Chinese laser cutter tutorial part 2

[@Henchetarian]

By far the most informative video on laser cutting that I have seen on youtube - and I have seen lots! Anyone who has a laser cutter or is thinking about getting one should see this!

[@SarbarMultimedia]

+patrick whelan Hi Patrick Thanks for you positive comments. A lot of this was based on previous knowledge from the days of owning 3kw industrial metal cutting lasers. After this my previous experience was of limited value and I start playing and exploring with this new very basic technology. Basic yes, simple |NO. Regards Russ

[@camillomarchetti7410]

@@SarbarMultimedia good

[@MxchiefMxker]

I bought a very similar Blue and White to you, and your videos have been indispensable in explaining really complex topics in a simple to understand way

[@creamedpanda8395]

Absolutely amazing and noble that you are making this series for us! Whether actually purchasing a laser cutter or not, still much appreciate and excited to learn about the process.

[@SarbarMultimedia]

Hi It is a learning journey I am undertaking and not a series of training videos. You have many hours of video to catch up on my two years lead and I still have a lot to learn. Perhaps you will learn from some of the mistakes and misunderstandings I have documented as well as the many mysteries that I have discovered. Thanks for your kind words and I hope you are successful if you undertake the same (but shorter) journey Russ

[@creamedpanda8395]

Hi Russ, I appreciate the response! What is the model of cutter in the video series?

[@SarbarMultimedia]

This is the model I bought www.ebay.co.uk/itm/350B-50W-CO2-Laser-Engraving-Cutting-Machine-Auxiliary-Rotary-Device-0-60000mm-/111694615353?hash=item1a01849339 However, mine was made in a different Chinese factory. This model is made in the Kehui factory and has known issues. In particular the tube and high voltage power supply are very poor quality and you will need to budget on spending another £500 to replace the tube and power supply soon after you get the machine. Yes this sounds terrible and a fraud, but in the end you are still getting a great little CNC laser system at an incredibly low price. There are a couple of other brands on ebay that have slightly better tubes fitted but within a few months you will need to go through the same replacement process. So just accept the inevitability of this and choose the cheapest deal that offers the most extras. The link above has a rotary device, I don't use it often buy its a useful extra that would cost about £15o to buy. Best regards Russ

[@Golota2121]

Thank you for doing this tutorial!!! Looks like I got interesting travel through more than 150 episodes during this weekend! Thank you again

[@waltermanning3682]

Thank you so much for taking the time to do these videos. They are very helpful and informative. Thanks again!

[@johngrabner]

Another excellent video. It is kind of scary that I watched most of your videos and almost missed probably the most important one in your series.

[@SarbarMultimedia]

+John Grabner Hi John There's a tarted up 40watt laser being marketed as a 3d LASER PRINTER. Its called Glowforge. and gives the impression that its as family friendly as an inkjet and I deal for all the whole family to use. Is a 5 year old or his mum aware of the deadly fumes when she/he tries to engrave initials on his lunch bag/box??? Its a fantastic advert for painting a dream....if you haven't already, give it a watch. Regards Russ

[@johngrabner]

yes that advert is too well done. Litigation if not criminal charges will surely occur shortly after launch.

[@1stage]

Thank you, thank you, thank you for posting this!

[@SarbarMultimedia]

Hi Sean There's only anther 70 odd videos before you catch up with me !! Thanks for your appreciation Best regards Russ

[@1stage]

I've just uncrated my similar but smaller 300mm x 400mm 40W unit, but it has a lesser laser controller than the one you do. I just ordered the same Ruida controller myself to upgrade, and it looks like I'll need two or three stepper controllers in addition... still much less expensive than a "tier one" unit.

[@javajeff2]

Just starting to watch this. I purchased one for my free lance artist wife. I've just recently set it up and have the exhaust connected and have tested the 2 pumps successfully. Thank you for creating this valuable resource. The manual has so much "lost in translation."

[@SarbarMultimedia]

Hi Jeff Welcome to the wonderful world of Chinese dragon training!!! My guess is that your wife will do the creative clean stuff in her warm studio and you will be doing the smelly stuff in the workshop? I'm sure you will both have great fun. There is a lot to lean but like many things in this life , become proficient at the 25% you need and learn the rest as and when you need to. Best wishes Russ

[@CrizzJovi]

Hello teacher I’m starting to learn laser cutting! Your channel is amazing

[@SarbarMultimedia]

Hi Welcome to this fascinatiing CO2 laser world. You have started at the beginning of my laser journey 9 years ago. What I knew then and what I know now are worlds apart. I did not realize at that time that there was so much science and technology behind this seemingly simple process. Like all new users I just wanted to cut and engrave various materials by fiddling with the parameters. The only software I had was RDWorks, the free software supplied with the Ruida laser controller. The current universal software is Lightburn which most are now using. After several years of learning by experimentation and research I tried to collect my knowledge into a more concise form with a series of 30 videos which you can find here laseruser.com/the-concise-rdworks-learning-lab-menu/ This will give you a much quicker way to understand the technology you are using . All my other videos and files are posted here as well and are indexed for easy subject searching. Best wishes for your journey.

[@larrywb76]

Thank you for the safety video!! Very important to know. I’ve been in sign industry for years and have access to plenty of pvc and styrene. Would of used some scrap for tests, and you may have saved my life!!

[@SarbarMultimedia]

Hi Larry here is a useful guide wiki.atxhs.org/wiki/Laser_Cutter_Materials Best wishes Russ

[@adamstestanimations]

Many boyhood dreams were of owning lasers.. The future is here! Thanks so much for your in-depth videos! My 100w 6040 comes in 2 weeks time. (Let's hope it really is 100w) Safety first is the best phrase, ever coined! Lovely videos..

[@00Mass00]

This is great info! Thank you for these series!

[@andii1701]

So much improtant information. Thanks for share your knowledge. The world needs more people like you!

[@angelavuong918]

Thanks for tour great works that help me so much from a beginner standpoint, very complete and so helpful - God bless you for helping people like me.

[@SarbarMultimedia]

Hi Angela Thanks for the kind words. I started off here telling you what I already knew from previous experience but after 6 sessions I realized that my previous experience (with large metal cutting machines) was not transferable to these sealed tube Chinese machines. I then started a new series called RDWorks Learning Lab where I basically produced a video diary of allowing you to look over my shoulder as I make a long journey of discovery about these machines and the laser technology. After 6 years , I have gained a lot of knowledge and experience and trust me, the basic theory of lense covered in this session will get you a long way, but even today as I type this answer I am still experimenting and gaining knowledge about the peculiar characteristics of lenses for cutting materials that basic lens theory does not take into account. Good luck in your new venture Best wishes Russ

[@the-bu3lb]

Thank you for all your help. You mentioned air assistance. If a different gas was added were the air assist pump comes from would this machine be able to cut metal. Let If so or not so can u explain. Just like a plasma cutter can do or the laser cutter in part 1 did . Thanks

[@SarbarMultimedia]

There is one major problem with trying to cut metal with a CO2 laser and that is reflectivity. All metals reflect 10.6 micron wavelength light, some more than others. Metals such as aluminium, brass, copper, silver and gold are almost at 100%. So if you fire 100 watts of light energy at such a surface it will come straight back at you, or in the case of our laser machine , will reflect back at the lens and damage it. If you investigate metals a little , you will discover they have regular crystallographic structure that is responsible for this reflective property. Steel is a bit less regular because it has so many other alloying elements within that cause the structure to be a little less regular. However, if you heat metals above their melting point that regular structure disappears and they are no longer reflective. At this point the light energy will not be reflected but changed into heat energy.. That means the highly reflective metals mentioned above will never be cut with a CO2 laser, but metals such as steel that will absorb a small amount of light energy can be heated to their melting point with several hundred watts of focused energy whereupon further melting becomes easy. Melting is is one issue but doing something with the melted metal is another problem. In the case of mild steel you will use pure oxygen as an assist gas. This has two effects. First the oxygen and white hot melted metal react with each other to GREATLY enhance the heating/melting effect (an exothermic reaction) and secondly, the high velocity of the oxygen through the cutting nozzle ( at about 15 to 20psi) blows the melted metal out of the bottom of the cut. I am sure you have seen people using oxy-acetylene cutting torches, this is exactly the same process, Cutting stainless steel is a completely different mechanism once the laser beam has created a melt pool. The high chromium content of stainless steel creates a big problem. Chromium and oxygen just love to combine. However, when they do so the melted material turns to treacle and will not easily be blown from the cut. For cutting stainless you must remove all oxygen from the melt zone. Now the assist gas must be pure medical grade nitrogen and has to be used at VERY high pressures (above 150psi) to blow the molten steel cleanly from the melt area. Cutting metals with a CO2 laser is NOT simple ,even the cheap Chinese machines have a very complex cutting head. see www.cloudraylaser.com/collections/metal-mix-cutting-head Best wishes Russ

[@the-bu3lb]

SarbarMultimedia fantastic explanation. ThAnk you

[@DerekSpeareDSD]

Please do a video on how you fabricated your air pressure regulator for your air blower on the nozzle.

[@SarbarMultimedia]

Hi Derek It's along time since I started this learning journey with my little cheap Chinese laser machine.. I was wring to use the word tutorial in the title of this first mini series. I came to this non-metal cutting laser technology from a background of many years experience with powerful metal cutting industrial lasers. I was naIve to think I already understood much about this non metal cutting technology. This sealed tube laser technology comes from another planet, it has very little in common with metal cutting technology but at this stage I had not realized it.. Knowing what I know now makes me embarrassed to rewatch some of this early material .......but mistakes are all part of the learning process and as my learning journey progresses I certainly make a few more mistakes. With that little bit of background I will now answer your question The Chinese supplied me with a stupid little pulsing air compressor. Hmmmm .....I dont think 4psi can really be called compressing! No, you need proper compressing to 80 -100psi with a regulator and filter. With so much ignorance at that stage I had no idea why I was damaging lenses. Perhaps it was because they were cheap and Chinese? . In reality it was my own "I know better" attitude that was the problem. I eventually learnt that despite filters , oil and moisture were still in the air that arrived at my nozzle. The air fitting into the nozzle was much smaller diameter (3mm) than the exit orifice from the nozzle (4.5mm). This meant that the warm, moisture laden air was expanding rapidly inside the nozzle. Expanding air cools rapidly and this was causing the warm moisture laden air to "fog" within the nozzle and the laser beam was making the micro water particles boil and bake onto the surface of the lens. This caused one face of the lens to heat up and further enhance the debris baking process . I also risked cracking the lens and certainly added to the loss of power that I was desperately struggling with. I removed the shop compressor and returned to that "stupid" pulsing pump. Not so stupid after all for many physics reasons but hey, let me conclude by saying that 5 years on and I am still using it. You don't need a video of how to make the same mistake I did. Just follow my journey and steer clear of all the mistakes I made. Best wishes Rusds

[@DerekSpeareDSD]

@@SarbarMultimedia Thank you for your reply! I have cut thousands of parts from 10mm acrylic and 3mm abs by my machinist's 150w laser over 10 years, but I have decided to get my own laser and do it myself to keep costs low. Mine is a 130w 1060x Reci machine, and it's "on the truck" right now on its way to me. I think I know it all, but I am starting from zero to cover everything thoroughly to make sure I don't cock-up my new five thousand dollar machine. I like the idea of regulating the air, but I will see what it's all about once mine comes in. Your videos on RD works have really helped me! Thank you from Florida USA (not all of us here are crazy, BTW).

[@SarbarMultimedia]

@@DerekSpeareDSD Hi Derek At least you are familiar with non metal cutting technology. However, doing it yourself may cause you to be a bit more cautious about cutting plastics. Some have serous health hazards attached to them. Take a look at this document and do further research into what happens when various plastics burn. atxhackerspace.org/wiki/Laser_Cutter_Materials ABS is not something I would ever use. I also have a fiber laser and I am told it can mark ABS very well. Am I going to test it? Best wishes Russ ps. I can be100% sure that your Reci W4 tube is not going to live up to your 130 wattt expectation The machine vendor is quoting the maximum TEST watts. It is in reality a 100 watt tube but Reci are very devious. This next paragraph USED to be published on the Reci website. I think my regular interpretation of what it actually means must have got back to them and it has now been removed , along with a lot of other invaluable data. "The working current: test current is 30mA. Maximum working current is 30mA. The running current must be kept below 28mA. The life span can reach 10,000 hours if the current is kept below 26mA " This W4 tube is specified as 100 -130watts by Reci. So let me translate what this specification means We test this tube at 30mA and it delivers at least 130 watts. That means the working current COULD be as much as 30mA BUT YOU cannot use this or you will invalidate the warranty. Instead you can run at 28mA max and your tube will deliver 100watts . However, if you want our agreed 10,000 hour life (whatever that means???) we recommend you do not exceed 26mA ....... What they do not declare is the watts that you will then get at 26mA. The answer is about 85 watts. So my point is that Your machine vendor is promising 130 watts, Reci are promising you a 100 watt tube but you may shorten its life if you run it at 100 watts (28mA) and in fact you have really got an 85 watt tube.. Is that not fraud?

[@DerekSpeareDSD]

@@SarbarMultimedia Adjusting the current is something I do not know how to do. I'm confident it will cut the material we use. Yes, plastic is a pain, but that's what we use. If we have to replace a bulb even every year, it's a massive cost saver to do it in house.

[@SarbarMultimedia]

@@DerekSpeareDSD Hi Derek The tube will be nearly OK as far as life is concerned and even used a lot you can expect at least 3 years life from it. Almost every machine builder that boasts fitting a Reci tube will indeed be fitting a genuine tube, However, look carefully at the test graph that will be on the tube. This is a W4 tube with a MAX test wattage of 130. It may show 127 or a bit less that the specification. That makes it unwarrantable by Reci and has been sold cheaply to a machine builder on the understanding that they (not Reci) will deal with any claims. That does not make it a bad tube, that is just the underhand way that the Chinese laser business operates.. Depending on the brand of HV power supply fitted , the more expensive genuine Reci power supplies have extra signal cables that link to the Ruida display panel Across the bottom of the display there is a yellow strip showing tube voltage and current flow. If there is no ammeter fitted to the machine I urge you to fit one as they are cheap and simple to fit see www.ebay.com/itm/New-DC-30mA-Class-2-5-Accuracy-Analog-Ammeter-Amperemeter-Gauge-91C4-DC-0-30mA/131876161575?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D225086%26meid%3D754865fcc13145c78e74b41d31a28044%26pid%3D100675%26rk%3D6%26rkt%3D15%26mehot%3Dnone%26sd%3D131288809465%26itm%3D131876161575%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2380057%26brand%3DUnbranded&_trksid=p2380057.c100675.m4236&_trkparms=pageci%3Aeaa99654-c6c9-11ea-8371-5209927fb40e%7Cparentrq%3A53c255221730aa13eabd9344ffec08c4%7Ciid%3A Acrylic in particular is a difficult material to cut, You cannot rush it and the more power you have the faster you can cut it. If production volume is important, then you may need to upgrade to a proper 150 watt tube and power supply. Don't buy Reci again. Look at SPT tubes as an excellent value tube that delivers what it promises and will last just as long but for about half the price of a Reci W8. Good luck with your new go it alone venture Best wishes Russ

[@mohammadpourheydarian5877]

such an important warning. Thank you sir. I feel indebted to you. May God bless you.

[@nathanieldavies3801]

Hello, thank you so much for your videos. I just purchased my first laser cutter and your videos have been extremely informative. I bought the 60 watt laser cutter from the same manufacturer that made yours. Just the 60 watt version. The two machines are very similar and over all I am impressed with the quality of the machine for the price as you were. I am having a problem with the laser though. When I fire the laser it sparks on the side where power enters the laser and make a hissing noise and does not discharge down the tube and nothing comes out of the end of the laser. I am guessing the there is an issue with the power supply or the tube itself is compromised. I have removed the tube and cannot see any visible cracks. As Im sure you know there is not really any tech support with these laser cutters. Also Im sure Im not the first person who has had this problem. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you again for your videos!!!

[@SarbarMultimedia]

+Nathaniel Davies Hi Nathanial. Firstly don't worry yet. It's most likely a very poor connection on the high voltage terminal. If you look at the video where I changed my tube you will see I was staggered to find the HT wire just wrapped around the terminal post. I had seen videos of people trying to solder their wires on, and I tried likewise. BIG MISTAKE.I could have wrecked my second tube there and then but I was lucky. This joint seem to be the most flaky part of the machine. I have now found a very satisfactory solution that is shown in kzbin.info/www/bejne/a3i0gpd-e8ylgrM. I hope you were supplied with a tube of white silicone sealant. If not you must get some NOT BATH SEALaNT or anything from your local hardware store. They rely on acetic acid to cure which is corrosive. You will need something like uk.rs-online.com/web/p/silicone-sealants/0494118/?origin=null|fp&cm_sp=featureproducts-_-FeaturedProductsContent-_-0494118. It important to seal the HT joint from the atmosphere because any dampness in the atmosphere will cause a coronal leak path. Look how careful I was to fully encapsulate that joint. Any leakage and you will not apply full 20/25kv to to your tube to initiate a strike. There is a "plateau of uncertainty" that exists just below the strike voltage and that is probably the hiss you are hearing. This normally happens so fast at each firing that you never hear it but if you have leaked voltage then you may be stuck in this region. Reinstall your tube paying great care for that joint. If you have some, clean the immediate glass area around the HT nipple with some acetone or some isopropyl alcahol to ensure no tracking paths across the surface of the glass. You should be able to pulse the laser to check its function before you seal the joint. Make sure you leave the machine at least 15 minutes before touching that HT terminal or short it to earth with a piece of mains earth wire to make sure its safe. You can also witness what this uncertainty looks like in the video link I gave above. It's a problem I am currently wrestling with. So you are not alone. Best regards and good luck Russ

[@heniusmancriss9378]

You are my hero! Respect from Slovenija :)

[@DarrenMackay]

Hi, just wondering what safety glasses you would recommend for this machine?

[@davidkiang]

thank you for publishing these videos, it's lots of work! question, what or how does one go about looking for safety equipment? like screens or goggles have several ratings and prices.

[@SarbarMultimedia]

+david kiang Hi David You have only just started watching a very long soap opera. The 6 videos in this short series is all about me getting my machine ready to operate. There is a follow on series that documents my whole learning experience, the many problems I encounter along the way and the way in which I overcome them. That series is titled RDWorks Learning Lab and is currently at 60 sessions and still growing as I continue to explore what the machine is capable of. In session 4 of this first series I mention about the dangers of the designers using aluminium as a baseplate in the machine. It is highly reflective to infra red radiation. However, as time went on I had so many people asking the same sort of questions as you, about the hazards of working with a LASER beam that I decided to do a little video that explains what the beam is and just how dangerous it is (or is not) Take a look at kzbin.info/www/bejne/oXvIYmmPhtF8g5I And judge for yourself if you need to spend money on safety equipment or just understand and give respect. By the way, my other hobby is video so this learning journey has been a great focus for that. It's win win for me. Best regards Russ

[@tombouie]

Very professionally well done, you remind me of my college physics lab instructor. !Physics Rules! PS: I bet you're an retired physicist or engineer.

[@SarbarMultimedia]

Hi Tom Start watching my learning journey on kzbin.info/www/bejne/nH22emCwYrmXhLM You may get hooked and it will soon become clear later in the series that I rely on my school physics Best wishes Russ

[@ibrahimelkelany1252]

hello sir . your video is very good and has more information . is co2 laser cutting by john powell hand book available free ?

[@SarbarMultimedia]

Hi Ibrahim Sadly I think no. However you can see big extracts if you google it. and I think each time you google it you get a different random section. It is still one of the definitive works on CO2 laser cutting BUT it has little relevance for Chinese machines because the book is all about cutting metal with powerful CO2 lasers and we don't cut metal with our machines. Best regards Russ

[@bhuiyanalam8578]

Very well explained thanks much. I just got one for hobby. Thanks again.

[@raspberrypiploy771]

Thank you so much for a brilliant and very informative video. I have been researching these machines for some time and many unanswered questions have been addressed in your videos. The Machine you have is the model I have been looking at, how are you finding its performance. Thanks again.

[@SarbarMultimedia]

+paul w Hi Paul. Note that you have recently subscribed to my channel. You will now see that apart from the 6+1 in this first series, that gets me up to running the machine for the first time, there''s a lot of videos in the RDWorks Learning Lab series that document my learning successes and failures with my new toy. If you have the durability to watch that series your question will eventually be answered. As I claim, I am not a teacher or an expert I'm just an old guy learning how to use a techno toy. My other hobby is video so you get the privilege of looking over my shoulder (most of my footage is live first time as it happens) so you see failure as well as success. However there is definitely a story of gradual acquisition of knowledge and understanding about these quirky little gems over the 6 months I've owned it. The machine was bought as a 50watt machine but I soon suspected it was not what it purported to be. Eventually I proved it to be a 40 watt tube that after losses via mirrors and lens was delivering just 30watts at the work surface. I should be really hacked off...but I'm not. It does more that the original machine spec promised so why should I complain? Although selfishly I shouldn't worry, it does things that 60 watt machines struggle with.......... and that puzzles me. I'm now in the process of trying to discover why. Keep watching It's an amazing amount of fun for me but it may be a technical nightmare for others when things do not happen as you dream they will. There's no life boat when you buy one of these machines. The so called tech support from most direct Chinese vendors is non-existent. However, MANY people just jump overboard and then learn to swim. Some have found it frustrating but most have had exciting times learning. When/if you decide to buy, message me with your email, as there a few tips you should be aware of. Best regards Russ

[@raspberrypiploy771]

Hi Russ ... Yes I am now subscribed and am slowly going through the videos. In all my research yours are the best by far. They are easy to understand and very informative. I am also into Video having recently purchased the DJI Osmo. Thanks again Paul

[@SarbarMultimedia]

+paul w Hi Paul You will also find I have a Phantom 3 vision+. I'm not an rc nut I just find it an incredibly powerful tool for my video kit enabling me to get some otherwise impossible video shots. Enjoy Russ

[@raspberrypiploy771]

I sold my DJI Quads and now have a Yuneec 4k .. Amazing piece of kit although I must say the Osmo produces stunning quality stabilised shots. Oh well back to watching your videos.

[@The_Unobtainium]

Thank you! So informative!

[@mocoates]

Hi Russ, thanks for the tutorial help, its been great setting up and using my laser, except when someone knocked the water pump plug out of its socket the other day so when i switched it on today, after 20 mins i blew the tube....... Can you recommend a UK supplier? I have the 70 50 model, i think it currently has a 50w tube at the moment, would like to go higher if possible?

[@SarbarMultimedia]

Hi Mo If your machine came as a 50 watt machine it will be certainly be 800mm long and actually a 40 watt tube. If the tube was labeled K H Laser then trust me, you are better off without it. For general hobby use I would not go bigger than a 60 watt tube. It's just about controllable enough to do fine dot photo engraving but there is enough power to cut quite thick materials, albeit slowly. If you upgrade you will need a new power supply to match (again it's likely you have a B grade power supply also). I can suggest you email [e-mail] as he will be able to supply matching A grade kit. You should not have been able to run your machine if the water is not flowing. Is your system fitted with a flow switch and if so is it connected properly.? or even working? Best wishes Russ

[@mocoates]

Thanks for coming back to me, the pump wasn't plugged in as it has a separate power supply, i measured the tube and end to end its 1000mm. I'm not really worried about going to a higher wattage as I mostly cut acrylic with it as I'm a sign maker, so just cut letters really up to 10mm thick. It was labelled KH laser.

[@SarbarMultimedia]

Hi Mo KH laser are out and out fraudsters. They claim your machine is a 60 watt machine but at 1000mm long your tube is a 50 watt tube. Now the back story on KHLasser, Your machine was built in a Chinese factory called KeHui and your tube looks to be made by K H Laser....do you notice the similarity between Ke Hui and K H Laser? Sadly this is a big fraud. KeHui do not make tubes. Instead the trawl the main Chinese tube manufacturers for their reject tubes. Thy then take them into their own factory and retest them to make sure they "work in some way", enough to fool the unsuspecting and naive E bay buyer. They relabel the tubes to make them look credible, fit the tubes to their own machines and then ship them in bulk to various warehouses around the world. Next, a team of PRIVATE Ebay sellers sitting with PCs in their kitchens in China selling to you for commission, without seeing or knowing anything about what they are selling. The warranty is worthless if you try to contact them but with enough threats you may be offered a small refund. The HV power supply wiring is often incorrect for some unknown reason and the power supply may also be a B grade unit because I have encountered many reported failures. The tube in your machine will not be what it purports to be either. If it was a 60 watt machine it will be a 1000mm long 50 watt tube not to be run at more than 20mA or if it was a 50 watt machine then it will be fitted with a 40 watt 800mm long tube that should not be run at more than 18mA. Your tube or power supply will last days, weeks or a few months but it may perform badly during that time. It's a real lottery because your tube may be a "just fail" or it may be "almost junk" Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but it's best you know so that it will not be a surprise when things do not work as expected. The tube will generally lose power when it is dying. It will be VERY rare for it to just stop, unless there is a mechanical issue like broken/cracked tube. Any sudden death will almost certainly be a failed HV Power supply. Because this is a KH machine it is very possible that the flow switch that should have prevented your tube damage is either not wired correctly, not enabled in the vendor settings, the switch is not working or maybe not fitted at all. There is no way to privately send me your email address since KZbin ceased their private messaging system. Can you add a separate comment with your email address and I will immediately delete it from the public arena. We can then review your machine off-line. Best wishes Russ

[@mocoates]

alternatively you can goggle my company P&P signs in Marden Kent pandpsigns.co.uk thanks Russ. To be honest, the laser has been working fine up util I was stupid enough to not have the plug for the pump pushed all the way in to the socket :) I just need a new tube really so I can get up and running again. Thanks so much for your input, much appreciated

[@samrust8020]

The machine that I bought comes with RDC6442S-B (EC) . I need your help to connect each port to the correct connection type please. The manual files that come with the device is not professional at all.

[@SarbarMultimedia]

Hi Samer Add your disguised email address to another comment (johndotsmithatgeeeemaildotcommmmm) . I will reply and also delete your comment/email from public view. Best wishes Russ

[@unknowndomain]

Just to add to this PMMA / Acrylic fumes are known to cause funky cancers, and proper LEV is required.

[@SarbarMultimedia]

Hi Tom How right you are. The silly fan extract system supplied with the machine is pretty useless. If you push on with my videos you will see that I have replaced it with bouncy castle centrifugal blower that moves huge volumes of air. Because of my filming needs I run with the lid open so huge airflows are required to make sure the is no backflow of fumes. Many thanks for comment Best regards Russ

[@unknowndomain]

I've been privileged enough to use Trotec Speedy 300 and 500 machines everywhere I work that are hooked up to proper LEV systems.

[@runescapen0ob]

Hey there. I'm about 10 video into all of your laser tutorials now and I wanted to come back to this one and ask about the polyurethane point. 1. I currently engrave wood on a different laser cutter, and we engrave on finished wood. It's much easier because you can just wipe off the residue after engraving. You mentioned that poly fumes can be harmful, but I am aware that it's done extremely often amongst the laser engraving community. So basically, is it dangerous to engrave on finished wood that has a clear poly finish coating? 2. Can this Chinese laser be an engraving laser? Aka, if we can to etch logos and designs on it, can it do so well? I saw your engraving video but it seemed like gray scale engraving. I just want to do 1 layer and make it look clear and beautiful.

[@SarbarMultimedia]

+runescapen0ob Hi 1] Varnishes and laquers are potential dangers when laser cutting. After all the CO2 laser beam is just a concentrated beam of invisible IR heat energy. ( kzbin.info/www/bejne/oXvIYmmPhtF8g5I } Mechanical wood engraving is in many ways safer because most toxic/irritant dangers are in the dust which can be filtered out for breathing. Not so with gases produced by burning plastics and even woods such as cedar, redwood and some maples. Gases represent an invisible and un-filterable hazard, so you need to understand what you are cutting and prepare accordingly....or refuse to cut it.. Here is a useful guide to laser cutting materials and associated hazards. www.synrad.com/synradinside/pdfs/LaserProcessingGuide_Plastics.pdf In general when burning polyurethane plastic the main danger is Hydrogen Cyanide gas (used in death chambers!!) Once the solvents/carriers in the varnish have evaporated/cured, I would be extremely cautious and vigilant with my extraction and ventilation. There is always smoke/resin residue produced around the edge of your wood cut so this is inherently a messier process. You can however cover the surface with a paper low tack adhesive sheet (as used in the transfer of vinyl cuts) This can be peeled off after cutting to leave pristine edges. 2} The grey scale wood cutting is a trick way of 3D creation on a laser machine. The grey scale is used to inject up to 256 power settings for the machine (on the fly). You can define the 256 step to ant power range with the Max/Min settings on the machine. ie 10 to 20watts or 2 to 80 watts depending on the depth of cut you wish to achieve. If you just want a constant depth cut (as you would get with mechanical milling) the you set the max and min power to the same value. Hope this helps Best regrds Russ

[@runescapen0ob]

Hey Russ, Thanks for the detailed reply. I will def. look more into laser engraving these materials as I don't want death chamber gas in my room haha. With my 2nd question, I'm more so asking for the quality of cut. I won't be engraving gray scale, but just 1 depth of engraving. Can this machine rastor quality images on 1 depth? Meaning are the edges of the rastor sharp?

[@SarbarMultimedia]

+runescapen0ob Hi If you move on to Learning Lab 58 where I am experimenting with 3D greyscale carving some tulip wood which is quite soft. At 3.22 into the video you may wish to pause it and study the edges of the square. I had a 3mm deep raster cut , where the square is the negative image of the shape to the left of it. It was scanned left and right, not just one way. Another example in birch ply exists at 12:37. Ignore the fact that these are grey scale because on these outside edges its a simple step from white to black which is what you are trying to achieve. An example with bamboo exists at 18:04. Hope this answers your question as to how quickly and repeatably the beam switches on and off. Best regards Russ

[@runescapen0ob]

Sweet. I'll check it out. Thanks!!

[@kapri9857]

hallo I made laser collimation , that's better , it's normal that when you approach the laser head to the second mirror can go deep more material, and if I walk away I have not made ​​??at most I can cut 8 mm plexiglass near the second mirror,other question, in the laser head ( as it comes out the ray which then cuts ) is a concentrating lens , if the distance between this lens and the third mirrors mounted on the head increases or decreases change something in the depth of cut ? I get an email if you had other case of applications without clogging the channel thanks

[@SarbarMultimedia]

+Mirko Castellan Hi Mirko There is a lot to learn about this machine There is another series that I started after this short "getting the machine working" series. That new series is called RDWorks Learning Lab and documents all the learning and struggles I had during several months to eventually tame this machine. I tried several methods of setting the beam true and after several attempts settled on a simple logical set of steps. There is a two part video that you should look at kzbin.info/www/bejne/jJ2Zgn6irLd-os0 .You should get an even cut at all four corners of the machine if the beam is set correctly. Your last question about the lens. It makes no difference how far the lens is from mirror 3 because the distance between mirror 2 and mirror 3 and 1 and 2 are varying all the time without effect. It may be useful if you understand what your laser beam is and there are several videos you may watch but a key one is kzbin.info/www/bejne/oXvIYmmPhtF8g5I Best regards Russ

[@michelledolder184]

Hi, thank you so much for these videos as I've just recently up graded my machine to the one on this video, please could you help, my extractor fan is not working, also I can't feel any air coming out near the focus point, I've checked the pump and air is coming out of the tube, but when I connect to machine, nothing, I've also noticed on the electrical boxes , a red light is flashing, any suggestions, thank you

[@SarbarMultimedia]

Hi Michelle Several little issues here that may require sorting out off-line. Personal message me your email address and we can then exchange data and pictures easily The flashing led will be #14 and that means that all is ready to run a program and is normal. All best wishes Russ

[@SarbarMultimedia]

Hi Michelle My apologies for the very late reply (In never ignore requests for help). I have been away on vacation where the connection to the outside world was almost non-existent. I am now just trying to catch up with the many unanswered questions. First the red flashing light. If you press the RESET button and watch the LEDs on the controller you will see first the X and then the Y leds come on and off. That is when the machine has sensed it datum 0,0 position in the corner of the machine. After that, LED 14 will blink to let you know that the machine is ready to run. So that flashing light is good news. Now the air assist. On your nozzle you will probably find there is an elbow fitting with a screw sticking out? If yes then unscrew it as far as it will go without falling out. Is there air coming out now? If no then press the blue collar (it may be red or black) in the elbow fitting and pull the pipe out of the fitting. Is there air flow there? The answer must be yes. If no the you will either have a pipe kinked somewhere so that the flow is strangled or a pipe disconnected along the way. Only a few options to check. The extractor fan is connected in different ways on various machines. Check the label on the fan. Is it mains voltage? does it match your electric supply voltage? I have seen 110 volt fans fitted to 220volt machines. Pop! or 220 volt fans fitted to 110 volt machines ....wont work. Hope this resolves some of your issues. Again my apologies Russ

[@michelledolder184]

SarbarMultimedia Hi thank you so much that really help, how ever I do have another major problem, I’ve tried doing a simple word etching and it always starts at top left hand side, even when I position the green square correctly as stated on tutorial, when I want to engrave in middle of works piece it still etches at top left hand corner, so frustrating, I’ve also install corel draw x7 as I do prefer that soft ware but unfortunately it’s not connecting to machine at all, I’ve install plug in for laser but just nothing, please it would be great if you could help. Thanks Michelle

[@SarbarMultimedia]

Hi Michelle There are lots of datums and 0,0 positions on this machine/software it can be confusing. The green square represents where you program will be created from when you press the start/download/send to U File button. The machine creates it own machine code using the green square as a local 0,0. If you go to Config, System Settings you will be able to change the position of the green square by selecting a different head position. NOTE. It is a different head position NOT a different CUT or SCAN start position. In your case you are scanning and whether you select top left or top right the SCAN START will always be top left, even if you select X unilateralism.. If you select one of the central head positions or the bottom positions, this will make the head start at the BOTTOM LEFT and engrave towards the top of your engraving. There is a video on this subject that may be helpful kzbin.info/www/bejne/eYi9p4SOrceFlac I don't know what you are trying to achieve so I can only offer general guidance. If this does not help then spell out your problem in more detail and I'll try to help. All best wishes Russ

[@sisterlister]

Absolutely brilliant the world needs more people like yourself. I have learned so much watching your first two videos, looking forward to watching the rest, Thank you for a great introduction in to this strange laser cutting world. I was just trolling my round eBay looking for a new toy when I see an add for this Chinese laser cutter thing. Well what's this? a laser that cut's things out, hmm whats this all about them? So I KZbin it and after a few scary videos where I watched people have what looked like to me close calls with ether been blinded, electrocuted or don't know if you could lose a finger but knowing nothing about this I was thinking may be you could, next I fined your channel and bingo. This is defiantly not a toy but it does look interesting but I don't think it's for me. I think I might have a look at 3D printing, looks a lot less dangerous as a way of coming up with some custom bits and bobs I fancy. Thanks again excellent videos.

[@alinbcu]

Thank You Sir !!

[@SarbarMultimedia]

+Bartos Alin When you have finished this short series. it continues with an ongoing series starting at kzbin.info/www/bejne/nH22emCwYrmXhLM Best of luck Russ

[@kapri9857]

hallo i'm from italy i bay a china laser 50w , i've a question , how far must stay the laser head from the material to be engraved -? ,there is a table with the laser power and speed according to the material ?? thanks

[@SarbarMultimedia]

+Mirko Castellan Hi Mirko The distance you are looking for is likely to be 19mm which means your machine is fitted with a 2"(51mm) focal length lens. This would be normal for most Chinese machines. If your machine is fitted with a 38mm lens then the ideal distance is likely to be 6 or 7mm. IT all depends on the design of your nozzle.. On eeasy way to find out is to hold a piece of paper or card below your nozzle and quickly push the pulse button once. Move your card up and down and pulse until you find the smallest dot. That will tell you where your focus point is. If you down load the version of RDWorks from the Thunder Laser site www.thunderlaser.com/down When you double click on a layer colour the parameter window will open. At the top there is a parameter library button. Click this and there will be lots of typical settings there. Alternatively, if you scroll down this website you will find lists of parameters for different power machines Hope this helps Best regards Russ

[@kapri9857]

+SarbarMultimedia ok , now I tried to see where the tip of the laser mirror mounted on a movable arm , the paper has burned almost to the edge and not in the center . that's why I can not even cut a 1mm thick paper with 50 % power and 15mm / s speed ?? any suggestions I have to calibrate the whole or I send back the laser ?? the model is how your 50w thanks again for the availability

[@SarbarMultimedia]

+Mirko Castellan Hi Mirko There is a whole other series of videos about me learning to use my machine and dealing with all sorts of problems I encountered. After trying several different ways of setting my beam I arrived at the ideal and most efficient method in a two part video kzbin.info/www/bejne/jJ2Zgn6irLd-os0 and kzbin.info/www/bejne/rWrZZImpZbOVodk. I was extremely nervous the first time I tried to set my mirrors because it seemed like an impossible task. Work your way slowly through this method and understand why I do each step.You will be totally confident at the end and setting the beam is only a very rare requirement if it is set right once. I have modified my laser head so that it is now on a mounting bracket that allows me to adjust it in all directions. You may have to do something similar if you want to adopt this method. You will have to be brave and determined to deal with these issues (most of which I have already encountered during my learning videos) because I am sure you will not be able to send your machine back. Your Chinese machine has travelled on a boat half way round the world and even if it was set up well at the factory, it's unlikely to arrive with you in good working condition. I will help where I can but I do advise you follow my videos through in order to catch up with what has taken me 9 months to learn. I do now have a great machine that works very well but it has taken a lot of learning and understanding. Best regards Russ

[@kapri9857]

+SarbarMultimedia thanks a lot , now I look at the video and Saturday I try to do as described , I apologize again of the disorder , but here in Italy there is no one who follows this type of machines

[@coachgreg3]

I just purchased my first machine. Its on its way and should be here by Wednesday the 3rd. Just curious if anyone knows what program they come with now? Ebay says "LaserCAD" which is Trocen. Yours are RD Works and most I found online say RD. Just curious if they switched, wrong post or new upgrade?

[@SarbarMultimedia]

Hi Greg You will know when your machine arrives because you can easily identify the controller from the keypad. See both here www.cloudraylaser.com/collections/co2-laser-controller RDWorks is free and works only with the Ruida controller. There is another RDWorks rewrite that is so much more than RDWorks that works with lots of controllers. It is called Lightburn and works with some Trocen controllers. lightburnsoftware.com/products/lightburn-for-dsps-comping-jan-1-2018 This is a privately written piece of software that is continually b ing added to and improved with new features. If your controller is not supported ( and you can download and test 30 days for free). you can always contact these guys and inquire if and when. Best wishes Russ

[@samc4531]

Do you know offhand if this would safely engrave/cut PBT (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polybutylene_terephthalate). I am toying with the idea of buying something like this to engrave lettering into some PBT parts that I have. My knowledge of chemstry is certainly pretty basic, but it doesn't seem that this type of plastic could break down into any of the toxic substances you mentioned.

[@SarbarMultimedia]

+Sam Cornwell Hi Sam As you have wisely done, search the www for information. www.plasticsmadesimple.com/DataSheets/PBT_MSDS.pdf Seems to indicate it's not one of the hazardous plastics but with burning any plastic there are always some small amounts of nasty fumes. However, a good extraction system will quickly dilute them further and render them harmless Regards Russ

[@TOYDRIFTA]

I think that the price of these Machines make people think they are toys. I have a Chinese gantry style machine with 2x glass tube lasers in it one 180w reci and an 80w reci, lucky I had previous experience with synrad lasers. i got the machine very cheap from a closing business. I would hate to see what a 180w laser will do to your hands or face when it gets beam fracture from the surface you are cutting. So thank you for making safety a big deal. and for God's sake keep children away when you are using them at home.