X Tool D1 10W Diode Laser | My first impressions

I take a look at the XTool. D1 10w diode laser from Makeblock. This is an intro video to give an overview of the laser and my first impressions of it. I cover my thoughts on the build, some tips when assembling it, basic use of LaserBox Basic software and share some test cuts and engravings on various materials. I plan to create future videos to cover how to get started with this laser and the software as well as tips on creating an enclosure to handle the smoke when using the laser.
Learn more about the XTool D1 and purchase your own using my affiliate link: store.xtool.com/?ref=vintauri
Fireplace Screen for material support and airflow (amazon affiliate link): amzn.to/3tPEKlz
Join others in the discussion of the XTool D1 on Facebook: / xtoold1
Free 3D house file from Cartonus: cartonus.com/small-wooden-hou...
Follow me on Instagram to keep up on behind the scenes shop information: / vintauri

[@newsfan77]

I love how well the fireplace screen works. Never thought of using that.

[@09jt1]

Thx for your nice video. Just a little notice, just US and Liberia use "Imperial Units" today. Even Britts turn to metric system (inch by inch 😆). Well, you can still ask for a pint of beer but that's another story. Keep on with your nice videos 🙂 a 🇸🇪 👍

[@phire4694]

You made the best video on this laser cutter so far. You got one more subscriber

[@Vintauri]

Thank you for that! My goal is to be somewhat educational to help others.

[@phire4694]

@@Vintauri thank you can’t wait to see more videos on the D1 xtool I just ordered mine

[@John-of5sh]

Feel like I learned a lot here Sir and I am really looking forward to many more video's of you putting the X Tool through the paces. The enclosure is definitely on my "Gotta have" list. I have air assist on order and will have an order going in for the rotary on a future date. Oh yes, some ventilation. Looking forward to your ideas on that also. I' ll be waiting and watching for your next installment. once again, Thank You for sharing your time and expertise! John

[@Vintauri]

Thank you John! I'm glad I could be helpful. I'm working on a few projects with the XTool D1 and will continue to post videos for inspiration and hopefully some education!

[@mikeneron]

The air assist would really help with any of the scorching. Looking forward to the enclosure. Sounds like xTool is planning on having that as an addon at some point. I haven't taken the plunge yet as this is going to be more expensive than my 3D printing hobby, lol. You've gained another subscriber. Great video.

[@amberjaimes9332]

Hello! Thanks for their Video I’ve been looking to invest in one just not sure what brand yet. I love watching the pros and cons, so thank you for the info. So far this looks like an awesome laser! I first stared looking into glowforge, but very expensive and very limited on the size you want to cut. Looking forward to more videos! I would love to see how you inclose the laser, so it can be vented outside for indoor use!

[@karastainbrook6265]

I just got my xtool yesterday. I am looking forward to more videos

[@Vintauri]

Thank you! I hope you enjoy your machine. I’ve got more videos and ideas in the works to share!

[@sucobob]

@@Vintauri where is the link for the free little house puzzle plans as mentioned in the video?

[@Vintauri]

@@sucobob here you go. Free 3D house file from Cartonus: cartonus.com/small-wooden-houses/

[@markgibson3815]

I would love to see some fancy name engraving onto boards.

[@harrisfire1]

Thank you for the review and the link to the FB group - every revier mentions it but never links it!

[@Vintauri]

I try to be more informative with my videos. I hate the pure sales pitch type reviews. There is also an unofficial XTool D1 group on Facebook as well to check out.

[@JonSmith-cf2jt]

I would like more information on getting started. I live in southern Minnesota

[@karlfriedrich7758]

I've been hovering over the buy button for ages now. Just wondering, I'm primarily hoping to use this to cut black acrylic 3~5mm and then engrave labels/words onto it for a switch panel. Do you know how well it can do that? Ideally I'd be able to cut frosted acrylic of darker colours too but the deal breaker is how well it does on black. If you have any feedback on it with black acrylic I'd really appreciate it, thanks!

[@Vintauri]

I've not tried cutting black acrylic with this yet. I need to source some to try. The lighter more transparent colors do not cut well but you can engrave them with some masking.

[@sketchstuffs]

I've been really considering this machine for my guitar effects pedal graphics. Can it etch through powdercoat? I want to powdercoat my stompboxes in 2 layers, two different colors, and etch through the first layer exposing the color underneath. Can this machine do this?

[@Vintauri]

I have not tested engraving powder coated surfaces with this laser yet. It sounds like an interesting project to reveal the two colors this way. I’ll see if I have something I can test with.

[@debrakiger6310]

Best video I've watch for new beginners. Also, what size wood were you using? 1/4"? How thick of wood can the d1 10w really cut through with ease?

[@Vintauri]

The 10w laser can cut most 1/8” or 3mm wood without trouble. If it’s softer non plywood material like clean basswood than maybe 1/4” but most of that will be slower and take multiple passes. That’s where a 20w or larger module is nice to have.

[@steenstavnshoj1967]

I've looked at this machine and plan to buy one. I wonder how fast you can go with 3 mm birch-plywood. I plan to use the machine for model building in O-scale. It seems to be a sturdy built machine compare to similar machines. This one has metal wheels on metal rods instead go plastic wheels on the extruded rails. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, I look forward to further tvideos.

[@Vintauri]

I'm working on another video with it to show cutting some various materials. What I've found with my machine is that I can cut 3mm Baltic Birch plywood in one pass at 4mm/sec. I've also cut 6mm Baltic Birch in two passes. Occasionally I'll hit a spot that has some extra glue or some thick grain that needs to be trimmed with a razor blade but that's rare when using quality wood.

[@steenstavnshoj1967]

@@Vintauri I've just ordered the machine with a honeycomb. It will arrive here to Sweden within a month or so. I also ordered the air-assist but that will take an additional couple of weeks to arrive... Now it's time to think about an enclosure with venting... Thanks for inspiring me to take the jump.

[@Vintauri]

@@steenstavnshoj1967 Congrats on the purchase! I hope it arrives quickly and you can get to having fun creating with your new machine. I'm working on an enclosure right now using my CNC router to cut out parts. I hope to share a video on that as well to maybe inspire others that want to build one.

[@squidskunk]

what is the life expectancy on the xTool D1 module..?

[@logeen]

what is the protective screen made of / glass through which you can see the inside of the housing? Is this material safe?

[@Vintauri]

If you’re talking about the orange shroud around the end of the laser, it’s made of acrylic. It helps block some of the reflective light, but you should still avoid looking at the laser light and wear laser safety glasses when using the laser.

[@logeen]

Yes thank you . I'm asking because I want to build a case for my Sculpfun s30 pro and I was wondering about a safe material to use as a window/viewer

[@Vintauri]

@@logeen Check out Jtech Photonics. They sell laser rated acrylic sheets tested to OD4 for the diode lasers at the 455nm wavelength.

[@Fraz1919]

Hi! Did you have any issues updating the firmware? I can use the laser with its "out of the box" firmware, but when I try to update, i get stuck in a never ending update process. I am connected to Lightbox via usb, the correct COM port, my computer can handle the update, the switch is to the left but still not able to update. Any help would be great! Thanks so much!

[@Vintauri]

I have set up both my laser and now a friends laser and have not had issues updating. On occasion I’ve had issues connecting when switching between lighbox basic and lighburn but usually power cycling the laser clears that up. Do you see a progress bar during the update process?

[@Fraz1919]

@@Vintauri That's interesting! No i see no progress bar, just the circle and "updating". Its weird because i can still print on it using Laserbox basic.. but i cant connect to lightburn since it has the older firmware. People say it should take less than 10 minutes but ive had it run for an hour before and still nothing. Cant figure out what the root cause is.

[@Vintauri]

@@Fraz1919 maybe try flipping the switch to the other direction, see if it fails there and then switch it back. Also try resetting the SD card in the laser to see if something there is holding it up. It should only take a few minutes to complete and you should get a faint progress bar along the bottom as it works. Lightburn is so much nicer to use with this it’s worth getting the upgrade done.

[@Fraz1919]

@@Vintauri I had tried the switch to both sides along with hitting the reset button that's next to it... but that's a good point with the SD card. Of all the Xtool support, and facebook forums. You have been the most help so far. Thanks so much

[@Vintauri]

@@Fraz1919 Well I hope I'm helping you get closer to resolving the issue. I know how it can be tough to find answers on various lasers so when I can help another I try to do what I can to help. I know they have alternative ways to flash the machine that are more technical in nature and I have not had to use them yet so I cannot offer any insight into those processes.

[@denisboulard3206]

How does it compare to the Chinese CO2 engraver you have? I am looking at purchasing a unit in the near future. For $500 to $600 more I can get into the CO2 unit. Great video by the way.

[@Vintauri]

There are some advantages that each has and I hope to cover them in a future video to help with that information. The Co2 can cut most any acrylic even clear while the Diode laser can only cut opaque acrylic and can only engrave it with a mask like tempera paint. The Co2 also has much more power so the speeds of cutting the same material are much faster. However the diode laser takes up less space, can be placed on top of a larger item to engrave, has fewer moving parts that need alignment, needs no liquid cooling and is much cheaper. Thanks for checking it out and dropping a comment!

[@real_robots]

I bought one, a month later they haven't even put it in the post yet and have given me a different excuse every week when I chase them down. Avoid. If they can't manage the difficult task of putting one in a box and writing the address on I'd hate to see how they go making a complex CNC machine.

[@davidallen9371]

This laser can directly engrave stainless steel.

[@yehudahweisz3879]

I love Metric… lol