Will a Diode Laser Engrave Steel? | xTool D1 Testing

[@joopterwijn]

Damn (sorry for the expression 😔) you are for me one of the most serious fabricators on KZbin. You work ethic, detailing, explaining,… and so much more are through expiring!

[@KizmitMakesIt]

I've only recently discovered your channel and have been watching a lot of your past videos. Just wanted to give you props on having a ton of really great projects and very engaging style of presenting them! I'm in the process of acquiring all the bits necessary for both the lathe vfd upgrade, and the electronic lead screw. Thanks for taking the time to put together these great videos.

[@johannglaser]

Looking forward to your aluminium engraving video! Also, I would be interesting in seeing a very close zoom (and/or microscope image) of the markings.

[@Clough42]

Noted!

[@ttfranks952]

I like that you uses mutable programs and different applications to get this job done. You are very knowledgeable and a good narrator. When you do have something go wrong you show it so people know it happens and can make adjustments with some help from you. Thank You for your time and expertise.

[@IceCreams62]

You can use T1/T2 layer instead of 02 layer so you can frame without really burn the path.

[@Atouchofwhimsy]

I was gonna share the same info 👍🏼

[@troywahl9731]

The whole issue of the metal warping here is essentially the same issue when welding or surface grinding thin metal: too much heat concentrated into too small of an area at once. Two suggestions to reduce metal warping. The first is to back the workpiece with a block of a good conductor (such as aluminum) instead of the wood. The other is to change the order of operations so no area is heated for long periods (do a little engraving in an area then move to the opposite end of your work piece) - this may not be practical with the software you use (it would be trivial with MasterCam).

[@abbv2x]

Hi James, at 14:15, you can assign a tool path (T1 and T2 in the layer pallette) which still lets you properly frame but will not output. Nice work by the way!

[@Clough42]

Cool. I'll have to try it.

[@BuckleyWiley]

14:24 there are two colors all the way to the right in light burn and they are for frames and fixturing they are orange t1 and light blue t2

[@BitSmythe]

12:20. Play around with LightBurn. You’ll find it’s remarkably easy to control sizes, alignments and other design elements. You just need a little familiarity with it’s tool set. I decided to buy it, just after testing it for 2 minutes!

[@Clough42]

Same here. I won't buy another laser that doesn't support it.

[@MichaelLloyd]

Very nice work! The added text and outlines enhanced the look of the panel a lot

[@Snugggg]

thank you for showing your errors - so helpful for people learning to troubleshoot for their own projects

[@joujimiichi1]

I just got an S1 40w and have already engraved anodized aluminum and found it was easy and the results were fantastic. Judging by your process here, I think stainless may be just a degree of higher difficulty but I’m about to give it a go. Great tip on the cercoat

[@hansenprecision9390]

All of your videos are terrific, James! I am extremely impressed by the breadth of your knowledge and the wide variety of builds you successfully execute. Only problem is, I see you using something and am sure I need the item you are using!! I guess a xTool is now in my future!

[@jfl-mw8rp]

Outstanding James! Perfection is in the details. The older you get, the more appreciate it. Can't wait for the anodized aluminum.

[@CruiseMonkeyGames]

Excellent video. My partner and I are looking to do some motorcycle and car part customizing using a laser and I wasn't sure if they diode would get the job done. Thanks for showing me the possibilities. Great video, well paste and excellently put together.

[@TheUncleRuckus]

Wow looks great James! I'm looking forward to the anodized aluminum video. 👍👍

[@paulsim7589]

My top tip for using the 'paint' type spray can, is once you have finished using it flip it upside down and give it a quick press. This will clear the spray head and stops it blocking up.

[@GregBadabinski]

So after watching the whole video, I have a quick question. What would happen if you tried to engrave "regular" steel? I'd love to be able to laser a makers mark onto my parts, but I typically only use 4140, reaching for other steels as needed (like 303 stainless for things like dumbbell handles). Would it cause excessive oxidation? Or is there another reason you can only use stainless? I should probably just Google this, but other folks may be wondering the same thing so I figured I'd ask here.

[@samrogers8778]

Looks great! It's funny how we often miss the little details like the sanding direction that seem obvious in hindsight. Anyone else notice that the ATC frame isn't lined up with the LMIT frame? =P

[@Clough42]

I noticed it while editing. If it weren't on the bottom of the box, I would re-do it.

[@Chris-oj7ro]

@@Clough42 As someone who can't let go of the little things, I admire your restraint!

[@PurpleJersey999]

i know im whining but man... nowadays, every video that's interesting (including this one... thats a compliment) is a 15-20-30 min video. i just dont have time to download all this into my brain 🤣 Great video. Very informative. You have a new sub.

[@outsidescrewball]

Great video production/discussion/demonstration….enjoyed and nice finish!!

[@Metalloys]

Hey, great work. I used to make control panels like these, but I used a different technique : I simply printed on a transparent film, with a high quality inkjet printer, then sandwitched the film between the metal panel and an acrylic (2mm thick) plate with the same openings as in the metal panel and screwed everything together. That tech. gave me 3 advantages : can print in color, and being able to recover/modify and just throw away the old film, and finally the outer acrylic layer is postive protection that can be cleaned easily without worrying about the legends being wiped away. Hope this helps.

[@Clough42]

That's a good process. If you can laser cut the acrylic, even better. :)

[@rpavlik1]

Can also use a vinyl cutter and a temporary or permanent adhesive vinyl. It's like a laser cutter but with an xacto knife instead of a laser...

[@Metalloys]

@@Clough42 sure, that's what I did exactly.

[@spudnickuk]

Thank you for sharing, your video shows a diode laser actually burning on stainless and for a hobbyist this is good to know. I have been looking into getting a laser cutter for ages but the cost of getting a Co2 laser is to much for what I intend to use one for, and this type is at good price.

[@LitchKB]

Metals (overall) tend to be more reflective of light, as the wavelength gets smaller (ie. towards and beyond UV), but inadvertently - it's quite difficult to make lasers very powerful in the small ("Hundreds of nm") wavelengths. But as it happens to be, around the 1,000nm wavelength (Near Infrared) are fibre lasers - which is a technology that basically consists several meters of coiled fibre optic wire, doped in special elements (eg. Ytterbium "Yb"). We then use a primary diode lasers (pump or feed lasers) not unlike your blue ones there, in that they are frequently combined in parallel, but more powerful and typically in the 910nm (+/-) range. These are focused down the doped fibre optic and bounced back between two mirrors, this excites the Ytterbium in the fibre optics, and then that lets go of a slightly longer wavelength (1000-1100nm). The mirror at one end will permit some of the long wavelength light, but still bounce the 900's back and forth. This is fairly efficient in terms of energy saturation, and allows these lasers to be VERY powerful - in the order of dozens of kilowatts, where (with the assistance of compressed oxygen) can cut through inch-thick steel. Fibre lasers are not quite "Hobbyist friendly" yet - the price is still quite high for powerful models (mainly due to the rare element doping requirements and high power optics), but they're coming down. Slowly. Have a look at the OMTech 20W.

[@Clough42]

Marco Reps has a really great fiber laser teardown video. I looked at the fiber laser markers, but they're still a little more than I want to invest. If someone is really itching to send me one...that might be another matter.

[@campkohler9131]

Forgetting the cost, having something in the DYIer's garage that will cut 1" steel seems like a new source of disabling injuries. Yikes!

[@twm4259]

@@campkohler9131 There is a secret cabal of health insurance companies doing all that they can to keep ytterbium scare by promoting its use in dentistry tools. Diabolical!

[@mduckernz]

@@campkohler9131 Seriously. That's a meter long cutting disc but with potentially no warning type of risk. No no noooo

[@sblack48]

The laser cross hairs for precision alignment of the head with the work piece looks like a very useful feature. The creality falcon laser, which I bought, doesn’t seem to have anything like that ☹️

[@ChristopherMurff]

in lightburn you hit can set the power to 1% and hit the fire button and youll get a red dot you can use to line it up

[@MotoRideswJohn]

This looks SO good, you've got me wanting to remake the gland plate of my control box, with my diode laser. Sharpie just doesn't seem to cut it, now.

[@Clough42]

Yeah, that's the danger of discovering something new and awesome.

[@larrysmurthwaite773]

Looks great! I agree the second effort has a much better contrast. Great content as usual.

[@624Dudley]

As usual, you have impressed me with your ability to absorb an unfamiliar chunk of software, learn all its buttons, and then remember it all well enough to narrate its use in real time. Dunno how you do that…

[@Clough42]

I use the space in my mind where other people remember each others' names. :)

[@624Dudley]

Ah, I see. Worthy swap, that.

[@tiaanlangner8009]

I enjoyed this review, thank you James. You inspired me to build my own CNC Mill and all the information you provide and share is amazing and so detailed....keep it up

[@TimeWasted8675309]

James, I use Laserbond 100 which is a lesser expensive alternative to Cermark and does an excellent job. I've used it on metals and glassware and it looks great. Also I've learned that as soon as I get the aerosol can in my hand, muscle memory would take over and I'd be in "paint full-coverage mode"... had to break that habit and learn to only spray the product where there was going to be etching.. as you say, it is expensive so no need to waste on un-etched areas.

[@jhawker2895]

Your attention to detail is amazing ... Thanks for Sharing ... Stay Safe and well ...

[@jonjingleheimerschmidt5153]

"Artisan Robot" - The best two word description of the XTool D1 that I've ever heard.

[@oyuyuy]

He actually says "cartesian robot", which isn't an arbitrary description, but an exact description of a machine with that type of movement 😅 Most simple 3d printers are also cartesian robots

[@chiparooo]

Frickin’ lasers! Great project to try this out on. Another professional job. I have see these lasers advertised and demo’d everywhere. Would be interested in your final thoughts on the product after your aluminum video. So far, it looks very good to me for a hobbyist. Thanks for sharing!

[@joell439]

James - you’re having endless fun 👍👍😎👍👍

[@DavidLindes]

Most excellent. I think I'm envious of your shop. :D

[@mw8151]

„And its a freaking laser!“ totally felt that😎🤙

[@GoughCustom]

My understanding is the CerMark stuff's main ingredient is molybdenum disulfide, and that other 'moly' sprays can be used as a substitute!

[@Clough42]

It's a combination of "molybdenum compounds" and silica, so it fuses into a glass. The pigment may be the same, but the overall chemistry is different.

[@williamhusseyjr1143]

Trying some 'anti-seize' paste today myself... I refuse to buy a $30.00 can of hair spray for sheet metal....

[@RRINTHESHOP]

Nice, very informative. I like the final product.

[@paulmace7910]

Amazing! It would be interesting to see what level of detail that setup can deliver.

[@Clough42]

It's very impressive. They claim a spot size of 0.08mm, and it will indeed fuse a single line of Cermark. I was impressed.

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

Thanks!

[@jonbozzy9600]

Try using Fill shapes individually in your settings. that might speed things up too. I know this was posted 7 months ago but might help in the future.

[@billmaguire6216]

James, That looks like it was custom ordered from a factory. Excellent job on the entire presentation.

[@joeldriver381]

That turned out well, but you need a shark that looks like it is holding the tool head. 🦈😀 Those open lasers scare me... I think I would have to make an enclosure for it.

[@Clough42]

Yeah, it's a concern. Eye protection is an absolute must, and I hang a sign on the shop door so someone doesn't walk in unaware while it's operating.

[@rodneycassidy6037]

Man thanks for the dxf tip in fusion. Always learn so much from you.

[@smbrown]

DXF export doesn’t appear to exist in non-commercial version, I use Shaper Origin plug-in to export SVG from Fusion then direct import to Lightburn.

[@ComgrowOfficial]

Amazing video! plz keep them coming! Great job!!!😍

[@brianpierrotti453]

Can you please tell me if this is a 10w or 20w? I have had my 20w for about 2 months now and you are so far ahead of me.... especially with your patience :-)

[@Moehre040]

Gotta say that looks a lot better than the engraving our CO2 Laser at work does on stainless

[@raulc398]

Great work!!,why is the ATC not lining up at top with Unit rectangle?that bothers me immensely LOL!!Cheers from Toronto Canada!!

[@Clough42]

I could say I did it just to bug people, but the reality is that I noticed it while editing the video.

[@Sawmods]

Ive been waiting for someone to do this with that machine. Im ordering one tomorrow.

[@gaiustacitus4242]

And for those who live where the humidity is high, rust can be prevented in one of two ways: 1) periodically wipe down the steel surface and cover it with a thin film of light machine oil or mineral oil; or 2) finely grind or polish the surface to a high sheen. I live where the humidity is 92+ percent during some months. I recently found an old lathe toolholder I made back in the late 1980's in an old toolbox that had been in storage since the early 1990's. I could see a slightly discolored impression of my thumbprint where I'd touched the part decades ago, but the rust beginning to form from the acid in my body oils could not be felt or measured.

[@swirlius]

At about the 7:00 mark...In Illustrator, I find "Object > Artboard > Fit to Artwork Bounds" handy for this purpose

[@Clough42]

Good tip. I'm just a beginner in Illustrator.

[@gunsmither]

Excellent sir, thank you for making this video. You have a great talent for explaining things !

[@postiemania]

Very nice finish, I will try this method and thanks for sharing.

[@HalfAssHomestead]

I just tried Brilliance Laser Marking Spray for the first time. Washes of with just water, and you can't get any blacker print. I tried the Laser Bond Tech spray which also washes off with water, but only prints in kind of a gray, and leaves residue behind. Last test ran was 20mm @100% which deformed the metal, using Brilliance. Anything higher though will not bond to the metal. And yes, this testing was done with the xTool D-1 laser. Brilliance is expensive, but you don't need to fully cover the part.

[@meenboli]

I use the CerMark (yes it's a bit expensive!) - it washes off with water and a gentle cloth (much easier than rubbing with a rag) - great video though 👍🏻

[@leec2106]

WOW, I like how it looked even before you did the one with the spray. I have an Amazon mini router 3018, it has a blue 450 nm laser, I may try that. I was going to do my control panel in 1/8 inch MDF to attach to my control box. You are moving way faster than I am. I started to build my EDM machine over a year ago. At first, I wanted to do a wire EDM but, I went with a probe in a drill bit head. I have not designed my circuit yet for Electrical discharge. I am getting there! Take care, thank you for your videos. Keep up the great works. Lee

[@Clough42]

I'm very curious about EDM. I tried to get involved with AvE's project a few years ago when it looked like he was headed that direction, but it didn't go anywhere.

[@wernerlang3115]

Wow, what an amazing introduction !🎩

[@colbylangley9545]

Great channel James, I like the way you use a lot of different types of machines for your projects. I have picked up a several tips that I can use at work where I use some of the same type machines and do some CAD work too. I do have one tip for aligning your parts for laser etching. To save time on the alignment you could have the laser burn the outline of the part on a scrap piece of wood or cardboard then put your part on the outline instead of having to frame it several times to get it lined up. You would probably need to be able to set an origin point at the laser for this to work good and I don’t think I saw you do that, not sure if you can on your machine. Keep the videos coming!!

[@Clough42]

Good tip. I'm not totally sure about this particular laser. It de-energizes the motors as it sits idle, so I'm not sure how well it keeps position. But I have a project coming up that requires very precise alignment, and that's a fantastic way to do it.

[@Clough42]

Thanks for the idea, Colby. I had some trouble getting the laser to repeat in the same position every time, but once I got it sorted, it works a treat. I used the technique in a video that will be posted this coming Saturday, and it saved me a lot of trouble.

[@jakerazmataz852]

Holy crap. I've been watching these vids for a couple days and I'm really close to dropping the ball. I caught that you didn't set the start position. When you went to frame, I said, he needs to set the origin. I think I'm ready.😁

[@djohnson4465]

so if it doesnt etch deep cant you run it multiple times to etch the same location to create a deep etch effect?

[@travisdent7009]

Excellent tip about setting the power to zero for outside boundaries of the part. Also appreciate the info about how to get the laser to follow the line of the geometry, instead of back and forth like a dot matrix printer. I have a Ortur LM3 and these tips saved time (and money) immediately which is an excellent bonus. Like the switching between Fusion 360, Illustrator, and LightBurn. 👍👍

[@jakerazmataz852]

Just remember to click "show".

[@danhellgren5671]

Nice work! Since I don't own a laser I would have made the panels out of pcb. The connector holes and silk screen will be perfect. But a trial using laser and powder coat would be really interesting.

[@bh3141]

nice edit as always

[@jimzielinski946]

Thanks for sharing. I'm only getting interested in dabbling with low cost lasers since I'm already retired. I like how you explained everything very simply. My one concern is eye safety. I have watched a number of videos where they mention that not all laser glasses are of adequate quality.

[@Clough42]

I bought safety glasses from an independent source.

[@Preso58]

That's great. I didn't realise that diode lasers could mark stainless directly. I can get a similar result by spraying "Coldgal" zinc based paint onto the bare metal and then running my CO2 laser hot and slow. It's about 5% of the cost of Cermark!

[@campkohler9131]

How do you get rid of the coating from the unmarked area? What other material could one use that is dirt cheap? Flour, powdered sugar, some kind of powdered sand or glass? Maybe a sheet of some kind of colored plastic that can be peeled off after burning. The mind boggles.

[@Preso58]

@@campkohler9131 The zinc paint comes off easily with mineral spirits (turpentine). It doesn't affect the laser engraved area. Like the Cermark it's quite black and very durable.

[@daxmakes]

You know, I was just thinking; if you were planning on doing a batch of the same panel, making a paint 'masking panel' from thin plywood/MDF would be a great way to save CerMark and also minimise clean-up after laser engraving.

[@hankjaworski1190]

Very informative video, easy to listen to.

[@paulmanhart4481]

Another great video James. What are those white connectors you have on your panel? I’m looking for a 3 pin connector like that. Thanks, Paul

[@GBWM_CNC]

Great result!

[@ryanstafford9717]

thanks. that was helpful. just got the same laser, was curious about the effects of add ons like that. i would have been fine with the original, or maybe another pass (or two)? anyways, very cool, something i will be doing soon!! thanks

[@WimsMill]

Nice and interesting video! I put a diode laser on my CNC and had some similar problems with laser marking. I used LaserWeb to generate G-code. Which worked but it was not ideal with a lot of wasted time. Then I just used the horizontal milling in Fusion 360 and set the end mill to 0.1 or 0.2mm depending on the material. To export, I modified the post processor to turn off the laser at every linking move. This greatly increased speed of my projects. Also, the spindle speed can be changed to set laser power. In my case 24000 rpm = 100%.

[@sblack48]

Do you think the cermark would work on top of a powder coated panel or would it burn off the powder coat?

[@danwatson3944]

Have you tried cylindrical pieces? Along the length or around the circumference? Thanks

[@joelmarcy8027]

Is that a 20 or 40w? I tried looking up which laser was 400nm but couldn’t find it.

[@shaynekielmann-kn2tx]

This is a really good video , super informative and really helpful. I really wavering on what machine i am gonna buy .. I am starting of as a complete newbie with lasers though i have some experience with a mori seiki cnc machine that a friend of mine owns and has been cutting trick high performance parts fro motor cycles fro years now. I have a ever growing itch to further my experience with cnc , So i am a small business owner as well , i am a drywall man , renovations and remodeling service provider, I am collectively buying tools for this and believe it or not its really easy to get them mixed up with others on job sites ie batteries cordless tools , hand tools ect. My solution is i am gonna purchase a laser engraver to put my brand on all my equipment and create a way to hopefully solve the problem of tools being mistakenly switched out. Plus like the video i just watched do some projects like you just showed . Thanks for the video,.

[@brandonmcneeley2233]

I caught that you said you hang this on the wall when youre done. can you show us that setup by any chance?

[@kennypinkerton5818]

I'm sorry up front. (Im a bit OCD)... but the intersection between "probe", "estop", "atc", and the high right side of "limit" is of by at least a pixel. In particular, the line above "atc" is low. Lotsa love. I'm thinking real hard on getting the 40w x1 pro. The price seems right.. I've done 3d printing... bored. I like to work in metal. Should I get the laser engraver, or the cnc plasma cutting table?

[@redone823]

Would you share the lazer safety glasses you used? Thanks.

[@RyanTehPyro]

So THAT's what offset fill is.. Good stuff!

[@NagelHausForge]

Great video!! I just purchased the D1 20W laser platform for use in my knife making shop. Does that spray on stuff work with other metals as well? Like high carbon steel?

[@FesixGermany]

Looking very nice, the only little flaw are the mounting screws partially covering some of the power box markings

[@Nobody-Nowhere]

and you have to remind him about it

[@Clough42]

This is what happens when you design and make the panel around the connectors, and then later decide on a concept for the artwork.

[@ortusdux]

IIRC, cermark is mostly Molybdenum, and the laser is sintering it on. You can buy the raw ingredients (dry moly lube) and make your own for cheaper. They have a new version - cermark 2 - that is suppose to work better with low powered lasers. Do you know which one you used?

[@Clough42]

CerMark Ultra. It has a lot of silica in it as well, so it forms a glass material.

[@Hossimo]

Missed opportunity with your logo on the control panel, but very nice. your getting a nice collection of tools!

[@Clough42]

Just wait. :)

[@airgunningyup]

awesome , looks super professional were you making these plates commercially.

[@Clough42]

It's way too slow for commercial use.

[@timothywilliams2916]

What are the power connectors called? I have been looking for connectors like that but have not seemed to be able to find it (yet)

[@markgreen2770]

Just bought this laser and this is just what I want to do with it. Can you explain the surface brushing you did?

[@jimhinkle7245]

THANK YOU for including your mistakes. That helps me alot!!!

[@donteeple6124]

Wow James, very neat. I've been looking into lasers just haven't found the one for me yet. I'd like to be able to utilize one on rounded surfaces ie: for gun barrels in SS and 4140 and different chrome-moly barrel steels.

[@j.dietrich]

You need a machine with a rotary axis. They're available as an optional extra for a wide range of machines. If you want to do deep engraving of steel, you'll probably want a fiber laser.

[@Clough42]

I have the rotary axis for this machine, but haven't tried it yet.

[@Clough42]

I have the rotary axis for this machine, but I'm not sure it would manage a full-length barrel without some extra fixturing.

[@FilmFactry]

I wonder if you can test regular powder coating powder. Comes in many colors. Should work like the spay you used at a fraction of the cost. And you could do different colors.

[@oclaser]

For someone who owns serious lasers I am impress to see that it actually marked the SS. And yes, not being deep and permanent is understandable, but it also did very good with Cermark. Anodized Aluminum will be a breeze since it doesn't require that much power. However the software and print driver looked very cumbersome. I guess I am just spoiled 😄

[@Clough42]

What software stack are you using?

[@oclaser]

@@Clough42 I use Corel for CAD and Epilog has a fantastic print driver and Job Manager that we all use.

[@DougsMessyGarage]

I've got a K-40 laser in my workshop. I'll have to give this a try.

[@Clough42]

The Cermark should work well with a CO2 laser as well.

[@gregfeneis609]

Very nice looking panel! Another laser engraving technique is that lasers cutters can burn through surface anodizing on aluminum.

[@gregfeneis609]

EG If those electrical panels were alu and had a black anodized surface, the laser engraving would look silver/alu color.

[@vincei4252]

Nice result, James. The path for rendering in the tooling app was kinda weird. Since the laser can move in X/Y why does the software insist on raster scanning the entire surface like a TV CRT beam. Doesn't make much sense. As mostly vectors that are aligned with the axes this should have been a very rapid cakewalk. Is it done like this because of concern for repeatability of positioning? Strange. Keep on trucking my man.

[@Clough42]

You can choose the pattern it uses. I used offset fill and raster fill for different parts of the artwork. You may have skipped that part of the video?

[@JamesBitz]

I'd be curious if you dissolved borax and then mixed it with black paint if you'd get a similar result to the spray. Borax is used to prep crucibles, because when heated, it forms a glassy glaze over the surface so your melted metals don't stick to the graphite.

[@Clough42]

If you try it, let us know how it works.

[@claytonjames4779]

i see people using acrylic paint and even tempura paint on glass to etch it. would that work for steel?

[@bfx8185]

Nice result indeed ! 👍👍👍

[@dachr2]

That looks amazing! Now I want a laser as well...

[@jobkneppers]

Nice work as always James. One thing could be better I think from a graphic design point; the border outlines are too close to each other which makes them connected for a human eye. If the separation is just a few millimeter wider it looks cleaner and more defined as separate areas. Small tip. Thank you! Best, Job

[@Clough42]

It's a design challenge, because if you make the borders smaller, you start running into the connector lock nuts, and this is a visual challenge as well.

[@alihenderson1362]

“That fan is always running And yes it is annoying” 😂😂😂

[@bishipc117]

So i would like to know. If you rubb where the laser has etched will it fade. is it really an etched mark. I am struggleing with a laser that i need/want to buy and i am lost over this