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Re: CO2 Laser Tube issue.
Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2014 1:50 pm
by Tech_Marco
Nick, tha is awesome
I can't believe that you could get 5mm/s for 6mm acrylic
The best I could cut was 13mm pine wood with 1~2mm/s on a K40 that I did an upgrade for a senior who drove all the way up here from LA. I admired for his great effort.
Juat curious if you had tried other acrylic
Marco
Re: CO2 Laser Tube issue.
Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2014 2:13 pm
by NickWL
Oh yes, Marco. I tried a polystyrene-based acrylic last week for a commission job - I couldn't understand why I had to keep turning the power up - and all it did was melt around the beam! Then I looked at the label and realised it wasn't Perspex (which is the only acrylic I can count on to behave well!).
As to cutting MDF, or even hardboard - no go.
Sometimes I don't understand how my machine can be so temperamental!
... and yet I still want a bigger one! I can't make up my mind whether to buy your K40 extension housing and a longer tube, or remove the electronics and build a bigger machine around them, or sell this entire upgraded K40 and start again with one of your larger kits (or buy in UK where I don't have to pay so much for shipping!)
Nick
Re: CO2 Laser Tube issue.
Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2014 2:24 am
by NickWL
- pic44.jpg (21.07 KiB) Viewed 1528 times
Sorry Marco, I lied!
I've just measured the acrylic (Perspex) I've been cutting and it's not 6mm, it's only 5.25mm. I cut at 1.5mm/sec at 17mA on a DSP'd K40.
Here's a picture - a very clean cut!
Nick
/Users/nwlaurie/Desktop/pic44.jpg