My Heavily Modified K40 C02 Laser | $400 Ebay C02 Laser Upgrades

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In this video we take a look at my K40 C02 laser that I have had for about 8 months now. We go over all of the various mods and upgrades that I did to the machine which greatly improved safety, functionality, and detail.
Things I purchased:
Air Assist Pump:
amzn.to/3eZaA5B
Air Assist Tubing:
amzn.to/2VNCiLg
Copper Brake Line:
amzn.to/2D9jhfJ
Upgraded Mirrors:
amzn.to/3gn46xM
Exhaust Fan:
amzn.to/3goLCNj
Algae Control:
amzn.to/2ZxSIIA
Cohesion3D:
cohesion3d.com/
LightBurn:
lightburnsoftware.com/
Printed Parts:
Air Assist Mount:
www.thingiverse.com/thing:402...
Exhaust Fan Mount:
www.thingiverse.com/thing:401...
Exhaust Hose Adapter:
www.thingiverse.com/thing:401...
Cable Chain:
www.thingiverse.com/thing:127...
Shorter Exhaust:
www.thingiverse.com/thing:162...
Great Resource
Laser Gods:
lasergods.com/
(´∀｀)♡ As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases:
Buy now on Amazon: amzn.to/2jQAOgV
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[@kevinm3751]

I think part of the fun with these printers and cutters is the fact they can be projects themselves and like my Ender 3 Pro, for a while it was the project and in the end with all the upgrades we do it ends up becoming a tool that you would have paid 5 times more for. Thanks for the info and the tips...

[@ModBotArmy]

I agree completely for me, upgrading is at least half of the fun. I know this is not for everyone but I do tend to fall into that category.

[@suddenlyconcrete7295]

I just got one of these lasers and this video is wonderful to help me get it set up. thank you!

[@coreymac2381]

Nice video. I’ve wanted a laser cutter for a long time. Thanks for all the information on modifying one.

[@ModBotArmy]

Glad to help, thank you for the feedback :) and watching

[@BradleyWellingtonIII]

Super informative video, thanks!

[@urjnlegend]

The ender aner a8 comparison was so perfect

[@HomeDistiller]

I have a home designed and 3D printed air assist that's coaxial it looks like a small cone over the nozzle so it blows straight down through the hole with good pressure and laminar flow and it has the bonus of keeping all dust and smoke clear of the lenses and mirrors as they are surrounded with clean Air with a slight positive pressure

[@DaddyScribbles]

This is the best mod video I've seen so far. Very smart thinking here. Are there any tutorials on installing the upgraded silent board?

[@aerball]

I just designed a linear rail carriage for my printer and I am so happy with it. While I don't usually cut at above 250-300mm/s, It can do it. Although as anyone who knows how acceleration works with these types of systems, it might not quite hit those speeds anyway.

[@famalourian2463]

Great video. I've done a lot with mine, too. I can't recommend installing the Lightburn camera enough, as you can get cuts exactly where you need them and minimize waste. You should consider adding an inline water flow indicator (just a little water wheel in a transparent case). It's reassuring to glance at it and know positively that water is flowing through the tube. Mine did not come with a current meter, but it was quite easy to install one. Some good laser glasses for 10600nm would be a good investment, as well.

[@davekimbler2308]

All of those things you talked about now come in the Omtech K40+ ! A scissor fixture plate for a mill works great for up and down ! Im working on a vacuum honeycomb panel to hold my projects down !

[@eyeborg3148]

The real question I’ve been wondering is, is it worth it to get the K40 and upgrade it or spend ~$1300 on a eBay 50W cutter that is build much better, has functional air assist and ventilation, has a Ruida controller that can be used with lightburn out of the box, has adjustable Z, and is just overall a much bigger and better platform to work with...? Because by the time you properly upgrade the K40 you’re more or less at the $800 mark anyways and it’s still kind of a hack job.

[@DiscoLucas]

I feel like what you really get with this kind of machine, is the low upfront cost and customizability. You do save a lot of money, but in the end, you'll pay for that with the time you spend on the machine.

[@CJMorin]

Even the "50"(Really 40) watt machine still requires some mods to make it better, just like the K40 it will work as is but there will be eventual upgrades you will make to get it where you want it to be. I have had one going on 5 years and I have made many mods some small and a few complicated mods but overall I am glad I got the "50" watt machine. What you need to think about is do you need more of a work area and/or a more powerful laser. If you will be doing small projects with paper or some thin acrylic the the K40 is the way to go. If you want to do up to 6mm wood then the "50" watt is the way to go.

[@JanBinnendijk]

i'm thinking of getting me one of these.. i found one with an upgraded controller.. What about mounting the machine on a metal frame, modify the exhaust channel so it goes through the bottom?.. That way, you can mount the exhaust fan under the machine inside the frame, and you have the choice of where the exhaust tube goes.. left, right , front or back.. You could also make a cabinet in the frame, to store "Cutting beds, cleaning agents, put the watercooling unit in there as well, add a radiator and a fan (a Moped radiator will do) Get a 12 Volt Car ventilation fan from the scrapyard.. and Bob's your Uncle..

[@mattherwig]

Recommend installing the suction fan as near to the outlet as you can, so the majority of the exhaust hose is under negative pressure, once it goes through the fan it will be positive pressure and the smoke / smell will make it's way into the atmosphere where-ever it can.

[@nealradford5129]

You could make a lot of money setting up and upgrading these for people.

[@rickcperry]

LOVE this video...One thing tho... Lose the manifold on the air pump and install the 1/4" tube and it will supercharge the output of the pump. I have a video on my channel about this and it works great! The manifold is restricting the output by at least 50%

[@ryanmatthews5882]

Great video. We bought an upgraded K40 and are having issues finding settings that will cut 1/8” ply without burning the surface. Can you point me to any resource for cutting settings for these machines?

[@keithrichie8652]

Hey how big of a cutting space did you get when you replaced the bed and reduced the exhaust vent.

[@ModelFire]

Question for ya,so when I remove the exhaust port to give myself more burn room,do I have to go to advanced settings and increase the board size? TIA MIKE

[@redherring5532]

Seems like at the end of the day a k40 purchase includes a metal box, steppers and a laser tube that are actually used. It's like doing an AM8 build, the rest is junk besides the smooth rods, threaded rods, motors, bed and maybe even a mainboard. Idk if I'm in for one, that's a lot of 'upgraded' criteria

[@derekbrown4468]

Question when taking base out like stated do you get for cutting space instead of the 12x8 that is stated on machine?

[@markjordan7185]

Could you cut the housing to get larger items into the work area. I need to put a longer piece of wood in it to engrave it

[@shanobix]

did you ever make your bed adjustable? been seeing it but wasn't sure if it was necessary

[@TheNigaHigaFan4Ever]

Nice video! I think i wont ever buy a laser cutter, but we have 2 lasser cutter at my college. 1 has a build surface of 30×60 and can cut 4mm mdf. But the other laser has a build surface of 3×1 and can cut 6mm steel

[@ModBotArmy]

That is awesome. haha I wish I had access to that when I was in school

[@DiscoLucas]

damn, is the steel cutting a fiber laser? I'd love to have one of those.

[@patrickmaartense7772]

the open secure switch is SO O easy just in parallel with the enable laser button , hotglue a microswitch

[@Cino2424]

parallel will not work. it must series

[@patrickmaartense7772]

@@Cino2424 off course you are right !

[@tonypetes1]

How big did your work area expand to?

[@capthowdy126]

ive been looking to pick one of these up recently but cant find one with the analog controls now only digital. i know u can swap them but i was trying to avoid that step if possible by just starting with a k40 with it from the factory but ive not had any luck finding one so i guess if i want it ill have to do the work to make it but my question is what can u actually do with the k40 out of the box and is all the upgrades for safety or are they not functional without all the upgrades.

[@AlexandrosNikolakis]

what is the cutting envelope after all these mods?

[@jerbear7952]

If you guys don't want to drop $60 on a roll of nico brake line; any auto parts store sells 3-6 inch pieces with fittings on the end. The fittings don't matter obviously. Cut the fittings off with a small tubing cutter and you are good to go.

[@oleww50]

Great video, do you have a rough price for the upgrades? Considering getting a k40 but so many things to do to it before even using it, it seems like a beta product almost.

[@xander7462]

You didn't source the honeycomb. Where to buy? Google has several results obviously but curious where you got yours. Thanks

[@hanspijpers2100]

yeah that goes for me too !!

[@urbannpa]

I did not realize that those Lasers had that small of a work area.

[@KepejasLT]

Your videos are great but I think one day you should get back to tutorials that used to be really helpful and life-saving

[@ModBotArmy]

I appreciate the feedback. I try to balance the two. But Tutorials do end up getting pushed to the side. It is my goal to continue to incorporate them into my channel

[@gracebyseven]

Thanks for the video. I just ordered a K40. Are laser glasses required to use it?

[@AldenJohnson]

100% i've heard permanent blindness sucks

[@gracebyseven]

@@AldenJohnson I asked as years ago I owned the big brother to the K40 and never used eye protection for the years I used it. I also just recently heard that it's perfectly safe so long as we keep the lid shut during operation.

[@johnrex5342]

You should get some 10,600nm laser glasses from a reputable source. There is a good chance you'll need to align the mirrors at some point, and doing so is impossible with the case buttoned up. Your eyes are worth the investment.

[@BenCos2018]

always use laser glasses

[@33uses]

When I added a 50L air assist to my k40 laser It turns on and off by itself, what is the SOLUTION please 🥺?

[@havana4123]

Is there a way to engrave on the leather and metals like copper or silver 3mm?

[@nukularpictures]

leather can be easily done with this machine. Metal however now. Especially copper and stuff are basically not engravable via laser. At least not in the hoby / diy area. For engraving metal a small desktop mill would do great work. Something like a 3040CNC (they work quite well but also require some tinkering like the k40).

[@user-or5xy4ht2l]

is there continue?

[@MrLP10o]

Can you re-upload the exhaust fan mount or share a link to a similar concept? The link is dead and I bought the fan you suggested. Thanks !

[@ModBotArmy]

They should all be on my Thangs account 😊 thangs.com/designer/Modbot

[@MrLP10o]

@@ModBotArmy Thanks :) !

[@daniellugo3882]

Would you consider selling remade parts you printed via your 3D printer if I don’t have one and would purchase a a K40 and do all the exact mods you did

[@chaverria]

I’d like to get in on that.... I don’t know anything about printing parts.

[@grifftech]

WHat K40 do you recommend, I dont know which one to choose :)

[@ModBotArmy]

One that has feedback. And also one that does not have digital control but analog. Ebay has quite a few sellers. I was able to find one that shipped from a couple hours away. The less distance it has to go the less chance it will arrive beat up as well!

[@DerekGranquist]

Great video! I've been researching the K40 for some time. I'm having a hard time finding a K40 with an analog meter. Any help you can give? I'm looking on eBay and Amazon so far.

[@chemtrail_brew_Que]

Got mine with an analog meter on amazon a week ago

[@sitgesvillaapartmentneilsc7924]

@@chemtrail_brew_Que ebay uk have them all the time

[@NicodemusT]

That anet a8 comment made me feel attacked

[@tomjoad1363]

why not just use ready-to-use automotive coolant?

[@patrykobrat]

hey most of files to print sadly not exist anymore ;( error 404

[@Bobster986]

By the time you make all these modifications you could have bought a better laser with all those features and more power.

[@RLibramonte]

So, I am also in California. Do you want to sell your modified k40 laser?

[@carlosmanrique2936]

what happend to lasergods

[@heidbumbee1689]

I have a short attention span and lost you at 1.11 . I don't care what's going in the background. Just tell it!

[@ModBotArmy]

This channel may not be for you and that’s fine. There are plenty of other great channels that may cater more to your liking. Thanks for checking out the video 😬