Tools - Newbie

[Soren Christensen]

Hi guys,

New to the forum and I have been going through most of it to get some hints and tips, which has been more than helpful. :)

However. Just starting out with a laser system(which i set to arrive in a few weeks) I kinda wanna be ready, for when it comes.

So I would love to hear, what set of tools you would suggest me to make sure i have at hand.

When I say tools, I dont mean for assembly.
For every day use, when doing woodwork, working with akryl, for marking on metal and such things.


Thanx in advance.

[Bruce Volden]

I'll chime in.

Dial calipers, various rare earth magnets, 10X loupe, disposable foam brushes, painters tape, DNA, Q tips, plastic and regular razor blades.......
You'll be adding other things as you go along. All is dependent on what you are going to be "majoring" in.

Bruce

[John Lifer]

Get some Paper mask. Wider than painter's tape. I use for masking some wood, (eliminates stain from burnt wood vapor deposits)
I've got 4" and 8" widths. I use a medium tack, I've needed high tack occasionally. (high is about same as your painter's tape)
Way easier to use if you need to cover wide area and probably 10% the cost of painter's tape. (maybe less)
I use a guy on ebay, JRS. Been the cheapest I've found.
Absolutely calipers, Nothing expensive, I use a Mitutoyo that were about $25, Grizzly has a some I got that were only $16.95, HF, no, too inconsistent.
Pack or two of cheap microfiber cloths., Magnets, and more magnets. (hold downs.) nothing high, nozzle could hit.

I made up about 3 or 4 6" acrylic and romark (two color plastic) rulers. Make yourself. Good practice and way useful. I grab them a LOT.
Roll of paper towels for use with the DNA to clean stuff. (buy gallon of DNA from big box, cheap and you will use it)

[Soren Christensen]

I'll chime in.

Dial calipers, various rare earth magnets, 10X loupe, disposable foam brushes, painters tape, DNA, Q tips, plastic and regular razor blades.......
You'll be adding other things as you go along. All is dependent on what you are going to be "majoring" in.

Bruce

Those rare earth magnets, are you perhaps able to point me in the right direction? :)



Get some Paper mask. Wider than painter's tape. I use for masking some wood, (eliminates stain from burnt wood vapor deposits)
I've got 4" and 8" widths. I use a medium tack, I've needed high tack occasionally. (high is about same as your painter's tape)
Way easier to use if you need to cover wide area and probably 10% the cost of painter's tape. (maybe less)
I use a guy on ebay, JRS. Been the cheapest I've found.
Absolutely calipers, Nothing expensive, I use a Mitutoyo that were about $25, Grizzly has a some I got that were only $16.95, HF, no, too inconsistent.
Pack or two of cheap microfiber cloths., Magnets, and more magnets. (hold downs.) nothing high, nozzle could hit.

I made up about 3 or 4 6" acrylic and romark (two color plastic) rulers. Make yourself. Good practice and way useful. I grab them a LOT.
Roll of paper towels for use with the DNA to clean stuff. (buy gallon of DNA from big box, cheap and you will use it)

I have been searching high and low for big rolls of masking tape, but havent been able to find the wide ones, only the small and flimse ones.
The rulers are a nice touch. Homemade and something to practice with :)

Again with the magnets. Love it. But not sure which to buy. :/

[Chris DeGerolamo]

What machine did you purchase?

[Soren Christensen]

What machine did you purchase?

Since im starting out in this area, i wanted something that i didnt have to do modding to, so i went with the Glowforge Pro. :)

I know that I could have gotten a few chinese ones for the same price, but again. I dont want to be modding. :) Only need to switch out the vent system and turn off the internal fan, to get it a bit more quiet and get better venting :)

[Gary Hair]

I would highly suggest getting a few jigsaw puzzles and maybe some word-cross books, or learn that 2nd language you always wanted to learn, to keep you busy while the machine is running. Glowforge are well known for being slower than anything on earth and you might as well put your waiting time to good use.


Since im starting out in this area, i wanted something that i didnt have to do modding to, so i went with the Glowforge Pro. :)

I know that I could have gotten a few chinese ones for the same price, but again. I dont want to be modding. :) Only need to switch out the vent system and turn off the internal fan, to get it a bit more quiet and get better venting :)

[Bill George]

You also need to have a good working fire extinguisher, a Lazy Boy chair, side table for drinks and snacks. Window AC to keep the room temp below 75 DegF. Time to read the Search results on this Forum from the past 4 years about the Glow Forge.

[Gary Hair]

You said you got a "laser system" and people started to give advice based on that information, when we found out you got a Glowforge we had to shift gears and make recommendations based on this new information. I was 100% serious about my previous recommendations.


Lets just make one thing clear guys. :)

Im not interested in anything else than tool tips, that are a must have/nice to have around. :)

So please keep all comments about that and nothing else ;)

[Rob Damon]

#1 Fire extinguisher (for when a fire happens)
#2 Notebook and pencil (to record what settings work and don't work)
#3 Internet connection (Software updates/research recommended settings from manufacturer)
#4 Time (to spend on youtube learning how other users of your specfic laser got it to work with specific material)
#5 Scrap material (you will burn through alot of material until you get the right setting for your machine)
#6 Cleaning wipes (to clear lense and mirrors)
#7 Just normal measurement tools.

[Soren Christensen]

#1 Fire extinguisher (for when a fire happens)
#2 Notebook and pencil (to record what settings work and don't work)
#3 Internet connection (Software updates/research recommended settings from manufacturer)
#4 Time (to spend on youtube learning how other users of your specfic laser got it to work with specific material)
#5 Scrap material (you will burn through alot of material until you get the right setting for your machine)
#6 Cleaning wipes (to clear lense and mirrors)
#7 Just normal measurement tools.

Thank you, :)
This is what I need :)

[Dave Sheldrake]

1: Decent Co2 fire extinguisher
2: A second decent Co2 fire extinguisher

[John Lifer]

Look for vinyl application tape, Paper specifically. Suppliers that do the vinyl car wraps have it. I KNOW you have someone in Denmark that does vinyl car wraps.
I'll not say anything about your choice in laser... Today..... Except you HAVE to have a good internet connection.

[Soren Christensen]

Look for vinyl application tape, Paper specifically. Suppliers that do the vinyl car wraps have it. I KNOW you have someone in Denmark that does vinyl car wraps.
I'll not say anything about your choice in laser... Today..... Except you HAVE to have a good internet connection.

Again good advice. :)

However, my order was pushed back a few weeks and I happen to meet a guy from a danish rep of Trotec. We have agreed to meet at their showroom next week, for a demonstration of a handful of various materials to show me the "stock". :)

I have been looking at Trotec and have been very satisfied with their machines, but they are just in a completely different price range. (i know the phrase, you get what you pay for). Have been eyeing their Speedy 300 Flexx, but just not sure its worth the extra $$$ for the flexx, when you have materials as cermark and likewise. :)

[Gary Hair]

Flexx is one of those things that sound great at first but once you really research it the benefit dies away quickly. The way a fiber works is 100% suitable for galvo and not so much for gantry and for most engraving purposes you won't get anywhere near the same results with a gantry as you will with galvo, both in quality of engraving and production speed. Then when you throw cost into the mix you find that a galvo is really the way to go. I don't know the current price for the Flexx upgrade but when I bought my Speedy 400 it was enough to easily buy two fiber lasers today. Another consideration is redundancy - with a Flexx machine as your CO2 and fiber, when one is down the other is likely down as well, not so with separate machines. You are correct that Trotec are in a completely different price range and comparing with similarly priced machines it's still the better value (to me anyway) and there is no comparison whatsoever to any glass tube machine. High speed coupled with ultra-fast acceleration means that there are few machines that can keep up with it. Add in the fact that they are built like tanks and you have an unbeatable combination. Get the Speedy 300 without the fiber option and I guarantee you won't be sorry!


Again good advice. :)

However, my order was pushed back a few weeks and I happen to meet a guy from a danish rep of Trotec. We have agreed to meet at their showroom next week, for a demonstration of a handful of various materials to show me the "stock". :)

I have been looking at Trotec and have been very satisfied with their machines, but they are just in a completely different price range. (i know the phrase, you get what you pay for). Have been eyeing their Speedy 300 Flexx, but just not sure its worth the extra $$$ for the flexx, when you have materials as cermark and likewise. :)

[Chris Thomason]

I would second Gary’s suggestion. I upgraded from a nice Chinese machine to a used speedy this summer . One of the best decisions I have made.

My old machine was faster than a glowforge but the speedy finishes most jobs 5 or 10 times faster than the old machine. If you are using the laser to make money it’s an easy choice. If you are just having fun its a much more complicated decision.

Not sure what the used market is around you but it might be worth looking into as well. If you do end up with the speedy get at least 80w. Any less and you don’t have enough laser power to max out the speed. Might not matter all that much to you right now, but they do retain a lot of value and it will impact resale.

[Soren Christensen]

Flexx is one of those things that sound great at first but once you really research it the benefit dies away quickly. The way a fiber works is 100% suitable for galvo and not so much for gantry and for most engraving purposes you won't get anywhere near the same results with a gantry as you will with galvo, both in quality of engraving and production speed. Then when you throw cost into the mix you find that a galvo is really the way to go. I don't know the current price for the Flexx upgrade but when I bought my Speedy 400 it was enough to easily buy two fiber lasers today. Another consideration is redundancy - with a Flexx machine as your CO2 and fiber, when one is down the other is likely down as well, not so with separate machines. You are correct that Trotec are in a completely different price range and comparing with similarly priced machines it's still the better value (to me anyway) and there is no comparison whatsoever to any glass tube machine. High speed coupled with ultra-fast acceleration means that there are few machines that can keep up with it. Add in the fact that they are built like tanks and you have an unbeatable combination. Get the Speedy 300 without the fiber option and I guarantee you won't be sorry!

Thats actually funny, i thought the same thing as you said with "one being down, the other most like will also". Which is = 100% downtime.

I have asked the rep to have a few quotes ready for me, when I get over there. :)

However im not sure about what wattage to get and which extras to get. :eek:

Im pretty sure, I dont need a 120watt version. But maybe around 80watt would probably do it (im guessing here). :confused:

[Soren Christensen]

I would second Gary’s suggestion. I upgraded from a nice Chinese machine to a used speedy this summer . One of the best decisions I have made.

My old machine was faster than a glowforge but the speedy finishes most jobs 5 or 10 times faster than the old machine. If you are using the laser to make money it’s an easy choice. If you are just having fun its a much more complicated decision.

Not sure what the used market is around you but it might be worth looking into as well. If you do end up with the speedy get at least 80w. Any less and you don’t have enough laser power to max out the speed. Might not matter all that much to you right now, but they do retain a lot of value and it will impact resale.

I have been looking around, but no used on the side of the pond :O

As i answered to Gary, I have looked at the 80w version, but not sure what else to get from there. :) Like lens/bed/Rotary/Software (Vision/Cut) etc etc :D Its like buying a car. I want it all, but not sure I need all of it. :)

[Chris Thomason]

That begs the question-what are you planning to be doing with it?

[Soren Christensen]

That begs the question-what are you planning to be doing with it?

Well mainly would be cutting, engraving acrylic, glass, different wood materials for assembly :)

Would love to be able to cut roughly 1/2" wood, for constructing bigger items. :)

[Bert Kemp]

80 watts will have a hard time with 1/2" wood You should look at 130 to 150 watts for half inch wood.

[Soren Christensen]

80 watts will have a hard time with 1/2" wood You should look at 130 to 150 watts for half inch wood.

1/2" isnt required :) Its just something I dream about being able to, some day. :)

For now, Ive noticed that people are pleased with their 80w machine. So Im gonna stick with 80w.
Just need to figure out what else to get in it.

I see most people have the honeycomb table, so might as well get that. Havent seen anything regarding lenses, so for starters just go with the 1.5" for fine engravings. And have been told, that I can always add the rotary piece later on, once the need is there for it.

[Chris Thomason]

An 80w speedy is a very good choice.

I would recommend a 2 inch lense instead. I don’t think there is a noticeable difference in engraving quality but there is a noticeable difference in cutting depth. just my 2 cents. Other accessories can come later

[Soren Christensen]

An 80w speedy is a very good choice.

I would recommend a 2 inch lense instead. I don’t think there is a noticeable difference in engraving quality but there is a noticeable difference in cutting depth. just my 2 cents. Other accessories can come later

Thanx for the recommendation :) I was actually considering getting the standard 1.5 and then a second one. So that might just be the 2.0 :)

Im thinking about starting to get to know the various systems, before getting the laser. So which design system is mostly used? Is that CorelDraw or any other type? Since I might already have my first customer :D

[Gary Hair]

A 1.5" lens will be overkill for the materials you mentioned and will only cause you more problems due to the lens being closer to the engraving surface and getting dirty faster, requiring more cleaning and more likelihood of damage. Go with a 2" and you'll get all the detail you will ever need. If you are cutting then you could even go with a 3" for your "spare" lens.


Thanx for the recommendation :) I was actually considering getting the standard 1.5 and then a second one. So that might just be the 2.0 :)

Im thinking about starting to get to know the various systems, before getting the laser. So which design system is mostly used? Is that CorelDraw or any other type? Since I might already have my first customer :D

[Soren Christensen]

A 1.5" lens will be overkill for the materials you mentioned and will only cause you more problems due to the lens being closer to the engraving surface and getting dirty faster, requiring more cleaning and more likelihood of damage. Go with a 2" and you'll get all the detail you will ever need. If you are cutting then you could even go with a 3" for your "spare" lens.

Wouldnt the 1.5" be better for really small details, than the 2" and 3"? Also i dont see a 3" lens, not for CO2 atleast. I see a 1.5, 2.0 (a 2.0 clearance), 2.5, 4.0" . 2.85" is for flexx and 3.2" is for the fiber laser. :)

But then again, you guys are the experts and im only seeking advice :D

[Clark Pace]

I would cancel the the order if possible. And I am serious. Order a Chinese branded machine with Local support. There are several options as mentioned. I would say buy usa branded but it sounds like that mlight be out of your budget. Again I am not kidding

[Soren Christensen]

I would cancel the the order if possible. And I am serious. Order a Chinese branded machine with Local support. There are several options as mentioned. I would say buy usa branded but it sounds like that mlight be out of your budget. Again I am not kidding

Already cancelled the order and am talking to a local Trotec rep. :)

Though im still trying to figure out which configuration of the Speedy 300, i want to have. :)

[Mike Null]

I would get all the power you can afford. Lenses, get 2.0" and 2.5".. You'll be amazed at the detail from a 2.0" lens. Get a rotary device.

[vic casware]

Hi,
Lego, i have a 10'' x 10'' base and different shaped pieces
Great for making quick jigs

[Gary Hair]

Yes the 1.5" will provide better details but with anything but anodized aluminum you won't really be able to see the difference. I've got a 3" and a 4" for my Speedy 400 and assumed they would have the same sizes for the 300.


Wouldnt the 1.5" be better for really small details, than the 2" and 3"? Also i dont see a 3" lens, not for CO2 atleast. I see a 1.5, 2.0 (a 2.0 clearance), 2.5, 4.0" . 2.85" is for flexx and 3.2" is for the fiber laser. :)

But then again, you guys are the experts and im only seeking advice :D

[Soren Christensen]

Yes the 1.5" will provide better details but with anything but anodized aluminum you won't really be able to see the difference. I've got a 3" and a 4" for my Speedy 400 and assumed they would have the same sizes for the 300.

In the technical sheet showing the different configurations, I couldn't see the 3.0 :)

But I mailed the rep the following config:

Speedy 300
80watt laser
Honeycomb table
Lens: 2.0 and 2.5
Rotary attachment

Still waiting for a reply.

I think I saw something about a discount for SMC members, but any idea how much that is? :)

Also I told the rep, that I will be attending a trade show in Germany (trotec is represented there) in a few weeks, so might push him a bit on the price :D

[Gary Hair]

You might want to reconsider the honeycomb table. It's not very strong and unless you do a lot of cutting of very thin material then you'd be better off with the ferromagnetic table. I use an aluminum grid that I bought online and made a frame to hold it above the bed to allow for airflow, it was about $200USD and works great! The other nice thing about the ferromagnetic table is that you can use magnets to hold down thin/bent/warped materials.


In the technical sheet showing the different configurations, I couldn't see the 3.0 :)

But I mailed the rep the following config:

Speedy 300
80watt laser
Honeycomb table
Lens: 2.0 and 2.5
Rotary attachment

Still waiting for a reply.

I think I saw something about a discount for SMC members, but any idea how much that is? :)

Also I told the rep, that I will be attending a trade show in Germany (trotec is represented there) in a few weeks, so might push him a bit on the price :D

[Bert Kemp]

My Honeycomb table is magnetic and has held up close to 5 years now , Just sayin

[Gary Hair]

Your Trotec honeycomb? If not then your talking about a different table and it's not really relevant to what properties a Trotec table has.


My Honeycomb table is magnetic and has held up close to 5 years now , Just sayin

[Mike Null]

The honeycomb table that came with my Trotec is well made and quite substantial. That said, I usually use an acrylic grid as I cut a fair amount of plastic and it leaves the back of the plastic fairly clean.

[Bert Kemp]

whats so different about a trotec honeycomb and my honeycomb. Mines well built has a solid frame and is magnetic. I can't see where a trotec would be much different.

[Gary Hair]

I may be completely wrong, I have been (many times) before, but I was told the Trotec honeycomb was aluminum.


whats so different about a trotec honeycomb and my honeycomb. Mines well built has a solid frame and is magnetic. I can't see where a trotec would be much different.

[Mike Null]

The Trotec grid is aluminum but sturdier than the typical aluminum grids I've seen with other machines. The frame is rigid, square and reversible so that you can use English or metric rules.

[Gary Hair]

And that was my point to Bert - aluminum = not magnetic


The Trotec grid is aluminum but sturdier than the typical aluminum grids I've seen with other machines. The frame is rigid, square and reversible so that you can use English or metric rules.

[jon stevenson]

I have the 80w Trotec, awesome machine. I suggest 1.5”, 2” and 4” lens. Those are the 3 main things that make your CO2 so versatile, and I would get them before any of the accessory beds. You can cut and engrave Anything on the basic cutting table that comes with the machine and a few scrap pieces of acrylic for spacers. I do not cut much wood so no comment there, however the 80w is awesome for engraving wood, laminates, marking aluminum, and acrylic. The 80w will cut through 15mm acrylic in one pass with no trouble approx 10” per minute. I haven’t tried thicker but I would guess 20mm would be about the max thickness in 1 slowwww pass.

As for other items that I sure use a lot would be a digital caliper, and blue masking tape.