probably a 14"x22" piece of wood that you could shift over.
@@gaminggeek241 thxs for fast reply, one the things I like about the faster is you can easy cut box Joints in the ends for stronger more accurate connections and Cut slots for the shelves and such to fit together making it easier assembly and much easier to keep square. I might be able to adjust the bottle angle and cut the 12.5 to 12" , already thing of a few ideas so it holds another brand of wet pallet which is larger. any thoughts of anything im missing.