I've been amazed at how well my machine cuts thick plywood. As for the panel, I noticed the same thing happening to mine and it ended up being the protective plastic coating that was peeling and not the actual plastic display cover. You have been using yours much longer than I have so I'm sure thats not the case. Just thought it was worth mentioning. Thanks as always!
+CenterFireJewelry I used to hate it when my old granny still had the plastic cushion covers on her sofa after 5 years!! The first thing I do after unboxing is to de-film everything but it was worth a check. I have heard it's possible to cut 1/2" ply with a 50 watt machine (probably 40 watts?). Until now I would have thought that fanciful, but now I can see 2 or 3mm/s at full power doing that. I'm very happy.
+Rob Weinstein Max power button is set at 70% but that basically means I can pulse at 70%. Such a short burst unlikely to damage my tube and how often do you use pulse.?For all my other programs I never exceed 65%. I can always check on my ammeter to make sure it's not doing anything silly
I tried cutting the original crate the machine came in with terrible results, as it was cutting the ply was delaminating and making a horrible mess. I am very impressed with the way yours cuts 10 mm.
+Mentorcase That plywood is VERY low grade. It is full of air voids where the laminate sheets are not butted together. If you get air pockets (as with de-lamination) then you get dense smoke formed in those pockets. Dense smoke is a great absorber of CO2 laser radiation. Have you tried to cut corrugated cardboard? That should be an easy material. That will clearly demonstrate the air void effect. So don't kick you machine just yet until you've tried some reasonable grade ply. Go to your local DIY outlet where they offer a cutting service and ask the guy for a few free offcuts in his scrap bin Good luck Russ
I'm curious, most of these "keyboard" console devices usually have a removable membrane/plastic that is put on them to protect them during transport and removable by the user (if they choose) prior to operating. Mine was a relatively thicker plastic, but peeled off to reveal the shiny bubble keyboard itself. Knowing how much work you've done in the past 4 months alone, I suppose it could be wear and tear. Worst case, those keyboards are relatively inexpensive if you needed to replace, but the ingenuity of your solution is superb!
+NFO Sec I definitely removed the plastic protection film immediately I opened my machine. I always hated it when my old gran used to leave the peel-off stickers on her new microwave etc. Those in the corner of her TV were particularly infuriating. It's not real wear and tear yet but a hint of things to come, so I'm taking preventative steps now. Others might like to follow this simple free trick.
Hi Russ, re: keyboard film damage - I think you will find the wear frills are from the PE protective film on top of the keyboard touch membrane. It is best operated with the soft end of finger, not by fingernail. But we, engineers do not usually grow long fingernails. The film can be removed and show your real actual keyboard surface. Just try it on one of the corners with your fingernail. otto
Hi Otto I usually hate the protective films they plaster on some new items so I normally get it off soonest. In the case of the keyboard I removed a film immediately but became cautious when symptoms of wear (slight ) started occurring within a 3 months. After comments from others I have revisited the film issue on several occasions and am convinced I am back to basics. However, on my new machine I have checked and I find TWO film layers have been fitted. Although I have lifted the corners to investigate, I have decided to leave the film on for the time being. Thanks for your comment....I can sometimes miss the obvoius Best regards Russ
Great tip with the keyboard protector I will get to work on building my equivalent ASAP! Thank You! Can I ask what power tube you are running? I am very impressed with the cutting of that 10mm birch ply! In regards to it not cutting completely straight is that not due to the shape of the focused laser beam? I have been told that the laser comes out the lens in an hour glass shape hence the need to focus the distance from the head. I believe that cutters which are optimised to cut have larger upgraded lenses giving a thinner hour glass profile of the laser.
+patrick whelan You have been reading well Patrick. Some good stuff about lenses and focal distances here www.parallax-tech.com/faq.htm#spotsizetable My off-angle was more than just beam shape. My lens is 38mm focal distance and has a very short neck length. However, it doesn't seem to give curved edges on 10mm acrylic where it would be most sensitive. My angle problem was solved when I set my beam correctly. I did a 4 part session about setting my mirrors. In part 4 I finally found my problem th-cam.com/video/TUJgBcb2xnQ/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for that I look forward to reading that and catching up with all your videos. I only found you last night and as a redsail cm1290 130w (which isn't arriving till next week) owner your RDWorks subjects look really interesting! What machine are you using? and what tube is it? Hoping I will be able to cut that material too!. Thank you
+patrick whelan Hi Patrick There is a series of 6 videos about me bringing my machine into life th-cam.com/video/YvrMeUUzaBo/w-d-xo.html.. I also explain that I am just an old guy enjoying himself with a techno toy and I'm letting you look over my shoulder. I make no claim that I'm an instructor or that my videos are tutorials. These are live takes mainly and you see me making mistakes which I hopefully correct as I learn more later in the series. So watch and make your own judgements. As you will see from my videos, I have a 50watt direct from China import. Sadly the tube is not what it claims and I have 38watts max coming out of the tube. I then lose more through the mirrors and lens BUT look what I can do with it!!. 130 watt? you may even be able to cut certain thisn metals with that. I used to run a laser profiling company and had a couple of 3kw machines. They were more reliable through flow lasers not these little sealed tube devices. Good luck Russ
I really like your style and you can tell you are very knowledgeable! Oh my god I can't believe you can do that with 50 watts! I would have guessed 100! That is amazing I had a 60 watt which I sold because it really struggled with 6mm and was just really slow I would cut 3mm at the same speed you are cutting 10mm. Admittedly I really didn't know a lot about them at the time and it may have been user error. I live in the UK as you do too I assume and so I have had a good five week wait for my replacement machine to come from china so I have had a lot of time to research. The two reasons I went for 130w it was the most I could afford and the speed should hopefully be really quick. I was making large 3 and 6mm products like dolls houses and they where taking ages to run the designs sometimes up to two hours X 3. Maybe I just had a dud!
+patrick whelan Hi Patrick My 50 watt tube is actually a 40 watt tube and runs at 37watts at its max drive current of 20mA. Dimensionally it's too short for a 50watt tube but I was ignorant when I bought it. There is serious fraud going on in this Chinese laser industry. Your CM1290 is 1800 mm wide. There are 130 watt tubes around that will fit in that frame . They are 1650 long www.cncoletech.com/Laser%20tuber%20high%20power.html or check out a reliable supplier recilaser.com. So as a crude check it looks as though you will get what you ordered Should gobble up your work. Happy New Year Russ (Colchester)
Hi Russ, I'm having issues with the software itself. Sometimes when I type text or upload an image, the preview on the software shows the image as a single line. Other times I do not have this issue. Do you know what the problem might be? Thanks
Hi Kyle Look top right in RDWorks and there will be a software issue shown there What does yours say? Also what windows are you running? Speak soon Russ
Really enjoying your videos and bought my laser from same supplier as you, mainly because of your videos. I was going to buy same 50w machine but ended up getting the Red one the next size up 60w 700x500 as I wanted the larger cutting area. I am still just learning my machine settings and RDworks, my question is how do you allow for the cut thickness, i.e. if I want a 20mm square the hole is 20mm but the cut out piece is smaller. This is good if I want a 20mm hole but is there a way to get the cut out piece 20mm? (without drawing it larger) On my cnc I used to outline everything half the thickness of the cutter, is there a setting in the rdworks program or on the machine itself to allow for this, to cut inside or outside the line?
+Xairflyer If you havn't already got it, go to www.bosslaser.com/Download_pdf/LaserWORKS%20v8%20Manual.pdf and download a nearly understandable version of the manual, I'm sure this was rewritten by a non tech person because where they didn't understand they almost used the original chinglish phrasing.. Not bad tho'. Last but one page mentions SEW COMPENSATION for closed objects. Anyone familiar with lasers would call this kerf compensation. You have 2 factor to play with here. One is the kerf width (I think my beam is about 0.15mm) and the other is inner or outer offset. Hope this helps. Enjoy learning but make sure you understand what your machine limitations are check out my video on fitting an ammeter because no one mentioned the dangers of burning out your tube by overdriving it. Also check out what max drive current is recommended for your tube (typically for 60W it will be 22mA). The supplier did a good deal but don't expect any help from there, they are not technical and now you have it, you are on your own....except for several hundreds like us that seem have organised into a small self-help community. Thanks for kind words Russ
+SarbarMultimedia Thanks for help, that manual is much better, I am cutting 3mm ply and acrylic at 35% 20mm not gone any higher yet, as I seen from your earlier videos about over running tube so I must order up a ammeter today.
Some plywood's cut easily others cut poorly. I think it has something to do with the glue used to make the plywood. I have also noticed that faster cut speeds (15mm/s) with multiple passes sometimes work better than slow speed cuts. Slow speed cutting can warp small parts and leave burns from the hot smoke. I ordered an add on exhaust fan. The stock draw is not good enough for cutting/ etching wood.
+Jared D Hi Jared My guess is that your machine is fitted with a 2" focal length lens. This is the norm for most engraving machines. The problem with this lens is it places the nozzle about 20mm above the worksurface and the force of air from your air assist has lost all its oomph by the time it has jumped the gap. Wood is cut by a burning action and produces smoke and tars from the resin in the wood. It is essential to cut through in one pass and with lots of air passing THROUGH the cut. This will ensure that you eject the smoke and residue out of the BOTTOM of the cut. If you look at my video about lenses you will see that using a 2" lens has reduced your machine's CUTTING ability but makes it perfectly ok for engraving. As I answered to Mentorcase above, the dense smoke and fumes are great at absorbing the laser power that should be going into cutting.The fact that you recommend multi passes at higher speed to get rid of your surface staining further confirms that you have a 2" lens. The pathetic airflow into your cut area can cope with light fumes and moving faster means you are running away from those fumes faster. Take another look at the crude temporary air assist that I rigged up for the 2.5" lens tests. This will help but the only way to get CUTTING performance is to buy a 1.5" focal length lens. Regards Russ
+SarbarMultimedia I want to thank you for taking the time to put up your learning labs. I have seen your lens lab and have ordered a 38mm lens. My only complaint about the machine is the crummy software. The rest is forgivable due to low cost. I have found a free 2d cad system by Siemens called Solid Works and I would be interested in your opinion of it. Thanks from Jared in chilly Ann Arbor Michigan. 2/26/16
+Jared D Hi Jared You are on the right track with Solidworks. However I'm unaware that it's free anywhere (other than for a trial period). It's a fully featured 3D modelling software. I have an old version which I use in conjunction with my 2D cad to turn profiles into shaped plates with thickness that I can then assemble into 3D models to demonstrate my designs to clients who have no spacial imagination. The right track is that Solidworks is designed by the French aircraft manufacturer Dassault. They have a truly FREE FOR LIFE very well featured 2D cad that you can download. The only thing they want is your email address so that they can keep bugging you to upgrade to the Pro version and Solidworks. A small price to pay for something that's good and free. There are basic help files but to download the full manual (about 180 pages) you have to divulge more info about yourself/business. If you do decide to download it then use the TH-cam Messages to send me your email and I'll send you a "no strings" copy of the manual that I have already downloaded. The software is called DraftSight and is available from www.solidworks.co.uk/sw/products/free-cad-software-downloads.htm. Its so much easier to design in a CAD software and output as DXF. RDWorks imports them well. That's my preferred route even though I have Photoshop and Illustrator I finish up sending files between packages to finish up in the cad system. Finally Just a few words in defence of RDWorks. I thought initially like you, it's free for a reason and you always get nothing for free. It is designed by the people that make the machine control board and you can download the latest version from here en.rd-acs.com/down_complex.aspx?FId=n14:14:14 I soon realised that this was never intended to be a piece of design or CADsoftware but just an interface with a few editing tools. I became a bit of an admirer. In fact it's a fantastically easy interface between drawing and machine. Having used professional CAD/CAM systems for years I have not come across such a simple drawing to machine code interface (you cant even see the machine code!!) but it works perfectly every time. Regards Russ
Hi Des Mine is not a Thunder laser machine but there is virtually no difference in out 50 watt machines other than you probably recieved a proper 50 watt tube (1000mm lng?) with your machine whereas my ebay machine was fitted with a reject 40 watt tube (800mm long) that barely worked. What you see in this video is my marginally better second tube that was delivering 30 watts at the workface. I was running this 10mm test at 5mm/s and it JUST cut through. 4mm/s would have been better. However you MUST note that I am using a 38.1mm(1.5" ) focal length lens. This is VERY important. Most machines are fitted with a 2" lens as standard and you will struggle to cut 10mm ply with that even if you have a good tube delivering 40 watts at the cutting surface.. There is a whole video about lenses and understanding what energy density is all about. th-cam.com/video/61bGzWicRRk/w-d-xo.html I can sum it up with this little scene for you to visualize. If you give a 5 year old a scalpel (a 1.5" lens) he can do a lot of damage with it. Give him a lumberjack's twin headed axe (a 2" lens) and he will hardly be able to pick it up!!!!. My point here is that the axe is a great tool for cutting down a tree but unless you have the strength to use it, it's useless. To do any sensible cutting with a 2" lens you will need at least 50 watts of useable power I think Thunder laser use a matched nozzle and lens system so if you want to change to a 1.5" lens (by far the best all round lens) you may have to buy a nozzle as well as a lens. Hope this helps Best regards Russ
Thanks Russ. My glass laser tube is very long; it is the whole width of the machine (900mm bed) plus an extra foot in an extension box. It's 100W. I must check on the designation of the lenses I got with the Laser (I think I paid extra for one or two) but I have a standard one I use all the time, plus a heavy duty (they describe it as that) one for cutting thicker materials up to about 18mm. MDF cuts quite easily to 18mm and so does perspex. I also purchased a HD head for more delicate work. I've been so busy learning with the 'standard' head I haven't even fitted the other two yet.
i got new controller Model is RD6442G. Looks like the same as the video. I just wanted make sure is that the same model. So that i can learn how to use it by the your video. Actually ,it was great videos. Thanks for made that
+李彬 Yes that's the controller you will find the manual at either www.thunderlaser.com/down and the RDWorks software or directly from RUIDA website en.rd-acs.com/down.aspx
I need to come back and watch all your videos again. I had no luck cutting through 1/4 inch bamboo sheets but assumed it because it was too hard. I'll try lowering the speed. I'm doing engraving on barn wood making signs as big as will fit in the machine. I've discovered that the laser eye sits too high to run a project the full size of the work area. the lid slants down in the front and comes down so low that there is negative clearance... the eye literally jas up into the lid. Is it just my machine? This is such poor design for functionality. I must open the lid slightly in order to run a full size project. Oh well. I'm so terrified of burning out my bulb or breaking the machine... im not an engineer. .. just an artist. I want to thank you for these videos. .. they have helped me so much. I wouldn't be doing this at all and would never have been brave enough to make the purchase without your tutorials. THANK YOU!
Hi Bamboo is a fairly dense material but it depends on several things as to whether you can cut it with your machine. I will go to your private messages and speak off line.
soy de chile y tengo una maquina corte laser q compre en china y se me desconfiguro el panel el X e Y marcar 10000 siendo que la mesa de trabajo es de 900x600 mm
I've been amazed at how well my machine cuts thick plywood. As for the panel, I noticed the same thing happening to mine and it ended up being the protective plastic coating that was peeling and not the actual plastic display cover. You have been using yours much longer than I have so I'm sure thats not the case. Just thought it was worth mentioning.
Thanks as always!
+CenterFireJewelry
I used to hate it when my old granny still had the plastic cushion covers on her sofa after 5 years!! The first thing I do after unboxing is to de-film everything but it was worth a check.
I have heard it's possible to cut 1/2" ply with a 50 watt machine (probably 40 watts?). Until now I would have thought that fanciful, but now I can see 2 or 3mm/s at full power doing that. I'm very happy.
Just curious if you are also using 65% as a max power.
+Rob Weinstein
Max power button is set at 70% but that basically means I can pulse at 70%. Such a short burst unlikely to damage my tube and how often do you use pulse.?For all my other programs I never exceed 65%. I can always check on my ammeter to make sure it's not doing anything silly
I tried cutting the original crate the machine came in with terrible results, as it was cutting the ply was delaminating and making a horrible mess. I am very impressed with the way yours cuts 10 mm.
+Mentorcase
That plywood is VERY low grade. It is full of air voids where the laminate sheets are not butted together. If you get air pockets (as with de-lamination) then you get dense smoke formed in those pockets. Dense smoke is a great absorber of CO2 laser radiation. Have you tried to cut corrugated cardboard? That should be an easy material. That will clearly demonstrate the air void effect.
So don't kick you machine just yet until you've tried some reasonable grade ply. Go to your local DIY outlet where they offer a cutting service and ask the guy for a few free offcuts in his scrap bin
Good luck
Russ
I'm curious, most of these "keyboard" console devices usually have a removable membrane/plastic that is put on them to protect them during transport and removable by the user (if they choose) prior to operating. Mine was a relatively thicker plastic, but peeled off to reveal the shiny bubble keyboard itself. Knowing how much work you've done in the past 4 months alone, I suppose it could be wear and tear. Worst case, those keyboards are relatively inexpensive if you needed to replace, but the ingenuity of your solution is superb!
+NFO Sec
I definitely removed the plastic protection film immediately I opened my machine. I always hated it when my old gran used to leave the peel-off stickers on her new microwave etc. Those in the corner of her TV were particularly infuriating.
It's not real wear and tear yet but a hint of things to come, so I'm taking preventative steps now. Others might like to follow this simple free trick.
Excellent, some great ideas , thanks
Hi Russ, re: keyboard film damage - I think you will find the wear frills are from the PE protective film on top of the keyboard touch membrane. It is best operated with the soft end of finger, not by fingernail. But we, engineers do not usually grow long fingernails. The film can be removed and show your real actual keyboard surface. Just try it on one of the corners with your fingernail.
otto
Hi Otto
I usually hate the protective films they plaster on some new items so I normally get it off soonest. In the case of the keyboard I removed a film immediately but became cautious when symptoms of wear (slight ) started occurring within a 3 months. After comments from others I have revisited the film issue on several occasions and am convinced I am back to basics. However, on my new machine I have checked and I find TWO film layers have been fitted. Although I have lifted the corners to investigate, I have decided to leave the film on for the time being.
Thanks for your comment....I can sometimes miss the obvoius
Best regards
Russ
I recommend co2 or halon it makes less mess.
i recommend a hoover
Great tip with the keyboard protector I will get to work on building my equivalent ASAP! Thank You! Can I ask what power tube you are running? I am very impressed with the cutting of that 10mm birch ply! In regards to it not cutting completely straight is that not due to the shape of the focused laser beam? I have been told that the laser comes out the lens in an hour glass shape hence the need to focus the distance from the head. I believe that cutters which are optimised to cut have larger upgraded lenses giving a thinner hour glass profile of the laser.
+patrick whelan
You have been reading well Patrick. Some good stuff about lenses and focal distances here www.parallax-tech.com/faq.htm#spotsizetable
My off-angle was more than just beam shape. My lens is 38mm focal distance and has a very short neck length. However, it doesn't seem to give curved edges on 10mm acrylic where it would be most sensitive. My angle problem was solved when I set my beam correctly. I did a 4 part session about setting my mirrors. In part 4 I finally found my problem th-cam.com/video/TUJgBcb2xnQ/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for that I look forward to reading that and catching up with all your videos. I only found you last night and as a redsail cm1290 130w (which isn't arriving till next week) owner your RDWorks subjects look really interesting! What machine are you using? and what tube is it? Hoping I will be able to cut that material too!. Thank you
+patrick whelan
Hi Patrick
There is a series of 6 videos about me bringing my machine into life th-cam.com/video/YvrMeUUzaBo/w-d-xo.html.. I also explain that I am just an old guy enjoying himself with a techno toy and I'm letting you look over my shoulder. I make no claim that I'm an instructor or that my videos are tutorials. These are live takes mainly and you see me making mistakes which I hopefully correct as I learn more later in the series. So watch and make your own judgements.
As you will see from my videos, I have a 50watt direct from China import. Sadly the tube is not what it claims and I have 38watts max coming out of the tube. I then lose more through the mirrors and lens BUT look what I can do with it!!. 130 watt? you may even be able to cut certain thisn metals with that. I used to run a laser profiling company and had a couple of 3kw machines. They were more reliable through flow lasers not these little sealed tube devices.
Good luck
Russ
I really like your style and you can tell you are very knowledgeable!
Oh my god I can't believe you can do that with 50 watts! I would have guessed 100! That is amazing I had a 60 watt which I sold because it really struggled with 6mm and was just really slow I would cut 3mm at the same speed you are cutting 10mm. Admittedly I really didn't know a lot about them at the time and it may have been user error. I live in the UK as you do too I assume and so I have had a good five week wait for my replacement machine to come from china so I have had a lot of time to research. The two reasons I went for 130w it was the most I could afford and the speed should hopefully be really quick. I was making large 3 and 6mm products like dolls houses and they where taking ages to run the designs sometimes up to two hours X 3. Maybe I just had a dud!
+patrick whelan
Hi Patrick
My 50 watt tube is actually a 40 watt tube and runs at 37watts at its max drive current of 20mA. Dimensionally it's too short for a 50watt tube but I was ignorant when I bought it. There is serious fraud going on in this Chinese laser industry. Your CM1290 is 1800 mm wide. There are 130 watt tubes around that will fit in that frame . They are 1650 long www.cncoletech.com/Laser%20tuber%20high%20power.html or check out a reliable supplier recilaser.com. So as a crude check it looks as though you will get what you ordered
Should gobble up your work.
Happy New Year
Russ (Colchester)
Hi Russ,
I'm having issues with the software itself. Sometimes when I type text or upload an image, the preview on the software shows the image as a single line. Other times I do not have this issue. Do you know what the problem might be?
Thanks
Hi Kyle
Look top right in RDWorks and there will be a software issue shown there What does yours say? Also what windows are you running?
Speak soon
Russ
Really enjoying your videos and bought my laser from same supplier as you, mainly because of your videos.
I was going to buy same 50w machine but ended up getting the Red one the next size up 60w 700x500 as I wanted the larger cutting area.
I am still just learning my machine settings and RDworks, my question is how do you allow for the cut thickness, i.e. if I want a 20mm square the hole is 20mm but the cut out piece is smaller. This is good if I want a 20mm hole but is there a way to get the cut out piece 20mm? (without drawing it larger)
On my cnc I used to outline everything half the thickness of the cutter, is there a setting in the rdworks program or on the machine itself to allow for this, to cut inside or outside the line?
+Xairflyer
If you havn't already got it, go to www.bosslaser.com/Download_pdf/LaserWORKS%20v8%20Manual.pdf and download a nearly understandable version of the manual, I'm sure this was rewritten by a non tech person because where they didn't understand they almost used the original chinglish phrasing.. Not bad tho'. Last but one page mentions SEW COMPENSATION for closed objects. Anyone familiar with lasers would call this kerf compensation. You have 2 factor to play with here. One is the kerf width (I think my beam is about 0.15mm) and the other is inner or outer offset.
Hope this helps. Enjoy learning but make sure you understand what your machine limitations are check out my video on fitting an ammeter because no one mentioned the dangers of burning out your tube by overdriving it. Also check out what max drive current is recommended for your tube (typically for 60W it will be 22mA).
The supplier did a good deal but don't expect any help from there, they are not technical and now you have it, you are on your own....except for several hundreds like us that seem have organised into a small self-help community.
Thanks for kind words
Russ
+SarbarMultimedia Thanks for help, that manual is much better, I am cutting 3mm ply and acrylic at 35% 20mm not gone any higher yet, as I seen from your earlier videos about over running tube so I must order up a ammeter today.
Some plywood's cut easily others cut poorly. I think it has something to do with the glue used to make the plywood. I have also noticed that faster cut speeds (15mm/s) with multiple passes sometimes work better than slow speed cuts. Slow speed cutting can warp small parts and leave burns from the hot smoke. I ordered an add on exhaust fan. The stock draw is not good enough for cutting/ etching wood.
+Jared D
Hi Jared
My guess is that your machine is fitted with a 2" focal length lens. This is the norm for most engraving machines. The problem with this lens is it places the nozzle about 20mm above the worksurface and the force of air from your air assist has lost all its oomph by the time it has jumped the gap. Wood is cut by a burning action and produces smoke and tars from the resin in the wood. It is essential to cut through in one pass and with lots of air passing THROUGH the cut. This will ensure that you eject the smoke and residue out of the BOTTOM of the cut. If you look at my video about lenses you will see that using a 2" lens has reduced your machine's CUTTING ability but makes it perfectly ok for engraving. As I answered to Mentorcase above, the dense smoke and fumes are great at absorbing the laser power that should be going into cutting.The fact that you recommend multi passes at higher speed to get rid of your surface staining further confirms that you have a 2" lens. The pathetic airflow into your cut area can cope with light fumes and moving faster means you are running away from those fumes faster. Take another look at the crude temporary air assist that I rigged up for the 2.5" lens tests. This will help but the only way to get CUTTING performance is to buy a 1.5" focal length lens.
Regards
Russ
+SarbarMultimedia
I want to thank you for taking the time to put up your learning labs. I have seen your lens lab and have ordered a 38mm lens.
My only complaint about the machine is the crummy software. The rest is forgivable due to low cost. I have found a free 2d cad system by Siemens called Solid Works and I would be interested in your opinion of it.
Thanks from Jared in chilly Ann Arbor Michigan.
2/26/16
+Jared D
Hi Jared
You are on the right track with Solidworks. However I'm unaware that it's free anywhere (other than for a trial period). It's a fully featured 3D modelling software. I have an old version which I use in conjunction with my 2D cad to turn profiles into shaped plates with thickness that I can then assemble into 3D models to demonstrate my designs to clients who have no spacial imagination. The right track is that Solidworks is designed by the French aircraft manufacturer Dassault. They have a truly FREE FOR LIFE very well featured 2D cad that you can download. The only thing they want is your email address so that they can keep bugging you to upgrade to the Pro version and Solidworks. A small price to pay for something that's good and free. There are basic help files but to download the full manual (about 180 pages) you have to divulge more info about yourself/business. If you do decide to download it then use the TH-cam Messages to send me your email and I'll send you a "no strings" copy of the manual that I have already downloaded. The software is called DraftSight and is available from
www.solidworks.co.uk/sw/products/free-cad-software-downloads.htm.
Its so much easier to design in a CAD software and output as DXF. RDWorks imports them well. That's my preferred route even though I have Photoshop and Illustrator I finish up sending files between packages to finish up in the cad system.
Finally Just a few words in defence of RDWorks. I thought initially like you, it's free for a reason and you always get nothing for free. It is designed by the people that make the machine control board and you can download the latest version from here
en.rd-acs.com/down_complex.aspx?FId=n14:14:14
I soon realised that this was never intended to be a piece of design or CADsoftware but just an interface with a few editing tools. I became a bit of an admirer. In fact it's a fantastically easy interface between drawing and machine. Having used professional CAD/CAM systems for years I have not come across such a simple drawing to machine code interface (you cant even see the machine code!!) but it works perfectly every time.
Regards
Russ
+SarbarMultimedia
My mistake it is called solid edge. Solid works is the program my teenage daughter keeps
( bugging me)^10th to buy.
Hi there. What speed and power did you use for that 10mm ply? Looks like a Thunderlaser like I have. Which model is yours?
Hi Des
Mine is not a Thunder laser machine but there is virtually no difference in out 50 watt machines other than you probably recieved a proper 50 watt tube (1000mm lng?) with your machine whereas my ebay machine was fitted with a reject 40 watt tube (800mm long) that barely worked. What you see in this video is my marginally better second tube that was delivering 30 watts at the workface. I was running this 10mm test at 5mm/s and it JUST cut through. 4mm/s would have been better. However you MUST note that I am using a 38.1mm(1.5" ) focal length lens. This is VERY important. Most machines are fitted with a 2" lens as standard and you will struggle to cut 10mm ply with that even if you have a good tube delivering 40 watts at the cutting surface.. There is a whole video about lenses and understanding what energy density is all about.
th-cam.com/video/61bGzWicRRk/w-d-xo.html
I can sum it up with this little scene for you to visualize. If you give a 5 year old a scalpel (a 1.5" lens) he can do a lot of damage with it. Give him a lumberjack's twin headed axe (a 2" lens) and he will hardly be able to pick it up!!!!. My point here is that the axe is a great tool for cutting down a tree but unless you have the strength to use it, it's useless. To do any sensible cutting with a 2" lens you will need at least 50 watts of useable power
I think Thunder laser use a matched nozzle and lens system so if you want to change to a 1.5" lens (by far the best all round lens) you may have to buy a nozzle as well as a lens.
Hope this helps
Best regards
Russ
Thanks Russ. My glass laser tube is very long; it is the whole width of the machine (900mm bed) plus an extra foot in an extension box. It's 100W. I must check on the designation of the lenses I got with the Laser (I think I paid extra for one or two) but I have a standard one I use all the time, plus a heavy duty (they describe it as that) one for cutting thicker materials up to about 18mm. MDF cuts quite easily to 18mm and so does perspex. I also purchased a HD head for more delicate work. I've been so busy learning with the 'standard' head I haven't even fitted the other two yet.
what is that RD model? if i can learn it then using it on 6442G ? Thanks
+李彬
I think you are wanting the software. You can down load it from www.thunderlaser.com/down
i got new controller Model is RD6442G. Looks like the same as the video. I just wanted make sure is that the same model. So that i can learn how to use it by the your video. Actually ,it was great videos. Thanks for made that
+李彬
Yes that's the controller you will find the manual at either www.thunderlaser.com/down and the RDWorks software or
directly from RUIDA website en.rd-acs.com/down.aspx
SarbarMultimedia Appreciated it !!!
I need to come back and watch all your videos again. I had no luck cutting through 1/4 inch bamboo sheets but assumed it because it was too hard. I'll try lowering the speed.
I'm doing engraving on barn wood making signs as big as will fit in the machine. I've discovered that the laser eye sits too high to run a project the full size of the work area. the lid slants down in the front and comes down so low that there is negative clearance... the eye literally jas up into the lid. Is it just my machine? This is such poor design for functionality. I must open the lid slightly in order to run a full size project. Oh well.
I'm so terrified of burning out my bulb or breaking the machine... im not an engineer. .. just an artist. I want to thank you for these videos. .. they have helped me so much. I wouldn't be doing this at all and would never have been brave enough to make the purchase without your tutorials. THANK YOU!
Hi
Bamboo is a fairly dense material but it depends on several things as to whether you can cut it with your machine.
I will go to your private messages and speak off line.
soy de chile y tengo una maquina corte laser q compre en china y se me desconfiguro el panel el X e Y marcar 10000 siendo que la mesa de trabajo es de 900x600 mm
hola como me contactos con ud señr?
Hola, agregue su correo electrónico a un comentario y me pondré en contacto con usted y luego eliminaré su comentario
Los mejores deseos
Russ
Muchas gracias estare atento a su email
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Quizás Goole no tradujo correctamente.
Por favor envíe su correo electrónico