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Thread: Purchasing Thunder Laser - Mars 130 Timeline and review

  1. #16
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
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    Thanks Ron. Some definite gouging type fees going on. I mean clean truck fee wth? Lol But if it makes it all here without any missing parts and works right I'll consider it all good. Really looking forward to getting started with it!
    Trotec Speedy 400 120w, Trotec Speedy 300 80w
    Thunderlaser Mars-130 with EFR 130w tube
    Signature Rotary Engravers (2)
    Epson F6070 Large Format Printer, Geo Knight Air Heat Presses (2)

  2. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by Keith Winter View Post
    Thanks Ron. Some definite gouging type fees going on. I mean clean truck fee wth? Lol But if it makes it all here without any missing parts and works right I'll consider it all good. Really looking forward to getting started with it!
    That clean truck fee is because it has a FDA requirement in the paper work.

  3. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by Ron Gosnell View Post
    It's almost here Keith . It seems like a long wait but well worth it.
    Keith, I just ran thru your timeline, money sent on 7/10 and by 9/10 they just now ready to ship it, so you still have the boat ride, check-in and a truck ride yet to go...

    I just checked my emails when ordering my Triumph, I sent money on 10/14/13, they built it and sent pics of in on 10/22, and it was in town ready for me to pick up on 11/27, the day before Thanksgiving.

    However, mine was a bare-bones no-frills 'experiment' machine, yours is a much more hot-rodded version so they may have had to wait on a few items...

    Bet you're chomping at the bit!
    ========================================
    ELEVEN - rotary cutter tool machines
    FOUR - CO2 lasers
    THREE- make that FOUR now - fiber lasers
    ONE - vinyl cutter
    CASmate, Corel, Gravostyle


  4. #19
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    Hi Keb,

    Yes I am excited to get it going! Actually it passed us customs 9/8 it appears according to the shipping slip and the good folks at E.R. Hawthrone didn't wait for us to reply to ship it, got it today

    Now I just have to figure out how they managed to cram all the parts and such under the laser, the frame is all welded so I'm waiting to hear back from China on how to unpack that stuff under it so I can move it. Then call the electrician to wire it up, and in a couple weeks we'll be up and going!

    Quote Originally Posted by Kev Williams View Post
    Keith, I just ran thru your timeline, money sent on 7/10 and by 9/10 they just now ready to ship it, so you still have the boat ride, check-in and a truck ride yet to go...

    I just checked my emails when ordering my Triumph, I sent money on 10/14/13, they built it and sent pics of in on 10/22, and it was in town ready for me to pick up on 11/27, the day before Thanksgiving.

    However, mine was a bare-bones no-frills 'experiment' machine, yours is a much more hot-rodded version so they may have had to wait on a few items...

    Bet you're chomping at the bit!
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Trotec Speedy 400 120w, Trotec Speedy 300 80w
    Thunderlaser Mars-130 with EFR 130w tube
    Signature Rotary Engravers (2)
    Epson F6070 Large Format Printer, Geo Knight Air Heat Presses (2)

  5. #20
    now that's a cruel joke, put an 800 pound machine around the accessories! (likely with a shop crane)

    --3 or 4 guys should be able to tip it up far enough...?
    ========================================
    ELEVEN - rotary cutter tool machines
    FOUR - CO2 lasers
    THREE- make that FOUR now - fiber lasers
    ONE - vinyl cutter
    CASmate, Corel, Gravostyle


  6. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kev Williams View Post
    now that's a cruel joke, put an 800 pound machine around the accessories! (likely with a shop crane)

    --3 or 4 guys should be able to tip it up far enough...?
    Lol I know right!
    Trotec Speedy 400 120w, Trotec Speedy 300 80w
    Thunderlaser Mars-130 with EFR 130w tube
    Signature Rotary Engravers (2)
    Epson F6070 Large Format Printer, Geo Knight Air Heat Presses (2)

  7. #22
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    Arkansas
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    Hi Keith,

    I lifted one end of mine (like with your pallet jack in the pictures) and rolled the machine off the pallet just far enough
    for the boxes to drop to the floor. Then I rolled it back onto the pallet. Then I just blocked and supported one side
    of the crate and used it as a ramp to roll the machine down to the floor.

    How did you like ER Hawthorne? I thought they were fantastic and very reasonable. I don't
    know why your trucking was so high though. I know your laser is larger than mine. I think my trucking was
    right around $500.00 from Houston to Arkansas.

    I'll get back with this later on to talk about a couple settings. I'm taking the wife and granddaughter
    out for dinner. Or are they taking me out ?

    I'm glad it arrived safe and sound. I didn't read about any damage anyways. They pack them pretty solid.

    Gozzie
    Thunder Laser MARS 90 (130 watt)
    RD Works V8
    1 Phillips Screwdriver
    1 Straight Edge
    1 Hammer
    1 Dull Chisel
    1 Pencil Sharpener (manually operated)

  8. #23
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    Thanks Ron I'll give that a try!
    Trotec Speedy 400 120w, Trotec Speedy 300 80w
    Thunderlaser Mars-130 with EFR 130w tube
    Signature Rotary Engravers (2)
    Epson F6070 Large Format Printer, Geo Knight Air Heat Presses (2)

  9. #24
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    Arkansas
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    Hi Keith,

    When you first install RDworks and get it up and running look on the upper right side of the page.
    You will see a box with a read button. Press read and it will read the parameters into RDworks that are currently loaded on the Mars 130.
    You will see a tab marked USER. Click on that tab and scroll down to sweep parameters.
    Where it says x ACC (mm/s2) it may be set at 20,000. That's the acceleration speed and 20000 is pretty high.
    When you raster engrave the machine will likely bump and jar like washing machine going back and forth. Set it to 10000 to start with. It will be more like a sewing machine. Then adjust to your liking. I like 10000.

    There is also a x Start Speed (mm/s). That's the speed that the machine will allow to reverse at to go the other way. So when it starts braking once it gets that number it will reverse instead of waiting for 0.
    Mine was set at 20 and that was also a little much causing a shake when reversing. I lowered it to 10 and again everything smoothed out.
    Of course lowering those settings also slowed down the raster engraving speed a little but I think it is much smoother and less stressful on the belts and motors. Again adjust to your liking.

    The cut parameters on mine didn't need any adjusting and I have not tried to tweek them yet at all as they are working really well.

    At first I thought my power supply was mis adjusted to the tube and was overpowering it. 100% power was too much for the tube. That's kind of the case but not totally.
    By watching the milliamp meter I found that a 65% power setting puts out 27 milliamps on the tube which is 90% of what the tube is rated for. (30ma max) on my SPT tube.
    But...... that's when the min and max power settings are set at the same levels. 65 min and 65 max = 27ma.
    If you start lowering the min power setting and leave the max setting at 65 the milliamp readings on the meter start to lower.
    So....... if you set the max power at 100 and the min power at 20 you are close to 30ma on the meter which is 100% of the tube rating.
    I don't know why this is and as of right now I don't go that route. I am setting my min and max power levels the same and don't run it over 65% (90% of my tube rating)
    and usually run at 62% to keep around 24 - 25 milliamps on the meter for a safety margin. The reason that I don't set them high and low is because I don't know if the high setting is
    overpowering the tube at points but the meter isn't fast enough to read it and it just catches the average reading of the output (make any sense).
    When min and max power are set the same the meter is very stable (while cutting) and I know for sure I am not causing any damage.
    I cant seem to find any forums or topics on the matter to explain it so I am just playing it safe for now.

    You probably know way more about this stuff than I do but just keep your eye on the ma meter until you are comfortable.

    Have fun, Gozzie
    Last edited by Ron Gosnell; 09-11-2015 at 11:51 PM.
    Thunder Laser MARS 90 (130 watt)
    RD Works V8
    1 Phillips Screwdriver
    1 Straight Edge
    1 Hammer
    1 Dull Chisel
    1 Pencil Sharpener (manually operated)

  10. #25
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    Oct 2013
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    Ok I finally was able to get the boxes out using a farm jack + jack stands.

    I don't have it running yet but I thought I'd share some photos of the unboxing.

    Notes:
    1. Most of it appears to be in very good condition after the travel overseas.
    2. Spare cutting honeycomb was a bit dinged up (see photos)
    3. They appear to have sent me the wrong mirrors. Cheaper gold mirrors instead of the Molybdenum laser mirrors I was told will come with it. This is problematic as 130 watt will crack these mirrors fairly quickly due to the heat I'm told. That's why I speced the molybdenum laser mirrors per Dave's suggestion. I have an email into Nolan @ Thunder laser on this, I hope they will just sent replacements.
    4. I appear to be short the control board spares I ordered. Email in to Nolan @ Thunder laser on this as well.
    5. On the tube there is a black spot just below the end (see photo) unsure if this normal, or anything to worry about? Also the black bands holding the power cables to the tube, do those need removed or can I leave them during operation?
    6. Everything else seems ok, I will know more once we get it wired up.
    7. Photos of unpacking below. Note the photo with the double doors. It's hard to imagine how big this thing is without a size comparison, we just barely cleared those double doors with only 2" on each side!

    2015-spare lcd board missing.jpg2015-gold mirror.jpg20150929_140130.jpg20150917_170255.jpg20150917_170433.jpg20150917_170251a.jpg20150911_121018.jpg20150911_120454.jpg



    Last edited by Keith Winter; 09-29-2015 at 4:00 PM.
    Trotec Speedy 400 120w, Trotec Speedy 300 80w
    Thunderlaser Mars-130 with EFR 130w tube
    Signature Rotary Engravers (2)
    Epson F6070 Large Format Printer, Geo Knight Air Heat Presses (2)

  11. #26
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    United States
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    Black spot on tube, anything to worry about? Just below left side in photo
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Trotec Speedy 400 120w, Trotec Speedy 300 80w
    Thunderlaser Mars-130 with EFR 130w tube
    Signature Rotary Engravers (2)
    Epson F6070 Large Format Printer, Geo Knight Air Heat Presses (2)

  12. #27
    5. On the tube there is a black spot just below the end (see photo) unsure if this normal, or anything to worry about?
    Can you ring it on one of the pictures so I can see where you are on about? (sometimes tubes are marked with a spot for the polarisation line but not always)

    This is problematic as 130 watt will crack these mirrors fairly q
    Yes it can be a problem, if the mirrors are spotless they will withstand 200+ watts but even the slightest bit of muck (too small to see with the eye) and they get hot, REALLY hot and just blow through

    Also the black bands holding the power cables to the tube, do those need removed or can I leave them during operation?
    Personally I run a 4mm ID 3mm wall silicone tube round the outside of the + side just to be safe (don't grab the wire after the laser has been running, it hurts ) but other than that they can be left taped in place without any real problems

    haha I never get tired of seeing pics of nice new EFR tubes, it's like Laser Porn (Ok I need to get out more)
    You did what !

  13. #28
    Quote Originally Posted by Keith Winter View Post
    Black spot on tube, anything to worry about? Just below left side in photo
    Just had a look...honestly? I have no idea what that is, that's the fill side of the tube (the glass nipple) but not a clue, could be anything
    You did what !

  14. #29
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    Arkansas
    Posts
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    H1510033.jpg

    Hi Keith,
    I have been running mine with the black bands in place. It appeared to me that they are
    to keep the connections from moving around. No problems with it after a couple months of use now.

    I don't know about the spot on the tube, mine is a SPT tube. I am surprised about the mirrors though. Mine came with Molybdenum mirrors.
    I am sure that Nolan will make it right with you.

    Gozzie
    Thunder Laser MARS 90 (130 watt)
    RD Works V8
    1 Phillips Screwdriver
    1 Straight Edge
    1 Hammer
    1 Dull Chisel
    1 Pencil Sharpener (manually operated)

  15. #30
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Location
    United States
    Posts
    1,038
    Thanks Ron, I'll keep them on! Are you running any coolant in your water or anything to prevent mildew? Seems I read a lengthy thread on here a couple months back but I don't remember the consensus, some said a little was good, some none at all, others had other methods they used to keep mildew away...


    Haha Dave, I know what you mean about laser porn! I watch you tube videos of lasers from time to time in addition to my own, lasers are just so much fun!
    Dave are you talking silicon on the terminals where they wires connect to the tube itself, positive side only? Or what do you mean by "round the outside of the + side just to be safe"? Special silicon or something I can pick up at home depot/lowes?
    Trotec Speedy 400 120w, Trotec Speedy 300 80w
    Thunderlaser Mars-130 with EFR 130w tube
    Signature Rotary Engravers (2)
    Epson F6070 Large Format Printer, Geo Knight Air Heat Presses (2)

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