Buying a laser system

[Zac Altman]

So I have decided on an Epilog Mini 18x12 (35 Watt).

The people over at Epilog said they are having a special deal (which includes pretty much everything - corel x4, $300 worth of materials, rotary, cutting table, etc.)

I want to get the best price possible, what are some good tactic to use when I go in. I have seen some others saying to try getting things included, but it looks like everything is already included.

They say it takes about 4 weeks to arrive. I hope it comes quicker because as soon as I have ordered something, I want to play with it :D

So what are your tips?

[David Fairfield]

Good choice with the Epilog, you'll get nice crisp work out of it. If I recall, your plan was to engrave electronics. So you may want to think carefully about the rotary attachment before you invest in one. I can't think of many applications for it, unless you consider a flashlight an electronic device. :)

I use my Epilog rotary for engraving company logos on glasses, but its not optimal due to some types of glasses slipping or being slightly off-round. So I get a lot of rejects and I'm wary of accepting this type of work now.

Dave

[Zac Altman]

The guy who gave me the demo said to put weights on it which would make the bottle or glass "stick" better.

[Scott Shepherd]

Weights won't solve the problem, but it can help in some circumstances. Something that will help (and a flaw in the way it's put together from the factory) is aligning the o-ring flashing. When they put the o-rings on at the factory, they just pop them on. The o-rings have a factory "seam" all the way around them. If you look, you'll see the "seam" running all around, in a spiral. When it rotates, it can pull or push the work depending on which way the spiral happened to end up. Not to mention all the rings working for or against each other. It helps some to pull the o-rings off and put them on so that the seam is straight and not in the path where the items sit.

That removes the o-rings working against you part of the equation. Doesn't solve the problem, but it takes one factor out.

[David Fairfield]

Yup, aligned the rings, added weights, I even make custom weights for particular types of glass. It helps but unfortunately, like Scott says, it doesn't completely solve the problem. Not to mention the added work.

The Epilog rotary tool would seem to be perfect for handling tapered cylinders, but there is just too much play in the way a glass rolls on the roller wheels.

Dave

[Larry Bratton]

I have a rotary for my EXT. I got it as part of the deal. It has been on the machine ONE time..the day we trained on it. Unless you have a built in specific need for it, I wouldn't spend the money. Otherwise, congratulations on your purchase. I am quite satisfied with my machine and Epilog's customer service.

[James Aldrich]

When I first got my rotory attachment for my Epilog, graphics and text that was lasered on glasses came out wavy. What I found out was the weels on the back of the device would wobble. They were not machined true. At first I did not notice it until I spun them by hand real slow then I saw the wobble. My dealer brought me a new rotory and it works great. Before the start of a job, I use a q-tip with alcohol (diluted) and wipe off the o-rings. This makes them sticky and they grip better. No slips or spiral effects so far.
Jim