😲 Perfect Calibration on your Hobby Laser in Lightburn!

[@tonyrogers8553]

such basic but most important information that 99.5% of the laser users would never think of without this super helpful video. if you watch ALL of his videos. you will end up with a more total understanding of laser operation and how to accomplish good results with minimal frustration. thank you la hobby guy

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Thanks so much for the kind words Tony!

[@tonyrogers8553]

Rich. I'm just an empire, I share the truth

[@MrNugs67]

Rich is the best guy on here to learn how a laser and Lightburn should be used. I follow Rich on here and Instagram trying to learn how to use my laser. It doesn't help that my memory was affected when I had a total cardiac arrest but I save these videos so I can go over them, time and time again. Takes me much longer to learn and remember compared to most other users. It's true, it's harder to teach an old dog new tricks.

[@torowazup1]

@@MrNugs67God Bless You 🙏🏼📿 Thank You, I had a brain stem stroke and my nerves on my right side are shot but I still keep on ticking with the help of Jesus 🙏🏼📿

[@TheFalconJetDriver]

I have a suggestion for your viewers I am sure you are aware of this, when measuring with the calipers the beam of the calipers need to be parallel with the stock you just cut. To prevent measuring a parallax. To do this I place the material on a flat surface and the points of the calipers on the flat surface this keeps the beam parallel. Great video Rich! I am head out to the shop to calibrate the kerf and then the actual cut. Thanks for mentioning that sequence!😁🛫

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

No problem, and thanks for the tip!

[@coreywalker4899]

ok so stayed up all night for these awesome LB college videos and i had to stop here unfortunately (only to sleep) i am absolutely hooked on this equipment and software. by far these videos are the best content on the subject i have been able to find. i also think that if i did not find these videos i would not be onto rolling tumblers after only three weeks into laser engraving and cutting. with no previous image manipulation software experience Rich makes it super clear on what it is we are to do to improve our laser game! Thank You TLHG

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Wow! Thank you so much Corey! I appreciate the comments!

[@reddsmorris7053]

My spider was cutting 4x4 squares into 4x5 so I sis this once and it was right on. Thank you I have learned so much from you

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

I appreciate that, *thanks!*

[@TheFalconJetDriver]

Wow I just found your channel from another KZbinr, I am a former metal CNC machine installer from the early 80’s I have been using digital calipers in my wood shop from the 90’s so I like precision. And I am a real stickler for being dead on when able. Find your channel is a goldmine thank you for all of your work! I have the original Ortur laser master the T shape unit it was sold as a 7.5 watt laser. But more like 3- 3.5 watts it worked well for me. I just ordered the Long Rat 5 10 watt with air assist. 😁🛫

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Awesome! Welcome aboard!

[@9z4clb]

First off, great info, thank you very much from Trinidad and Tobago! I'm really enjoying my brand new Comgrow Z1 and completed the X,Y calibration perfectly (it was a tad off on both axes). Then I measured the squareness with my shop's machinist squares and found it to be a tad off also. Corner to corner diagonal measurements of the fame are fine, the table surface is flat (frame rests on a 26'" x 26" x 3/8" sheet of plate glass, and there are three little legs between the glass and bench), so I know its flat. Found the gantry to be out of square relative to the two blue supporting plates (~1.7mm over the full length of the gantry). my solution to that problem was to paper shim the interface between the front of the left gantry support (blue Plate) and the gantry bar using a thickness of four sheets of printer paper, this absolutely solved the problem. I now have a machine that tracks perfectly square and the x, y calibration is spot on. I've also added a Comgrow Lightburn Camera (camera module arrived defective, replacement on the way) and I also designed and made a pair of laser cut acrylic brackets for the Comgrow camera mount to provide overhead lighting for the bed. I will find somewhere to post the DXF file for those brackets, some pics of my rig and also an amazon link for the light bars I used. Very happy with this machine and thanks again for all the tips. EDIT: Here's the link for the lighting build: www.thingiverse.com/thing:6456674

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Thanks!

[@larams2813]

Must watch video for anyone with a new laser. Thank you for making it.

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Glad you enjoyed it Ernie!

[@cook6052]

Rich, your help with this type of subject is invaluable. You are a great teacher! I bought a Atezr 35w +, the setup quality from the factory was simply terrible. I wouldn't have been able to correct the issues without your support. Best to you.

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Awesome! 👍 Thanks for watching!

[@danieltimms1463]

Another amazing video . Thanks Rich , don’t think you’ll ever realise just how much you help us noobs

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Thanks Daniel!

[@georgechambers3197]

Thanks Rich, Ive done this calibration on my lasers and one was right on and the other two took some tweaking. 😁 Thanks for the video!

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Great to hear George! Everyone needs to do this.

[@jaamachmal]

My circles were like curled eggs. I adjusted the belt tension. Not too hard, not too soft. When you raise the construction about 45 degrees, the sliders have to move down slowly. Then I had a problem with the coupling between the motor axle and the shaft. They were not in line. So I ordered two flexible shaft couplings. And now my circles are perfectly round. I have a laser from Twotree's TS2

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Glad you got it fixed.

[@geef0813]

Awesome. This is much more simple than I had imagined. I'll be doing this today

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Great!

[@danyodice1048]

Great video Rich thanks for all you do. I have learned a lot from your channel...🤘🤘🤘

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Glad to hear it Dan!

[@raysalter6456]

Thank you Rich, I have trouble with my axis too!!!! 😊😊

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

🤪🤪

[@josephlynch3507]

Thanks so much for doing your videos. I’m a Newby to lasers, and your videos have been incredibly helpful.

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Thank you so much Joseph! I really appreciate it! 👍

[@craftywoodworker]

Thanks

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Thanks for the support Paul! 👍

[@theknotwoodworking]

As usual, you are amazing at explaining vital concepts that lead to great outcome! This is probably why my boxes have been off a bit!

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Glad it was helpful!

[@douglasmitchell4063]

Another awesome video. Thanks for teaching these tips and making us better at what we do!

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

My pleasure Douglass!

[@miketurner4193]

Another very informative video, thanks for the info, I will make these cuts and measurments this week.

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Glad it was helpful Mike!

[@jeffteeter501]

Thanks!

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Thanks for the support Jeff! 👍

[@brucemichelin7367]

I tried this calibration method at least 6 times. It does not adjust when I write the new settings? I looked but cannot see a parameter that would prevent that write function. You are a huge help and excellent demonstrating your knowledge! I’m sure I speak for many as myself, saying thank you very much for your help!

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Not all lasers use/allow all the features of Lightburn on their control boards, xTool as an example.

[@jannekallio5047]

and yet again thanks for all the help!

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Happy to help Janne!

[@lukaspotgieter7363]

I went too fast on a test engrave and I am sure my belt jumped a few tooth.If seemed like the material moved.Awsome video.Thank you.

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Glad it helped Lukas.

[@pelletigable]

Merci!

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Thanks so much for the support!

[@patmoore8811]

Rich, thanks as always. I just watched the video you did on Kerf (thanks again!) and posted a question that I'm repeating here on this more recent video - sorry for the duplication. I'm a beginner at this craft, but it seems like there is interaction between X- and Y-Axes Calibration and Kerf. If I'm correct, this calibration moves the cut line outside the desired dimensions so the inside of the cut line gives us the desired dimension of the cut square. Does Kerf do the same thing? Are these two adjustments cumulative? Is calibration of the axes more important than Kerf, unless you're doing something like puzzle pieces? And I imagine that the actual laser spot when focused has something to do with all this is well. I suspect the answer is test and test again and you've given great tools to do that with, but the interaction of these two settings is still a question for me. Thanks!

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

No Pat, this just gives you overall accurate dimensions, while the kerf offset changes the accuracy to add or reduce size for a better fit of joined cut pieces.

[@dbwoodcraft7233]

As usual, the best part of your instruction lives within the sidelines of the content. I've been chasing a bidirectional travel, focus problem for a while and I pretty much gave up by just not using the option. I'm going to run this calibration to see if it works. Thanks!

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

It should work for you.

[@alsaffarstudios]

Very useful video. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience with us 🙏🏼

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

My pleasure 😊

[@dbwoodcraft7233]

Hey Rich, just another thought on the topic. I have a CO2, so I can't speak about settings in a diode laser, but I'd bet setting a jump setting to move 100mm, then measure the two points from a pulse burn would be more accurate than making an actual cut, which would mostly remove the kerf offset variable. You could generate a grid along the X/Y to determine where you fall out of tolerance and your averages would be more reliable. Thanks again!

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Awesome, thanks!

[@zk_6312]

Great video. I was cutting out some circles and noticed they were off significantly. I might try this and see what happens.

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Glad it was helpful!

[@robmills4709]

Thanks Rich, why didn't I know about this? I've done similar on my Creality 3D printer for all axes, and extrusion.

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Probably because it's a very controversial topic Rob. Most people believe you should only work with kerf offsets, but I find this works well for me.

[@robmills4709]

@@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy You can't beat a bit of controversy. Good on you. When I get the chance I'll have a look at this. It's especially key with 3d printed parts, as I found out.

[@johnathanraney9959]

Great information! Thank you. The only part I did follow was about the eccentric nut. I don’t kniw what those are. I have an xtool D1 Pro. If you can explain I'd appreciate it. Thanks again

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

They're the nuts that hold the wheels on, on the gantry.

[@jodyhorberg5739]

so how does one verify that their caliper is accurate? Thank you for all of the information... I am still learning and am constantly returning to your videos for questions that I have and so far the information in your videos are spot on and guide me in the right direction.. Thanks again!!

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Measure a known thickness.

[@jamescooper1991]

Another great video tutorial. Thanks Rich

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Glad you enjoyed it James!

[@warriors475]

another great video rich thanks for your time and effort what would we do without you haha 5 stars

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Much appreciated Gary!

[@TheFalconJetDriver]

You mentioned blacklash I know what it is, and yes it is extremely important if you want repeatability. My question is where would I find this backlash offset? I am thinking they way you stated that this is in the software of the drivers for the stepper motors? And if so how could I find this? Or is it an arbitrary number that was plugged into lightburn that I need to fine tune? You videos are outstanding! Thank you for sharing your knowledge! 😁🛫

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Backlash is a complete video of its own. Think belt climb instead when changing directions, since that's what hurts the precision. The faster you run a scan, the more likely your belts will climb on the timing gear and skip teeth in some cases.

[@Craftastical]

Thanks so much for this video. I am a complete newby to lasers, I got the Atezer p20 recently. Yesterday I set up the rotary rollers for the first time and after I reconnected back to the main module my Y axis was double what it should have been. So literally a square of 100mm x 100mm was 100mm x 210mm. I was easily able to resolve the issue with this tutorial, forever grateful to you. But is it normal that should have happened after connecting to the rotay rollers and then back? I hadn't changed any other settings. Freaked me out today hahha

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Hopefully you turned off the rotary in Lightburn Carole. Look at the laser tab and make sure it's off.

[@Craftastical]

@@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy I appreciate your reply. Hopefully I'll get the hang of Lightburn soon and all the pre-send checks. I can be a little impatient to just get the job going haha. Take care. Learning lots for your tutorials 😁

[@rickygriffey2249]

Hey Rich you do a great job teaching us laseroligy. I have tried to calibrate x and y axis. On my xtool d1 pro but the corrections are not taking effect. Is there a write protect somewhere. TIA

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Yes Ricky, xTool has proprietary control software, so a lot of the advanced features of the Gcode don't work on their products.

[@aldirnagl2193]

Another great informative video. Really appreciate all the information!

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Glad it was helpful Al!

[@briansmith7046]

Hey Rich, since you are doing your calibration without entering a kerf adjustment (or taking into consideration) would you actually be including your kerf into your calibration? Basically, the calibration is looking for a distance of 150 and you cut out the piece and say the finished actual cut size is 149.8. If you enter requested distance of 150 and actual distance of 149.8 you have included the missing kerf amount into your calibration? You have 1/2 kerf on the top, bottom, left and right sides of the actual cut out (kerf is half because you cut on the line meaning half of the kerf is inside cut and half is outside the cut), so if your kerf is .2 then the kerf offset should be half of the total kerf which would be .1 for each side? If that is accurate then would not 149.8 be the expected value for a calibration since I think calibration is looking for a distance from the middle of the laser line to the middle of the laser line rather than the designed size vs actual size?

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

You can do it either way Brian, whichever you prefer.

[@gregparker5732]

You are spot on. Calibrate the machine to move the amount requested, without being fudged for the kerf. The method shown will only be accurate at the one size that was tested.

[@denismichelblais1303]

Rich, great video as usual. I own a Polar 350, 50 watts, and up to now did not require such accuracy. But now my projects are getting more to a point where I need accuracy. I followed your instructions and on the X axis after calibration, it came on perfectly but on the Y axis I tried 10 times and it always stayed at the same distance. would you have some advice on this issue

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

I don't know anything about the Polar Denis, But I'm sure you can change the settings in the machine settings. Make a backup copy before changing anything.

[@lukaspotgieter7363]

Awesome!Now I have to figure out why my workspace is off

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

That would likely be wrong device settings. Edit --> Device Settings

[@CESAR_H_ARIAS]

excellent guide Rich, I've spent numerous hours with that settings when i replaced my small diode laser frame to a big one. thats a must. what steel magnetic bed are you using? i can only find ss and aluminum ones online

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

The one in this video is my Co2 Cesar, but the Comgrow honeycomb is steel.

[@pahuns9398]

Shouldn't the kerf width be factored in before entering the adjustment? What if it was the square hole was what I was after and the center square piece (the piece that you took your measurements on) was the waste piece in my project. I think that the machine should be calibrated to follow the center of the cut line (kerf) and if the project needs exact measurement then adjust for that in the kerf setting. Am I missing something? Great video BTW, I think you do an amazing job Rich and I have learned lots from you. :)

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

This was simply a calibration video if your laser is not cutting the right size. It eliminates kerf offset.

[@gregparker5732]

You are right the machine should be set to move the amount requested not fudged for the kerf at a given size. At any other size it will be off if done as shown.

[@derek2593]

Amazing video, as always (and about the only one I know of on this topic), but somehow my novice self has a way to improve it. Add an etched grid to the square, so you have points to measure that are perfectly parallel to the sides.

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

You can do that, but you can only calibrate the outer square Derek.

[@derek2593]

@@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy , right, but the lines give me points to align the caliper on the sides so I know the caliper is parallel to the sides while measuring.

[@derek2593]

@@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy and, I promise, I will send you something nice from the farm, eventually. A nice scarf or hat with farm fresh alpaca fiber. Your channel is amazing, and you respond quickly. Thanks, sooooo much!!!!

[@mrsdizi1234]

thank you, can you tell me why my circles do not come out a perfect circle looks kinda like a slight oval.Thank you love your videos.

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Either loose belts or eccentric nuts.

[@TYJ419]

Thanks for the video Rich! Very new to laser cutting and did my first engraving grid test on the XTool M1 10W last night but all my boxes looked the same after engraving. Have you reviewed these machines? I’ll have to see if and how this machine can be calibrated. Tracey

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

No T, I'm not an xTool fan.

[@TYJ419]

@@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy OK and thank you for responding! Have a great week.

[@jf6720]

Great video, it's funny you said access by mistake, I was a CNC operator and almost everyone (including my instructor) always referred to the "C access" or "X access." I think a lot of people think that's what they are called.

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Right on! I thought it was just me! 🤪

[@krproton]

Thanks for your informative video(s) and taking the time to produce all your videos and explain. But I have a question: In this calibration video, don't you have to account for the kerf? Your machine cut your square 150mm x 150mm (within a couple thou), but now inside cuts will be oversize. In this example, the outer dimensions of your square were 150mm x 150mm, but now the inside will be oversize by twice the kerf. In other words, you've factored in outward offset. If I'm right (and I may not be), I think the correct way to do this would be to first find out the kerf, then cut your 150 x 150 square, measure, then subtract the kerf to find out the true value for the calibration. If, say, your kerf is .01" (let's call it .25mm), and if your square comes out to 149.75 x 149.75mm, then your calibration is perfect. In other words again, if you send a 150mm x 150mm square to the machine and the X and Y are calibrated perfectly, the machine will cut a square that measures 149.75mm x 149.75mm because you have to account for and subtract the kerf (or, actually, half the kerf from all sides).

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Yes Tim, you're right, but I wanted the outside dimensions to be exact.

[@krproton]

@@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy Oh, okay, I get it. But what about when cutting something that the inside dimension needs to be correct? Would you then use offset? Or, what about a job that has both inside and outside cuts? Do you use a different layer for outside vs. inside cuts - one layer with no offset and the other layer with offset? This gets bewildering.

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

I would use the kerf offset on the layer Tim.

[@gregparker5732]

Spot on!

[@breslaj4]

Can you please provide a link for the calipers you use?

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Sure! amzn.to/3Dhxd6w

[@hoppynaki]

You can't use kerf offset to construct tabbed boxesI. I's not as simple as that. If you expand the sides of the box to fit tightly into the base the corners of the side pieces will be expanded and the corners of the sides will not fit together.

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Yes, exactly and why you need to have averaged calibration on a laser.

[@stevenmarston8923]

I'm not seeing any links for the calipers. Has it been removed?

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

This is the one I use now: amzn.to/3yiZwPz

[@floridalove]

First: There is no question that I am once again thrilled by your commitment to explain even such "subtleties" to us perfectly. But: I think that such really minimal deviations for the majority of the users are negligible, my friend. 😉

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Thanks Jürgen!

[@zk_6312]

This worked good for rectangles, but circles are still off by 1mm so changed my circle diameter by 1mm.

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

That could be a hardware issue, like loose belts.

[@zk_6312]

@@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy Yea, I have been thinking about that myself. I was hoping not as it is a pain to tighten the belts on a Genmitsu Jinsuko LC-40. They corrected the problem on the LC-50, but on this one you have to take it apart to tighten the belts; at least the X-axis.

[@doen.8724]

Thank you for another awesome video! One thing I am confused about is how to account for the Kerf. My 150 x 150 mm test cut in 5 mm plywood came out symmetrical, but the square was too small. Once I did your kerf test from your other video, and adjusted the curve by 0.2 mm, I got a pretty perfect 150 x 150 mm square. I cut the same test piece out of 3 mm black acrylic, adjusted the curve by 0.1 mm, and also got a pretty perfectly sized 150 mm square. if I had calibrated my machine based on the wood square, I still wouldn’t have gotten the acrylic correctly. So would you say that if you get a symmetrical square, but the size is off, to just adjust the kerf, not the machine? Thanks a million!

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

I prefer to do the calibration so when I ask for 10mm I get 10mm.

[@doen.8724]

Each material will cut with a different kerf, seemingly. So calibrating the machine to one specific material will still not necessarily get you "10 mm" in a different material?🤔 Still helpful info. Great to know one can even do this calibration. I appreciate you answering every single comment. Thank you.

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Yes Don, and every thickness will have a different kerf as well as the number of passes. But I use this as a baseline setting just to make sure the laser is somewhat accurate to begin with.

[@gregparker5732]

Unless the kerf is taken into account and the axis is set to actually move the request amount your method will only be accurate at the one size you set it for.@@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy

[@rickpowis5735]

Hi Rich. As usual, this is a great video. Thank you. I have a question. You may have answered this elsewhere but, should I do this calibration with the Kerf Offset set to 0, or with the offset set to the correct value for the laser? Does this question make sense or am I way off here? Thanks again.

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

I do it with the kerf set to 0 Rick since most of my jobs are simple cuts.

[@rickpowis5735]

@@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy Thanks so much Rich.

[@sabrinamayzak4006]

Thanks for the great video! Very helpful. Can you tell me about the box your Atezr sits in? I bought that brand based on your review video and love it thus far, but I need a ventilation solution! Thanks for all you do!

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

It's not a box, it's a Co2 laser 🤪

[@joepeach997]

Great video as always, just wish you showed an illustration of how a concentric nut works. Without visualizing it, it very hard to understand it for most.

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Hard to explain as well Joe. I'll make something to use as an example in future videos.

[@wizzywilson]

Been having problems with my falcon 2 not cutting square, I've calibrated it a dozen times and its still not cutting square. when I measure from corner to corner there's a 2mm difference from a 100mm x 100mm square

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Your gantry is probably out of square slightly.

[@wizzywilson]

@@TheLouisianaHobbyGuyThank you sir, just measured it, 7mm out, will look into adjusting it

[@dd-lq5ih]

Witam podczs ciecia laserem w trakcie wyłacza się jaka może być przyczyna

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

You're probably not working in absolute coordinates. It's hard to diagnose problems in a comment.

[@XControllers]

Great Video, 🎉 my squares are good but circles aren’t 100% fine. Have some tips?

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Check all the mechanics first, belts, eccentric nuts, timing gear grub screws, and if all is good, run this calibration.

[@johndeaux9987]

does kerf play any part in calibrating axis? Isn't that part of why the measurement isn't exact?

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

It is unless it's adjusted.

[@TheAndrian463]

Great video on calibration. One question I have is this: a kerf test should be done first before doing the x-y calibration?

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Yes, and every material will have a different kerf, so that has to be taken into consideration as well.

[@pkupmanvt]

​@@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy I know this is a year old, but I'm late to the party... I had this same question watching video. So when doing this calibration, is the software only adjusting for the difference between axis, or is it going to change all dimensions? As in, if your 150mm box cut 149.05 due to a .1mm laser, would it then cut 150 after this calibration? Because I'd assume that would then cause issues with future kerf offsets. Long story short, should we be adding a kerf offset to the layer settings before cutting the test piece? Amazing videos by the way, I joined your forum yesterday and have been listening to your voice for nearly 18hrs now 🤣. Next level tutorials here, very high quality and exactly what I've been looking for! Update, disregard... I just finished the rest of the video 😉

[@aldirnagl2193]

Thanks again for this tutorial. I tried this with my xtool D1 and everything worked as shown. When I tried to do the same thing on my K40, the machine settings function is not there in the Edit tab menu. My K40 runs with Cohesion 3d and smoothieware. Any idea as to why this function would not be available? Besides trying the basic things, I am stuck now. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Al

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Can't do it with the Cohesion board. These are Grbl settings Al.

[@aldirnagl2193]

@@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy Thank you for clearing that up.

[@peanutdixon8432]

I am trying to calibrate my axis. I am following your video step by step and when I get to machine settings it reads controller so I click on calibrate axis and enter my numbers and click write than block closes and says "communication with controller failed" what am I missing? Thank you for all the great videos I am learning so much.

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Your controller may not be compatible.

[@peanutdixon8432]

@@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy So how do I calibrate it? My cut is way off

[@nullpointerexception9355]

Nice video but does it affect kerf values in some ways?

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

No, it's just a calibration feature.

[@YossyKristy]

hello great video. i have a problem with neje 3 + mac ios 13 + lightburn (trial). I designed a circle but the final result is ouval. what should I do to setting this ? thanks

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Follow the steps in this video.

[@YossyKristy]

@@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy my laser work dimension is 170mm X 170mm. I did follow your guide. I make a square 20mm X 20mm then calibrate X : 20.000 and Y : 19.500. click write. the laser doesn't move. when I click frame , it shows alarm 3. I made a mistake here, the laser getting worse than before haha

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

It's not supposed to move by calibration. Sounds like you moved the laser head by hand and are using current position. Switch to absolute coordinates and home the laser.

[@YossyKristy]

@@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy I'm using 'move' feature on lightburn for laser head to be on the center of 170x170mm. so I don't start from 'home'. I think I understand now. thanks

[@Terry_Genereaux]

Hey Rich I have a question on your test card the Y on the left side on your test card is that not measuring 6 different spots from L to R so is that not Measuring the X / and the same on the X I am thinking your numbers are backward...

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Good catch Terry! Sometimes I confuse myself 🤪 Thanks for pointing that out!

[@xPureL]

Thank you for the video. It helped a lot! I do however still can't get it calibrated satisfied enough. When cutting a 60x60mm circel. The size ends up being 60.02 and 59.8. Even though I've been doing calibration many times. Are there more ways to make it more accurate? I'm working with the Comgo Z1

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Nope, not that I know of.

[@1swellguy]

Rich said he would put a link to the calipers. I don't see any link to calipers.

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

These are the calipers I use now in all 3 shops: amzn.to/3ZxV3UE

[@Dyzfunktion]

Hey Rich, your videos are amazing ... I am having some issues with this calibration with my xTool D1 Pro 20w ... I have run this 5 times, and it does not seem to get better, or closer to 150mm after I changed the settings. I am getting numbers around 149.64 to 149.73 ... in fact, it almost seems to be less accurate after the 5th test ... I bought the exact caliper you have linked ... followed your video several times ... Is there anything you would recommend for me to try and remedy this? I was going to do your kerf test/calibration after this ... but I am concerned that my calibration is getting worse ... ~ Dan

[@Dyzfunktion]

One other question ... there is a switch on the board that is positioned to the left ... Is the "WRITE" locked so that I can't update the settings with the switch in that position? If I flip that switch to the right (towards the rotary port), does that UNLOCK "WRITE" access for the board? This might be my issue ... ??

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

The xTool is a funny bird Daniel, and I can't help because I don't pay them much attention with all the odd problems they have. Perhaps contact their tech support... that's all I can offer, sorry.

[@mirafly2007]

Great video Rich 👍🏻

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Thanks 👍

[@E_Platypus_Unum]

I’m having an issue where I’ve calibrated my stepper at 100mm but when i cut smaller or larger objects the dimensions are off. What am i doing wrong?

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

I wouldn't know, I can't diagnose issues in a KZbin comment, sorry.

[@E_Platypus_Unum]

@@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy that’s ok. Appreciate the reply

[@ChrisWilliams49]

Great video as always. However, I must be doing something wrong (no big surprise there) my y axis keeps getting smaller with each run to try to correct it. I've run 5 tests and each time the y axis measurements get smaller. Reference was 100, Average for 1st run 99.15, 2nd run98.18, 3rd 97.533, 4th 97.305, 5th 97.073. Obviously I'm doing something wrong. Any ideas from anyone would be appreciated. Love the videos and always learn from them.

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Can't imagine why Chris.

[@ChrisWilliams49]

@@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy Ok, I'll go back to my first test settings. Thank you for getting back to me so quickly. It's just a puzzle I'll have to work out Thanks again.

[@richarddrake7120]

Thanks Rich!

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

You bet Richard!

[@edkennedy1166]

Can you do this test by etching instead of cuting?

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

You can, but it won't be as accurate.

[@ThomasA86]

One more Question, if i calibrate the axis, is there not also the Kerf involved? Saying you calibrate the axis to your 150, the result should not be 150 but 150 minus the Kerf, or am i wrong? If i write the new parameters for the axis and later on, adjusting the cut for Kerf, is that not leading to trouble?

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

The calibration accounts for the kerf.

[@ThomasA86]

@@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy but only if i make the Kerf test first and then cut my rectangle for the axis calibration with this Kerf Setting applied

[@Challan666]

Now I messed it up. I was following the tutorial to calibrate. I did the measurements - went to machine settings - clicked on calibrate axis. All fine but then I did something (don't know what) in the text above requested distance it says "current X steps per mm (S100) 80" but mine now says 60. Now when I want to cut a circle it becomes a oval despite it shows a circle om my screen. How and where can I reset this? Please help me... I am doing a project that I really need to finish in time. Best regards Charlotte.

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

I answered your email Charlotte.

[@Challan666]

@@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy Thank you so much Rich! You are a lifesaver - its all ok now ;)) Good to know - I also had to call Apple support on how to write the $ on a European apple keyboard since the normal shortcuts didn't work in LightBurn We probably have the € where you have $ sign ;)) Once again - thank you and thanks for all your fantastic tutorials.

[@10138707]

hey rich great video i am having a problem with opening the machine settings when i try it locks the software up and i have to force lightburn to close. any help would be great thanks

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Try restarting the laser and your computer Kenneth.

[@10138707]

@@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy try this a couple times thanks

[@10138707]

ok finally got it had to uninstall LB and reinstall thanks

[@rondoring4964]

Great information! Thank you so much! But my current problem is, since I changed my Atomstack UV head, out for the larger IR head, now it is always a little off, from my job framing shows, and the actual job starting position. And I can't seem to calibrate it properly, by standard means, or find any information at all about this problem So, have you got any Ideas? All help or suggestions would be great appreciated!

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

No Ron, sorry. I don't own the Atomstack UV.

[@rondoring4964]

@@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy I thought maybe there might be some calibration in Lightburn. But thanks for the reply!

[@jahzminehickman3881]

Do I have to calibrate with every square I do ? For example if I'm making 10x10 squares as well as 16x16 squares. Do I have to cut, calibrate recut for each ? Or if I do this test like your example, is that enough?

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

You just calibrate one time Jahzmine.

[@nicbuse6019]

Hello, What is the enclosure you are using in this video ?

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

An 80W Co2 😎

[@Joel9383]

Dear Sir, I have Lightburn unconfigured, I've tried everything to solve the problem, but I couldn't. It's cutting wrong, I import a file, even a small one, when it goes through the area, the cannon goes through a very large area, as if there were several drawings to be cut, when it reaches the end it emits a noise, even without hitting the side. Can you help me?

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Not in a text I can't. Try posting on my free forums. lahobbyguy.com/bb

[@LudwigSpiegel]

Interesting! So it can help with kerf reduction?

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

No, that's different. This is for overall dimensional accuracy Ludwig.

[@LudwigSpiegel]

@@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy Thank you for the reply.

[@timhaley7383]

Great advice. Thanks.

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

You're welcome Tim!

[@vicm8975]

Is this handled within Lightburn only or is it modifying the firmware in the laser's controller? I have a Trocen controller and it would be nice if Lightburn could just lie to the Trocen to achieve perfect inside diameters or outside diameters without changing steps per millimeter in Trocen. In other words, simply an offset?

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

This modifies the controller software Vic.

[@curcumin7614]

Hi rich I’m subscribe your channel!!because you explain every function of the laser and Lightburn very well!!!my congratulation!!!🎉🎉 My question is; why when I perform a cut on DMF 3mm single passage at 150mm/min with 85% power, axis X cut ok but axis Y doesn’t pass the wood in all his length?do you explain why it happens??thanks a lot!

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Because you're using a diode laser with a rectangle laser beam. The X will always cut deeper. You'll need to adjust your speed and power for the Y.

[@rickgauthier6597]

Quick question please. I have a longmill CNC with router and it works great the way it is. I mount my laser to it for laser work. If I do this calibration process does it actually write to the longmill controller or do these settings take effect in the light burn program settings. My router is spot on for cutting so I don't want it to alter those settings. You say it writes to the controller. Am I right to think that it will in fact over right the calibration settings in the longmill controller board.

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Yes, absolutely, you can perform the same test with the router by changing your $30 & $32 settings for CNC mode. If the Longmill is spot on, I would leave it alone since both modes will be the same.

[@lewy7601]

After setting new calibration, can we go back to the factory setting again?

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Yes, in the video, I told you to save a backup copy of the settings before changing them. Just load that backup to revert to the original settings.

[@EZ-Unit-46]

I followed the video and made the calibration change, y axis is cutting straight bit the x axis the lazer head jumps when turning the corner to cut the vertical cuts. This makes the cut not straight, It also jumps when engraving engraving the vertical. There is movement in the lazer head when moving manually. Any ideas how to solve this issue?

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

The eccentric nuts probably need adjusting. Google it Darren.

[@lastlight05]

What if you don't have lightburn?

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

I guess you're stuck with what you have.

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

*Please backup your settings before making any changes!* As an afterthought, someone asked me a while back if they could do this with cardboard. My advice would be no. Wood, or better yet, hardwood, but acrylic is actually best. The less material that gets vaporized, the better.

[@gordonwilliams7289]

Good Day Sir...many thanks for your content and in helping us all. My problem is very frustrating. If I draw a line or a box 3"" x 4" ...in lightburn...when I send it to the laser it now becomes 4.25" x 5"...no materials are safe. Can you assist me?

[@stoney268]

Ooops that I forgot.... And after calibrating it was still off for X or Y, with a bit under 150 the other was a little bit over 150, so somewhere I made a mistake :)

[@stevemcconnell3797]

Rich,. If I increase the number of sample measurements on each of the axis before I take the average will I increase my accuracy?

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

The general thought is 3 is enough. I usually use 6 Steve.

[@DennisCrawfordJr]

So I have to do this on each computer I connect the laser to?

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

No Dennis. The test and adjustments are sent to the firmware on the laser. This is only for lasers that have a calibration issue, which is under 1%.

[@DennisCrawfordJr]

@@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy thanks n trying to learn. Doing a peice of aluminum now for an anniversary gift. Your videos have been great

[@davidhall3802]

what drive system is your machine,lead screw or belt & pully ?

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

This was the Atzer 20W. A standard connecting rod from a stepper motor on the Y to a gantry on linear rails for this video.

[@davidhall3802]

So no good for belt drive !

[@quyetnguyenxuan2161]

i calibrated for 100x100 square, it cuts correctly. but when i crop the image to 55 x 35 it's wrong. can you help me

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Calibration is the only way I know. Perhaps ask on the Lightburn forum.

[@mjhickmandesigns4598]

Where do you find the backlash on the controller?

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

I don't know what controller you're talking about.

[@86whitney86]

Hi Rich, when i try to use the machine settings to calibrate i get the message...communication with controller failed. i'm using a LM3 10 watt diode laser. i my LM3 via wifi. any advise please. Ben

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Use a USB cable for the calibration Ben.

[@86whitney86]

Thanks for getting back to me, I’ll try that but is there any reason why it doesn’t work via wifi. Thanks again👍

[@davidcox9983]

Is there a way to calibrate 2 cameras with the same computer? I'm currently using 1 PC with 2 setups, alternating back and forth. When I aligned the second camera, it seems to have overridden the first camera alignment.

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

If you calibrate the camera to one laser and then close Lightburn, then reopen it and calibrate the other laser and close it again, it should remember the settings for each laser David.

[@davidcox9983]

@@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy Thank you for your response. They aren't, but I believe that I see why. Both cameras are identifying with the exact same ID number, so the PC thinks that they are the same camera each time.

[@krisknowlton5935]

Rich, I wondered when you were going to make a video on this subject. So many people don't understand accumulative error. If you measure the belt pulleys they are not all the exact same diameter so every time they make a revolution the error gets larger. Try explaining this to folks in the 3D printing arena. They want to do everything but adjust the number of steps per millimeter on their stepper motors. Then I have people tell me that the machine uses a timing belt so the diameter of the sprocket pulley doesn't make any difference. Not so. Any given point on that belt has to travel the circumference of that pulley. And they are all not the same circumference. I have measured the diameter of my pulleys with a micrometer and they are not all the same. This is why the software writers go thru the trouble of writing this calibration feature into laser and 3D printer software, or anything that uses stepper motors. Of course another factor in the equation is how your curf offset is set when you do the test. Do you use no offset? Or do you do a complete offset to the outside? In opinion (and it is like you know what) we to calibrate for the movement of the center point of the laser. That way the head moves the exact distance we tell it to in our drawings, then use kerf offset to get the actual size after the burn. On blue diode lasers it will never be perfect because the laser dot is rectangular.

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

You got it Kris. This is a very controversial topic in the CNC world, and especially with the 3-D printers because there are so many "experts" with different opinions. I'm no expert, nor do I claim to be, but I know this works for me 🤪 I only use the kerf offset on inlays.

[@jessetutterrow4320]

Only a diode laser user, what is C02 backlash?

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/epamqZh5p9ZjnpY

[@jessetutterrow4320]

@@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy thanks