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ian mcfarland
10-03-2017, 9:51 AM
<p>
I have gotten my rotary setup and can mark but the image is stretched and if i put the split lines in the rotary turns too far on each turn. Is the rotary only able to be used on a 70x70 lens or will it work on 120x120 too? this may be the issue....I have tried everything.</p>

Kev Williams
10-03-2017, 12:08 PM
here in the rotary menu--
369018
First, the 'focus length' should be the same as the lens you're using, in your case 70mm or 120mm depending on the lens you're using.

Second, very important, you need to enter the correct diameter of what you're engraving, in millimeters. If 1", then 25.4mm, etc.

As for split size, 10% of the diameter is a good starting point. The 10mm default (in my menu) is WAY to big for anything under 4" diameter. At 1" diameter that's nearly a half turn. So for a 25.4mm diameter, 2 or 3mm split size would work as a starting point. Many people use as small as .01mm.

The "distance per" is how far the rotary will move MANUALLY when you press the arrow keys, it has no bearing on engraving.

Notice the "invert" option, if you find what you're engraving is not mirror imaged BUT the sections are engraving right to left (or top to bottom) instead of correctly, then change the invert selection, if not checked, then check it, and vice versa.

ian mcfarland
10-03-2017, 2:05 PM
Thanks for the help I have spent all day trying to get this figured out. I set up with all lenses.
Currently I am marking a tumbler at 80mm dia if i do not do the split i can engrave the whole thing. it will stretch the image. If i set the diameter at 100mm it will not.

if I do split lines I have huge gaps i am thinking something with the rotary or it is off calibration.

Is there a way to calibrate it.

Bill George
10-03-2017, 4:33 PM
Thanks for the help I have spent all day trying to get this figured out. I set up with all lenses.
Currently I am marking a tumbler at 80mm dia if i do not do the split i can engrave the whole thing. it will stretch the image. If i set the diameter at 100mm is will not.

if I do split lines I have huge gaps i am thinking something with the rotary is off.

Is there a way to calibrate it.

Get some scrap tubing and do some trial and error experimenting before you chuck up that $30 stainless steel cup. Like others have suggested do some reading in the manual and Searching on here. Its Still going to take time!!

ian mcfarland
10-03-2017, 9:10 PM
I have, I am thinking my machine is not setup correctly and not calibrated to 1 to 1 in increments.

ian mcfarland
10-03-2017, 9:12 PM
or can some of you guys post their settings they use for doing cups and or items that size?

Also can you get results with out lines or distortion of the images?

John Lifer
10-03-2017, 10:06 PM
Have you calibrated it? Or checked the calibration? Don't just think, use manual and check all setups. And I use my CO 2 laser for my cups. Fiber is too slow

Kev Williams
10-04-2017, 12:53 AM
You can't just enter an "about" diameter, you need to measure the diameter of what you're engraving with some calipers and enter as close to the exact diameter as you can. The rotary can't position itself correctly unless you do. As for the split lines, the only time I use them is if I'm engraving text that isn't "text", such as text designed in Corel and imported as a DXF. I will put a split line between each letter. Otherwise, in most cases it's better to just use 'split size'... The way it works is, if you have a split size of 3mm (which is roughly 1/8"), it will engrave 3mm worth of your graphic around the circumference, then move 3mm, then engrave the next 3mm, then move 3mm, etc until it's done. The laser just pieces together the image at 3mm increments. If the split distance is too large for the circumference, the laser can go out of focus around the arc, and/or the graphic can get skewed.

Speaking of text, you can see if the rotary is working okay by using 'rotary textmark' and EZcad's text. Just type out some Arial font text, that will wrap around your cylinder. Do 2 or 3 lines if you want. When using 'rotary textmark' the machine will automatically engrave one letter at a time, one line at a time; it will engrave one letter, move, engrave one letter, move, etc etc until that text line is done, then the chuck will back up and do the same for line 2, then 3, etc... In other words, it automatically places a 'virtual' split line between each letter. Try it- if it engraves correctly, then you'll know there's nothing wrong with it...

ian mcfarland
10-04-2017, 9:11 AM
Of course I am using a caliper. I'm saying I set it at 80mm and the Image is stretched. When I did rotary text I had over lap also even though my text length was well below the diameter of the the part I entered.

So again is there some calibration for these machines a manual of how to setup the calibration 1 mm on the screen to 1 mm on the marked area?

Bill George
10-04-2017, 10:14 AM
Of course I am using a caliper. I'm saying I set it at 80mm and the Image is stretched. When I did rotary text I had over lap also even though my text length was well below the diameter of the the part I entered.

So again is there some calibration for these machines a manual of how to setup the calibration 1 mm on the screen to 1 mm on the marked area?
Yes, the instructions start on Chapter 8 in my EZCad manual on setting Zero and Steps.

ian mcfarland
10-04-2017, 12:25 PM
I have seen another menu online which prints a checkerboard pattern to enter measurements from to the software and then you recheck it after I cannot find it in the menus.

ian mcfarland
10-04-2017, 12:26 PM
https://youtu.be/CpEwe9X-vTU

Kev Williams
10-04-2017, 1:31 PM
Of course I am using a caliper. I'm saying I set it at 80mm and the Image is stretched. When I did rotary text I had over lap also even though my text length was well below the diameter of the the part I entered.

So again is there some calibration for these machines a manual of how to setup the calibration 1 mm on the screen to 1 mm on the marked area?

I'm thinking you have a lens calibration issue-- I'm going to experiment, BRB

>> I'm back-- what I did was test engrave a 1/2" square on some scrap aluminum while watching the rotary, which is connected but it's just sitting behind my machine...

results- No matter what I did when changing diameter, I got a 1/2" square on my scrap. Changing the diameter did not change the square it drew on the scrap, what it changed was how far the chuck rotated before the engraving began. (It will also change to keep the 1/2" size in the Y axis)

In the Rotary Mark screen, below the Diameter setting is a Focal Length setting. Changing this did nothing in Rotary Mark mode. I believe this is because the "field size" setting in the main F3 parameters setting takes precedence. In my rotary menu, the 160mm is automatically there, and it doesn't change even if I change the F3 field size setting. No matter what I changed the rotary mark focal setting to, it made no difference. BUT this is MY program, 2.5.3, and only this rotary menu, it may make a difference on newer versions or other menus.

that said, what DOES make a difference IS the F3 field size setting, because as the beam moves farther from the lens, the larger amount of laser movement in all directions, and the F3 setting tells the machine to adjust the size based on lens-to-work distance. Example, if you're tweaking your beam to engrave exactly the size you want at the focus point you choose, there's a place in the param settings to do this, but you can also just change the focal length setting, a lower number means a larger engraving---

SO-- hit F3 (or the lower 'param F3' button), and the top left box is the "field size"-- this setting must match the lens you're using, 70 for the 70, 120 for the 120. If you have the 120 lens in and your field size is set to 70, the engraving will be WAY too big!

Hope this is the problem, because I can't think of anything else ! :)

ian mcfarland
10-04-2017, 4:17 PM
I will check that tonight and report back

Chris J Anderson
10-10-2017, 2:49 AM
How did it go Ian ?

be nice to hear how you went...

ian mcfarland
10-12-2017, 3:14 PM
I need to hook it back up and retry been been busy doing other things did have some settings wrong from factory