Upgrading Laser head

[Soren Christensen]

Hi guys,

So recently I decided to upgrade my laser head (including tube and stuff) on my chinese laser. Which was all fine and dandy. However, when I got the new kit, i ran into trouble.

Because the new laser head mounting holes does not fit the current carriage on the guide rail


So basically im stuck at the moment.

Has anyone upgraded their guiderails on a chinese laser before?
Also where do you get guiderails + carriage, that can handle the bigger mounting plate from the Cloudray E series?


Any tips or links would be greatly appreciated

[Rob Damon]

Don't know how much this will help but Russ on RdWorks learning lab on YT has been tearing apart and modifying lasers for years included a dozen head modifications.
May be worth your time to view some of his video's, to get started in the right direction. Just search for rdworks and you will find it.

[Bill George]

Hi guys,

So recently I decided to upgrade my laser head (including tube and stuff) on my chinese laser. Which was all fine and dandy. However, when I got the new kit, i ran into trouble.

Because the new laser head mounting holes does not fit the current carriage on the guide rail


So basically im stuck at the moment.

Has anyone upgraded their guiderails on a chinese laser before?
Also where do you get guiderails + carriage, that can handle the bigger mounting plate from the Cloudray E series?


Any tips or links would be greatly appreciated

Do you have a drill or drill press and some bits? A way to fabricate a plate? This is a brand new machine as I recall, why does it need an upgrade.

[Soren Christensen]

Do you have a drill or drill press and some bits? A way to fabricate a plate? This is a brand new machine as I recall, why does it need an upgrade.

It was a brand new machine, however the laserhead tube dosnt fit standard lenses (dont ask me why) and i wanted to be able to swap the lens. So i bought a Cloudray E series kit and the mounting plate for the laserhead was too big for the current block.

So I have been searching the web for a block/carriage (and a new guide rail) that will fit the new mount, however that dosnt seem to be an easy task.

I do have a drill, but not the proper tools for fabricating a plate. So it seems that I will have to have it made by a shop. But then i will still need to get a new rail/carriage to be able to carry the new load, seeing as the kit from Cloudray is slighty bigger than the original

[Kev Williams]

IMO, a lot of overkill over the diameter of a lens, which Cloudray and many others sell in many different diameters--? My lasers use 20mm, 19.5mm, and 16mm lenses, I can get any of them on Ebay...

FWIW in the rail department: Of the gantry lasers I've owned, the Universal has ball bearings with rubber 'tires' around them that roll in simple grooves in the gantry extrusion, 2 on top, and a single spring-loaded bearing on the bottom. The machine has run 5 days a week for 24 years and is still using the second set of bearings. It engraves flawlessly. My big Triumph 1390 also uses ball bearings, in the form of a solid metal cupped wheels, 2 above, 2 below- the cup rides along simple stainless steel rods that run the length of the gantry's. They're adjusted by a rotating cam. Had this machine since 2013, never had to make an adjustment, zero slop or tightness anywhere along the travel.. My other 3 machines, two Gravograph's and my GCC Explorer all use the 'newfangled' steel rail with roller-bearing setups. My Gravo machines, zero issues. The GCC however, which I bought used, had it's original bearing head on the X replaced 2 years before I bought it, and I had to replace THAT one 2 years after I got it. Reason? Grease. GCC's instruction manuals call to grease the rail bearings. But the Mfr who made the OE bearings for GCC states emphatically to ONLY use LIGHT MACHINE OIL on the bearings, because the bearing's tight tolerances don't allow room for grease! The result is, the bearings actually pop out of the housing past the rubber gasket...

So I've gotten GREAT service out of what are said to be inferior rail bearing setups, and 2 bearing breakdowns out of what's considered the best, even if not the bearing's fault -- I've only light-oiled the new bearing, zero issues...

[Bill George]

It was a brand new machine, however the laserhead tube dosnt fit standard lenses (dont ask me why) and i wanted to be able to swap the lens. So i bought a Cloudray E series kit and the mounting plate for the laserhead was too big for the current block.

So I have been searching the web for a block/carriage (and a new guide rail) that will fit the new mount, however that dosnt seem to be an easy task.

I do have a drill, but not the proper tools for fabricating a plate. So it seems that I will have to have it made by a shop. But then i will still need to get a new rail/carriage to be able to carry the new load, seeing as the kit from Cloudray is slighty bigger than the original

What is the diameter of the lens? I have purchased odd size lens off eBay. Even the OEM supplier of your machine could not furnish? FYI I have a different lens 3 vs 2.1 for mine after great searching and never have bothered to change it out.

[Soren Christensen]

IMO, a lot of overkill over the diameter of a lens, which Cloudray and many others sell in many different diameters--? My lasers use 20mm, 19.5mm, and 16mm lenses, I can get any of them on Ebay...

FWIW in the rail department: Of the gantry lasers I've owned, the Universal has ball bearings with rubber 'tires' around them that roll in simple grooves in the gantry extrusion, 2 on top, and a single spring-loaded bearing on the bottom. The machine has run 5 days a week for 24 years and is still using the second set of bearings. It engraves flawlessly. My big Triumph 1390 also uses ball bearings, in the form of a solid metal cupped wheels, 2 above, 2 below- the cup rides along simple stainless steel rods that run the length of the gantry's. They're adjusted by a rotating cam. Had this machine since 2013, never had to make an adjustment, zero slop or tightness anywhere along the travel.. My other 3 machines, two Gravograph's and my GCC Explorer all use the 'newfangled' steel rail with roller-bearing setups. My Gravo machines, zero issues. The GCC however, which I bought used, had it's original bearing head on the X replaced 2 years before I bought it, and I had to replace THAT one 2 years after I got it. Reason? Grease. GCC's instruction manuals call to grease the rail bearings. But the Mfr who made the OE bearings for GCC states emphatically to ONLY use LIGHT MACHINE OIL on the bearings, because the bearing's tight tolerances don't allow room for grease! The result is, the bearings actually pop out of the housing past the rubber gasket...

So I've gotten GREAT service out of what are said to be inferior rail bearing setups, and 2 bearing breakdowns out of what's considered the best, even if not the bearing's fault -- I've only light-oiled the new bearing, zero issues...

I wasnt able to find the lenses for the previous size I looked and looked, but wasnt able to find it. Maybe i didnt look hard enough

Well as the situation is, now I have the kit and might as well use it

The machine I've got, has a linear rail for the X-axis and I have been trying to find a new carriage/block that can hold the mounting plate for the CR kit, but it dosnt seem exist. Also CR arent very helpful in recommending any blocks/carriages for it. :/

So I've come to a bit of a conclusion. It seems that I might need to find a block/guide rail that fits the machine and that can handle the new kits weight and then drill some new holes in the mounting plate so it matches with the new block. It wont matter, if the guide rail is a bit taller than the current one sitting in the machine, as I can raise the laser tube up about 0.7". That gives me a bit more "wiggle room" for the guide rail.

[Bill George]

Your more than likely going to need to replace the gantry and the carriage as one part. Then you have the issue of will the mirrors align. If your not equipped to fabricate parts sounds like an expensive can of worms. What diameter of the OEM lens do you need?

[Soren Christensen]

What is the diameter of the lens? I have purchased odd size lens off eBay. Even the OEM supplier of your machine could not furnish? FYI I have a different lens 3 vs 2.1 for mine after great searching and never have bothered to change it out.

The diameter of the original lens was 16.25mm
I already asked the supplier and they said to search on other shops for the lenses. Which made me go and buy the new kit

[Soren Christensen]

Your more than likely going to need to replace the gantry and the carriage as one part. Then you have the issue of will the mirrors align. If your not equipped to fabricate parts sounds like an expensive can of worms. What diameter of the OEM lens do you need?

I hope i dont have to replace the whole gantry Hopefully I can manage with replacing the guide rail and the carriage And of course, they have to match, but the gantry it self, should be okey

[Bill George]

The diameter of the original lens was 16.25mm
I already asked the supplier and they said to search on other shops for the lenses. Which made me go and buy the new kit

Did you measure the old one yourself? I am going to guess a 16 mm will work fine. Its only .009 inch difference. Here is just one not far from you, they may have other FL available. FYI If you change the gantry or the carriage you will also need to move the mirror mount on the gantry.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ZnSe-FOCUS-L...EAAOSwIM5d4oda