3018 PRO - Setting up your laser

[@ensracing844]

You are an absolute lifesaver with all these 3018 videos. Need to watch every one of them.

[@geologist_luna]

I've just spent about 6 hours doing so much of this on my system, only to find you have this channel.... well, I am a believer! Wonderful to find you, and thanks so much for making my life this much easier.

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

Glad it helped 👍

[@zeus9855]

I have to say you do an excellent job of explaining setting up the 3018 pro. I watched your video in setting up the router portion of 3018, and I learned a lot from it. You’ve managed to instruct others in setting up both machines as simple as possible.

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

Thank you. That was my aim when I started. A lot of beginner videos were made by experienced people and they were not actually suitable for true beginners. Glad it's helped 👍

[@alistairwilson7175]

Honestly cant thank u enough m8. I just bought this machine and it is amazing for the price but could have been very confusing to understand without your videos. your links have been more than helpful and I am now ready to do the tests needed to help me produce its best work possible.

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

Glad its helped 👍

[@reviwedeel2848]

@@JamesDeanDesigns where do I find the custom button download?

[@ShelbyGT2112]

Thank you for this video!! And that tip at the end about $32= value was a life saver. I just happened to do a job on a painted tile and had those lines. I had no idea why.... until now. Thank you!!!

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

Glad it helped 👍

[@plankie1965]

Quite simply the best videos on setting up a 3018. Thanks so much. A lot of great information jammed in these videos. So many headaches and troubles have been put to the wayside.

[@ziadturk3252]

Best help, Best advice, I was able (FINALLY) to use my 3018 . Thank you So much James, you are the best.

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

Excellent. Glad it helped

[@davooodansari]

You are amazing, I bought my machine few months ago and since that time I tried to find out how I can use it and I couldn't to be honest. after I saw your videos I was able to use it for the first time :) Thank you and keep going please, I am your fan :)

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

Thank you very much 👍

[@Colin-Parker]

As a newbie to Laser Engraving, this video was excellent. Thank You. (As an aside, as an ex-pat from the UK 54 years ago, it was nice to hear your accent again!)

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

🤣 Good to know

[@chuckkeen2958]

This video made setting my laser so easy. What started out as itimidating turned out to be quite easy thanks to you!! I have been watching a lot of your videos on cnc machines and you made those easy as well. Thank you so much for making great instructional videos for beginners like me.

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

Excellent. Glad they have helped 😁

[@ashkanseifi5413]

After 4 days of search at google, you got all my ansearws . Thanks for sharing your knowleage

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

No problem, glad it helped 👍

[@sheltonmarshall4426]

I appreciate you taking the time to explain how to set the laser up. You were easy to follow and also provided the necessary documentation files to calibrate this laser as well! You have conveyed a level of confidence to me! Thanks more that you know!

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

That good to hear. Thanks 👍

[@bobwest8587]

Followed your tutorial and had no issues at all James. Cheapie 2.5mw laser works well. With your test files, I found that the laser will do what I want at max 60% power with speed at 800 to 900 using MDF.

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

Glad to hear it went smooth. Enjoy the laser 👍

[@svenolafedvardbrekke9809]

hi James. Thanx a lot for fine videoes. I am an headteacher at a secondary school in Odda-Norway. We have a makerspace in our school and have recently bought a cnc machine High-Z-s400 . I am just readin myself up on the instructions but your videoes have allready opened my eyes to know where to start. Thanx.

[@garyroot3995]

Genmitsu 3018 and a laser module just like the one you're showing. it didn't initiate, didn't run the fan or fire the laser... turns out the order of wires in the control board is different from the module. The Genmitsu is 12+, PWM, Gnd and the head is 12+, Gnd, PWM. I found the correct end of the connection wire for the head (color coded), and rewired the other end by pressing down on the terminals in the white terminal block with the tip of a knife and shoving/pulling them out, then ordered them by color coding to match the labels on the terminal receptacle on the board. Now it works.

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

Sadly this is pretty common. I have another video about top 10 laser issue and I highlight this exact scenario you have gone through. Glad you got it sorted

[@guindonmike]

Plummers tape on the threads does a nice job of keeping it in place...cheers!

[@ahmedzafar-xp3kb]

This tutorial is super useful. Thanks

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

Glad its helped 👍

[@krah-basteln-hobby]

Super! Tutorial is great! I have my CNC 3018 Pro-M with laser 7W! I think you are good at setting my laser! I'm from Germany 🇩🇪! Thank you Mr James! 😁😉👍🏻

[@charliespann3967]

Thanks Mr. James, I have been watching your 3018 videos and have gotten a lot of good info. I have the same 3018 pro.

[@stuartscott9646]

Thank you so much! This will save me a lot of time, and save my head from over zealous head scratching.

[@paulmaher5434]

Excellent videos.I really struggled with the supplied manuals but these are brilliant, clear and explain absolutely everything. Nice work!

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

Thank you. Glad they helped 👍

[@jimmymechali]

Hi James im setting up a sovol 5W laser on my 3018c cnc yur you tube tutorial is absolutly spot on. when in laser grbl you set up the importation of command from the c drive.my C drive does not display these special commands. another thing is that my laser is constantly on and obviously burns the plywood by the time i get to set up

[@2wicepipes]

What helps a lot for focusing your laser is to focus ur focus on a black copy( comes out completely black. I used this method with a ND: YAG, pulsed lasr. just open the scan platten and leave open. Start a scan of the printer. A copy/scan on the paper will black. Turn laser down, place black paper in lasers path and wala... you can really fine tune the focus.

[@smay5746]

thank you so much for such a clear and concise video

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

Glad it helped 👍

[@keithaustwick6180]

as a newby to 3018 s i was so pleased to find your channel please keep em coming . i was sitting on the fence with should i shoudnt i ?? but your videos gave me the confidence to have a go. ended up getting one and now following vids to try and create a photo. well done thank you

[@JeffsTravels]

Excellent video. I appreciate this and think that running the laser at 70 to 80 percent was one of the most important points.

[@Mark_Lawler]

A perfect post! Very helpful as I add a laser to my home grown DIY CNC machine. The video and the links in the description were a one stop shop for everything I needed. Thanks!

[@Speedjunky]

Great tutorial! Every one that I have watched has helped greatly. On this tutorial where you added the custom buttons I had a slight problem. Following the tutorial I clicked on the 2 second laser fire button and nothing happened..... tried the laser on button and again nothing.... perfect- all this work on the machine getting limit switches and homing function working and I end up with a bad laser! Itried one more thing entering the gcode directly. The laser came on as it should... so not the laser- figured it had to be the gcode in the custom button. Right click on the button and choose edit button- the laser is called out using M3, but has no power indicated- leaving it essentially off.... by making that line of code read M3 S50 and then saving it both buttons work as they should now. Again- Thanks for the great tutorials!

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

Not heard of that before but thank you for sharing. Its really appreciated 👍

[@ntdesignerjewellery9027]

I had this same problem your fix worked great...thank you

[@davidmochen]

Yes, yes, yes! And thanks also to James for all his wisdom and generosity!

[@davidchurch62]

I found this video while troubleshooting my new laser. It was very helpful because everything seemed right but my laser would not fire under software control. I discovered the 3 wire connector was mismatched. 12V wire was correct but Gnd and TTL were crossed. Lesson: just because the connecter plugs in it doesn't guarantee it's wired correctly :/ This is a very clear and concise video. *****

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

Thanks David, glad it helped. This seems to be quite common about the mismatched wires unfortunately. Good that you were able to work this out

[@thegenxproject5941]

I just had the same issue!!!

[@wvonstockhausen]

What about if the 3018 has 24VDC and my laser head 12V.

[@shanndelbertbanagaso784]

Thanks, i thought before it needs additional accesories for the laser as i've seen from other videos, but this is an eyeopener for me.

[@Annihilator2011]

Just a little FYI, I did some research and the 15W diode lasers have an optical output of approximately 4.5W - 5W. 4.5W of output power from these diodes is frankly astonishing given how cheap they are.

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

As I mentioned in the video there is a lot of debate around it. Im a member of quite a few laser groups and everyone seems to repeat the same information but I've really struggled to actually find evidence. More specifically, I'd love to see identical tests done with a 2, 5, 7 and 15w. People say there is no such thing as a 15w laser (which might be true) but if its more powerful than the 7w then its still worth the investment

[@Annihilator2011]

@@JamesDeanDesigns I went to the companies making the lasers, so no debate. :D If you look at companies such as NeJe and OPT lasers they list the input and output specs of their products. 4.5W - 5W output power for less than $200(us) is truly astonishing. Gas tubes still cost a fortune but these diodes are dirt cheap and have power that rivals low end Co2 tubes for a fraction of the cost.

[@davejenner7966]

Superb explanation! Could have done with this from day one. Thanks very much, time to start tinkering!

[@64bruceb]

Great video, thanks so much. I was struggling with my variable focus laser and your suggestion to put some teflon tape on the threads was fantastic. Was able to get it focused and it stayed focused. I had given up on getting it to work reliably.

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

Thats good to hear :)

[@waelbuholigah4145]

Thank you so very much, that was informative, simple useful and enjoyable - Thank you once again, James

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

Glad it helped 👍

[@clintonfreitas5474]

1st for the mame... 2nd, yes, I have a CNC, of course! Thanks for the great video!

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

Hope it helped

[@clintonfreitas5474]

Yes! It helps a Lot! Ty!

[@enricoenry9502]

Thank you very very much!!! Your video is great and well exposed. I've just bought a 3018 machine and I will follow your gudes. Ciao Enrico

[@DavidUthmann]

I was totally waiting for this video! Thanks so much!

[@mago7799]

Thanx a lot for such a good video. Greetings from Germany :-)

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

Thanks for the feedback 👍 glad you enjoyed it

[@tofetome]

Huge thanks man! Very awesome video! Already waiting the logo episode.

[@peterplantec7911]

A very helpful starter guide. I just go my laser and am ready to switch. $32 here I come.

[@Q5Grafx]

just bought the 40w in 15w out laser and will be arriving tomorrow. my 3018 came with the 500 mw and i couldnt believe i could actually do anything with a half watt laser. from what ive heard and seen you dont want the focal point exactly on the surface you want 1-1.5mm below the surface.

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

Hi, yes the 500mw are quite low in power. You essentially want the focal point to be where ever you need the hottest place to be. For most people this is on the surface as these lasers are mainly for engraving. Setting it s little lower (or a little higher) can help when doing a fill with the laser. I think also setting it a little lower can sometimes help when cutting but it also depends on the actual focal length. Mine is quite short which means I really need to keep it focused on the surface

[@philippeschjelderup9644]

Super tutorial Mr. James!

[@ashokmujmule]

Thank you very much for great information

[@user-uk3pb6vl2g]

Thanks for the suggestion but i turned on continue power an solved the problem

[@alazium]

Great video, many things are covered.

[@karetokanojo633]

The best video

[@transientaardvark6231]

A very nice run through of all the important stuff. I was hoping you'd talk a bit about the adaptive power level (M4 command) that Laser-GRBL uses, because I can't figure out why it makes the G code it does, and I get very inconsistent results with the same power settings in different render modes. Anyway, I have a variable focus module and I figured it would be sensible to set the distance quite long, mainly so that surface level fluctuations would have less effect, but also for smoke reasons. But seeing that yours is set to 20mm - by people who presumably know more than me, I'm wondering if my reasoning is not so sensible ? I feel I should say that MDF (that's what you say you are cutting) supposedly gives off particularly bad gasses when burned, I'm lead to believe much worse than normal wood. I think that maybe deserves a bit more of an emphasis. I do like all those test plots though, very useful resources that are kindly made available - already downloaded them. A tip for people trying to make their laser come on - if your laser has a separate "power supply" module, there is probably a switch on both the laser module and the power supply module. Make sure the laser is mounted safely pointing at something non-shiny before you start hitting the various ON buttons.

[@jimtaylor841]

Just finished building my new 3018 cnc machine using your video. It was great and when I do my amazon review of the machine I will recommend they forget the "instructions" included and just follow your video. I had also ordered a laser from Amazon but it Wound up not fitting. I tried to look at the pictures in this video to see what you used, but couldn't tell. Could you possibly email me a link to the one you used. I will keep looking. Thanks for the great videos. I have already watched about 6.

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

Thats really appreciated, thank you. The lasers that fit the 3018 are usually the smaller, thinner ones. The seller of mine doesn't exist any more but there are quite a few options on amazon like this with good ratings amzn.to/3DH62yX

[@olafb.2929]

Thanks for the great explanations and useful hints!

[@russellmorris5324]

James ,love all your tutorials can you recommend a laser cnc for cutting plywood up to 5mm. The market is a bit confusing. Thanks

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

Thanks. Ply wood isn't always the easiest because there is different gradings and the glue in the layers. The FoxAlien and Sainsmart 20w (5w output) will cut it but probably takes a good 6 passes to do so. A few brands like Neje I believe do make 40w lasers as well. Alternatively you may be better looking at CO2 lasers

[@eezeprint7687]

What a brilliant video thank you

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

Glad its helped 👍

[@roberthedan8924]

Awesome stuff. BTW, SainSmart laser modules are discontinued. It just happens I'm shopping for a diode laser module for my Vevor 3018 Pro. I haven't been able to see any of those 20W 4-diode setups like on the xTool D1 Pro yet.

[@flypic1098]

Well that was Amazing ! Don't know what my wife will say if I buy one though ! Jim

[@tbip2001]

Brilliant video.

[@tlbx57]

Excellent tutorial, thank you.

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

Cheers 👍

[@ayebarecynthia2410]

Hello James, thank you for sharing your knowledge , really really helpful. Quick question , for the speed tests, do we have to change any settings when trying out with other files ?

[@tobiaskilian3048]

Thanks Thanks Thanks !!!! Very Very Goood.... !!!! Have you some Advises Regarding the Power of used Lasers/Materials ?

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

You need to experiment and find the best settings for you laser and material using a power scale grid like in this video kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZoWZc5d_pN6hhac

[@ratbagley]

Great video!

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

Thanks 👍

[@thecaptfun]

All of your videos are so informative and well presented. I've upgraded the bed to 3040, cut my spoilboard, it is surfacing now and just looking at the laser setup that will arrive tomorrow. I have one question that I have not seen addressed. If I have an MDF spoilboard and want to clean cut through my project what can I put between the spoilboard and the workpiece to prevent the laser from setting the spoilboard on fire??

[@woodywood1951]

excellent video. very good job!

[@lwill53951]

Thank you i sent you a donation wish it was more I’m trying to get a laser up and running but first going to watch more of your videos you should wright a book...

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

I hate writing, thats why I do video 😆. Genuinely though, thank you for your contribution. Really appreciated 🙏

[@josephharwood1370]

Good video, I think it would be just a little better if you made the pionter black and made the size bigger so you can see thing better.

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

Yes, this is a pretty old video now. My skills have moved on a bit and I generally zoom in and out more now to show people various details but thanks for the feedback

[@SamanthaHodgson-mt6ky]

Your videos are so good for helping the beginner. Could you (or anyone else) please tell me where to download the tests from. I don't have any in my LaserGRBL programme. Thank you

[@javierruizdechavez3270]

Amazing videos tanks you very much, i don’t have the spindle settings in my g code the $30 that you changed does not show in my settings

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

You will need to update the firmware on your board. Its probably 0.9 but needs to be 1.1. Unfortunately I don't have a video on this but do a quick KZbin search 👍

[@peterjohansson2413]

Me neither, it jumps from $27 to $100, anyone knows where to find the update?

[@zmanfishing3361]

Thank you for all your hard work. I am new to the lasers and when I run the test. The Laser comes on and moves but nothing burned on wood any suggestions? Please keep the great content coming.

[@ke0hwk782]

Thank You!

[@NINEWALKING]

Cheap diode laser modules are often advertised for their power consumption not their optical laser power. Lot of others just claim optical power but advertise pulse power. Proper companies advertise all specifications. That is 15 Watt hence around 2.5 Watt optical continues power. That's also dangerous serious laser module. To have 15 Watt optical power you would need 2 diodes or even 3 diodes. Currently, for example, strongest cheaper proper module utilizes 2 diodes and makes 12 5 Watt optical pulse power and continuous 11 Watt. But fir long jobs they recommend 9 Watt power level. This module consumes 40 Watt electricity to make those 9 to 12 Watt optical power. I own 7.5 Watt, 20 Watt and 30 Watt modules. But that 30 Watt is electricity consumption number and optical its 7.5 Watt max pulse power and like 6 Watt continues optical power.

[@freddybaltazar2347]

Is it possible to cut copper foil with this type of laser?

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

Not tested it but I'm fairly certain you can

[@jimtaylor841]

Thanks!

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

Thank you for that Jim, really appreciated

[@canadianavenger]

Nice tutorial. I know you didn't want to cover it in the video, but I think you'll find that that 15W is input power, not output power. Seems to be the way these cheap Diode lasers are being marketed these days. Your actual output power will likely be somewhere between 20-30% that of the input.

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

Yes, that seems to be the general consensus however I'm yet to see the proof. Everyone repeats the same message and there is probably truth to it but I literally want to see someone do side by side tests with a 5.5, 7 and 15w lasers. I find it odd everyone sings from the same hymn sheet but there doesn't seem to be the evidence backing it up. People say you can't gey higher than a 7w but thats untrue, there are companies that make genuine tested 10w diode lasers. I suspect the 15w I have isn't really 15 but my curiosity is whether its more powerful than a 7w for example, if so then to some people it may still be worth the extra money

[@canadianavenger]

@@JamesDeanDesigns It's fair to be skeptical. I have the 5.5W version, and I did test mine against my laser power sensor. I measured an output of 1.6W, meaning that mine clocks in just under the 30% mark. As a 2nd check, I monitored the input power to the module, and it was indeed drawing a little over 5W [but less than the 5.5.. you can expect around 30% efficiency in the laser/driver combo, so this can be a decent check point if you don't have a power meter] No doubt that a 7W is more powerful than mine, and your 15W more than that of a 7W... unless it has a REALLY bad driver design. I'd expect yours to clock in at around 4.5W, and a 7W to clock in at about 2.1W. I agree that it may be worth the extra money for the higher power, and given how inexpensive these lasers are, I'd say doubly so. I wasn't trying to suggest that these aren't useful, they definitely work, they just aren't as powerful as the sticker claims. Anyway, thanks again for putting out the great tutorial. I was it had been around when I was first setting mine up.

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

@@canadianavenger I wasn't digging at you either, I am genuinely curious so see how all these compare. Id buy them my self to test but I just can't afford another 2 lasers. Id even be happy to send it to someone else in the UK who had the correct equipment. Looking back, I probably wouldn't buy a 15w again knowing what I know now. At the time I thought well if a 7w can cut 5mm, then a 15w will cut 10mm..... WRONG! But thats the joys of this game, you learn as you go along.

[@canadianavenger]

@@JamesDeanDesigns I didn't take it as a dig at me, so no worries. Sadly I don't have the budget either to buy all the lasers, but I do have the equipment to measure their output power. I got the sensor to monitor the state of my CO2 laser and optics. I may order up a 15W module, as I came across a relatively cheap one [actually looks like the one you have] Will just take some time to get here, as it ships from China. And yes, doubling the power does not equate to double the cut depth. That is always the case, and not specific to these lasers. Higher power will mean cutting faster, and the ability to cut or engrave more materials. Depth of cut is influenced by a lot of factors, focal length being one of the key ones. As we move away from the focal point, we quickly lose the energy density required to vaporize the material, and instead start to char it, or just heat it up.

[@malcolmgladman9129]

I asked previously for a tutorial on the laser and you have come up trumps. Brilliant tutorial and as usual really easy to follow. Just one question, the test for speeds and power I know what the you need to do to adjust the speed but what is the command for the power steps and what were the increments used in the test file. Thanks James.

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

Thank you. The power ratings are 10, 30, 50 70 and 90% (obviously that's percentage power of your laser). I think i got it wrong in the video and said 20, 40, 60, 80, 100. The command for the power in the coding will be S. So in our case we know the S vale was 1000 so 10% would be S100, 40% power would be S400

[@BrettWareWoodWorks]

Link to Grahams guide doesn’t work

[@customartbyt]

Hello James, I have been viewing all of your videos regarding setting up my Foxalien 20w Laser and I downloaded Grahams Files and tried running the Laser Focus Test and for some reason most times it doesn't turn the laser on and also watching the indicating in LaserGRBL it seems to get stuck on the second line at the bottom and the rest of the lines are over top of this one. The longer lines at the top going as expected, without the laser coming on of course. I can Manually activate the laser with the buttons, so I know my power and connections are correct. Any idea how I can resolve this?

[@kelumjayasoma6043]

your vlogs are very useful. Thank you. Can you make a video to compare 3018 max pro laser 5.5W vs sculpfun s9?

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

Thank you. I dont have a Sculpfun laser yet, but if I get one I'll try and do a comparison

[@kelumjayasoma6043]

@@JamesDeanDesigns ok. What do you think what will be the best out of these two, as per your sound knowledge? Thanks.

[@b.w.oostdam8875]

Thank you very much for the very informative video! I just bought one of the most powerfull solid state lasers on the market as I will use it primarily for cutting. ( plywood a few mm thick). My laser is capable of moveing the Z axis as well. When doing multiple passes for cutting, does laserGRBL have an option for lowering the Z per pass? Or does one have to do this inside the GRBL file generator? Thank you very much for your trouble.

[@nikkicork8815]

Great video meets my needs Thankyou. One point tho, I am unable to open the link to Graham Blands guide, is it me or is the link broken?

[@klave8511]

Great tutorial and very good video editing by the way! That first laser you showed at 1:50 looks a lot cheaper than the version at 4:28.

[@ILmanu92]

hello James congratulations for the channel. I have a laser bought on bandgood with power supply and TTL cable can I connect it to the 3018?

[@Derek-uk9ui]

Hello, How lucky we are to have found your videos. However i do have a problem with mine, i can't get the Y axis to run smoothly, i have slackened the screws to see if it will find it's own line but had no joy. Any ideas?

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

HI Derek, Check out this video, I cover sticking axis and how to fix it kzbin.info/www/bejne/qF7YfaaDrLR1nLs

[@gerryballesta7442]

Great video well explained. My oly problem is my laser not burning... need help. What am i doing wrong...

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

Hi. Common issues are making sure the spindle wire is disconnected, making sure the wires match up between your laser and board (live to live, neutral to neutral, PWM to PWM). If your laser is firing up but not burning then check the lens is clean, check focal distance, check your Svale and $30 values are the same.

[@bondipups2690]

Hey! Thanks so much for your video, it’s been great. I’ve followed every step and can see the laser but it won’t show up on the wood I’m using. Any suggestions?

[@allgonza1127]

I have a problem, my laser won't turn on when I was trying to calibrate it, can someone help me please

[@rubengo9440]

You used a 15W laser module for this particular video. Up to what watts of the laser module can the control board accept without any modifications or additional parts to the system or set up?

[@DarinM1967]

Mr. Dean, first, I wanted to thank you for all of your great videos. I've really learned a lot and have been following your CarveCo series. I'm a newbie to all of this and recently purchased a Genmitsu 4040Pro, Offline Controller, and 10 Watt Laser Module. I've been trying to get the files I created on CarveCo and recently LaserGrbl to work with the offline controller to no avail. Do you know if it's even possible to get them to work together? I am hoping to do my designing at my desk, move then transfer them via sd card to the offline controller in the workshop to burn and carve. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I'm having a heck of a time reaching out to SainSmart, and CarveCo hasn't responded to any of my "In Touch" messages. Thanks again for all of your hard work, and have a blessed day/night.

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

Do you have the 4040 Pro offline controller? I know the 4040Pro does need a specific controller and there was also a firmware updated for it so that may be part of your issue. The other issue may be that sometimes offline controllers only like 1 certain file type. For example if your files are .nc you could try renaming them to .gcode and see if that helps. Its still exactly the same file but I know that used to be an issue on other offline controllers

[@DarinM1967]

@JamesDeanDesigns Yes, I have the Offline Controller for the 4040-Pro. Also I'm using CarveCo and can show that CarveCo is saving the toolpath's with a giant offset in both the X and Y. Why it's doing it I don't know, but if I look at the files using UGS they keep showing 980mm offsets in one file, 470mm offsets in another file. It's crazy. It doesn't seem to matter if I use 4030 or 3018 file types they are always off!

[@joshuafritz1386]

Working on an vector image in LASRGRBL. Seems to jump around the image and does not systematically engrave nearest line....wastes a lot of time for a simple image. Any suggestions to "nearest neighbor" or whatever.

[@malcolmgladman9129]

Hi, having some weird results from your laser test files and wondered if you had any ideas. I did the GRBL tuning as per your previous video and it went fine and I did some carving with no problems. I then ran through this laser set up video and again the the focusing section went as planned. When I ran the test filed however this is when things started to go wrong. The lower test 800 and 900 went fine but way to dark so I went up to 1200 and the laser doesn’t do the vertical lines and just burns a series of ‘blobs’ where the fill sections should be and where the darker fills are it just sits there and burns burns burns and then when it does the numbers it just does 12 and not 1200. Any ideas? Thanks Malcolm

[@stevecartwright2857]

Same issues and can't resolve this :0(

[@originalyourinsuranceguy]

Ok, so I finally managed to get my 3018 to home to the bottom left corner of the plate after moving my limit switches and inverting the X axis, but I can't figure out how to tell LaserGRBL, or Lightburn, that the zero point has been reset. The only time I can get anything to work is when I move into the -X and -Y space, but I can't get the software to put anything in that space. I need to either update a setting or make software changes and I can't figure out which is the case. Help please!

[@stevesanders390]

I'd love to upgrade my 3018pro laser from the stock issue 5500mw to a more powerful laser for engraving metal using LaserBond 100 Spray. It calls for a minimum of 30 watt laser. Do you know if one is available to fit the 3018? I can't seem to find one online. Thanks

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

laser rating are not always clear. There is input watt and output watt. If you're after a 30w input then some may exist, I think FoxAlien do a 40w input but its possibly to big for the 3018 carriage. If its a 30w output then it probably means a co2 laser and and not a diode laser as they dont go that high

[@ray2chua937]

Awesome Video! Can the 3018 Prover GRBL Controller Board support 20w Laser with no issue or still need connection with extra board?

[@fooballers7883]

thanks again...great instructive video.

[@geoffreyhart5084]

Hello James, I am a very newbie in the world of CNC, laser engraving and have thoroughly enjoyed watching your tutorial videos. I am currently making an enclosure for my unit and use 4.5mm acrylic in the doors. Can you please advise which is the best colored acrylic to use for eye protection when the laser is in operation. You may have answered this question previously in which case I apologize for the repeat. thanks again for your tutorials.

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

You will want clear amber orange. This will off a certain level of protection but if you need to stare at your laser for any reason then definitely still use googles

[@mikeledee8786]

Do you have a video showing how to install the laser head into a masuter pro?

[@oldmanthunderhead]

James Im a newby to this and have followed your instructions BUT, it appears my CNC is not moving in the Z axis when running your configuration test programs. My laser is a variable focus so Ive set it as best I can. When running the speed test it burns the single dots but the lines are all on top of those same dots. Any ideas ??? Z axis has been enabled in LaserGRBL settings and works manually

[@apkiller10]

my next 3018 PI4 CNC upgrade. know this was coming=]

[@yvonnemarshall651]

I absolutely love your videos, set up the cnc 3018, and made the spoil board, I’m getting on really well with it thanks to you. It came with the laser and I’m just about to lose my sanity with it 😩. Followed your three laser & lightburn videos 80% of the time it can’t even find my device and when it does I can only get a faint line of burn. Some of the menus etc are in different places to you, I think this is because I’m using Mac iOS? Anyway I’ve come to the point of I’ve had enough! and decided I would be better with a separate laser so I can have both going at the same time. These lasers are 5.5W I want to sell items so what would be the ideal W to get? Any recommendations from anyone would be greatly appreciated, needs to be straight forward to use and work with Mac iOS. Thank you

[@JamesDeanDesigns]

Sadly for most of the CNC world, Mac is a secondary thought and even some of the most powerful software doesn't come available for Mac. In saying that a lot of people still use Macs without issues and they are all likely to be using GRBL which is the same firmware your curent laser is using. I do agree using a separate laser is better overall and hopefully you may have better luck. In terms of power, 5.5w lasers are quite common now and probably the minimum power I would be looking at. You can do quite a bit with a 5.5w but as with most things, if your budget can stretch to a more powerful one then it might be worth it.

[@kameronsmith3616]

I stumbled a little, I put my laser on using the eye logo/ button and the laser will not stay on, stays on for around 5s? Any clues to why?

[@photomaxdigital]

Please, Make rubber stamp engraving tutorial video with GRBL software by CNC3018 Pro.

[@Terry_Genereaux]

Hi James slowly getting through all your videos. I am using a Mac computer is there Laser software for it.

[@TheDakotawolf11]

Can recommend a decent pair of eye protection for the 3018 pro laser thank you

[@Gregi76]

Im doing PCBs by burning off black acrylic paint from my copper board and after a couple of good result I noticed that there is blurred contour that is forming around curved edges which was not there on the first boards. My software is Lightburn and I use 2.5% overscan, 10% power 1000mm/s speed. With more power there seem to be more blurred edges. It is as if the led started to fade out approaching the edge instead of sharply turning off. Did any of you had this issue? I just remembered that I have updated Lightburn recently... I must check of there is a new setting somewhere about it.