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Thread: Laser for Engraving, etching and lte cutting

  1. #1

    Laser for Engraving, etching and lte cutting

    My Son and I had use of a ULS 4.6 at "Tech Shop" for 6 months before they closed.
    I have search and found nothing in our area (Co-Op, maker space, etc),So looking at purchasing one.

    It would be used in a non production (hobby) setting by Me, Son, and graphics artist daughter.
    The majority of the work would be raster and vector etching.
    I would like to try engraving some gun stocks.
    Light cutting, acrylic up to 3/16, balsa ply up to 1/8", reg ply up to 1/8"

    Work area absolute min 12x24", preferred 16" x 24", 24" x 36" if there was a fire sale

    If a lower powered laser is better for etching, I don't mind a slower cutting.

    Mechanically and electronics I am very well versed in, I have an electronics bench and a small fab shop out in the garage. I built my own 3D printer, but do not feel like doing that with the laser. A kit maybe.
    I would prefer better electronics and firmware (controller).

    On etching un stocks,I am assuming carriage based laser could only etch/engrave the flat "side" of a stock,, what type of machine would be able to wrap the engraving around the curved parts?

    I'm not against getting a used chassis and installing my own electronics,

    12x24 I would like to be under 2000.
    16x24 I would like t be under 3000

    Am I dreaming?

  2. #2
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    Chinese is your only option at that price. Do a search here. lots of information. I'd suggest Direct import from maker in China. Not that hard to do, and you may have better results over going to ebayoramazon. All those are just resellers and know zip.
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  3. #3
    not all, John (but maybe I got lucky )

    As for US based, I'm *reasonably* impressed with IEHK laser, reasonably meaning while Chinese based (Hong Kong) they have US 'base' in Wayne PA- I've contacted them and they were quick to respond, etc. I'm also impressed with their pricing, such as you can get a 4060 (about 16x24) with an 80w tube for under $2k-- of course there's likely to be a 40%-ish increase over that factoring in shipping/duty/tariff/etc, but you're still looking at under $3k for an 80w machine, that's not bad. 50w machine is base priced under $1500.

    Google 'em!
    ========================================
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  4. #4
    "Will" a DC tube give as high a quality raster etching as a RF tube, if it is run slower?
    Or is there no way a DC glass tube will give good raster etching?

  5. #5
    I have a big 1300x900 80 watt 'cutting' machine that I get great results with--

    I build operator panels for a ski lift mfr, this is one of the bigger 21 x 31"-ish panels being lasered--
    sp1.jpg
    sp2.jpg
    sp3.jpg

    this is a small aluminum lid, Cermark engraved-
    ca.jpg

    I would estimate the engraving quality at least or above 97% as good as my Western machines. Just does it slower.

    All I had to do was fine tune it
    ========================================
    ELEVEN - rotary cutter tool machines
    FOUR - CO2 lasers
    THREE- make that FOUR now - fiber lasers
    ONE - vinyl cutter
    CASmate, Corel, Gravostyle


  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nick Andraka View Post
    "Will" a DC tube give as high a quality raster etching as a RF tube, if it is run slower?
    Or is there no way a DC glass tube will give good raster etching?
    Good result yes. As good, not really. As fast and as good, absolutely not.

    We love our Boss laser (Chinese import), but even our older Epilog Legend can run circles around it when it comes to speed and accuracy of high resolution images, dithering, and raster engraving in general.
    60W, Boss Laser 1630
    75W, Epilog Legend 24EX
    Jet Left Tilting table saw and Jet 18" Band saw
    Adobe Creative suite and Laserworks 8

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nick Andraka View Post
    "Will" a DC tube give as high a quality raster etching as a RF tube, if it is run slower?
    Or is there no way a DC glass tube will give good raster etching?
    No, it won’t be as good, and yes, it is still good and it may still be perfectly acceptable.

    One of my customers added a second chinese DC laser to their existing epilog for making rubber stamps and they say it performs just as well. The slightly larger spot size isn’t an issue etching rubber.

    If your hobby means you can’t accept a 55µm spot size as accurate enough, you will need an RF laser, at 10x the price.
    Last edited by Mike Thornbury; 02-17-2019 at 9:39 PM.

  8. #8
    Kev,
    It looks like your work is vector based.
    I was curious how a DC tube did with a photo if slowed down (raster and dithering)?

    [QUOTE=Kev Williams;2900032]I have a big 1300x900 80 watt 'cutting' machine that I get great results with

  9. #9
    The vast majority of my work is raster based- the outlines and many of the graphics on that panel are vectored obviously, but about the only cutting I really do is cutting Rowmark plates to shape.

    I have to ask why the fixation on 'slowing down' a DC tube machine, they're already too slow! Some types of engraving do need slowed down a bit to compensate for the slow firing speed of a DC laser. But for my purposes, I usually run at 500mm/s. That said, you specifically mentioned "hobby" and "$2000-$3000". If you're doing production work, you need a fast RF laser. For hobby use, you don't need the speed, and with some fine tuning, you can get very respectable results from a DC laser. As to pics, best thing I just did was try out Universal's 1-Touch Photo program, I'm finally getting great results in wood with my DC laser. Haven't had much time or need to try other materials other than leather, but that's mostly graphics, but still, getting better results than before...

    My big laser absolutely should not produce the high quality engraving I get out of it, but it does. People tend to forget that RF machines's engineers sit around all day fiddling with fine tuning settings to get the machines to work perfectly then onto the firmware they go, so the user gets a machine that works wonderfully right out of the box. DC lasers WORK right out of the box, but 'wonderfully', not so much. Unlike RF machines, DC machines MUST be adjusted by the user to produce good results. But the vast majority of users just run them.

    Closeup of the Cermark engraving above. The small lettering measures .059"/1.5mm. That's decent engraving detail even by RF standards...
    ca2.jpg
    --the main limiting factor of this machine's ability to produce very fine detail is the larger beam spot diameter. And even that can be fixed
    Last edited by Kev Williams; 02-18-2019 at 11:42 AM.
    ========================================
    ELEVEN - rotary cutter tool machines
    FOUR - CO2 lasers
    THREE- make that FOUR now - fiber lasers
    ONE - vinyl cutter
    CASmate, Corel, Gravostyle


  10. #10
    I was spoiled with the ULS Laser.
    Unfortunately there is no other co-ops around.
    So it is either an affordable machine or no machine.


    [QUOTE=Kev Williams;2900244]The vast majority of my work is raster based

  11. #11
    I think Nick means "vector based" because it's vector artwork, not bitmap. Not the raster sense of moving the head back and forth to engrave. Kev is rastering vector artwork, but one could vector vector artwork as well
    Lasers : Trotec Speedy 300 75W, Trotec Speedy 300 80W, Galvo Fiber Laser 20W
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    Real name Steve but that name was taken on the forum. Used Middle name. Call me Steve or Scott, doesn't matter.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kev Williams View Post
    not all, John (but maybe I got lucky )

    As for US based, I'm *reasonably* impressed with IEHK laser, reasonably meaning while Chinese based (Hong Kong) they have US 'base' in Wayne PA- I've contacted them and they were quick to respond, etc. I'm also impressed with their pricing, such as you can get a 4060 (about 16x24) with an 80w tube for under $2k-- of course there's likely to be a 40%-ish increase over that factoring in shipping/duty/tariff/etc, but you're still looking at under $3k for an 80w machine, that's not bad. 50w machine is base priced under $1500.

    Google 'em!
    Kev, No doubt that YOU are Lucky! But I was mainly referring to his request in CO2 machines. You and your eBay Fiber are in a different league. and If I need another fiber, I probably would look at eBay first also.
    If you can save a bit, why not. But CO2? I don't think ebay.......
    Woodworking, Old Tools and Shooting
    Ray Fine RF-1390 Laser Ray Fine 20watt Fiber Laser
    SFX 50 Watt Fiber Laser
    PM2000, Delta BS, Delta sander, Powermatic 50 jointer,
    Powermatic 100-12 planer, Rockwell 15-126 radial drill press
    Rockwell 46-450 lathe, and 2 Walker Turner RA1100 radial saws
    Jet JWS18, bandsaw Carbide Create CNC, RIA 22TCM 1911s and others

  13. #13
    Glenn

    Your post included an email address and an offer to help facilitate a sale. Had you been a contributor you would be permitted to handle that with a private message.
    Mike Null

    St. Louis Laser, Inc.

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  14. #14
    "Whats your Vector Victor? "

    Quote Originally Posted by Scott Shepherd View Post
    I think Nick means "vector based" because it's vector artwork, not bitmap. Not the raster sense of moving the head back and forth to engrave. Kev is rastering vector artwork, but one could vector vector artwork as well

  15. #15
    I think I have re-thought my criteria,, And do not want the "unknowns" of a Chinese machine at this point.
    I had almost decided on buy direct from Thunder Laser, knowing that typically buying direct from them would be about 1/2 of buying from a US importer/rep.
    I contacted Thunder in China,, and was told they now have their machines in the US, the price was 6.5K for a Nova24,, ugh.
    I looked at Rabbit and Boss, but for a 600 x 400 machine they are up at 6K
    Honestly if I am in that price range I am too close to a used small US machine.

    I have seen some 24" wide VLS3.50 in the 7.5K range. (that was 2 years old, so hopefully a lot of tube left)

    I would prefer a 24" wide machine, but if a 18" one came along on the east coast,,,,

    Nick

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