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View Full Version : Ordered a new tube



Ross Lowry
09-10-2008, 9:53 PM
Well I finally ordered a new laser tube.
The machine is a Epilog 45 watt.
It was only $1195, which wasn't bad at all.
I know a lot of my setting I used are going to be different, but I wonder by how much.
For instance, the setting I used before having problems with the tube was speed 40 and power of 100 for a raster 300 dpi photo. I am sure this with a fully charged tube will make the engraving to deep?
Should I adjust the power down first, bump the speed up, or both? If so how much? I know practice pieces will be the only sure way of knowing.
What is some of your setting for birch that is 300dpi

Joe Pelonio
09-11-2008, 8:04 AM
The actual wattage can vary on a new tube. You should be able to start with the factory recommended settings per the manual and be close. In my case, the last time I put in a new tube, I was able to cut 1/4" acrylic at speed 8. With the first and second, I had to run that at speed 6 as in the manual. Once installed and aligned, you will need to run some tests to see if the new one has more or less power than the original when it was new.

David Fairfield
09-11-2008, 9:45 AM
Price on Epilog's tubes came down, just like my rep said they would. I thought that might have been part of the sales pitch and was really dreading the day. I feel a lot better now. :) 3 years and I'm still using my original tube & original settings.

As for power settings, I keep a log book of jobs in which I make entries for materials and settings and observations. I made up some blank forms and pencil in the data. Just too much to keep in my head so I'm scientific about it now. I find its very useful to optimize settings for materials I use. :cool:

Dave

James Stokes
09-11-2008, 9:51 AM
I replaced a tube last year on one of the lasers last year and had to lower my power settings by about 30%. I am now at the point where I need to replace another tube. When I do I think it should change my settings by about 50%

Bill Cunningham
09-11-2008, 10:05 PM
When I replaced the tube in the TT the new one is a LOT more powerful than the old one ever was.. I have slowly been reworking all my settings. The power/speed that would raster 1mm deep into pine, now rasters 2mm deep, and my granite speed settings have gone way up.. Marble has a lot more leeway but I did have to increase my speed about 60% anyway.. The only thing I can put it down to is the original was a bad tube or had a flaw that showed up after it had a 'little' run time and I did not have the experience to notice... All my tests on the original tube were done the first week I turned it on..
Weird...