As always ...a great video that's explained in plain English for the newcomers to the M1...thank you for taking the time to do all the video's its a pleasure watching them
Thanks for stopping by! Let me know how you like the video concept. This was my first time trying something like this showing myself in the video while giving a demo.
Great tutorial and thanks for sharing process from start to finish. Have you tried any of the other color acrylics? If so, did you have any issues getting it to cut through them and not melting it? Tracey
can I cut gold mirror acrylic with the machine? and do we usually keep the plastic/paper that's on the acrylic while cutting or do we need to take it off?
To my knowledge, you can not cut mirrored acrylic because it is basically clear acrylic with a mirrored backing. On the backing, if it is paper, you decide if you want to keep it on or not. For smaller pieces, I tend to take it off so i don't have to try to take it off later. If you have a plastic film instead of a paper film, i would take that one off before lasering.
Thank you for sharing, I saw that you are using the prism but you select that it was not raised, any way that you didn't mark it? I know that the auto-measure should make the trick. Thank you
I do not use the raised option in XCS. I always use the auto-measure feature when using the M1 (and the ruler on the rare occasion the auto does not work). All the other opitnos on the right hand side I use depending on what i am doing however I no longer use the raised or not raised option. I found that if it has the right measurement, it knows how to focus properly.
To check to see if it can be cut, go to Xtool.com and find the color acrylic you are thinking about trying. Read the description of the acrylic. If it says 'can be laser-cut and engraved by all xTool machines', then YES, you can cut it with the M1. If it says 'applicable to xTool Laserbox', then unfortunately NO, it can not be cut with the M1. That acrylic can only be cut by a saw or by using a CO2 laser. www.xtool.com/collections/material/acrylic
A diode laser like the M1 or D1 can not cut clear or translucent acrylics. You would need a different laser like a CO2 laser to cut clear. The only thing you can do to clear is engrave on it using a marking spray or marking paper. I will be doing a small clear acrylic engraving how to video soon.
Great question. The M1 is a diode laser and can only cut solid darker colors. Clear or transparent colors, the laser passed right through the material. For engraving, I have tried engraving clear using a couple of methods but have not found one that works good enough to say "this is it". I am still searching for the best method personally. As far as cutting goes: If you go to Xtool's site and read the description of an acrylic your interested in, if you see "applicable to xTool Laserbox", you can NOT cut it in the M1. But if you see "can be laser-cut and engraved by all xTool machines" you CAN cut it in the M1. The ones that reference Laserbox needs a more powerful CO2 laser to cut that acrylic. xTool Materials - bit.ly/xTool_Materials
@@MonkeyWoodworks Hi. Firstly, Thank you ever so much at least you read the comments unlike others. I highly appreciate this. The second thing is its limiting us what acrylic we can use. Not everyone required black acrylic haha. Infect, every person I have spoken if they are interested in laser cutting crafts they've all selected non-black.
@@andyanand9459 I hear ya. Unfortunately the acrylic limitation is true with all diode lasers. Xtool, comgrow, ortur, atomstack, etc. It's the science behind the blue laser.
Gold Mirror can only be engraved, it can NOT be cut with a diode laser (M1). Also, i believe to engrave it you need a carrier to put on top of it first. I am going to be doing a demo of engraving on clear acrylic soon I just need to first figure out what i want to make and how i can cut it cleanly. If you go to Xtool's site and read the description of an acrylic your interested in, if you see "applicable to xTool Laserbox", you can NOT cut it in the M1. But if you see "can be laser-cut and engraved by all xTool machines" you CAN cut it in the M1. The ones that reference Laserbox needs a more powerful CO2 laser to cut that acrylic. The M1 is a diode laser and can only cut solid darker colors. xTool Materials - bit.ly/xTool_Materials
Hah! You just have to go for it! Make sure the material is up on a honeycomb or prisms, use auto-measure, use the built-in xTool acrylic setting, and have plenty of fresh air. Your workspace will smell like a nail salon while cutting the acrylic.
