Can This Diode Laser Cut Steel?! | Longer Ray5 20W Review

[@gianlucatomasello9492]

You tried 0,05" (1,2mm) Stainless steel, even tho the spreadsheet only talked about 0,05 mm.

[@martinlaak]

Like @gianlucatomasello9492 mentioned you tried 0.05 inch steel wheres the spec promised 0.05 mm steel (25 times thinner). @ChadsCustomCreations was able to cut 0.15mm (0.006 inch) steel with a 20w machine. The thickness really matters because of the heat conductivity of the metal. The new upcoming 70w machines will make things interesting.

[@kylemestas8493]

This is my first laser engraver, and I put it together in about 30 minutes. Now time to play.

[@SirRonmit]

Your air assist tube goes out that top hole of the laser body to keep it secure/veritcal .. I mounted my air valve on the side of the body myself :) .. My 20W looks different, though in that the set screws are on the right rear and a little flip-out piece is there for Z-height. I was hoping mine was more like this one that you have.

[@walterrldias]

You did not use anodized aluminum if I am not mistaken.... and the stainless steel was 0.05 inches thick (1.2 mm) and not the 0.05 mm recommended. Can you confirm if it cuts anodized aluminum? Also... I dont care if it required multiple passes to cut something, do you have a follow up of what it cuts after all?

[@gardenwonder7977]

You need a spray like Cermark. Anodized aluminum makes it more difficult.

[@ModernHobbyist]

Thanks for watching! Let me know in the comments if you have any other thoughts on this laser or if I missed anything! Cheers!

[@partytempo]

I believe the pump is an "air assist pump" which is meant to improve the quality of the cut.

[@ModernHobbyist]

Thanks for the comment! That was my assumption as well, but it didn't seem to make much of a different. I used it for the entirety of the testing simply because I figured it couldn't hurt, but when I turned it off in an attempt to get better results, I saw no change 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@partytempo]

@@ModernHobbyist Thanks for the clarification. Bummer it didn't show a difference. I learned a lot from the channel "JT makes it" on the pump concept for diode lasers.

[@ModernHobbyist]

I'll have to check that out!

[@TrevorGryffyn]

@@ModernHobbyistThe air assist is meant to keep smoke (especially the resinous stuff plywood and such can give off) away from the laser lens as well as possibly blow out small fires that can come up. Keeping the lens clean is pretty crucial since a dirty lens with a laser going through it can get damaged really fast. (our makerspace has a 100W CO2 laser that I help maintain)

[@emmanuelskolinos1361]

You yake a ratrig sasy with a neje 2xdiode 15w of power a arduino uno with GBRL and you have a 100 times better laser with less then half the price

[@cours458]

can it carve white stone?

[@t.josephnkansah-mahaney7961]

Probably need to raise the materials above the bed for better cuts. Also, this is continuous wave laser not well suited for the power levels you are using. Pulse lasers are more appropriate here with a high peak power. Also, I don’t think the laser head outputs 20 W of optical energy either. Lastly, many metals are highly reflective across the spectrum so requires high powers to actually have the laser energy absorbed by a metal workpiece.

[@ModernHobbyist]

Thanks for the comment! Are diode lasers all susceptible to those same issues then, no matter what "wattage" it says it is? Or is it a pulsed vs. continuous wave issue?

[@themetalfusionologist]

Just a little hopefully helping info…raise the bed. That’s why your cuts didn’t come out so well. Aluminum…no go for any diode laser. Any metal etching and glass needs a sort of “backer” or coating. Several instances I saw were setting issues, not machine issues. But there’s too many to type. IMO, I’d say you need to familiarize yourself with the units before throwing a semi-bad rating. I have this exact machine and many others, these are definitely not production type machines, but they all take quite a bit of playing with them, learning and setting them to dial them in. The power you plugged them into can affect their performance capabilities. This machine will do exactly what it says it will. The operator just needs to know what they’re doing.

[@ModernHobbyist]

I mean I tested the machine against the settings provided by the manufacturer using the focusing block that came with it. I also spent a lot of time tweaking settings, I just don’t have time to show all that in a video.

[@ladybug3596]

Thank you very much.

[@gardenwonder7977]

I couldn't get my wifi to work either. It is also not as strong as they say it is, which sucks. It's expensive.

[@robsanchez7460]

From 7:10 to 7:20 that cut is pretty rough on the edges or is that normal

[@ModernHobbyist]

I think the cut you're talking about is one I made with my CNC Router. The laser actually had almost no effect on the aluminum, I just could have done a better job of separating the two operations visually.

[@TrevorGryffyn]

@@ModernHobbyistIt's my understanding that you really need a fiber laser to cut metal. I put a sheet of aluminum foil on our 100W CO2 laser and hit it with 100% and it did nothing. The internet says a 150W-650W CO2 laser might be able to cut some metals (steel) but diode lasers seem extra unlikely to cut any kind of metal. Engraving the coating off anodized metal is usually the way to go, or using Cermark (or generic moly dry lube spray) can bake markings onto certain metals, mostly ones that don't conduct heat as well, so the heat can get hot enough to bond the molybdenum to the metal.

[@elizabethdeavila8314]

Where did you find the recommended material settings list from Longer?

[@ModernHobbyist]

There a link on the websites product description that took me to a shared good drive folder with the manual and various recommendations in a spreadsheet

[@bobsyouruncle8052]

do you have you laser focused to material ? my ray 5 20 watt engraves deep with 30 % at 8000mm cuts at 85%power 500mm

[@ModernHobbyist]

Yup, it’s focused with the little block that it came with

[@paulraycastillo2238]

What "special character" was it missing?

[@ModernHobbyist]

🤨 you trying to guess my WiFi password? I believe it was the ^

[@ckuschelleal]

does this 20 w laser cut white acrilyc?

[@ModernHobbyist]

Thanks for the comment! I didn't specifically test it with white, but I think the only trouble you'll have is with blue and clear acrylic (since the laser is blue). Hope that helps!

[@PileofBrass]

Change your Wi-Fi password. It’s that easy.

[@ModernHobbyist]

I have several dozen devices connected to my WiFi, many of which are smart home devices that can't be easily updated. So a password change for me would be a major pain.