advice on rotary attachment needed

[Chad Fitzgerald]

im considering getting a rotary for my laserpro spirit, not something i have to have at this point but have turned down a few jobs cause i dont have one.
any advice, reviews, thoughts, options would be appreciated.
found a used one on ebay for 400.00.
couple sites have new ones for around 950.00
havent talked to my rep yet as i just started considering it.
one thing i have noticed is the 3 1/2" max diameter, not sure if i like that simply due to handles on most mugs. I understand i cant let the handle hit the laser head, but im thinking it would be nice to be able to have it rotate "down" to be able to get a mostly wrapped engraving. Will the rotary allow this or is this just the way it is?
Thanks for any input.
Chad

[Chuck Stone]

the 3.5" limit is not carved in stone.. it has a 6" swing. But you'll need
to make some parts of your own to take advantage of it. That rotary works
like a lathe and the base is just about 3" from the center axis. So even if you
can fit a 6" item in there you'll need to be careful of anything hitting the top OR
the bottom.

Having the same unit, the first thing I did is make up two dead centers. I just put
a cone end on two pieces of metal and drilled holes the same size as the shafts
(after taking off the rubber parts) so I can hold very small things like pen parts.
(I engrave them 360°)

You can also make replacement discs to hold larger items. Or if you don't have
a lathe, someone could make them for you. Coat those with something that
will grip well (plastic dip? double stick tape?) so your parts don't come off and
crash to the bottom.
I made a couple of small cylinder pieces and used a forstner bit to drill out a
small channel the same size as the ends of some mini LED flashlights and that
allowed me to hold and engrave those 360° too.

I think the 'rules' on those machines are more like guidelines that you can't
exceed and still expect to get support. So you can exceed them, you just
can't get tech help if you do.

Also, you might ask around about used units that are sitting in someone's
closet. I know some people don't like those units and have seen them sold
for less. You could possibly check used equipment brokers, too. They might
have a storeroom full of them that they're sick of tripping over..

[Gary Hair]

I have that same one that is on Ebay and it works great. You should get a return guarantee if it doesn't work though. It's pretty simple but if there is anything wrong with it then you'll spend more than a new one trying to fix it. Make sure you don't connect or disconnect it with the power on, it WILL FRY your laser.

Gary

[Jesse Anderson]

I would go for a new one with a warranty. Sure you might pay double. But the thought of having a receipt and warrany goes a long way. Trust me on this. Not to mention these rotary things pay for themselves. Why not get a nice one right? Also when u get the rotary attachment, Make sure u read the directions. Most machines require that u only plug in the rotary when the machine is off, And when u disconnect it make sure u have the machine off also. This has been known to do some electrical shorting in some equipment.

[Chad Fitzgerald]

thanks for the advice. have to do some thinking.
chad

[Dennis Watson]

Would everyone say that a chuck style rotary is more useful than a roller? I gotta decide, I am in the process of buying a Rabbit to save a few bucks doing a combo. Thanks.

[Gary Hair]

Would everyone say that a chuck style rotary is more useful than a roller? I gotta decide, I am in the process of buying a Rabbit to save a few bucks doing a combo. Thanks.

It depends on what you may want to laser. If you have something that isn't a perfect cylinder or has a handle then the hot-dog roller type won't work. I can't think of anything that the hot-dog roller can do that a chuck style can't. Mine isn't a chuck exactly, it has a rubber cone on the drive end and a flat plate on the other. The only thing I have had to make an adapter for are pool cues, pretty much anything else has worked fine.

Gary

[Dennis Watson]

Good point. I figure since I have a lathe & bridgeport I can make more jaws for the chuck and make it more adaptable.
Thanks.

[Greg Holt]

I have both styles.

Use the chuck style often. Use the roller style never.

YMMV, but for me it is a no brainer. :)

[Dennis Watson]

Thanks for the reply Greg.