RDWorks Learning Lab 75 What have I learned from 1 year of owning a Chinese Laser Engraver 

Hi Dave Thanks for the feedback. It's gratifying (although not intended) to know that the bumblings of an old guy enjoying himself in his "man cave" is somehow helping others. Best regards Russ

Hi Teodor Keep you excitement high and your expectations low.. If you bought a blue machine it will be mechanically OK but almost certainly the tube will not be 50 watts but an 800mm long 40 watt tube. As well as being just 40 watts it will be a B grade tube It will probably be labelled K H Laser. and that's another long story. In general I would recommend you do not run above 65%. However, I strongly advise that you invest 5 Euros (or less) and buy an "ammeter 30mA" from ebay or Amazon. www.ebay.de/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2380057.m570.l1313&_nkw=ammeter+30mA&_sacat=0 For a 40 watt tube the maximum current should be 18mA. So. if you fit an ammeter you may find you can run at 80%=18mA Best wishes Russ

@@SarbarMultimedia Thank you very much Russ. I´ll try to always run it between 60 and 65%. I was wondering if you have any table or recommendations regarding speed-power-repetitions for paper, cardboard, wood (different thickness) or acrylic. Best regards Teodor

​@@catasabau Hi Teodor Sadly there are no guidelines because there are so many variables involved 1) The REAL power of your tube 2)The efficiency of your mirrors and lens 3) Lens orientation 4)Lens focal length 5)The accuracy of your beam alignment .....particularly onto mirror 3 5)The accuracy of your focal length setting 6) the efficiency of your air assist, 7)The type of material and thickness you are cutting The best way to find an ideal cutting speed is to draw a 25mm test square. Set the power to the allowable maximum (set max and min the same) ......if you do not have an ammeter fitted then do not exceed 65%. Set the speed low (say 5mm/s) and try to cut your square. If it drops out cleanly then increase the speed in steps of 5mm/s until it fails to drop out . Reduce the speed by 2mm/s until it drops out cleanly. That's the best for your setup. Best wishes Russ

@@SarbarMultimedia Thank you very much for your prompt reply Russ. I couldn't sleep today after 5 am so i went i the garage and played with some settings. Still couldn't cut through 4 mm plywood but I am very optimistic about it. Best regards Teodor

@@catasabau Hi Teodor I did warn you to keep your expectations low. If you can, tru to track down some 10mm thick acrylic. just a smallpiece. Do you have any plastics distributors or sign companies nearby. Perhaps you could beg a small piece from their scrap bin? This material will be an important tool is seeing how good your tube is If you have some already or when you get a piece give me another shout and I will explain what you must do. Best wishes Russ

Hi Courtney Overdriving your laser tube with too much current will shorten it's life dramatically. If your tube is 800mm long it is a 40 watt rated tube and should not be run at more that 18mA. if it's 700mm long then stay at 16ma max Best wishes Russ

Hi Ramsh www.fontspace.com/category/arabic is a start to down load some Arabic fonts. When installed into Windows, the font should appear in the RDWorks text list. RDWorks is the best way to work with fonts because you get a vector outline for each letter. If you use the default 0.1mm increment when setting scan parameters, then you should get good results. Typically speed will be about 300mm/s and you will have to set the power to get the burn depth you require. All best wishes Russ

Completely agree, very interesting and learned a lot from it.

As the laser tube, you could directly buy it from amazon.

Considering the quality, you can buy it from amazon.

Interesting So the DSP is producing an analog voltage to the PSU I'd always presumed that the DSP generated PWM which was used by the PSU. What value pot did you use ? This also gives me some ideas about how to linearly map the DSP values to actual power values. I $2 microcontroller would suffice to remap the input voltage to output voltage to make it linear. I'll attach my DVM to my machine and take a look at what sort of voltage range the DSP is generating e.g. 5V or 3.3V or perhaps something higher

It is a PWM signal, but the PSU has a RC filter inside of it to turn it into an analogue voltage. So if we have a 5V signal at 100% duty then it would drive the laser to 100%, but if we have a voltage divider in there then we can set the 5V signal to 3V or whatever makes the tube happy, then we can set the DSP to 100% with no worries. Edit: I have been meaning to use an Arduino with a 12bit DAC to read the input PWM, do some math, and then give the laser a real linear output. I would also want to set a min power so when a job is running the laser hovers to where it is just about to fire so the tube is much more responsive than it normally would be when doing pulses.

Ah. OK. I took a quick look at the signal from the DSP to the PSU and my DMM read it as an DC voltage, but strangely it seemed to be negative with respect to the black wire from the DSP to the PSU. But now that I've looked at the manual for the RDC6442, it looks like the colour of the wires they have used to connect to the PSU could be better, they seem to have not use black for GND. Also the PSU seems to have multiple inputs connected together, so I think I'll need to find a manual for the PSU (though I'm not sure thats even possible)

I might still have my blown PSU around, it might be a good idea for me to try to reverse engineer the circuit to get a better understanding of how it works.

Hi John It was 3 years ago but I'll hunt through to see if I can find the file. In the meantime can you attach your email to another comment and I'll write back with details and also delete your comment/email from public view. Best wishes Russ

Hi If you are prepared to buy direct from the factory then you get a good tube and power supply. You may still have to tweak the engineering a bit but you will get a pretty good machine. After travelling half way round the world you cant expect it to hit the ground running. If you want that sort of nannying (and that doesn't sound like you) then you pay someone like Boss Laser to do the worrying and deliver you a running machine (but at a price) Thanks for your kind words Best regards Russ

Before watching your videos I was thinking about getting one of those Ebay machines, similar to yours, but now, I am not sure. What would you suggest? Chinese one, and then order a proper 60w+ tube, or something completely different? My budget is ~ 1500 euros, and 50-60w will do the job.

Here we are two and half years later and I still have my original distilled water in the reservoir. It's not green and no sludge in the tube. I still taste it once a month (with a finger dip) and check it for a slimy feel. My system has no metal in it and I have a closed system so no airborne bugs have ever been able to get in . Anyone with a chiller system would likely suffer with your pH9 or 10 solution, because it will slowly dissolve the aluminium cooing coils. The other secret weapon in any laser tube is the UV generated by the ionized nitrogen. UV is a sterilizer. Most of these cheaper laser tubes are glued together with an epoxy resin and I did not wish to walk into the unknown long term effects of not using the recommended distilled water. Some folks have used auto antifreeze. Each to his own. Thanks for the thought, it's always good to look at new possibilities Best wishes Russ

I think there may be solutions that are just waiting for you to discover. Add your disguised email address to another comment and I will get back to you and also delete that comment. Best wishes Russ

Hi Darren Don't be tempted by a low price. It is important to buy a machine with a Ruida digital controller. The give away is the control panel. Make sure the panel looks EXACTLY like this www.cloudraylaser.com/products/cloudray-ruida-rdc6442g-dsp-controller-psu-wifi-handle-for-co2-laser-engraving-cutting-machine?variant=12906003857459 Most others will be "old school" analog controllers. Also look for decent HiWin type bearing rails. because there are lots of cheap Micky Mouse systems. Get these two key items right and everything else is fixable. If you wish to send a link I will be happy to comment for you. Best wishes Russ

Hi Ron I have watched many of his videos and he is an entertaining young man. Although my current sound deadening system is adequate I have a simple motor speed controller (£5 from China) that I am just about to fit to mitigate the high frequency whine. This series is all about me learning to use and understand the technology behind these machines. There has been very little information out there about using these machines so when I started this journey about 16 months ago I decided it was great material for my other hobby (video) and that a few nerds may be interested in me playing in my man cave. OOps. Got that wrong. Not a few, and not nerds. I am staggered at the world- wide responses I receive daily. It has not changed my direction and what I want to achieve, I just want to understand, but in great detail. Ther fact that I spend several hours ad day bashing the keyboard means my learning progress has slowed. Keep watching because there are new things afoot!!! Best regards Russ

ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-GYVfkzllTtY.html Friend, if u need laser machine, can contact me. Whatsapp: +86 15624071968

Hi You may not have seem this more recent video about buying a machine ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-N7Af2U_THnY.html The kits that Cloudray sell are what you expect to find in the better quality machines. I have such a machine with my Lightblade machine . Its built like a tank and just works. However, as you say that would be a $6000 machine. I have two other machines that I paid about $1200 and $1500 for. With a bit of attention they are now equally reliable. This sub $2000 for a new machine is the target p[rice you should go for but you must choose the mechanics carefully. It is the mechanics and controller that are the basic skeleton of the machine. There will be some rubbish bits that ensures this machine will not be a top performer but invest a few hundred $ more for a new tube and HV power supply and you will be on the way to a well performing and reliable machine. Keep an eye open for a preowned machine , There are many bargains to be had from people that soon became disillusioned that their machines did not live up to the dream. Buying a Cloudray kit a possible start but the cost of all the other parts will quickly mount up because you are buying them shop prices whereas a complete machine is stuffed with parts at OEM prices. Good luck with your new adventure Best wishes Russ

Hi That is a big full sheet machine that you are looking for. This is a reliable company with a wide range of products. It is the same company that make s my small Lightblade machine. www.transoncnc.com/transon-cnc-co2-laser-engraving-and-cutting-machine-2 Best wishes Russ

Hi Terry I have spent several years using and developing small but significant improvements to this original China blue machine. If you have the patience and a few skills then these repersent excellent value for money as, what I now describe to be , a "DIY Laser Machine Kit".. ALL ebay machines will be fitted with B grade tubes and power supplies which means that the machines will work "in some way". There are a few reasonable off the peg Ebay machines but most perform badly out of the box. You really need to think of spending another $300 or more on a new A grade tube and power supply before you have a piece of usable kit. If you watch some of my later videos #181 and onwards I you will see how I have transformed my machine. You will also find out that a reputable company in China (Cloudray) have asked to copy my machine design with improvements to sell exactly what you are looking for.. I cannot tell you the exact date when this product will be available but it is worth going to their website cloudraylaser.com and sending them a message to ask when the Russ Spec Machine will be available for sale. I know there are many people lined up already to by some that works PROPERLY out of the box. It is a 70 watt 300x500 machine fitted with A grade components. Happy Christmas Russ

Hello, Felisha, you can check lasers at amazon and we have a showroom in Birmingham, AL

Hi Mike If you buy an Ebay machine you will definitely not get what is promised. It will be fitted with a tube that is actually at least 10 watts less than promised but then that tube will be a repurposed reject from one of the main tube makers. Yes it will work well enough to fool the usual keen but naive Ebay buyer but your 50 watt tube may turn out to be 30 watts. Is this a bad deal? I bought the small 5000x300 machine with plans to upgrade at some future date. If I had bought the 60 watt 700x500 it would have cost another £500. Did I need the bigger machine? I decided not and reasoned that I could use that £500 to upgrade toa proper 60 watt system in my own time. When I came to understand how this Chinese laser machine "fraud" works, I realised that I had accidentally made the right decision because I could have spent the extra £500 on the bigger machine and still have had to spend to put an A grade 60 watt tube and power supply into it. Buy a small machine with linear HiWin type bearing rails and a Ruida control system and you have the basis of a good CNC machine at a budget price. Use what you buy to get a feel for the machine and technology. Inconsistent or poor performance may force you sooner rather than later into that upgrade. I was lucky with my research and hit on a reliable source for a 60 watt tube and power supply. Three and a half years on and it is still as good as new. Since that time I have found a very trusted supplier in China. You may yearn for a named tube such as Reci but don't waste your money because my experience from playing with 7 such tubes of various powers has left me underwhelmed. Take a look at cloudraylaser.com . I normally distrust rebranded tubes but I know that the Cloudray own brand are A grade SPT tubes. They are excellent value for money and perform MUCH better than their specification suggests. I know that the tubes are properly tested by Cloudray before shipment. They only supply A grade kit and they truly understand the meaning of customer service (a rare thing amongst Chinese businesses). See these metal ended tubes www.cloudraylaser.com/collections/cloudray-laser-tube/products/35-45w-720mm-co2-laser-upgraded-metal-head-tube-cr35?variant=12782294270003 Good luck with your new venture. I'm sure it will not be trouble-free but it will be fun moving towards a reliable machine. Make sure you buy the machine with your CREDIT card. Any protection that Ebay or PayPal promise is worthless. If it all turns really messy you can threaten a charge back from your credit card provider. Your seller will almost certainly be a PRIVATE ebay Chinese seller who has never seen the machine but is selling it from a warehouse for commission. If you can prove a bad quality tube (you will need a power meter to do that) you stand a good chance of some refund money (£200 maybe) for a replacement tube. Don't push too hard because it's eating into his commission. Best wishes Russ

Hi David I have started a new series about converting one of these machines into an RF driven unit. However, using all the knowledge and experience gained with my blue machine , I rip it apart and add several improvements. One of those is to add a stiff 3mm steel table. See this video from 7min 25 sec ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-RvxgCQinS_c.html Best wishes Russ

Hi Charles the cable coming out of the low voltage end of the tube (nearest to mirror 1) needs to be cut and the ammeter inserted there. Take a look at ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-xDZmuxq5BEM.html Best regards Russ

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/220V-Temperature-Temp-Thermostat-Switch-Relay-Incubation-Control-Controller/142728213172?epid=4016824262&hash=item213b43b2b4:g:KSsAAOSwVzRasKZI My temperature gauges are dual purpose. I have one that monitors the return temperature from the tube and the other triggers my winterizing system from the air temperature. The gauges run from a seperate (always on) mains socket and there is a changeover relay that works the circulation pump from the machine whenever I power up and when the machine is switched off the relay cahnges so that the pump is controlled by the external (always on) power supply. When the air temperature in my workshop drops below 5C it turns on 200 watts of light bulbs to keep the machine and reservoir above 0C and turns on the circulation pump to keep the water moving. That way if any of the 4 x 50 watt halogen lightbulbs fails then warmth is still circulating around the system. It has now served me well through two winters on two machines. If you need a circuit diagram, just personal message me with your email and I'll send it Best wishes Russ

Hi My go to source for all things laser is www.cloudraylaser.com/collections/co2-laser Best wishes Russ

Hi Luc By all means keep us informed. My only concern was your tube description. Is it branded K H Laser? Take a look at ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-kJe16YQlIM0.html and make your own risk assessment about these heat rays and your 160 euro investment. You are correct that I do not wear any SPECIAL safety glasses. I do however wear cheap reading glasses with polycarbonate lenses. The IR emitted by a CO2 laser has some weired properties. Althoiugh it is a form of light it is at such a long wave length it will not harm your eyes in the same way that visible laser light will. Visible light will damage your retina (just like staring at the sun or watching arc welding without adequate light filtration) IR is rapidly absorbed by water and many other substances and will cause local surface burning, so it is your cornea that is at risk with IR NOT your retina. Putting another energy absorbing barrier between your cornea and a DIRECT beam will give you all the protection you need. The machine has a cover, so technically if that is closed when the beam is on any reflections will never reach you. Virtually all materials you will be using in the machine are 100% absorbers of IR thus there will be little chance of reflections even if you run the machine without the lid closed. Despite all the scary warnings and labels IR radiation is to be understood, respected but NOT feared. Good luck in your own journey of discovery. Best wishes Russ

Thanks Russ for the reply.The tube is indeed branded KH Laser. Could not immediately find out if this is a manufacturer of laser tubes or some test lab. Maybe you know more about it.Concerning these safety glasses - I looked at the video now and have seen that the danger is indeed relative.But taken into account that I wear glasses with lenses that pretty special and also bi-focus; I am not sure if they are made out of polycarbonate or real glass (but I expect the last, as I broke them once and they have cost me some 400€ to replace them); I still find the investment acceptable.The is also the fact that I have some grandchildren with tech genes, always being around grandpa when he is playing with machines and things with a lot of buttons on it. I teach them good workshop practise rules, and safety glasses are one of them.And my daughter in law would skin me alive if something should happen to them. (if she would get the change, my wife might be first)All the best from bloody hot Belgium (32°C now)Lucluc@e2t.be

Hi Luc I tried replying to your email address but there must be a typing error somewhere because the message cannot be delivered. Can you resend your email address. Thanks Best wishes Russ

Russ, RU-vid strips off some formatting characters in the message system. So it looks my email address starts with 2 times my first name. Actually I had put a carriage return in between. So if you use just my first name only once before the @ sign it will work. And the part after the @ sign is correct. There is a digit 2 in it - some people think this should be a capital Z; it is not.

Hi The word LASER engenders fear in most people because it can be dangerous. The problem comes from not understanding the physics. The laser beam, although invisible, is just like a torch beam The only time you will see the light is if someone points the light at you.. In the case of a laser beam it does not spread like a torch beam ,to all intents it remain the same diameter s all the way from tube to lens. Thus you cannot damage your eyes by looking at where the invisible laser beam is it will only do you harm if you can somehow get your eye directly in the beam. That is a virtual impossibility even with the cover open. The laser is a beam of LIGHT energy that is completely harmless until something solid gets in it's way. Imagine a stone dropping from the sky. It is dangerous? The answer is NO,,,not until it hits something solid (like your head). At that instant the ENERGY in the stone converts to a different form and causes damage to what it hits. It is exactly the same with light. Unlike the stone. there is no mass to do damage, instead, the light energy interacts with atoms and molecules at the SURFACE of anything solid it meets. That interaction causes the atoms and molecules to heat up . THERE IS NOT HEAT IN THE LASER BEAM.....JUST PURE ENERGY that transforms to heat when it excites the atoms and molecules Our CO2 laser beam has a wavelength of 10.6microns and is in the infrared part of the electromagnetic spectrum. There are only three things that IR light reacts to. 1) Metals of any sort. They ALL act as mirrors and reflect the light but some are better than others. 2) A VERY small number of salt crystal type of materials that allow the IR light to pass through...we use these materials for lenses. Finally, 3) EVERYTHING ELSE will be excited by the light energy to a greater or lesser extent and the molecules and atoms of each material will self-heat as they absorb the light energy. . The more intense the light the more damage will be done. So, if you can understand the light to heat energy transfer mechanism then YES your cornea could get fried, so could your nose or your finger or your clothes or ANYTHING you put directly in the way of the laser beam, So everything is pretty safe until you put bits of metal into your machine at such an angle that the beam will be reflected at you.. Normal glass or ANY plastic will 100% absorb the light energy and just ordinary glasses or cheap polycarbonat (£2) safety glasses will protect your eyes form IR light. The REAL problem is UV light. THAT can be dangerous because it does not fry your cornea, instead it passes right through the eye and with sufficient exposure will desriythe retina at the back ofthe eye. It is just like staring at the sun......YOU DONT DO IT. So where does the UV light come from with an IR laser? The answer is from the material you are cutting. Look at wood cutting. There is a bright intense light at the cut surface. That cannot be wood burning, wood burns at about 350C and never gets WHITE hot. After the wood has burnt, what's left is carbon. Carbon has to heat to more than 3,600C before it turns to gas. So what you see is a carbon arc that contains very high spikes of UV light. That is what you are really protecting your eyes against. If you keep the lid closed during cutting the glass or polycarbonate lid will protect your eyes anyway. Take a look at this video ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-kx4vmDguCyE.html Do more reading about IR and UV light. Dont pay for something you don't need. The dragon you are playing with can bite.......just understand it and respect it, don't fear it without reason. Best wishes Russ

@@SarbarMultimedia First : thanks for getting back to me I really appreciate it and all the detail and explanatory way of describing things really does make a novice understand things better and you've got "what we call in Liverpool" ( the knack) of making things look (on your videos) and sound easy for anyone. I was awake last night until around 1.30am watching your videos and I will take a look at those you've told me about but there was one last night that you said so called experts said you can't cut through a 10mm ply with a beam on ???? But you proved them wrong - " I can't remember everything you said because my medical problem (I sustained a brain injury that's caused havoc with concentration levels and memory and as a result I've also got epilepsy, I can't even remember the dates my three kids were born so they (family) paid to get them tattooed on my right arm for a laugh i can't remember the date we got married either 😱everyone does take the p*ss out of me but they all know it's not my fault - but tough life goes on get on with it and do something interesting that will keep what I'd say is "the undamaged part of my brain occupied" that's why i thought I'd have a go with the K40. Again you're a very intelligent and talented guy and a inspiration to others oh! I will take on board you're info but I'll have to watch each of you're 145+ videos " errm twice over just so I can absorb things. 😁. Thanks again!.

A 40 watt tube will be 800mm long and will not fit into your case. Normally take 200mm off the case width and that tells me the tube is 600mm long and 50mm diameter. That makes it a 30 watt tube IF it is an A grade tube, Sadly the Chinese max out profits by fitting B grade reject tubes to these Ebay machines so you may only have 20 watts at the 16mA max that you should be running a 30 watt tube at. There are some simple check to carry out when you have your ammeter fitted . Send me your disguised email address in another comment and we can speak later when you test your machine. Best wishes Russ

@@joeblogs4146 Hi You don't need to encrypt it, just spell your email in one word like this joedotblogsatyahoodotcom. That way, bots that look for email addresses to collect and sell will nor spot it. I will also delete it as soon as it arrives in another comment. Yep, as anticipated, its a 30 watt 600 long tube and very B grade. The writing on the label is to give you confidence that it has been tested but it tells me exactly the opposite.. The "updated" bit of the advertising is just another ruse to make you feel you are getting more for your money. The design and software has been the same for years as has been the fact that they fit B grade reject tubes that they collect from the original tube manufacturer for peanuts (or less). The SH signifies.your machine was built in the Shenhui factory (so was my China blue machine and that was fitted with a crap tube also). Do you have any small pieces of acrylic? If so, how thick? we need to test what shape the light intensity is within your beam before I can even begin to judge if you have any useful power. That's why we need to communicate by email. You can.t send pictures via You tube. If the K40 is fitted with a proper quality tube , it will do what you are looking for. I have seen some nice pictures done on K40s. Best wishes Russ

Hi Have you watched ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-xDZmuxq5BEM.html If you are still unsure just write again. Best wishes Russ

Hi I live in ther London area of the K and winter temperatures are very inconsistent Sometimes we may have 150mm of snow for a week and in other years nothing. I have never experienced ant issues with my two machines because like you I have installed gently heating in the form of 4 x50 halogen bulbs . However, this year I noticed a few weeks ago, before the cold weather, that on one machine, all the bulbs needed replacing. I did not have spares so i just left the pump running continuously. I monitor both air temperature and water temperature and found the pump was causing its own heating effect and keeping the water about 6C above air temperature. I have often run my machine at 5C and never had a hint of a problem. In fact the tube will deliver an extra watt or two of power at low temperatures. I have also run at the other extreme of 45C for several hours with no ill effects except about 5% power loss. Thee key thing is to prevent freezing, because ice is more volumetric than water and WILL burst the tube. Best wishes Russ

@@SarbarMultimedia Thanks for your kind answer much appreciated.

Hi The biggest tip I can give is do not use the machine sockets to drive the fan Run it from a separate mains supply power block. On my Tangerine tiger I have rigged the exhaust fan to stop about 10 seconds after the cycle stops. It starts whenever a cycle starts. The slight delay of extraction on start up is negligible. I had to make a 150mm inlet flange for the fan and also a 4" outlet flange

@@SarbarMultimedia thanks for the reply, I will make sure the seperate out the fans power. Ive got the flanges all rigged up now im going to install my ammeter. Youre the best man, take care

Hi John I apologize for the tardy reply. I somehow missed your comment. The laser tube operates on two voltages a strike voltage and a running voltage Both depend on the length (the power) of the tube. Typical 50 to 80 watt tubes strike at between 23000 and 28000volts dc. When the beam is fully established (about 12 to 14% power)the voltage drops to about17000 volts dc. Once the nitrogen has ionized it becomes a very low resistance conductor and the current flow through it need to be controlled by the power supply. The signal for that control comes from the controller where the % power you request is translated into a current demand. usually in the range of 2 to 30mA. Generally the tube will not work below about 8% power and if you go much above 60% you run the danger of exceeding the safe running current for the tube.. Limits for these values can be set using RDWorks.There is no problem working with 60 % as your top limit and say 10% as your bottom limit. That's a range of 50%. The power can be selected to 0.1% so that's 500 divisions. of power graduation available. The power characteristic is not linear I, as with most people, was able to use my machine right out of the box. It did need setting for better performance but it worked. All ebay machines are fitted with crap reject tubes from big manufacturers. There's an organization that does not exist called KH Laser, they collect and tests these rejects, to make sure they function "in some way. The" re-label them and get them fitted to just ebay machines . Ebay buyer are usually naive, do not have any knowledge of the technology, have no means of monitoring tube current and do not have an expensive power meter on hand to check their purchase. The perfect scam. Yes My first tube was like that, absolute rubbish. I replaced it with this wholesaler.alibaba.com/product-detail/1pcs-60w-CO2-Laser-Tube-and_60064355769.html You cannot cut copper or brass with this technology because to 10.6 micron wavelength light, copper (with almost any crap surface) acts like a mirror because of its crystal structure. You cannot heat it to melt it even with a powerful CO2 laser. You can vaporize a surface mask and there are several you tube videos of guys doing it. Hope some of this is helpful Best regards Russ

thanks, very helpfull indeed,i used to use photo develop techniques for pcb,but light under cut was a problem,screen printing a suitable resist is a long winded nightmare of constant re-do to the screen,one method which works very well is the laser printer toner heat transfer,but i also have wind od using a UV laser to develop mask with great precision,though burning off a mask with a visible wave length laser,which can be used on leather,wood is fine. If the price of the metal encased CO2 lasers comes down a bit i'd fancy that,i've got the cnc bug so a 3 axis mill with laser attachment can be realised by arduino and raspberry pi,though i hated programming computers in college some 27yrs ago,it was 6502 assembly for BBC micros and acorns,which were outdated then!!!,the new pc assembly is easier to do,and with the internet,well,you cant help but learn,if a 12yr old can ,so can i. Enjoy your lazing,not that retirement is that. Be well,and regards. John h.

This started off as pure tasteless water. If there is any biological growth in the water it will tend to have that earthy taste as well as developing a slimy feel .. It's now over two and a half years and still the original water. Best wishes Russ

Hi Your existing tibe will be 50mm diameter. Yes, you can find 80 watt tubes with a 50mm diameter but they are usually cheap, "old school" design and 1600mm long. Modern 80 watt tubes will be 55 mm diameter and about 1250mm long.. You will find some great 80 watt tube bargains on Ebay. Be VERY careful because they are cheap for a reason. They will usually be B grade reject tubes from a major manufacturer that have failed their final tests. Yes the will work but who knows to what standard.. There are very few trusted sources unless you buy direct from a manufacturer. However I can validate one trusted source and that is cloudraylaser.com. They sell their own branded tubes as well as others. Cloudray do not manufacture tubes so normally I would run a mile from any rebadged tube. However, I know that Cloudray have negotiated a rebadging deal with SPT ( a real top tube manufacturer) and their tubes are A grade tubes at a great price. They are also VERY conservatively rated You can see me fitting a CR70 (70 watt) tube to one of my machines and you will also see it being tested as more 80 watts at it's safe working current. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-V_ehGE51rH4.html Check out your tube clamps to make sure they will take a 55mm diameter tube Best wishes Russ

@@SarbarMultimedia Thank you sir.. You are a wealth of knowledge.

Hi Jeordan Yes, it took me a little while to realize that ebay is NOT the place to go looking for a new tube and power supply. That's where they dump all the B grade rubbish. You generally cannot buy direct from a Chinese manufacturer but have to go through their version of Ebay called Aliexpress or Alibaba. However, you are buying direct from the manufacture where these organizations are like a big shop window. You will be buying A grade products if you choose reputable manufacturers. I chose Mactron because they were a smaller company making their own power supplies and tubes but were dedicated to providing a high class service and a top quality product at a reasonable price. Here is what I ordered www.aliexpress.com/store/product/1200MM-60W-Laser-Tube-60W-co2-Laser-Power-Supply/321243_1109607209.html This is what was shipped mactron.en.alibaba.com/product/60206922896-219893473/Co2_Laser_Tube_70_Watt_For_Laser_Cutting_Machine.html It was an MTS-T70 tube 1250mm long with matching power supply. Several people have followed my steps and most have been treated the same way. It is a good idea to write directly to Gelly Dung on sales02@mactron-tech.com. Ask for a quotation and part numbers for the 60 watt power supply and tube that she supplied to Russ Sadler. You may be lucky enough to get the same good deal. The bad news is that DHL double the price of your purchase with their courier charges and then you will pay about another $100 for import tax. Ouch!! but it was worth it to have a product that just worked reliably and predictably. Good luck Best regards Russ

www.aliexpress.com/store/product/1200MM-60W-Laser-Tube-60W-co2-Laser-Power-Supply/321243_1109607209.html?spm=2114.12010608.0.0.44fb50ed6p7PZl Best Wishes Russ

|Hi |Danny Many spare parts are available from Cloudraylaser.com. If the parts you require are not shown on their website there is a message tab on the right or better still send a picture (maybe with a couple of key dimensions) to info@cloudraylaser.com Best wishes Russ

@@SarbarMultimedia Thanks Russ for the very quick reply will have a look many thanks

Hi Mrs Glynn? I started out using this machine with 3 advantages 1) I had run a metal cutting laser business, so this little Chinese dragon should have been easy to tame. Wrong. If 5% of my knowledge and laser experience was useful, even that may be an exaggeration. I had to start learning from square 1. 2)50 years of practical engineering and design experience. 3)Experienced CAD user. My hobby has always been film/video/editing in a serious amateur way. Weddings, chritenings or kids birthday parties are now a thing of the past, At my age, I get more funeral "invites" and it would be impolite to rock up to such an event with a video camera. So, learning to use this little machine was a great opportunity for me to combine two hobbies. There is a complete series of videos....if you google rdworks learning lab series that will take you there. It takes you through learning the tools within RDWorks and how to use the machine. I had a lot of difficulties to start with because the tube in my machine was basically rubbish but I was at that stage too naive to recognize it I have been at it for two years almost and I still have lots to learn. It does not take too long to pick up the basics but finesse comes with practice and self criticism. Always here to help if you get stuck. If you use the You Tube personal messaging system you can send me a question that way and add your email address and I will answer off line. Best wishes Russ

Thank you I am waiting for some free time to get started, I'm sure I'll be in touch.

I do not have direct experience of your type of rotary but I do understand how it should work. Did it come with the machine or was it something you bought separately? I ask that question in case there is a mismatch between the stepper motors on your machine and the stepper motor on the chuck. Basically if you unplug your Y axis and plug in your rotary (with the machine switched off). When you start the machine the X axis should run to its endstop position to set its zero datum and the chuck should rotate aimlessly. because it has no end stop position to find. You will have to push the gantry back to its end stop and draw it off slightly to set the rotary axis zero. If you can get this far then you will be well on your way. Try this first and let me know. Best wishes Russ

Hi I hope you mean 24x14 inches rather than feet!!! The laser process is a burning mechanism , so cutting leather or engraving it is a VERY smoky and smelly business. But look around you tube for some guys doing it and you will see that it works well. You will not need a pwerful machine, something like 60 watts is a good compromise. I use the word compromise because cutting and engraving have conflicting requirements. You need little power (maybe 10 to 15 watts) to engrave well but you need lots of power to CUT. If you go out and buy a 150 watt machine, you will be able to cut leather at lightening speeds but when it comes to engraving...oops not enough control at low power. That's why they have twin laser machines with a 150 and 40 watt tubes on one machine. You will undoubtedly buy from ebay, if so there are two major pieces of advice. First do not buy a KeHui brand machine (it's a long story) and secondly make sure you buy with your CREDIT card. Ebay guarantees are useless and PayPal do not cover manufacturing equipment. by all means send me a private message with a link when nyou have settled on a machine and I'll point out any issues Best regards Russ

Thank you so much! And yea, I definetly mean inches, sorry. I looked around for a few and did'nt find any machines that were big enough to cut a 24" x 14" mat, and I was wondering if you knew a couple. Good idea about the credit card, I will definetly do that. I'm still looking around for a machine to buy and I appreciate any and all tips you can give me!

This machine would be ideal for your requirements 27.5"x 19.7" and a supposed 60 watt tube. In reality it will be a 1000mm long 50 watt tube of dubious quality. The tube may last weeks or over a year so that's just a word of warning. The basic mechanics are usually pretty good and you basically are getting a lot for your money. You can buy a better quality machine with support from a local distributor of this type of mackine but you will be paying 4 times the price for almost the same thing. If you are prepared to tinker with your machine and are not phased by problems but set to solving them, then you will enjoy this sort of machine. www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CO2-LASER-ENGRAVER-ENGRAVING-CUTTING-MACHINE-CARVING-PRINTING-60W-USB-PORT/201430056910?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D555018%26algo%3DPL.SIM%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D20140122125356%26meid%3D2073199bca43458da41caf239cdb6558%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D4%26rkt%3D6%26mehot%3Dpp%26sd%3D222590654498 Still working in inches tells me you are in the USA. You will find something similar on ebay.com. Best regards Russ

OMG, Seriously thank you so much! I am looking to do a design of something thats similar to this design on a leather mat btw. www.etsy.com/listing/230707898/leather-playmat-chandra Thanks so much for all your advice and input. It really does help alot!

Also I think I found one. Can you please let me know which of these are the right one, or are they both the same. www.ebay.com/itm/Laser-Engraving-Cutting-Machine-Engraver-Cutter-USB-Port-60W-CO2-/282428370151?epid=0&hash=item41c20aece7:g:v6MAAOSwB-1YrTEw www.ebay.com/itm/60W-CO2-USB-Port-Laser-Engraving-Cutter-Machine-Engraver-700x500mm-w-Water-Pump-/181922072654?epid=933608652&hash=item2a5b66884e:g:3jwAAOSwTM5Y0PA3

Hi All explained in ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-xDZmuxq5BEM.html Best regards Russ

Hi Rick It's great news that you have joined the "Chinese Laser Sufferers Club". It seems that the path I am creating with my learning journey is helpful to others, so thanks for your feedback and appreciation. Just make sure you look ahead and see that I made early mistakes. Don't lose sight of the fact that these are NOT tutorials but more a record of an old guy in his man cave have the most fun ever with a techno toy. The only advice I will give is until you have fitted an ammeter don't use more than 65% power. By all means use it at higher values for a few quick test to characterize your tube. If you bought a 50 watt machine it will certainly be fitted with a 40 watt tube that should not run at more than 18mA To fit an ammeter is easy. See ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-xDZmuxq5BEM.html Best regards Russ

Hi Aaron Thanks for the suggestion and I may do some experimental work. However unlike a car exhaust system where the sound has only one exit path, that's not the case with a centrifugal fan. The impeller blades are shearing air as they pass over the exit scroll and this is the source of the noise. By virtue of the high velocity air, maybe as much as 60% of the generated noise is carried into the exhaust duct. This is where you would normally put a T resonator and I can imagine that this would be a very effective silencing system because the frequency is reasonably pure. The problem with the fan is that at least 40% of the noise propagates out from the input duct and also through the fan casing. A really super idea and thanks for your input Best regards Russ

I built a big air bearing assembly for handling paper through a printing press. We were dealing with eight 7.5HP blowers operating among a production assembly team. We tried many things, but what worked best was a large cabinet with sound absorbing foam and Helmholtz tube on the exhaust side. Our blower housings were cast aluminium and didn't allow much sound transfer at the main frequency.

Hi John Universal along with Trotec and Epilogue are industrial quality machines and you would only invest such sums if you had a projected workflow to justify the cost. It's an amazing commendation that your machine has performed so well but this very low cost Chinese equipment cannot be considered for comparison. As the old adage goes "you get what you pay for". It's amazing therefore that what you get works at all....but it does and quite well. It is not refined and you need to be an enthusiastic hobbyist rather than a business to own this type of equipment. However, I am amazed at how many folks DO buy this kit and start small trinket businesses Best regards Russ

Hi Ben Thanks for that tip. Perhaps in my case I already have that compliance because there is about 6 feet of soft silicone pipe between the pump and the machine inlet. I will however experiment with extra volume as you suggest. Best regards Russ

Hi Is the tube a branded tube like Reci or EFR? Normally a 60 watt tube will be 22mA. 80 watt tube will be 24mA and 100watt tube 26mA. However, Reci do not reccommend running ANY of their tubes at more than 25mA. Just a quick final question. Is your tube labeled K H Laser? Best regards Russ

Hi My experience of twin head machines is zero but if you are going to pusue that route I would say that 80 watts is far too much power for engraving. Even with a 60 watt tube I struggle to get control of low power for engraving certain materials. A good compromise for engraving will be a 40 watt tube with a 1.5" focal length lens. Cutting is where you require the power. You are quite right that you can cut thin steel with 150 watts with oxygen assist gas but you normally require a special metal cutting head for such work.. I used to own two 3kw metal cutting machines as part of a precision sheet metal working company and these Chines machines are definitely not going to produce commercial quality work from all the results I have seen. The Chinese are the best with weasle words so be VERY sceptical of any claims. You will need bottled oxygen and a pressure regulator set to supply the required 1 to 2 bar pressure at the nozzle. It will consume large amounts of pretty expensive gas. just listen to any video of the process and you can hear the high pressure gas. If you have a metal profiling business in your area, try to arrange a visit to see just what's involved with metal cutting. Nice idea but not really a hobby activity. All best wishes Russ

It's your money to spend how you wish. I toyed long and hard about a K40 when I bought my machine. I knew little about at the time but I though it was too small even though I had no specific purpose for buying a machine. I made the decision to spend more and with what I know about the K40 it would have been a waste of money. Yes it is a laser machine but has so few "grown up" features that your capabilty will be seriously limited.. Be careful that you buy a machine with a Ruida controller because you can buy the same looking machine with an old school analog controller, basically a pimped up K40. Best wishes Russ

Hi Frank It all depends on the overall length of your tube. The chances are that you have a K40 machine (smaller than mine) which will claim to have a 40 watt tube. A true 40 watt tube will be 800 mm long and 50mm diameter. The chances are that you have a tube that will be 600 or 700mm long. 600mm is a 30 watt tube which I would not run at more than 16mA and 700 is a 35 watt tube run at max of 17mA. It worries me about the manner of the wording on your tube. It sounds like it may be labeled KH Laser? Peak power is what unscrupulous vendors quote. This is not a power you can use. It is also very rare to find the peak power and the "agreement" power so similar. This sounds like a B grade tube that has been relabeled. All best wishes Russ

Hi Paul There was no link attached. Add your email to another comment and I'll delete it from public view because I get auto copied to my gmail. I will contact you off line. Best wishes Russ

Hi Look carefully at the machine model number if it starts KH, my advice is to avoid. Best wishes and good luck Russ

SarbarMultimedia Morning, I have been watching a few more if your videos this morning, and watched one with you upgrading you tube and used a company called mactron. Would you recommend the mactron machines? They seem a little bit more expensive, but happy to pay for a better quality product as I would be using it for a small business. I'm an English man living in Mauritius so would have to import everything from China myself. Thanks for all your advice, watching your videos will undoubtedly save me a lot of time in the future.

Check out your you tube messages and there should be one there from me. Best wishes Russ

Hi Brian try this www.ebay.com/itm/Digital-STC-1000-Temperature-Controller-Temp-Sensor-Thermostat-Control-110-220V-/201731996706?var=&hash=item2ef829fc22:m:mkiQLVM77gdU1ZEW_1KEsRg Best wishes Russ

Hi I think you are trying to find the safe drive current for your laser tube. There are typical maximum current values for tubes that look like this 50 watt 20mA, 60 watt 22 mA and 80 watts 24mA. But it does depend on your tube manufacturer and model no. If you can see the maker and model number on the tube then you can refer back to their website and it may say 25mA for example. However, reading between the lines of your question I'm guessing that this is a tube fitted to an Ebay machiner purchase? If so things could be a bit different. Is the tube long and thin ie about 1600mm long and 50 (maybe 60mm) diameter? or is it a shorter, maybe about 1200mm long and about 80mm diameter? Is it fitted with a KH Labs label? Let me know and I'll tell you more. Berst regards Russ

Ordering directly from China you will at least get a machine with everything A grade. You may have to quickly get up to speed with servicing and understanding the machine yourself because it will soon require your attention and the long distance service help from China will be "difficult" Quality control is not a strong point for many Chinese companies although there are a few that have aspired to reach western standards. Sincere good luck in your venture. The machine you have bought WILL work but it will require you to posess skills and detailed knowledge to extract the best from it. Best wishes Russ

Hi Thanks for the appreciative comments. My experience of the Chinese system and the tricks they get up to is mainly gathered from the huge amount of correspondence I get from people in trouble. Each individual thinks their situation is unique, but I can see from the patterns that they (and I) are just part of an Ebay marketing fraud. As I try to make clear in my summary, most machines are mechanically sound (a few are poorly set up) but the big con is in the B grade tubes and power supplies they fit. When you buy one of these machines you must factor in that in a reasonably short time you will have to be spending out for a new PSU and PROPER quality tube. I point this out as something to consider if you are cash strapped. Good luck and best regards Russ

Hi Johnny Tube life is still a mystery in my book. My dealings with Thinklaser have been very informative on this subject. Their MD is a regular visitor to the Chinese factory where his machines are manufactured. As a machine builder, that manufacturer has good relationships with all the major tube manufacturers. Thus it is via that route that I am reliably informed that the specified tube life is NOT (as you would imagine) "beam on" hours but elapsed hours from manufacture ie shelf life. Do I believe that? Not really, because of hearsay and my own experience.. It's a good starting point that tells you that even the best claims of 8,000 hours from the likes of Reci and EFR will last about a year IF it really is elapsed hours. My current tube claimed to be 4,000 hour life. It is now 18 months old and has 14,000 hours elapsed. It still performs as new. I expect to experiences a slow decrease in power over a few weeks when t does eventually start the downward spiral to death. There are many out there that have told me that their tubes are lasting way,way longer as well. Some companies do offer a CO2 regassing service but it's expensive and aimed more at industrial tubes. Just buy a whole new tube because CO2 is but one of the things that wear out or weaken. Yes, you must consider the tube as a consumable and typically expect between 2 and 4 years as a tube life. BUT the tube installed in your ebay machine will almost certainly not be a decent tube and that could last days to months (from the experience of many correspondents ) so factor in the cost of a new tube when you budget for your machine purchase, that way you will be mentally and financially prepared. Final note. Buy with your CREDIT card. Do not use your Pay Pal account or any other payment method. Your card company has a legal obligation to protect you against faulty goods that you will not get elsewhere. Best wishes Russ

Hi Mohammad. The answer is both yes and no. Confused? Let me explain. You cannot reduce air FLOW through your machine because that is what is extracing your fumes and this flow is very important. if you reduce the pipe size from 6" to 3" you will rduce the flow area from 28square inches to 7 square inches OUCH!!!. I suspect that your problem is that can cannot trail a 6" pipe across your workshop or there is not a big enough space to vent the pipe. There is a solution and it is shown in the video at 13 minutes. If you use a centrifugal fan, you can put the 6" tube to the inlet of the fan (close to your machine) and then you can use a 3" pipe from the fan because this type of fan compresses the air and can force it down a long 3" pipe The Chinese supply such fans for some of their machines Hope this helps Best regards Russ

Hi Harrell I absolutely hate You Tube from time to time. I answered this question in depth earlier and You Tube has posted my answer to some parallel universe!!! So lets try again The strategy to solving such issues is to halve the problem and then work on the half that has the issue. First verify that Y is working correctly with the UP/DOWN arrows. Switch off the machine There are 4-way connectors on both the X and Y stepper drivers, Swap them over Move the head to the centre of the table Turn the power on but as soon as you see head movement press the ESC button to stop the head Now press the left and right arrows. Remember that the X driver is now powering the Y motor. Thus if the gantry moves it proves that there is noting wrong with the X driver. OR if there is no movement then you have to concentrate on the X driver, Now press the UP/DOWN arrows. It proves that the wiring and the X motor are both working correctly. If no motion then a broken wire must be suspected because it is rare (but not impossible) for a stepper motor to just die. Let me know in which half of the system the problem is happening and we can then work back further. Best wishes Russ

Russ, thank you very much for your response. I did as you instructed and once I switched the wires on the stepper drivers, I had X movement but no Y movement. I also checked the continuity on the wires on both motors and it showed to have good continuity both motors. I am thinking this all means that the X stepper driver is the problem. Interesting side note here, I contacted Orion Motor Tech Direct through Amazon messaging and they asked me to make a video that their technician could view to help determine the problem. While doing a run through for the video, I started up the machine and the X axis was working. It lasted about 24 hours and it quit again. Do you agree that the stepper driver is the problem? Do you have any recommendations for supplier for a replacement?

@@harrellmathews4516 Hi Harrell Sadly any laser machine bought from ebay or through Amazon market place will be built with many B grade parts that work but did not pass the original manufacturers final test specification. Obviously these parts are mach cheaper than A grade parts and the manufacturer of the machine will distance himself from warranty responsibility by selling to you through a 3rd party who is legally responsible for the promised warranty. I suspect that you may have such a stepper drive unit. If the X driver has quit again, Take a video of it not working and swap the drivers again and show a video of X working and Y not working. I hope you are speaking with the vendor via Amazon so there is a record. Upload the video to You Tube as an unlisted and send them the link via your Amazon communication route. Exaggerate the situation and tell them that this is preventing your small business from operating and it needs urgent attention. If they cannot replace the driver within 7 days then you will be forced to buy one locally at a cost $???? and ask for a refund to cover the replacement cost.. Take a look here on Amazon at a reputable company for a guide price (plus delivery) Quite a lot of popular items are stocked by Amazon but some willcome from China so check the delivery dates. www.amazon.co.uk/s?i=merchant-items&me=A19OXSQHU3YOFO Best wishes Russ

Hi Carlos this is what I bought www.aliexpress.com/store/product/1200MM-60W-Laser-Tube-60W-co2-Laser-Power-Supply/321243_1109607209.html?spm=2114.12010608.0.0.wDQqRI If you look at the bottom of the website there are links to other tubes and manufacturers YOu may wish to contact Mactron Directly , a young lady (Gelly Dung) has been most helpful and will quote you for exactly the kit I had (just mention Russ Sadler) her email is sales02@mactron-tech.com Good luck and best wishes Russ

Hi It is not just a good idea, it is essential to preserving your tube life . There are maximum recommended currents for running your tube that depend on watts or tube length. Run the tube at more than this recommended current and you will dramatically shorten your tube life. That ammeter is so cheap and also so simple to install it is almost criminal negligence that they are not fitted as standard to all machines. Being cynical (what me???) I suspect the Chines are relying on your ignorance to use the tube at 100% so that you wreck your tube quickly....great for after market sales of tubes!! Best wishes Russ ps www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DC-0-30MA-Analog-Current-Panel-Meter-Ammeter-85C1-30MA-White-W8D2/123418829185?_trkparms=aid%3D555017%26algo%3DPL.CASSINI%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D55149%26meid%3D2f3e71c4651b48948f92f98453522ac4%26pid%3D101006%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D1%26%26itm%3D123418829185&_trksid=p2045573.c101006.m3226

Thanks for the reply, great content sir .