Question on glass tubes

[gary l roberts]

I have a part time need for a larger more powerful and larger bed laser than my Epilog 50 watt. I'm considering adding a glass tube machine but am worried that if I don't use the machine regularly the tube will fail. Any body have any opinions on the issue? Tube life with out regular use? I know all tubes leak gas over time but am worried about speeding the process because of weeks where I might not need to use the bigger machine.
Thanks for the input......
(I know I could outsource the work but its more a hobby and that would take all the fun out of it.)

[Kev Williams]

I don't think "using" a glass laser will slow OR raise the so-called leakdown they suffer. I would think leakdown is strictly a function of time. But by laser standards, glass tubes are cheap to replace. And the machines are way cheaper to start with.

If/when my Triumph tube goes bad, the money it'll cost me will be offset by the very first job I run after it's installed. It's all the cost of doing business, you have to spend money to make money. It would be nice to just buy a cheap piece of equipment and have it create a nice cash flow into eternity! But things break and wear out... :)

Hobby use, well...

FWIW, my Triumph doesn't get used as often as the others, since the vast majority of my laser work is smaller raster engraving. But I do have repeat work- large items and cutting out stuff that I need it for. I think you'd be wise to get a glass machine, you already have work for it. And I've found virtually every time I've bought a machine and worried about finding work for it, the work always found me.

Just my http://www.engraver1.com/gifs/2cents.gif

[Dave Sheldrake]

There is no evidence glass tubes leak with time, what does happen though is contamination of the gas from oxidation of the electrodes internally.

Decent tubes will last 4 - 6 years before replacement whether they are used or not

[Bert Kemp]

I left my rabbit 60 watt sit for 3 months last summer and didn't notice any difference when I fired it up again.

[George M. Perzel]

I'm with Dave- have a tube in my machine for 5 years and no degradation in power or any other issue. The tube on the other side lasted 4 years+. originals were both RECI's.
Best Regards,
George
Laserarts

[John Noell]

There is no evidence glass tubes leak with time, what does happen though is contamination of the gas from oxidation of the electrodes internally.

Decent tubes will last 4 - 6 years before replacement whether they are used or not

I ended up with two tubes and the source of the free one (which came shortly after I had started using the first tube) insisted on a picture of it installed. So I pulled out the tube that was only used for a month or two, set it aside, and started using the free one. A year and a half later I put in the first tube to test and it has lost more than half of its power. Unusual? Or due to being partly used and then stored?

[Dave Sheldrake]

Part used John, once oxidation starts it's usually a one way thing especially on cheaper chinese tubes where they may have cut costs on electrode materials and don't use high grade tungsten as well as having less than great gas mixes in them

[gary l roberts]

Thanks for the input and response.

[John Noell]

Thanks Dave. But it was an EFR tube that went bad - not a cheaper one.

[Dave Sheldrake]

In effect even though EFR are great tubes, they are still low quality compared to stuff like Coherant and GSI.
A top of the line 180 watt EFR is about $3,000, a top of the line 200 watt SLC from GSI is $25,000