Replacing a Co2 Laser Tube | SPT Laser C70 tube into eBay Co2 Laser

All Co2 laser tubes have a limited lifespan and eventually you will need to replace them. If you bought a generic laser off eBay you may not have any support and will need to do this maintenance yourself. In this video I show you how to remove your old laser tube and install a new one using a replacement tube from SPT Laser.
Special thanks to SPT Laser for providing the laser tube for the production of this video. www.sptlaser.net/
The machine in this video I purchased off of eBay back in 2016. It is a generic 60 watt Co2 laser. The power supply is the original 60w device that came with the machine.
The exact tube seen in this video is the C70 tube from SPT and can be found here: www.sptlaser.net/co2-laser-tu...
For more behind the scenes action from my workshop please follow me on instagram: / vintauri

[@DS-ng2kj]

Great video! Thank you!

[@Vintauri]

Glad you liked it!

[@EnzoPaceTarifa1]

Gracias de Spagna

[@can5projects563]

nice video I have the same machine and it's totally awesome

[@Vintauri]

Thanks, I've been enjoying it in my workshop for a few years. I hope yours is treating you well!

[@can5projects563]

@@Vintauri what would be the best place to place the inline fan clise to the machine or on the far end???

[@Vintauri]

@@can5projects563 it's better to have the fan near the exit end from my understanding. I have mine just before it exits the shop and then only about 6' of hose from the laser to the fan.

[@MoeReefs]

One of the best videos on changing the tube. I would have looked into SPT lasers but I already have a CloudRay cr90 on the way. Is it a good idea to ground the extension tube cover incase of arcing or is it better to leave it non conductive? Thanks.

[@Vintauri]

Thank you for the compliments on the video. If you set up your grounding properly it can’t hurt adding some grounding to the extension tube. With the extra insulation on the SPT tube and proper routing of the wires, I have not felt the need to add it to my machine. However, it would not be hard to add a copper plate and wire grounded to the machine.

[@SarbarMultimedia]

You will be pleased to know that the CR90 tube from Cloudray is infact an "A" grade SPT C90 tube. Cloudray only sell the top quality tubes and have their own relabeling agreement with SPT. to sell under the Cloudray name.

[@sabahsabah7248]

how many hours default old for tube for co2 2030 please

[@JoshColeHD]

Great video, quick questions, do you need to upgrade the power supply or do you still have a 60w supply, and did your water cooling tube reach from standard or did you have to replace when putting in a longer tube than original?

[@Vintauri]

The stock power supply was a 60w unit so I was good to keep the existing one in there and there was enough slack in the water line to use the existing hose as well.

[@JoshColeHD]

@@Vintauri perfect thank you

[@JoshColeHD]

@@Vintauri sorry to be a pain, I don’t suppose you have the file for the acrylic extended case also, I’ve had to get a bigger tube because I needed it asap and couldn’t get the size for ages!

[@Vintauri]

@@JoshColeHD I dug up the files. You'll need to resize it for your specific material, I think this was around 5.5mm or 7/32" stuff I used. It was just under 1/4". See if you can access the DXF or SVG files here: drive.google.com/drive/folders/1bWLwb9ZxMi_LU0N1cbd5FVnWyHp-Ch9l?usp=sharing

[@owenjohnson5030]

Have you done the upgrade to the larger diameter tube and the red beam combiner?

[@Vintauri]

Unfortunately I have been unable to find the proper mounts that will fit my laser and the other tube. There is a connecting rod to the two side rails that runs along the tray that takes up too much space.

[@glennmartonic6376]

i use a 50w spt tube from lightobject in my build.....just a great tube.....still going strong after 4+ years.....# of hours on tube?.....never calc'd, but many 5-8 hour days on the tube....use for busness 2- 3 times a week to fill orders....never thought tube would last this long.....

[@Vintauri]

Great to hear. I have a year on this one with mixed use. Some long all day use other times just occasional. Ive been pleased with it so far.

[@glennmartonic6376]

@@Vintauri speak of the devil.....tube got incredibly weak (12 passes) to cut 1/8th acrylic......happened fast.....matter of a week......put in my spare i purchased on 10-2020.....wow.....and its so clean....working fabulous.....and i'll be able to answer the question of YOUR TUBE DEGRADES WHEN YOU STORE IT......

[@user-iv5wr3co3h]

hello, when you changed the pipe, you also changed the mirrors

[@Vintauri]

The mirrors were fine so I did not swap them out with this tube.

[@mikeprestigiacomo5420]

Did you make the tube extenion?

[@Vintauri]

Yes I cut it from 1/4” acrylic on the laser.

[@asomeguy3000]

I see that your tube is internally arcing slightly. Is this something to worry about? Mine does the same thing.

[@Vintauri]

I assume you are talking about the plasma stream inside the tube dancing around a bit. This is normal. If you have arcing outside the tube to the frame of your laser, that is bad.

[@gwrulzmylife]

Hi! Where can I get the honeycomb bed?

[@Vintauri]

The one on my laser came with the machine. I have not had to replace it. However Cloudray does offer a number of different sizes of honeycomb beds that you can check out to see if one fits your machine.

[@kwoodkustoms]

I can’t really see what you’re doing with your hand at 8:28. I’m stuck with an h level tube. Same machine as yours

[@Vintauri]

I'm turning the nut that raises and lowers the tube bracket to level out the tube. You want the tube level to the gentry and so the beam hits as close to center on the first mirror as possible.

[@jasonzhu1990]

Hello, thanks for your video. We are PURI laser tube factory and we have improved those part you mentioned on our old tube. You can contact me for further movements

[@Vintauri]

Thanks for stopping by and checking out the video. I'd love to hear more about the improvements you have made in the PURI tubes. Feel free to reach out to me via the contact link on my channel page.

[@sabahsabah7248]

40w

[@sebastianbecker3814]

Why dont you solder the cables together?

[@Vintauri]

You can solder the end together as long as you do not leave sharp ends and do not do it close to the tube where you might damage it. I've been soldering for years and would be comfortable with that, however not everyone is. This method, sometimes called a western union splice, is a good method to provide a strong mechanical and electrical connection. I chose to use this method based on both the manufacturers recommendations as well as showing a method easier for more users. In any case a person should really read up on the process and be sure of what they are doing when working with the HV connections in these lasers.

[@jeffdeluca1153]

Question.. Which laser ma Hine do you have and where did you purchase it? Also, did you honestly see an improvement in the SPT tube over the initial tube when it was new? Jeff

[@Vintauri]

This was a generic laser i bought off eBay about 8 years ago. The initial tube that came in the laser was only a 50w tube set up with a 60w power supply. Even running that tube below the mA rating it did not last long. The SPT tube is the third tube this machine has seen. It's been running longer and more consistent then the others. As for if it's cutting better or faster, there might be a minimal difference, but it's the consistency that I have appreciated.

[@dwightstebner2345]

@9:20 min, and 11:09 min, why not solder the connections?

[@Vintauri]

It's generally not recommended to solder the HV connections on the tubes, I'm guessing due to the chance of damage from someone not great at soldering. A good mechanical connection like this should be fine. The key thing is to make sure you do proper insulation around the joint.