Buying Your First Laser Machine

[@tombackhouse9121]

I just bought a K40 laser cutter and I'm very happy to have found this channel. For 350 quid, I was expecting a cheap way to get all the components of a laser cutter, conveniently assembled into the shape of a laser cutter, and I was very pleasantly surprised to find that it actually arrived in good alignment. I've added an ammeter and been having fun cutting greyboard, and looking forward to getting her set up in a proper location with proper ventillation so I can move on to more stinky materials, and look at adding air assist. Thanks for sharing your wisdom, Russ!

[@shandylynn1]

Excellent video. I bought a ‘China Blue’ machine about 5 years ago and have been on a journey with you ever since. I am forever in your debt for I watched your videos between order and arrival and continued to today. For $3500 including freight to US from China I got a halfway decent machine. I let the tube freeze and break after a year and replaced it with a RECI from LightObject. I’ve replaced the stepper/controller power supply, all mirrors, the head, and added a Z stepper and driver run by the controller. I figured out the rotary and set it up. I fixed the gantry bearing surface by switching to a 15mm rail. I’m looking forward to getting the new lightweight head from you and am ready to keep making money with this workhorse. I’ve made thousands and thousands of engraved drink ware items with this machine and it’s been shockingly reliable mostly thanks to my learning journey with you! Thank you!

[@shandylynn1]

I should also add that the reservoir and fan was crap so being a refrigeration technician, I added a chiller unit to the loop. Also added a beam combiner for red dot that’s been working very well. It’s been an adventure to be sure!

[@SarbarMultimedia]

@@shandylynn1 Hi Robert As I have said to many people, my journey is a very selfish activity, It is a self education retirement activity to keep my remaining 2 grey cells exercised. It is all about my personal enjoyment. My longtime hobby has been video and editing thus this learning journey has provided me with endless hours of video editing pleasure as well as the engineering problem solving satisfaction. It's thanks to this secondary hobby that I have been able to share that journey and create some footsteps in the sand that others can follow, hopefully avoiding the mistakes I have made. I have heard from many newbies that sharing my experiences has removed the fear and encouraged then to begin their own journeys. Educating others and encouraging them was never my aim, it is an accidental and pleasing side benefit, so thanks for the kind words. Best wishes Russ

[@jonsaircond8520]

Anybody stumbling on this video thinking he is full of crap..... He is NOT you buy a machine for less than 8K you will have to work on it. Ive been down the road and honestly don't regret it at all. I've pretty much got a machine that would have cost me double upfront. I know my laser in and out and now the main part are A grade quality ones. The manufacturers lie to you they do not ship high quality stuff. If you buy a budget machine plan on spending the first few days squaring everything and getting the mirrors aligned. Get it perfect and I would make sure your tube is square first before wasting 30 hours thinking this is impossible. Next get you a A grade tube and power supply it is worth it. I can say there is zero comparison with the one shipped in my machine and the RECI and power supply I installed later. This video is spot on and its a fun journey and makes you better in learning how it all works. Then once you get it all dialed in and still saved a ton of money is pretty satisfying. If you pay attention to most youtubers that get a new cheap machine fast forward a year to the MY NEW THUNDERLASER ARRIVED TODAY there are plenty out there. You want perfect out of the box spend the 10k now its cheaper long run. If you like to tinker and save money get a cheapo and upgrade it

[@SarbarMultimedia]

Thanks for the comments. The thing you didn't stress enough is that if you by a top drawer machine (and your new ThunderLaser is such a machine) then you miss out on the opportunity to uinderstand your machine inside out. You have done your apprenticeship with a budget machine and appreciate the "working out of the box" feeling.that these beautifully engineered TL machines give you. However, you are now better qualified to deal with any technology issues than most of the expensive service techs you would have previously relied upon.

[@stixstudios3380]

Thanks for your insights Russ. It's great to see someone call it for what it is. This sort of scamming was something I always suspected, but was afraid to ask. Cheers.

[@IanScottJohnston]

I bought a K40 fully knowing the quality of the units........I made my own motorised Z-bed, changed the controller for a Cohesion-3D board (who needs Ruida!) and which is compatible with Lightburn (great software!), made a new panel to hold the large LCD and digital mA gauge...........and I haven't looked back. I use it professionally. Would I do it again.....you bet! The moral of my story is, if you like to tinker, like to get your hands dirty and modify stuff then this is the way.........and it's still cheap.

[@generic0000]

I got a k40 expecting it to be total garbage, but it was actually pretty well built. I'm almost done adding gauges, interlocks, and custom switches. By and large I'm pretty happy with it.

[@SarbarMultimedia]

@@generic0000 I am not knocking the validity of K40 machines. They are a great intro to the technology and I know people spend a disproportionate amount on modifying them. I have seen some amazing work produced on these very basic machines . I also applaud Lightburn for recognizing the importance of this machine and including some of the controllers into it's great piece of software. I do actually have a non-functioning K40 that I could repair and upgrade but tinkering with machinery is not my primary goal. My mission is to understand the many aspects of this technology that are taken for granted /not fully understood. and I still have a lot to learn.

[@skaramicke]

I bought a 75 watt 60x40cm laser machine second hand for just under £2000 just weeks ago and I’m very happy. I was probably quite lucky, but I love the machine. Your channel is by far the most useful source of information and entertainment in the genre.

[@SarbarMultimedia]

Hi Mikael It is easy to fall in love with the technology because once your machine is set well it remains pretty stable Even if the tube is B grade there is often adequate capability for you to get pleasing results without too much learning or understanding of the technology.. Welcome to the club. Most people use their machine to support another hobby or maybe to run a small side business. my machines are just learning tools but I suppose they do indirectly support my other hobby of video and editing. Best wishes Russ

[@DienhartDotCom]

Thanks Russ. Great video. I bought both of my cheap lasers eyes wide open, knowing I’d learn from them. So far, the only thing I haven’t replaced is the power supply in one of them. Every upgrade I made, lens, mirrors, tube and rail system made a huge improvement in performance. Had I had the cash to get a plug and play, I would certainly have gone that route. Being a tinkerer, I’ve been fine putting in the time to learn and still make some money from my cutouts and engravings. Your knowledge in the laser arena is second to none. After your last video, it’s caused me to take a closer look at my power supply, which will be my next mindful purchase.

[@SarbarMultimedia]

Hi David Unless you have an already BAD HV power supply that is obvious, then replacing it will get you no performance benefit. There are 3 key features about a power supply 1) It's ability to supply high voltage. If your tube glows pink then there is nothing more you require. It is supplying sufficient voltage to ionize the nitrogen in your tube 2) The ability to control the current through your tube.. There is a max current limit it can allow. It is up to you to make sure there is sufficient current flow that just exceeds the maximum current allowed through your tube. If the tube glows brighter as you increase the current flow (%power setting) then that is all you can expect. 3)Response time. This specification is exactly the same for ALL power supplies and is stated as "less than or equal to 1ms to deliver 90% of the demand current flow." However it is possible for some power supplies to be better than 0.5ms. You will not find a power supply with this specification, it is just a matter of luck and the way component tolerances have come together.. I have a simple test that checks your power supply performance so if you wishe to send me your disguised email address I will send you details and also delete your comment/email Best wishes Russ

[@DienhartDotCom]

@@SarbarMultimedia thanks Russ. My current supply is fine, I just may shop for better when it comes time to replace it.

[@kevinm3751]

Thanks Russ, I was just about to pull the trigger and purchase one of these crap machines. Now I am re-evaluating my choices because I can check almost every single box you just alerted me to stay away from! In fact I have a parts list for better quality components but finding the hardest thing to find is a case to put it all in and I am not keen on building my own.

[@SarbarMultimedia]

Hi Kevin I have answered once but you tube has sent it to a parallel universe See if you can buy a pre-owned machine cheaply, even if it's only for the case. There will be a fair number if parts that you can use and just replace vital parts, I guess this will be cheaper and quicker than a build from scratch Best wishes Russ

[@TheBruster1]

This should be a must watch for anyone who is thinking of buying a laser cutter/engraver!! So many pieces of junk that people get burnt on out there, should be some way of getting them to put on the real settings and values of the products. Keep up the excellent work on these, I have taken the steps to go into the LED Laser units to see what kind of stuff i can work out with the 450nm blue lasers.

[@mariusztkacz2834]

I bought a second hand non working 700x500mm laser cutting machine on ebay. It's like you said, I had to replace HV power supply and the HV wire was shorting to case ground (you could hear high voltage sparks). Somebody also was screwing with wiring. I got lucky with the tube, my laser power meter from Cloudray showed over 60W after 3 mirrors for 60w tube. Now my PROJECT works perfectly (1200$ plus 150$ in parts and my time).

[@SarbarMultimedia]

Hi Mariusz I completely agree with buying a little used preowned machine if they are available. Many people buy these machines thinking it's like owning an inkjet printer. When things don't work as they dreamed, they do not have the patience or competence to get them working. I have see many half price (or less) bargains ........but never at the time I want another machine. Congratulations on your canny buy. Best wishes Russ

[@jeanbarbier9448]

Dear Russ, Once again a very informative video for those who want to jump into the CO2 'cheap' laser bandwagon... In my opinion there are 3 strategies: 1) Find a reasonably good machine at decent price, and to avoid the many pitfalls your video is invaluable. 2) Buy a very cheap one (not the cheapest, but one that has some minimal features such as decent optical path components, Z axis mechanism (even if not stepper-driven)) and take a chance with B laser tube and simplistic mechanical parts. You then can change the abysmally crap electronics and software for something usable (in my case it is fully custom, derived from my experience in cnc routers with grbl and gcode plugins) and improve to some extend the mechanism. It is IMO worth noting that a really cheap roller carriage on aluminium shaped-rails may behave much better than flimsy round rods that will bend and vibrate due to being supported only on the ends... 3) Be aware of what a really good machine (Russ-approved ?) should be, and build it from scratch. I'm pretty sure that the end price will be far less than for a first-price good machine, but it is much more work and a larger range of talents is needed, but at the end you will have something that is fine tuned and that you know perfectly... Personally, as I had neither knowledge nor experience with lasers, I started with a so-called "3W blue laser" very inexpensive cardboard-cutter with a laughtable controller (dead in the month) and unusable chingleash software that I fast upgraded (my first custom one). With fine-tuning, it can (slowly) even cut 3mm soft plywood very cleanly Then I moved to the 2) option with a slightly improved (but still cheap) 50W K40-ish that is now nearly at the end of upgrading the electronics and mechanism, and I will begin to see how to get the best of the small-beam tube for cutting, using the lore that you accumulated in your 'lenses' videos. (The controller was definitely rubbish, and the software a real pain with a dongle and unpredictable behaviour) The price of the upgrade is still very low, so I'm quite happy for the moment. ... And if I have time much later, to go the 3) way for a much bigger machine (at least 60x90, probably more), having -I hope- learned what is really important for an efficient cutter machine... One again, many thanks

[@SarbarMultimedia]

Hi Jean Thank for the wise words. You obviously possess skills and workshop equipment that many do not have. . My personal choice would be to repeat what I did with my Tangerine Tiger. Buy a £1000 mechanically sound piece of equipment and then upgraded key parts to create a reliable machine. I know in that case I fitted and RF tube (supplied free by Cloudray) but I would have otherwise fitted a 70 watt tube to create a very usable CNC machine at a budget price. I know I have the equipment and skills to build my own machine but I don't get a buzz from that aspect. I have been involved in manufacturing all my life and now, in retirement, it's understanding the technology that fascinates me and keeps my remaining 2 grey cells exercised. I am sure your advice will help others , so thanks again Best wishes Russ

[@jeanbarbier9448]

@@SarbarMultimedia Hi Russ, Thanks again for your kind words. I do perfectly understand that you don't want to start an industrial project again and again... To be perfectly frank, for me the buzz comes much more from trying new ideas/proofs-of-concept and getting (and keep using) working prototypes than having shiny near-perfection masterpieces - my machining abilities are far from that level and I'm not that patient... Anyway, I will continue to enjoy your obstinate, step by step search of what really happens in the real worls of these lasers. And I do appreciate much your frankness when for instances you go from 'RF lasers are an overpriced crap' to ' RF lasers are marvellous - as soon as you use them for what they were made at first place' and show how your understanding of the underlaying principles evolves in the sequence of videos. Keep going ! Jean

[@alanstarkie2001]

Thank goodness for cheap Chinese lasers though - really. I was involved in the laser industry in the 1980s. I recently bought a 50W fibre laser and when I look back, what I bought fairly cheaply would have been thought, back in the day as a space-age wonder technology bit of DIY kit that would have cost tens or even hundreds of thousands of pounds. I agree - the Chinese put these things together but don't spend much time doing R&D to fine-tune and get the best out of them. I think that will come. Great deal, they supply the kit, which these days is decent quality and we spend the time playing with them in order to improve them. I could never afford the plug and play type you mention where you get perfect results every time plus even out of the box, the cheapo laser does pretty impressive things. Thanks to channels like yours, we get an insight into where to make improvements.

[@warriors475]

hi Russ just wanted to say thanks for making this video for all of us who have bought a Chinese laser it is great to learn the truth about all theses sellers on eBay and amazon market place. it has also been a pleasure watching all your other video over the years

[@Zaizaizo]

Thank you very much for your advice, you are a pro! I just got a 1310 Co2 130 Watts from Voiern Laser from China. Not impressed at all.

[@SarbarMultimedia]

Hi Abdellatif You may not be impressed but once you get over the dream and realise that this is really a DIY kit that has already been assembled for you.....but not very well..... BUT give it some some loving care and attention and maybe replace a few key parts, you can make it into an enjoyable and reliable machine. I have just looked at the website and this has all the main mechanical components I mention in this video that are the basis of a reliable machine. The head is a rather heavy and clunky E series design. It will serve you well until you want to do fast engraving.The tube claims to be 130 watts. That sounds like Eci W4 tube ( really about 85 watts) but if it is a Reci then check the label It will say Normal power =100 watts and peak power............well this will be interesting because if it is more than 130 watts it is a factory warranted A grade tube but if it is less than 130 watts then it has failed final test, is B grade and Voiern Laser are responsible for any tube issues you identify. I think it would be a good idea to send me your disguised email in another comment so that I can send you some test information. You will have to disguise it in a sentence or KZbin may not send it, Do something like this,,,,,....abdellatif is the first part, then a dot followed by zaidi. Use the and symbol and then gmail followed by a dot and a com. There are very few algorithms that will understand this. Best wishes Russ

[@zakovich]

+1 for Cloudray, never had an issue with them

[@darrenpidcock6377]

I have tube leaking coolant and zero help from there customer support

[@zakovich]

@@darrenpidcock6377 that’s unfortunate, with zero support you mean they didn’t reply to you at all?

[@SarbarMultimedia]

Hi Darren Send me your disguised email address in another comment and we can exchange details. . I have some influence. Best wishes Russ

[@mikaelludwigsson]

I also never had any issues with Cloudray. Bought some spare parts, tubes etc where a few stuff wasn't okay. They send me new parts after I describe the faults.

[@darrenpidcock6377]

@@zakovich they replied and blamed the antifreeze which was put in by machine engineer then wouldn’t reply after that . But got same mix on another tube I purchased from another supplier no issues what so ever .

[@Naifoza]

Hello sir, i bought my machine, after watching so many of your vid's, i'v learned it and am confidant using it by now, i although did 1 very silly mistake that coasted me probably 30% of my 150W Reci tube, i never changed the Cooling Mode for the Water Chiller, ran a big patch and noticed laser was firing with intermittent beam or sparkling like burning wet coal or something and the bean was sort of oval shaped since than, i inspected tube " copper ring " near firing end and it was turning a bit dark yet i had very minimal run time on the tube but i had run it at 40C water temp at an occassion n luckily it shut down before totally wasting the tube, yet very pleasant journey, staying at it ..

[@SarbarMultimedia]

Hi Naif Until Reci ripped all the useful data from their website it used to say that you could run your tube at up to 40C. Their text used to say : Water cooling: using purified water: 2-5liter/minute: water temperature :10C to 40C I have done experiments with a non-Reci tube running at 45C for several hours continuously. The only effect was about 6% loss of power . I personally limit my running to 30C and in summer months I occasionally will run maybe half an hour to finish off a task at up to 35C My tube is now nearly 6 years old. The electrodes at each end of the tube will always get hot and discoloured because they are at the beginning and ends of a VERY hot ionized beam of "lightning in a bottle" The difference between 20C and 40Cis so relatively small that it will not affect that colouration. It is more important to have a good flow rate of water THROUGH your tube. This flow is the vital factor that is carrying heat away. but is limited by the size of the hole in the glass inlet nipple at the end of the tube. Hence the water pump pressure is an important part of achieving this flow. There is a fairly weak pump within the CW5200 chiller and 99% or user have the pump conveniently standing on the floor. If you can sit the chiller on a stand much closer to the level of the tube , maybe 1m off the floor you will more than double the flow rate by decreasing the water head loss. Best wishes Russ

[@nicojk79]

Awesome video. Another video I would have loved to see before I purchased my machine. In my case, for the budget I had, I think I broke even. I purchased a TS6090 130 watt W4 Reci tube and Ruida controller machine at AliExpress. 1200 usd or so. After all the extras and custom taxes, I ended paying around 6000 USD (Welcome to Argentina, my friends) with delivery to my shop. It was still a bargain, because local sellers were trading the same crappy machines (with weaker tubes and no liftable bed) for double the price but without delivery. "Big boys" traders were even more expensive. Headaches and flaws apart, it is still a good entry level machine to cut and do simple engraving (not many people is interested in photo engraving at this market) and with the many improvements I have done to it, thanks to Mr. Engineer Russ and this channel, I now have not only a sunday hobbie but a very interesting second income. I try hard not to sound obsequious, but you are doing a wonderful job replacing myths and scams with facts and science. The only true source of light over this dark world. Many, many thanks for sharing! PS: This video should be pinned to the main page of the channel :D

[@SarbarMultimedia]

Hi Nico I purposely left the title simple and unconnected to my RDWorks series to make it easier for Google searching. It's great to hear that you are now "flying" and may eventually turn your hobby into a serious business. Best wishes Russ

[@coltenedwards2755]

Wish this video was made a year ago when I purchased my “50”w yellow lasee

[@SarbarMultimedia]

Hi Colten. There is never a right time but in this case the rapid rise in encrypted controllers being sold was worrying and the main reason for creating this video. However, I took the opportunity to add many other warnings that I thought would be useful to new buyers.. As I mentioned in the video, I am a lucky guy because I get thousands of negative emails that allows me to see patterns that others with their one machine will never see. Best wishes Russ

[@jackwilborn2353]

@@SarbarMultimedia Russ, I've wanted to email you privately, but your address has eluded me along with some of the documents and information you've produced and mentioned in the videos. I have ordered an Omtech laser, from here in the US, it is supposed to arrive around end of month. It is the basic 50 watt model, they list it for $1,799. I'd give you a link, but for some reason running Ubuntu, with three different browsers, hangs on the omtechlaser.com site. I live in the desert SW where summer is around 46 C (115 F) so have acquired a CW-5200. Your video would have let me bypass purchase and cancellation of a CW-3000. Someone else warned me after it was shipped. Don't know if the chiller can keep up with the SW heat, I've already figured most of my use might be when it's the coolest, usually early morning. Interesting about the encryption. I've run into it mentioned by could never connect it up. A drawback of the Glowforge, besides price, is having to have an internet connection for you to use it, so same game. My machine has a Ruida controlled and allows LightBurn software to be used. I use LightBurn for my 30 watt solid state laser. I very much enjoy 'looking over your shoulder'. Makes your videos unique and addictive. You hooked me on the 'lens' video. Love your table, how high off the floor is it? I'm building mine now... If your email is public where is it? Had some more detailed questions. Have a Mahoney meter and some other queries... Thanks - take care. (8')

[@SarbarMultimedia]

@@jackwilborn2353 Hi Jack Just add your disguised email address to another comment and I will reply and delete your comment/email address. If you wish to join the rdworkslab.com forum (nothing to do with me , I'm just and ordinary member) then I have all my DXF files posted there along with a bullet point index of all my videos The administrator has set up a link that posts messages to my email so that's another way to contact me. Best wishes Russ

[@jackwilborn2353]

@@SarbarMultimedia Thanks... Found that on another video and complied. Didn't disguise it..?

[@abisaab]

Cloudray are good or you can buy directly from G.WEIKE or SHENHUI. Both are good and you get what you pay for, although G.Weike have a slight edge and they are a bit more expensive (about $3.6K for a 40x60 80W). I checked the RECI tube that they supplied based on your video about A nd B tubes and they supplied an A-grade tube, HI-WIN rails. I have tried GWEIKE support and they respond very well, and they honour their warranty. Buying chinese machines directly is not for the faint of heart, but when you get them to work, they work well. Your videos helped a lot.

[@SarbarMultimedia]

Hi Thanks for that good positive report on GW. As I mentioned in the video, in the 6 years since I bought my first China blue 3050 50 watt Shenhiu machine from Ebay, I have received thousands of emails requesting help and most paint a very negative picture of the Chinese laser industry In that time I have had a couple of guys that bought the larger flatbed machines from GW and suffered with mechanical and communication issues. That tells me that things are not always perfect but bearing mind, as I said, I see a very biased sample of unhappy people, I reason that GW have sold thousands of machines in that same period and I have only heard of 2. I think statistically it makes them one of those "cuddly dolphins". I do not have any experience of buying direct from the factory so I can again comment no further than my own little Shenhui machine and say it was pretty flaky. All my troubles and learning are documented for all to see. Perhaps you would be kind enough to add another comment telling people in detail the mechanisms and story of how you go about importing a machine direct from China. What was the final cost relative to the Chinese purchase price (x2 or X3?) Sincere thanks Russ

[@abisaab]

@@SarbarMultimedia thank you for your reply. sure will do. It was an experience. I watched all your videos and then some before I ordered my first machine 18 months back after receiving outrageous quotes from Trotec, Epilog and ULS here in Canada. Both my wife and I are comfortable playing around with computers and electronics so we thought we could manage it. I am glad that we started with the G.WEIKE because it was well built and we only had to install the tube and align the mirrors and it was fully operational. The Shenhui was more problematic in terms of installation and it took my wife considerable time to get it properly aligned and operational. Once operational both machines are workhorses. I will put my experience of ordering from China in another comment. Cheers.

[@K40Keller]

Great Video as always! You are so right in with your words! I am a lover of the K40 chinese cheap machine. Nice to try out so much. Its a great hobby.

[@kennuimuffins2426]

Nice video russ. I do want to point out there are exceptions to the 'dodgy private individual sellers' on ebay and similar. There are some sellers who keep local stock and have a good reputation because they check their machines and provide some level of service instead of disappearing. I won't name any sellers specifically but it would have been good to mention them as well. This is mainly a US thing and I think many of your viewers would be from the US.

[@SarbarMultimedia]

I agree. about local stockists and these are great if you are in a panic Even Coudray have local stockists for some of their products if you purchase through Amazon or even from their Ebay platform. However, you are paying a bit of a premium for the platform commission whereas buying directly from China the price will be lower, the postage is free but delivery will be 2 to 3 weeks, In the US you have one particular large company in CA that many use, but I have never rated them highly, just because of their habit of over-specification and high prices . I also have many reported instances of poor customer service. We have several small vendors in the UK that I know buy from trusted sources in China . Wherever you are, you need to tread carefully and only experience will give you confidence with local suppliers. There are some excellent third party importers of Chinese machines like Thunder laser and Aeon who provide super support to their US customers but these are not at the budget end of the market where many are attracted and to whom my warnings were directed. Thanks for the comment because as I said to others, I get bombarded with lots of negative emails where things have gone wrong. It is great to hear of a few good experiences as well Best wishes Russ

[@jonsaircond8520]

I also have had a good experience from buying a local stock import laser. Mine is supposedly made in the same factory as the one in California you speak of. I went into this knowing I was getting somewhat of a project. It arrived without a scratch and without actually measuring the laser power I got what I paid for. I bought a 80W machine and the tube says its rated for 90W but who knows. I do know it cuts the wood I want it to at 35% power so I'm happy. It definitely is not a plug and play machine as the head was not installed square to the rail, mirrors were way off alignment with the beam hitting the inside of the nozzle. At first I was kinda ticked but off the bat I had to work on one of the most important things. Beam alignment and making sure everything is correct. I had 4 hours of initial frustration that has made upkeep easy as I am comfortable messing with it. I wanted a thunder laser and ironically I'm close enough I could have drove to pick it up but for roughly half price of that I made the right decision. These videos are a wealth of information even if coming from a selfish point. Thanks for the many hours of information

[@iloveaviation-burgerclub-a8145]

Hi Russ. We had a bit of communication some months ago and I really like to adress my current problem with my 500x300 Ruida CO2 Laser to you because I know you are competent and maybe know about the "why"... to find a solution. I am currently making a set of products which are in several sizes and materials. It is an engraving file showing 5 layers to adjust depth over various content groups. Described as a german 😂 . There are 2 text layers as scan engravings and 3 cut engravings. Result is okay and good BUT: The laser engraves perfectly on any medium until it decides to produce 5mm offset within mostly the last layer. Also engraving the layers single did not help. Sometimes it happens with an outline layer (cut) and sometimes with the layer cutting 4 holes for wall mount, sometimes in the cut where I seperate the piece from the acrylic raw. Looks like Ruida twists some bytes ... who knows. It is absolutely frustrating because the quantity of the failure is constant 5mm, it happens within a layer, there is no sign in the file, it happens on any file. BUT A different motive absolutely designed similar works any time. Russ, this is first time try to adress a current task publis in the www. I hope you have the time and some advise or hint. It is to much plastic wastage to try and error further on. Planet cries 🙂 Thanks Russ!

[@SarbarMultimedia]

Hi Just add your disguised email address to another comment and I will reply and also delete your comment/email address from public view. You can then send pictures/video of your issue. Best wishes Russ PS the good news is that I doubt it's anything wrong with the controller because inoperative memeory cells would have completely different effects for different programs and you imply that your problem is predictable.

[@davev5686]

Great part 1, I hope part 2 focuses in on the engraving vs cutting configuration, maybe even touch on the junk 'top hat' lens tube with the 16.3mm OD upper tube.

[@SarbarMultimedia]

Hi Dave There is a solution that allows you to get 80% of a C series lens tube function by modifying your lens tube see this unpublished video that I made when did a modification for a guy who did not want to change his head, kzbin.info/www/bejne/o6u3q5d_qbysmsU Best wishes Russ

[@BrainDeadEngineering]

Great sermon and all legit ! The low end machines the biggest down fall beside sketchy hardware is for a novice that don't have access to a fab and machine shop , is what he will need to fix it is the build quality. Twisted, out of square, horrible parallelism, loose etc. I just bought my first laser used. A Rabbit, know to be on the upper end. Very good craftsman ship. Seams and door fit incredible, build like a tank. Had to put in a new power supply, laser head, I got F&%#ED Great cutting as it was. But outcome my INTERAPID TEST INDICATORS.and red laser beams for alignment .28 hours later of sweat and love WOW ! You have no idea. Even benchmark machine love a tweaking. The other owner never new it true potential. My point is yours, Hi risk ( Save and break the bank on a good unit, way less tears, novice or professorial. Cheers

[@vaughanza]

Thanks, Russ for another fantastic video. You give excellent advice in all your videos.

[@henvan8737]

Thank you Russ love your detail descriptions.

[@aarkaarkangel]

I was 'picked' by a UK supplier! Paid to align and make safe/remedy the known electrical hazards - but I checked - and I lived! It s a Red Dragon Laser Ltd. Wales, UK machine and if they want to contact me I would be grateful.

[@kenchurcher1138]

Hi Russ, I have recently started viewing your China blue videos as I have purchased one to give me something to learn and upgrade in my impending retirement. I wondered if you were still able to supply your Dohicky power meter, if so how can I order one from you? Your videos are incredibly well presented and make it easy for an old codger like myself to follow. Thank you for taking the time to produce them.

[@SarbarMultimedia]

Hi Ken If you add your disguised email address to another comment I will send you a dohicky data pack and then delete your comment/email address. It may interest you to know that there is rarely any forethought going into these videos. I choose a subject (or follow a theme/problem) and selfishly do my own learning live. Yes I do edit and certainly remove the expletives but basically you are watching me enjoying myself with a camera looking over my shoulder and all my thoughts leaking out of my mouth. There was never any intent to educate others but enabling you to tread in my footsteps does allow you to avoid some of the mistakes you see me make. I am no prima donna and am happy to show my errors as well as my successes. After all, with self-education, every failure is a step closer to success.. I still have a lot to learn (and share) Best wishes Russ

[@tyraelswings]

Hello sir! I am very glad I found your channel, I was so lost. Now I see a little torch of light in the end of the tunnel. I am looking for a machine to cut and engrave 4-5 mm thick playwood mainly. Maybe (in the future) some leather and thinner glass/plastic too. I am looking at Gweike Cloudlaser right now, and I am very hesitant, since 3150$ is the absolute top of the budget I can spare for the project. Can you recommend it or should I look for something else? Many thanks in advance!

[@SarbarMultimedia]

Hi Add your disguised email address to another comment and I will reply so that we can spekk by email. I will immediately delete your comment/email address Best wishes Russ

[@David-ws6zr]

Hello,thanks for your vidieo,im a bit at lost thoughts here.ok i bought a 3d printer cost me 150 euro and had to build it my self,had this for a year made loads of great prints but learnt and modified the printer to suit my needs,i then stepped up a gear after this is a great technologigy and spent 500 euro on a cr10s agin i modded it bl toch smouthers ect and it has never let me down. Then i bought 3018 cnc router + laser again did some mods but i was hooked and wanted more. i guess what im saying anyone looking at these videos is from a similar back ground,the truth is i havnt got 5000 pounds to spend so i take a cheeper option and buy cheap and mod it how we see fit, i thank you for the advice on what to look out for

[@SarbarMultimedia]

Keep an eye on ebay and on Gumtree for a preowned machine. This represents the best low cost way into the technology for probably half the cost of a new machine. I have seen some great China blue machines like mine going for about £600. because the technically incompetent buyer couldn't fathom th technology OR couldn't understand why the machine wouldn't work the way he had dreamed.. Usually a new tube will bring it back to life. Best wishes Russ

[@David-ws6zr]

@@SarbarMultimedia I russ thanks for the reply and advice i have actually bought a machine it has a Reci w2 100w tube latest ruida control with auto focus the reason i went for the auto focus is the lightburn can control the z height when cutting also a cw 3000 cooler as temperature in ireland doesnt get very high and a 50l silent compressor also have an ac infinity extractor fan all this cost was 3000 with all the shipping but you do have to do you your home work as you have said the 100w was a bit over klill but didnt want to work the tube too hard,

[@SarbarMultimedia]

@@David-ws6zr Hi David It sounds like you have bought well. Your thoughts about running your tube gently to make it last longer are a bit misguided Your W2 is tested at 29mA and should deliver at least the max spec of 100 watts. It has, thus it is an A grade tube. You must never run it at 30mA or you will invalidate the warranty. It should also deliver 90 watts at 27mA and is the max current that this tube should ever be run at. I will not go into the physics but it is TOO much current that will shorten your tube life. Although Reci say you can safely run at 27mA to get your advertised performance of 90 watts they are very deceitful and say if you want to get long life from the tube then you should not exceed 25mA. This is dishonest marketing because if you stay at 25mA max then you only have an 80 watt tube. Again I will not go into the physics but EVERY time the tube switches on there are VERY high pulses of current flow that will be gradually consuming your tube life. You can expect your tube to last at least 5 years so do not spoil your enjoyment of the tube by driving it at 5mph. In general cutting should be done at max power (25mA) so go forth and play. Best wishes Russ

[@David-ws6zr]

@@SarbarMultimedia Hi Russ,thanks for the advice much apreciated your are correct on the tube the label states it is 102w peak and recomended 90w just thought i would go for the bigger tube if it lasts five years thats greati have an am meter and air assist to fit,i have a couple of questions for you,could you tell where you bought the stainless steel dowls from and i watched a video on you tube adding 2 caps of bleach to the distilled water stops any bugs growing in the water just like to know your thoughts? Kind regards David.

[@aaronanthonymoat]

Hi Sarbar, Thankyou for sharing your knowledge with us. I have been tinkering around with a Diode lasers for the last 4 months and have made quite a bit on the side realizing the potential in my area. I am seriously thinking of making a business out of it and diodes are not feasible for a business. Are the Cloudray laser machines good? In particular, I am looking at the CR1390 buying direct from Cloudray as they have informed me they only sell though the website. Being a mechanical/electrical engineer, modifying doesn't bother me but I do want A grade materials day 1. The machine is just under 6K ex import/taxes and customs which is half the price of the thunder laser and makes me question the tubes and power supplies. Is there a technical wording to ask regarding the tubes and power supplies. Thanks

[@SarbarMultimedia]

Hi Aron I have a good relationship with the founder of Cloudray, in a non-business way. I am nothing to do with them other than via a purley trust/gentleman's agreement I have supplied some of my designs to them free of charge and if I need kit for my research/experiments, it normally arrives at my workshop. I understand the guy's western trained buisiness background with what used to be Ericcson before it was subsumed by Sony. His business aspires to be 100% trustworthy, only supplying the best quality Chinese laser products. With my massive corresponence from all parts of the world. I collect data patterns that no others can see. There have been a very few occasions when I have had to point out to Cloudray that one of their products had disappointed. To Be exact, 3 times in 5 years. Two were because unkowingly he had sold B grade Reci tubes and another was a poor responding power supply. Although he has close personal relationships with the top men at Reci it did not stop them trying to pass off their unwarrantable rejects. When I pointed these issues out, and how to quickly identify B grade tubes, they immediately checked their stock and implemented test procedurtes for ALL the tubes they sell to make sure they are A grade. There are also B grade HV power supplies that regularly get fitted to machines and these usually fail to make the less than 1ms response time specification. Sadly ALL HV power supplies are higly stressed and you cannot pay more to get better quality. Provided they are not B grade and have been soak tested at the factory (standard practice) they should perform for years BUT there still will be occasional failures. It is something that Cloudray have researched also. Thunderlaser are nice well engineered machines and are at the top of the Chinese quality list. Sold into the USA you are paying for a team of support engineers and a whole USA infrastructure . Its exactly the same with Rabbit and Boss. Buying direct from China you get nothing more than email support so the cost is that much lower but you have to be your own 24/7 service tech. It sound like that will be no problem for you but you want a machine that runs right out of the box and is reliable.. The Chinese assemble machines rather than design them, so they do not really understand the details of the laset technology itself.. Cloudray do not build machines, except they have copied my 3050 China blue machine and are now just beginning to sell that. I am sure they have a rebranding arrangement with a machine builder who will have had to meet certain quality standards. As a Cloudray product I know it will have an A grade Cloudray tube and power supply fitted. The other vitally important part of the machine will be the Ruida digital controller. Again this is a very complex system that will have undergone extensive final testing. Even the smallest fault will make the product B grade and these get sold at knock down prices to machine builders. If the machine works when tested then the fault is unimportant and MANY machines (especially E bay stuff) use these B grades. I have personal experience of this when I modified an E bay machine and found functions that did not work. Again, Cloudray have a close and trusterd relationship with Ruida, so you can be confident of A grade product being used. You question has not arisen before so I will ping question or two to Cloudray to assure my confidence. Best wishes Russ

[@paulmcmahon4471]

Hi Russ, thanks for the video. Very helpful. Are you familiar with king rabbit laser? I believe they supply to rabbit USA. So far it seems to be my preferred from research. I have a budget of 5,000 euro delivered. I am looking for 100W machine. I am going to check out the company mentioned in the video. Thanks for any guidance or suggestions, much appreciated Paul Ireland

[@SarbarMultimedia]

Hi Paul All laser machines out of China are basically the same design concept. because they are built to a skeletal outline defined by the Chinese government for export. There will be different quality components used bt different assembly plants because these guys are not machine designers, just assemblers of mass produced standard components. You will experience all sorts of BS and claims about different machines and the specifications will purposely be misleading to imply an imagined performance advantage. Lets just break the machine concept down into essential pieces, At the working end of the machine on the table, the LIGHT converges to a focal point . The INTENSITY of that light energy is what damages your material. No machine manufacturer can change physics. BUT that INTENSITY is controlled by a lens and a laser beam. ALL manufactureres have to use the same sort of lenses because there are so few to choose from and even if they fit a cheap lens it will still work OK and you have the option to change if for a few euros.. The laser beam is more problematic bnecause there is an indusrty standard A grade tube that output a beam of high quality (sharpness) that is defined by an M2 number that should be 1.1 or less (1.0 = perfection, and cannot be bought). The manufacturing process for tubes is far from 100% efficient. and the only real test of a finished tube is it's power output. There are many tubes that fail final test and cannot be warrented by the manufacturer. These get sold at silly discounts into a "grey" market (usually machine builders) that fit then to their machines. What knowledge, skill, experience or test equipment do you have to say if your tube is A grade?. take a look at this video to see the problem expained kzbin.info/www/bejne/sGnWf4Oqfq6LkJY Many of the tube examples in this video are from direct import machines. . In essence the Chinese are banking on 99% of users being technically naive when it comes to laser beam and it will be beam quality that sufferes if power output is lower than expected. BUT....again for 330-400 euros you can replace/upgrade a tube with known A grade provided you buy carefully (and not from ebay!!!!). These two items are the laser machine and there will be no difference, in priciple between ANY manufacturer. Whats left? Well, there's a steel box to house everything, it can be elegant or ugly, functionally they are the same. Then there is the mechanism within that box to guide the beam around the work area.. It is this last chunk where you need to be careful . All the systems will work, but some are much better than others. Let's start with the X and Y bearing systems. Square bearings are a must have, 12mm sizwe will be OK but I would prefer the more robust 15mm size.. I can see that Rabbit have a square X bearing across the gantry but all the pictures I can find do not show clearly if the Y axis is a square system or round rod system.. ALL macines will be driven by stepper motors and toothed belts With some machine you can optionally purchase closed loop (hybrid servo) motors but there is no serious performance advantage they are both stepper motors. The controller ideally needs to be a Ruida brand because these are basically the industry standard. Apart from the question about the Y axis bearings, Rabbit seems to be OK. Can you buy a 100watt Rabbit machine 600.900 bedsize for 5000 euros delivered (including VAT and inport tax?) Will it be better than this? www.ebay.co.uk/itm/353825832147?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D235872%26meid%3Dd28d5757d9d24596a377992ce2927dd7%26pid%3D101195%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D12%26sd%3D253160252529%26itm%3D353825832147%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D0%26pg%3D2047675%26algv%3DSimplAMLv9PairwiseWebMskuAspectsV202110NoVariantSeedWithPLXV2Ranker&_trksid=p2047675.c101195.m1851&amdata=cksum%3A353825832147d28d5757d9d24596a377992ce2927dd7%7Cenc%3AAQAGAAACMMw1Lsv8B0SseAWNE0YHZKDLujas5OkzrH3IOpqxEyE6qsmE0wWLYbl18qvqDpFmYttFoGvKE%252Blf6HQ16aSZ7vYUJtS%252FM%252FkQUVpPe0%252BS0%252FkSm5kH6WD3pf2W16mpM12odSduJWm2rMM%252B0PMYBKV%252BmJAnv%252FIHFcBl9NFMdu6s0vqK3E8249Stf6nGEnhF%252BsXtGieWZhrdjEPiimAo81T89Bj5yPNEYFjuvBlaYclGItgWmKY4ooEW5BCW7tL7GKehNw6LhhB7UZVu3gB5ZgXYlRo0jG8Z09bGA%252FgERFLQ8JvDdVQn69dL079iAUL81Nrn%252FU7Gexoh9UPzoxiuj1q5vocQz1ha5yXooRYQeU1IjPTSenDJQh364HlCbIcuwNTekr66tRspnh3UGhI%252FqaxuYQa2Flf4BDAOs0cee0GE08fX5oom9HTjcGGKs7KC50dtEoTYdfSuM3OoFYg9E1JzTtRjOPFUZ9o4slssaNGOT675L9G%252FgWLLAdLngV%252FzyCbpH59auQ%252BGlUI4xoIP0iANIOEMsiEq0dYUsUyjQ%252By5e2gKViT81XL1syOh4kB9leSkx4ZKLPsn%252BeZyu4diTroGc6L56v1oyt%252FMAHTCfdsy9mZVXuxltfxb4wL%252FJP7ABpQnts0%252BVEl24G5rIiyGvganqwPrYXKQHIRAre%252B3soq0UV%252FYnROtDMXZnYNxsuNCUUoQHiEsxaPllokq5QuDTHwfIINYKhiDytu6vQzTAALsKj3l%7Campid%3APL_CLK%7Cclp%3A2047675 This is a Kehui manufactured machine with all the OK mechnanicals and a Ruida controller all housed in a bland case. It will be fitted with a B grade 80 watt tube that may deliver 60 watts (B grade tubes are a lottery) but at this "all in" price you can afford to buy a new A grade tube if it is really bad and still be well within you budget.. It has a DC motorized table and not a stepper driven Z axis. . I have nothing against Rabbit but they are just a typical Chinese laser machine with no standout features. The USA business model is to import them cheaply with their own local branding and to then offer after sales support at a huge mark up. Any after sales support in Ireland will be by email (hmmmm) , so you had better quickluy learn about your machine because you will have to be the 24/7 service tech. Best wishes for the New Year Russ

[@HDTwiZ]

Thank you so much for all your insights! I would love to get your opinion on the lasers by OMTech!

[@SarbarMultimedia]

Hi just add your disguised (to fool the bots) email address to another comment and I will reply and also delete your comment. Best wishes Russ

[@HDTwiZ]

@@SarbarMultimedia not really sure what you mean.

[@SarbarMultimedia]

@@HDTwiZ I hate for people to use their easy-to-spot email address because there are always bots scanning the web for email addresses. Who can say how they will be used or matched up with other details that may be available about you. disguise it in any way like (johndotsmith at) GEEEEE mail dot (com). I can decode it but a bot will be confused. Best wishes Russ

[@troypouliot9809]

Great information here! So, as a DIY'er is there anywhere to buy just the frame or enclosure for the k50 type laser so I could then outfit it with quality components from the get go?

[@SarbarMultimedia]

I am not aware of a K50 machine but my advice is to hunt around for a 50x30 50 watt machine (ideally it will have a Ruida controller) that has been pre-owned. They are often misunderstood by their original owner who wants rid of it. Most of the parts will be very usable but you will still be able to improve some parts and finish up with a sweet little machine. for not a huge effort.. Best wishes Russ

[@MrRedbonez123]

Thanks Russ for the advice! What are your thoughts on the RDL-4040 (Red Dragon Lasers LTD) - UK based

[@SarbarMultimedia]

Hi Daryl I have a good Welsh friend that was planning to buy a RD machine about a year ago. He has been involved with selling and using laser machines and knows good from flakey. Unless they have moved up market, I would respect his opinion. He decided to take on more work himself by buying a ebay machine that was better mechanically engineered and upgrade the tube and power supply It worries me that I can see nothing other than an outside view of the RD4040. What's within is most important. Alternative: Provided this is available with a Ruida controller then this is mechanically a nice looking machine at a better price www.ebay.co.uk/itm/114882208094?hash=item1abf83615e:g:DMcAAOSw0URg-Ce2 Best wishes Russ

[@MrRedbonez123]

@@SarbarMultimedia appreciate the detailed reply, and wow ill have a look into that machine many thanks :D

[@13e12nardo]

Hi, Great content.... Have you a similar research for laser welders? Thanks, B

[@russsadler3471]

Very sorry but no. My welding looks like dog turds so I leave it to guys with appropriate skills. Best wishes Russ

[@andrzejkorzeniecki9469]

Thank you Russ now I do my upgrade and I need some your help if is possible. I need light head is possible send me file? One more question how to recognize ruida controller which can stop working or how much time is left until the end of the temporary license?

[@SarbarMultimedia]

Hi Andrejz Add your disguised email address to another comment and I will send you some files. I will then delete your comment/email address. The risk of buying an encrypted controller is very low but I have had many requests on how to solve this problem in the past few months so I thought I must warn people. Sadly there is no way of knowing that your controller is encrypted until some magic date has been reached and then when you try to download a file it will prevent you communicating with the machine and present a screen message the tells you that the machine is protected by encryption. If you buy a machine and it works out of the box then the FIRST thing you must do is connect PC and machine with a USB cable, go to File Vendor Settings , use the password RD8888 and then press the READ button. That will upload the basic machine operating parameters to RDWorks. You then press ther SAVE button and save the parameters to and external file on your PC. Prees exit and then go to the USER tab (top right) and again press the READ button and Save the data to an external file. This is the ONLY protection you can take (and you should do this anyway as a backup) against your controller locking on you. As I said the ONLY fix is to replace the controller because nobody has yet been successful in getting a code from their vendor.. This is when you will need to OPEN your backup files in RDWorks and WRITE them to your new controller. Best wishes Russ

[@3DCA]

Hi, many thanks for you very appreciate videos. I have now access to a 50 Watt Fiber Marking Machine with EZCAD3 and I have extrem difficulties to get a parameters manual to start with for Steel, Aluminium first, Silver & Gold later. I thought to try like many have done to make some tests like this: -The Power is between 10% and 100% -The frequence KHz : [20;100] -The Speed mm/s: I have to choose a value dor testing - Hatching: I have to choose a value. So I thought to make a table with all these values to get an academic approach. Do you have a better approach or di you know any books to read to get a bettee results. Many thanks any way for all your efforts to make the laser world better...

[@SarbarMultimedia]

Hi Yasser My fiber laser was rather special but there is a channel that you should follow that tells you everything you want to know about your fiber laser . Go to KZbin and search for JefferyJ. Best wishes Russ

[@3DCA]

@@SarbarMultimedia I am already following him and I am trying to get the right path. Many thanks for your very appretiare contributions...

[@3DCA]

@zomgthisisawesomelol Many thanks for your advices. What I'm looking vor is Marking and Cutting Silver, Gold, Steel & Aluminium. I have found a very intesting video of JefferyJ, althoug I have to say that all his vedeos are amazing. Here is the link to it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nXLLf3ara817g6c As you said I have to test and test and test. Yesterday I have tried to mark a 21 Karat Gold Bracelet with no so good result. If you are interested I could share with you the result(s) so you can get an idea about the progress. (Email adress is needed). Many thanks, Yasser

[@rolledlemon3113]

Hi Great video, This is a little off topic but could you tell me the brand/model of the laser safety goggles you use for your Lotus Fibre Laser it would be of great help thanks

[@russsadler3471]

I have done a whole video on safety goggles for the CO2 laser and 90% of what I deal with is valid for the 1064nm fiber laser wavelength as well but there are a few exceptions. kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZobWqniur6iNqcU First is that glass water and acrylic do NOT absorb 1064nm light waves, they pass right through. However, polycarbonate is still opaque even though it is transparent to normal visible light (about 600nm) This means that a simple clear polycarbonate screen around your equipment will absorb any stray/reflected rays.. I mention that by far and away the bigger risk to your eyes is looking at the hypnotic light emanating from the material surface. This is intensely bright (like a welding arc) and contains lots of dangerous UV radiation . The good news is that polycarbonate also absorbs these dangerous UV rays but does nothing to attenuate the light intensity. If you only glance at the light for a second or two then it will not damage your eyes. If you close your eyes and can see white spots then you have overdone it (just like glimpsing the sun for a second or two) If you plan to watch the laser working then you need some tinted material like sunglasses to reduce the light intensity. To protect your eyes if your machine is NOT screened then these are polycarbonate and sunglasses rolled into one www.cloudraylaser.com/collections/fiber-safety-goggles However, do not forget that your skin (face /hands/arms) are just as vulnerable to sunburn from UV light so safety goggles are not the whole answer. Best wishes Russ

[@rolledlemon3113]

@@russsadler3471 Thank you this has been very helpful

[@Nonprofessional_Tinkerer]

ok looks like when mine comes i need to look for a silver sticker with an RDC number if its a RUIDA, if not i would assume i have a claim as the posting states it has a ruida

[@SarbarMultimedia]

H Matthew I could not find the second half of your email address Best wishes Russ

[@Nonprofessional_Tinkerer]

@@SarbarMultimedia yahoo

[@Nonprofessional_Tinkerer]

It keeps deleting it ends in come minus the e

[@panbekon1470]

What about Trocen controllers? I own one and they seem to be very descent

[@SarbarMultimedia]

I did say that there are other digital controllers available but the usual problem until recently has been the interface software.. Ruida offer the best FREE software but that has now been overtaken by Lightburn that handles many different digital controllers including Trocen in the mannert of RDWorks but with hundreds more features. If you have not used it try the 30 day free trial download. I found the native LaserCad that comes with the Trocen controller rather clunky and less intuitive than RDWorks . In turn, RDWorks seems clunky compared to Lightburn.. Thus it's not the controller itself but the interface software that sways my recommendation. I'm sure that ultimately everyone will be using Lightburn. Best wishes Russ

[@shanester2594]

Cloudray sells other Ruida controllers with different keypad. Are they not the correct controller?

[@SarbarMultimedia]

Ruida make several different controllers that cater for a range of machine types. For example there are machines with metal cutting heads that require many more functions and also machines with two or more tubes and heads. The model I show is what you will find on the simple 2 and 3 axis machines that most people will be looking for . Best wishes Russ

[@warriors475]

Hi there Russell could you please advise on a good lense and mirrors and where to buy them from thanks

[@SarbarMultimedia]

Hi Mirrors are simple. always molybdenum. They are constant 97% efficient if reasonably clean. They are almost bullet proof in that you do not have to be ultra careful with cleaning . For most purposes isopropyl alcohol will do a great job but make sure you finish of with a lens tissue wipe to remove the inevitable film,. If you need to remove something a bit more difficult then there will be no problem using acetone with a cotton bud (circular motions). If there is anything serious (maybe a bluish oxide film) then remove the mitrror and use some liquid silver polish with a cotton bud to RESTORE the pristeen silver surface.. These are mirrors for life and Cloudray will sell you a set for$12 with free postage. www.cloudraylaser.com/collections/co2-mirrors/products/cloudray-high-quality-mo-mirror-dia-15-19-05-20-25-30-38-1mm-thk-3mm-1pcs-custom-made-for-co2-laser-engraving-cutting-machine?variant=7645314547763 Higher priced mirrors are all plated and need to be treated more carefully than a baby's bottom. The plating will be atomically thin and will soon micro-pit after a few cleans. Lenses ? That's more difficult, It depends a bit on your power and the "sharpness" of your beam. I have 70 watts and except for photo engraving and 3D engraving, I always use a 2.5 GaAs plano convex lens flat side up ( not what most will tell you). I also use a 2" Ga As plano convex from time to time for thin materials. A "soft" long focal depth 4" lens is what I use for 3D engraving and of course the compound lens for photo engraving. I have lots of lenses to choose from but you only need a few to cover every situation Stick with Cloudray for .reliable quality and great service.... but lenses and mirror s can be bought from most sources without much risk. Best wishes Russ

[@warriors475]

thanks for the link to the mirrors i think my lense is a 2in so would you say get a 2.5 instead for general cutting and engraving ?? i thought a 1.5 was best for engravinglenses

[@johnprzybysz3845]

I have been watching your channel for a while now ( very informative) I am looking at the OMTech 50W CO2 Laser Engraver Machines mostly to make simple templates out of wood and or acrylic. Do you know anything about these machines? I will be buying from Amazon. Thank you for any insight you may have.

[@spikey911usa]

I bought that machine through Walmart.. Tube died in a very short time, alignment issues due to bad threading, many other issues. Seller refused to warranty anything. Be prepared to tinker and replace. I can say tubes have sky rocketed in price so plan on that.

[@SarbarMultimedia]

I have seen the Spikey comment and as far as I can see OMTech are just importing regular Chinese machines that you can buy from Ebay or Amazon market place. They maybe offering some sort of support and they may be tinkering with them to do what the Chinese miss out.... QA. Hmmm.... I would find out what they are doing to their imports. Are they fitting new A grade tubes? ( the main issue with all Chinese budget machines). Do they offer support, training and spares? Compare their prices with a similar Ebay product (already in a US warehouse) and knowing you will have to spend maybe as much as $300m for an A grade replacement tube , are you sufficiently competent to tinker with it yourself and cut out the middle man? They have several videos on KZbin so you can asses the competence of these guys, I have had a look around your US Ebay and can find nothing comparable to what these guys are offering The nearest is www.ebay.com/itm/224250511420?hash=item34365f403c:g:~JIAAOSwO5Beju9A There is additional shipping cost and it is $200 more and not as good as the OMtech offering The OMTech 5030 is exactly the same as my China Blue and Tangerine Tiger. It is not a 50 watt tube but in reality a 40 watt 800mm long tube. If it happens to be branded KH laser than it is almost junk. BUT at this price it is good value. Buy yourself a CR45 from Cloudray and it will be a direct replacement A grade tube. You will then have the start of a reliable piece of kit to enjoy yourself. Best wishes Russ

[@RPalmieri]

I have bought a Orion Motor Tech laser and I am very happy with it. I am getting so creative with it and I am totally not a creative person. :-D

[@johnprzybysz3845]

@@RPalmieri how often do you use it? Did you get it from Amazon? I will be cutting and engraving 3/16" thick MDF will I have any problems? Is it accurate? Thank you for your input.

[@RPalmieri]

@@johnprzybysz3845 I use it almost daily for two months now on a hobby-base. The thoughest I have cut is 8mm open wood (iepenhout in Dutch). That is pretty hard wood. Focal point distance needs to be spot on to work. I think that if you use different lenses it will be easier. Unfortunately I ordered the wrong ones so I don’t know yet

[@polakis1975]

Waiting for the Russ machine 😋

[@SarbarMultimedia]

So am I

[@gunterpietzsch3995]

Mo to

[@southeastsignage]

Buy cheap. But twice 👌

[@SarbarMultimedia]

Is it your hope that in buying two cheap machines you may be able to make one good one???? I am just about to buy a machine for a friend. I have been to Amazon marketplace ( a bit safer than Ebay) and carefully studied the specification and taken screen shots of the advertised product that he wants. I note with interest that AUTO FOCUS is being sold as part of the machine specification. From my experience I know that the head design will not accommodate autofocus and that the photo on the website is from a completely different machine. I have been assured by Amazon that if the seller does not supply what is advertised then I will get my money back and the seller will have to pick up the return shipping (ouch!!!). That sounds like a great negotiation point for getting the machine (without autofocus) at a bargain price. When you understand how the Chinese laser game is played it puts you at an advantage. I have helped several people negotiate machine discounts and a couple have finished up with FREE machines. Let's see how I get on with my own purchase. Even at the advertised price I would have to pay 5x that for a UK plug and play machine. For a business like yours you do not have choice but for hobbyists who are happy to take on a bit of a project the cost saving is a no brainer. Best wishes Russ ps I do actually understand your comment and in general that is sound advice.