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View Full Version : Please.....One more round of questions



Ray McAlister
11-07-2006, 7:04 PM
Looking at the M-25 or M-40 Pinnacle Laser.

What size compressor is needed??(can i buy at northern tool/sears/etc)

What size blower is needed??

And do i need a vector table?(i will be cutting wood, engraving glass,acrylic, etc)


I'm doing a late night cram due to i am going to the demo tomorrow and want my ducks in a row....
Any other advice as you wish to give....

Thanks for all the help, This board/forum is AMAZING

Ray

:D :D

George M. Perzel
11-07-2006, 7:41 PM
Hi Ray;
First of all , do not buy compressor, exhaust blower, or cutting table from laser vendor-make him deduct list price of all from his offer if they were included.
2. Buy a small airbrush compressor-many sources-they go for about $60 on Ebay-no need for moisture filters etc unless you are in a humid area.
3. 500 cfm exhaust blower is plenty unless your exhaust run to outside
is longer than 10 feet.-approx $150 max just about anywhere
4. You don't need any odor reduction equipment unless you are on top of neighbors with wood stove allergies or if you're going to do rubber stamps, in which case nothing will help and you will be run out of the neighborhood.
5. Buy a metal grid from Mike Null (see previous posts on cutting tables) and make your own cutting table with some aluminum angle stuff.Make sure it's level or add corner levelers to adjust.
6. Don't buy a rotary unit unless you are absolutely sure you are going to be doing a lot of round objects-most folks don't.
7. Guaranteed service and support (if there is such a thing) is the most important accessory. Push for maximum warranty, especially for the tube.
Good Luck
george

Nancy Laird
11-07-2006, 8:10 PM
Looking at the M-25 or M-40 Pinnacle Laser.

What size compressor is needed??(can i buy at northern tool/sears/etc)
Ray, we have a little Gast, Model DOA P707-FB- 4Z024 attached to our 40W ULS - don't know the size, but it's plenty for the 40W.

What size blower is needed?? Can't answer this one--can't get to the blower to give you our specs.

And do i need a vector table?(i will be cutting wood, engraving glass,acrylic, etc) We got by for over a year without a honeycomb table. We used some 1/2" junk plywood covered with 1/4" hardware cloth. The cloth made the wood stand up just enough to allow air flow under it. BUT, for all of the wood and veneer we cut on it, we had to tape the corners down to make sure it stayed flat. The vector table is nice to have and now that we have one, I don't know how we lived without it, because it's a downdraft and the wood and veneer are pulled down onto the table with no need for taping. With the jury-rigged boards, we also had to tape the backs of our pieces to keep down the burn and flare marks on the reverse; with the cutting table, we don't have to do that.

If you are going to be engraving any type of round glassware you will need a rotary attachment. That attachment rotates the glassware so that the focus distance remains the same for the entire engraving. You can get by without the rotary for pens, but not for any type of glassware.


I'm doing a late night cram due to i am going to the demo tomorrow and want my ducks in a row....
Any other advice as you wish to give....

Thanks for all the help, This board/forum is AMAZING

Ray

:D :D

Welcome to the world of laser engraving! You're gonna have fun!

Nancy

David Sabot
11-07-2006, 11:30 PM
I echo what George said to a T. Signwarehouse tried to sell me a blower for $400 which turned out to be a Penn Industries 650 cfm blower that I could buy direct from the manufacturer for $200. I just purchased a brand new 850cfm blower off beay from Harbor Freight tools for $110. Shop around.

Keith Outten
11-08-2006, 7:19 AM
Ray,

I use my dust collector to exhaust my engraver. I just run another leg from the DC to my upstairs office to my engraver and use a remote to turn the DC on and off from my office.

Any air compressor that can deliver 20 PSI or better will work. I use one of the small inline air filters and have a pressure regulator installed on a line from my shop compressor which is in another building. This reduces the noise from my air compressor to zero.

Nancy is right about purchasing a vector table from Mike Null and pocket the $600.00 difference. I have two commercial quality vector tables that cost over 600 bucks each, both are junk! I use the vector table I got from Mike Null and sometimes I use a piece of Corian as a table for vector cutting Laser Lights.

You just saved a wheelbarrow full of money from the good advice you received here. Spend your money on an extended warranty if the price is less than the cost of a rebuilt CO2 tube. Ask the manufacturer what the tube replacement cost will be, you need to know this up front.

Rob Bosworth
11-08-2006, 10:38 AM
Do not use your wood dust collection system to exhaust your laser. Wood dust is very small and very light. It can "float" in the ducting system a long time. If ANY spark happens to get pulled into the dust collection system or ducting, KABOOM! I know there are those reading this thinking I am over reacting. What spark could make it into the exhaust ducting if all I cut is wood. Ever seen the sparks come off something like a tropical wood that is full of sand when you laser cut or engrave it? It is amazing how explosive some dusts can be. To help put it in perspective, think about the explosions that happen in flour mills. Just a little spark from anything can bring down a huge elevator in a matter of seconds.

Invest in a seperate exhaust system for your laser. You can buy all of the materials to put in a pretty nice dust collection system for less than $300 for most of the smaller machines manufactured. You can buy a stand alone dust collector for ~ $ 150. Then buy all the ducting and slide gates from a local building products store. I like to use 6" dia. PVC pipe for the long runs. You can buy elbows, T's, unions for the run from the wall to the exhaust blower then out to the outside. A lot of machines have a 4" diameter manifold at the back of the machine. I use a 4" flexible tubing between the machine and the wall. Then expand the diameter from 4" to 6" for the rest of the run. Every convolute, elbow, T, will restrict airflow. So don't scrimp on the size of the exhaust blower. Make sure it has the ability to suck the smoke off of the work surface before the smoke can hit your optics. If you properly size your exhaust system to exceed your needs, it will save you a ton of money by not having to replace optics as often, and your machine will run much more efficiently and reliably if it is clean.

Dave Chase
11-08-2006, 11:37 AM
A strictly hypothetical question, but could you use a shop vac :D to exhaust a laser? I assume it wouldn't do much for the smell but it should provide ample suction.

Mike Mackenzie
11-08-2006, 11:50 AM
Dave,

You would burn up a ShopVac motor within a few hours not to mention how noisy they are. We have had customers try it and they quickly changed to a dust collector.

Joe Pelonio
11-08-2006, 11:54 AM
A strictly hypothetical question, but could you use a shop vac :D to exhaust a laser? I assume it wouldn't do much for the smell but it should provide ample suction.
If the back of the laser exhausts at 4", the vac might have the power but not move enough volume of air. Also, those are WAY louder than the nearly silent fans. and, as Rob said, sparks can escape so it would have to be kept clean from sawdust and other flammable debris.

Rodne Gold
11-08-2006, 11:58 AM
Here's a tip If you use long runs or are going up any significant distance , then site the exhaust fan as near the exit as possible. These things suck far better than they blow.

Bob Yeager
11-08-2006, 1:31 PM
Thanks to all those posting their information here. This has been a GREAT help to me in trying to understand what to buy. I still haven't made the leap into a purchase, but I'm a wiser shopper now thanks to what I have learned here. Thanks again for taking your time to share with us laser "wannabees".

Bob

John Esberg
11-09-2006, 7:46 PM
Ray,

I use my dust collector to exhaust my engraver. i just run another leg from the shop upstairs to me engraver and use a remote to turn the DC on and off from my office.

Any air compressor that can delieve 20 PSI or better will work. I use one of the small inline air filters and have a pressure regulator installed on a line from my shop compressor which is in another building. This reduces the noise from my air compressor to zero.

Nancy is right about purchasing a vector table from Mike Null and pocket the $600.00 difference. I have two commercial quality vector tables that cost over 600 bucks each, both are junk! I use the vector table I got from Mike Null and sometimes I use a piece of Corian as a table for vector cutting Laser Lights.

You just saved a wheelbarrow full of money from the good advice you received here. Spend your money on an extended warrenty if the price is less than the cost of a rebuilt CO2 tube. Ask the manufacturer what the tube replacement cost will be, you need to know this up front.

Well, today I ordered a 12" x 24" vector cutting grid from Mike Null. Granted I could by the grid from a supplier like McMaster-Carr, but then I'd have to get a machine shop to cut it and then I'd end up making my own risers. Mike was a nice guy and I think his knowledge on the subject will probably save time and money.

DAK

Scott Perry
11-09-2006, 8:14 PM
Ray, if its not too late, I have a Pinnacle 25 for sale along with a vector table and an exhaust. This is a 25 watt with 1.5" lens.:)

John Esberg
11-15-2006, 6:23 AM
Well, I recieved my vector cutting grid today. I loaded it up into the machine and fired away. 10 minutes later my wife came into the laser room all worried because I kept saying "oh, my god", "awe", "oh, man", etc. She though I hurt my self. Instead I showed her the difference on the materials from the cuts. :D Needless to say, I was a very happy man. The grid I recieved from Mike Null @ St. Louis Laser is worth the money.

FYI to the other Laserbuzz fans, Mike grid is compatible with Buzz's clamping technique for the 1/8" BB. That was also a pleasent surprise.

V/R,

DAK

Keith Outten
11-15-2006, 8:06 AM
Well, I recieved my vector cutting grid today. I loaded it up into the machine and fired away. 10 minutes later my wife came into the laser room all worried because I kept saying "oh, my god", "awe", "oh, man", etc. She though I hurt my self. Instead I showed her the difference on the materials from the cuts. :D Needless to say, I was a very happy man. The grid I recieved from Mike Null @ St. Louis Laser is worth the money.

FYI to the other Laserbuzz fans, Mike grid is compatible with Buzz's clamping technique for the 1/8" BB. That was also a pleasent surprise.

V/R,

DAK

How about some pictures John?

.

John Esberg
11-18-2006, 12:24 PM
Ok, here's a photo for you. On the left are some lock tabs cut without the cutting grid. The top looks fine, but the bottom is covered in residue. On the right, the only difference is the color of the wood. I really had to look close to determine which was top and which was bottom.

DAK

John Esberg
11-18-2006, 12:29 PM
Here's another example of 1/8" Baltic Birch Plywood being cut by my laser. Both pieces are showing you the bottom of the piece where the residue should collect. The left side obviously looks like it was resting on the bed of the machine. The right side is looking just as good as the top. Now that's proof in the pudding. :D

Till later,

DAK

Dave Jones
11-18-2006, 1:04 PM
I can't view you images