DIY Fiber Laser Engraver

If you want to build your own fiber laser engraver or cutter, join our Patreon group: / diyfiberlaser
80W JPT MOPA M7 + Feeltek 3D Galvo Head. After building a DIY fiber laser cutter, I wanted to follow it up with building a companion machine to be able to engrave graphics on my cut pieces. I chose to use a Feeltek 3D galvo head because I also want to do some deep 3D engravings in aluminum for injection molds. I chose a MOPA laser source so that I could engrave color on stainless steel parts and mark directly on some injection molded plastic parts. Stay tuned as I finally get to start using these machines in future projects!
Fiber lasers can be very dangerous, if you are going to build or use a laser, please do your research and understand the safety risks!
Component links:
- 3 Axis Moving Workbench: amzn.to/3M4oXsD
- 6 Inch Duct: amzn.to/3ZoAJkQ
- LED Interior Light Bar: amzn.to/42QCDO2
- Rubber Edge Trim: amzn.to/3m2f9ot
- DB25 Connector & cable: amzn.to/3Ztb2Q6
- Mini PC: amzn.to/42TTCij
- Computer Monitor: amzn.to/42VCZTo
- Terminal blocks: amzn.to/3zmCmVq
- Cable Raceway kit: amzn.to/434VuFk
- Stepper Motor Driver: amzn.to/3TVbKV4
- Line EMI Filter: amzn.to/3M6XK92
- Mean Well Power Supply: amzn.to/3TYCeF3
My website: www.id3ntitycrisis.com
My design portfolio: www.id3ntitycrisis.com/portfolio

[@Detroit_Playa]

10 seconds in and I already gave this a thumbs up as soon as I saw that MOPA module. Yessir good shit this is awesome.

[@Eric-vq9nq]

Very cool setup. That cabinet is beautiful.

[@carlanwray8718]

Thank you. This gives me a good starting place.

[@user-vh2sw2zg7c]

I love the videos, you're doing some quality projects.

[@DUIofPhysics]

Really Nice job! quite the setup, very professional - though I really wouldn't have chosen that working height!

[@davidjun4435]

Great video and awesome find on the enclosure. It looks in brand new unused condition!

[@soniclab-cnc]

sick... I would have opted to put the laser up higher myself. I am definitely going to build one.

[@qbitsday3438]

Beautiful !

[@jeremyjpegan]

You’re a Legend!

[@user-jx3kw1zx7p]

Great video, thank you for sharing.

[@waltersowers]

My primary concern is your optical path. You need to make sure that the cable doesn't exceed the bend tolerance for that model laser source. If you pinch it too tight, you lose power and can damage the cable from heat build up. The laser bed is terribly low though. That'll be a back breaker if you do any volume of burns. Otherwise, great build, I like it. The computer case was a fantastic find/idea.

[@austin3538]

Nice job sir

[@TMS5100]

Good choice of the JPT MOPA M7. The safety glass is crazy expensive. Color on stainless seems to be random chance, it's pretty hard to dial in consistent colors.

[@wald3mar]

Excellent.

[@8738996]

What is the ref. of the fan cooler? Thanks your video is amazing!!!

[@JonnyLOFI]

Looks fun, do you know what the differences are with the E1 and E2 laser modules? You mention that you avoided them.

[@zaprodk]

The 15-pin D-sub connector is called a DA-15. The second letter denotes the shell size. B is the 25 pin. A is the 15-pin, E is the small 9/15HD-pin.

[@diyfiberlaser]

Thanks, I did not know that...thanks to your feedback, I continue to learn every day!

[@maximilianpachl5211]

You should consider adding door switches, which break the interlock circuit. So the laser is safely shut off, if anyone opens the door while the laser ist turned on. This prevents you from exposing your eyes to laser radiation by accident.

[@visvivacnckenya1620]

Hi bro am big fan..I love what your doing.. So I have a fiber laser galvo head.. Av been intending to convert it to gantry type laser however am on limited budget.. Didn't want to buy a dedicated cutting head just to run a 20watts laser.. Can I use the galvo head lens as the cutting lens..?please advice

[@stevecarlisle3323]

If I may respectfully suggest using a step drill for sheet metal, as it will not dig in like a 2 flute, and when using chop saw on aluminum, a high tooth count carbide blade, and cutting grease, makes ALU cutting a breeze. Keep up the great videos. 🇨🇦

[@diyfiberlaser]

Thanks for the tips!...glad you're enjoying the content

[@manonboard6458]

Hi, what does it mean "cheaper E version" of laser source. Thank you.

[@tdg911]

Really nice build. What was your build cost for the laser components?

[@ThomasShue]

Nice build but if I did that I’d make sure the Laser build plate is waist high. Bending down to set up work would suck

[@gg48gg]

Hi Travis, can you pisr a link to the lift arm please? Also, what machine would tou recommend of you were buying an equivalent ready to run? Thank you.

[@moki123g]

You should mount the galvo head along with your cutting head. You could do both at once.

[@diyfiberlaser]

That would be pretty awesome! ...but the galvo head is surprisingly heavy...I think it would slow down the laser cutter

[@ThomasShue]

Where is the link to the MOPA and the GalVo

[@nin1ten1do]

can you LINK that controler buddy?? imposible to found it..

[@alpencnc7843]

Hy Trawis have you Link for the green Glas? is this laser resistend?

[@diyfiberlaser]

kenteklaserstore.com

[@cnckitsplus1]

Did you have to have any special cooler on the gavlo with the 80watt? I wanted to upgrade my 30 and they said better off just buying a 100w machine.😮

[@waltersowers]

Outside of maybe needing a new power supply (48v vs 24v depending on the model) the laser sources are pretty plug and play. The controllers are all the same and wired identically. So if you have a 30w that functions correctly, pull the source, put the new one in, plug it all up and make sure your optical tolerances are good. I recently went from a 30w MOPA to a 100w MOPA and the biggest issue I had was getting the source mounted in the case. Had to drill and tap a few mount holes for it. I would suggest if you don't have at least a sino galvo equivalent head, you should look into getting an upgrade. They are relatively affordable and, if you are upgrading the source, that is the perfect time to swap the head too.

[@tombouie]

Thks; ?????Can someone tell is it practical to fire a CO2 laser down a fiber optics like a sold-state fiberr laser?????

[@KeithAllenTX]

Any chance you have a written instruction on this build? I would love to build a fiber laser.

[@diyfiberlaser]

Sorry I don't. It was pretty fun to build, but you can buy them ready to go for the same price

[@tereteretere100]

How about using your powerful lasercutting laser source as input to the galvo head

[@diyfiberlaser]

Yikes! I bet it would melt the mirrors

[@KyrychenkoAnton]

Would be cool if you plan to test it etching pcb's also. I saw some crazy videos where pulsed lasers etch and cut pcbs, so you don't have to wait a month for them to come from China)

[@diyfiberlaser]

Haha...I was already messing with it a few days ago...I can make a video once I figure out how to get the best results

[@outputcoupler7819]

@@diyfiberlaser I read once that you needed a couple hundred watts to get really clean results on fine traces. Were you able to get good results with your smaller laser?

[@tereteretere100]

@@diyfiberlaser kzbin.info/www/bejne/hqC8lJ2vnM13rpY there is a good result

[@mrstimpy100]

Where is the list of components used and approx cost? Please. Where you ordered them from would be a bonus...thanks...

[@diyfiberlaser]

patreon.com/DIYfiberlaser

[@ookamiueru]

Could you use the 1000W fiber laser to do these engravings?

[@diyfiberlaser]

You could use it to do some crude engraving, like the outlines of text or shapes...but it is relatively poor quality compared to this machine

[@DerekWoolverton]

What were your main considerations in the build vs buy decision? You can buy the same thing pretty much turnkey for about $9k (sans case and PC).

[@diyfiberlaser]

You must have a cheaper supplier than I could find....I had 4 different companies quote me for the specs I used, and the cheapest was just under 12k. I chose to build because I was able to get more machine for my money.

[@KevinFlores-rc1lq]

​@@diyfiberlaser id love to hook up a mopa fiber laser to a larger cnc like the avid cnc machine. Od want to be able to relief engrave steel and color it as well. That way I can have a plasma cutter cnc router and fiber laser all in 1. Maybe even a diode laser to engrave leather and such. Do you think this is possible?

[@diyfiberlaser]

@@KevinFlores-rc1lq I dunno, that's gonna be a lot of weight on the head to move around

[@KevinFlores-rc1lq]

@@diyfiberlaser do they make vertically mounted fiber lasers similar to diodes? I saw one that had and arch mounted above the axis that held what I guess is the power supply then had a wire harness connecting the two. I have a pic of it.

[@JasonNeri]

@@diyfiberlaser this makes sense.. i was wondering the same thing.. we got a 2.5d 100w galvo and a non non 2.5d one for less than 10k for the pair. I was watching this like.. why?

[@KyrychenkoAnton]

Always had this question in mind - what's the difference between laser source for fiber laser cutter for 1 kW and fiber laser engraver for 100W? I mean could you lower power from 1kW to 100W and just use it with galvo head you bought, or is there completely different physics..

[@diyfiberlaser]

I'm not sure about the physics, but there are some obvious differences: the 1kw source is at 1080nm wavelength with a max modulation frequency of 5 kHz, whereas the 80w MOPA is 1064nm wavelength with adjustable pulse duration of 2-500ns at a repetition range of 1-4000 kHz

[@KyrychenkoAnton]

@@diyfiberlaser oh I see, thx, a bit over my level of expertise to understand all of this though) I wish there was some "laser optics in manufacture for idiots" podcast xD

[@darrinjones9387]

Off topic. I have a laser welder/cutter. Can you make a gantry that can use it like a CNC. It would have to pull the trigger. Or is there another way. China wants way too much money

[@ThomasShue]

So $10,000 ish?

[@ShadowCraftEnterprise]

whats the rough cost of the Feeltek Galvo head?

[@diyfiberlaser]

head + controller $5.6k

[@ShadowCraftEnterprise]

OOPH that's a mighty bite to take for that. I can't remember was this a BJJCZ controller?@@diyfiberlaserWhat is the cutting head on your Laser cutter? I want to throw one onto my Crossfire Pro CNC Plasma cutter and use it as a dual purpose cutter.

[@diyfiberlaser]

no, Feeltek controller running Lenmark software. Raytools BT210 head@@ShadowCraftEnterprise

[@JustinAlexanderBell]

How much was the galvo head?

[@diyfiberlaser]

5.5k with the controller

[@jcsalayandia]

@@diyfiberlaser around 12k total ? Thx great video

[@JustinAlexanderBell]

@@diyfiberlaser Well they sure aren't giving those away, looking forward to seeing what it's capable of.

[@diyfiberlaser]

@@jcsalayandia Yep, for the whole project

[@faqu2gamer566]

Hey Travis, just became a patron member. I was curious to see how the DIY project looked. I was sorely disappointed, nothing about what you have listed as far as the DIY component for the laser engraver is DIY. You're buying ready made components and assembling them. One of your comments summed it up that if you removed the cost of the computer and other components the "DIY Laser Engraver was the same cost - I'd venture to say you paid more". Not a good look mate, I won't be any poorer for paying you your subscription fee. I was looking forward to learning something new. I have built my own CnC, 3d printers, many great projects but from ground up. Your laser cutter on the other hand I would call a nice project and worth looking at which was not of interest to me personally. I hope you perhaps clarify "DIY" for the laser engraver. Hope you do well and kick some major goals with your projects.

[@diyfiberlaser]

Sorry you are disappointed...I'd be happy to refund you through Patreon. I do not have the expertise to build my own fiber laser source and 3D scan head. I used this same approach for my laser cutter project...sourced the complicated components and parts where it wouldn't really save time or money to make myself. I do consider this a DIY project as it is not just buying a pre-build machine, unfortunately there was not a lot of things that it made sense to make myself for this project. If you purchase a prebuilt machine with the same components I used, it would cost about the same as mine...I chose to build it for the experience and I have the bonus of a nice enclosure and computer included in the price. When you built your machines, did you build the spindle, hot end, nozzles, motors, etc. from scratch, or did you source some of the components?...how do you draw the line, when considering a project DIY or not? Thanks for the kind words and for your feedback!

[@JS-Tactical-Designs]

The level of technology in a fiber laser source, and 3d scan head is worlds more advanced than a 3d printer... There are literally only 4 places in the entire world that split fiber wire and make the crystals used in MOPA fiber laser sources. The amount of time and R&D it would take this guy to make his own fiber laser source from scratch would be insane. Your comment is comparable to telling somebody to build their own graphics card, motherboard, and CPU from scratch. This guy successfully did a lot of research on the components and all the supporting mods to get everything to work properly. He successfully assembled, wired, fabricated, and programmed a fiber-powered galvanometer laser engraving machine.

[@RobertMiller-dh6ci]

I wish he was my neighbor

[@jppalm3944]

You going to bend down all the time? Get a back brace

[@sheshankutty8552]

All these videos seems to be marketing for Chinese products, LOL