xTool F1 Ultra - Shop Tested and Engraving on 3D Prints

[@lifeholdstrategic]

The 3D print material was exactly what I was searching for. I make 3D molds and marking them with a laser will really help keeping things organized. Thank you for all the great information you put out.

[@GeroSchkowski]

Nice that you show this selection of materials. Much better than the thousands of videos all showing the same boring tumblers and cutting boards.

[@Titan3DAZ]

I really love your videos! Nice to see almost a whole hour of testing and info! Lasers + 3dprinting is so fun!

[@Joeythatoneguy]

For Brass, I did a challenge coin and embossing it to get it through the 2mm thickness took about 8 hours, but I was also doing embossed images. They do have some settings that make more sense for actually just cutting through. I also rigged and air assist to blow the miller brass off the coin so it didn't prevent the laser from doing its job

[@craftingwithjean5599]

Thank you. Subscribed.

[@thomasbrecknell794]

Loved the video as usual, I have a Diode Laser that I used once and I have it just over a year when we move house I will definitely start using it again.

[@billcedarheath387]

Like Vinyls, there are concerns with plastics as well. There are safety considerations with these material which go beyond the normal aspects of laser engraving. Filters in a machine can be wholly inadequate for toxic gases released when burning with a laser. ABS is a popular plastic material used in various applications, including 3D printing. However, when laser cut or engraved, ABS can release toxic fumes, such as hydrogen cyanide, which pose significant health risks. Lasers are different in that they take the temperatures beyond 3d printing melting points and into temperature levels which are not safe. Risks: Release of toxic fumes, including VOCs and Hydrogen Cyanide. Serious health hazards for operators and potential damage to laser equipment. Just because you can melt these material for 3D printing doesn’t mean they are safe for laser engraving or cutting.

[@FunctionalPrintFriday]

Thx, wasn't aware hitting the ABS with laser was that dangerous. I won't repeat that one.

[@andrewmalaty8]

I think for spot welding you would likely need much more than 100W laser. i think the commercial spot welders deliver hundreds of amps at 5-12ish volts for about 0.5 seconds. That's a minimum of 500W (probably way more). Also the nickel strips will likely reflect lot of the laser light.

[@jackcoats4146]

On batteries, the tabs are often nickel not stainless. But that material is sold in bulk spools and found easily.

[@davidmeyer9204]

Thank You!

[@UnCoolDad]

$4200 on Amazon 😮 $3700 via your link. More than just a hobbyist tool.

[@FunctionalPrintFriday]

Yeh, the laser sources that go into these have come down a lot in recent years, but still out of reach for the average hobbyist. I'd love to see a machine like this in the 1-2k range.

[@kendrakent8690]

I love that you show there is a way to mark up the light colors even if subtle! Your video is the best I have found so far! Do you think the xTool F1 could do the same or only the Ultra? Is there a place I could find that test file?

[@RNMSC]

Am reminded that Clickspring published another of his videos this week, where he etched into bras using ferric chloride, and then filled the etch with Dial crayon, then cleaned it up. looking at the gear etch that you did, I imagine that this would be an alternative if you don't want to deal with ferric chloride. I'm not sure that the etching would be faster ,considering how long it was taking here, but the time it would take is dependent on how much surface you etch with the laser, vs how deep you want the etch with ferric chloride. The fiber laser may produce a cleaner etch. I don't know. Looks good. It would be interesting if the pad had an option to re-run the same job, simply switching between the fiber and the diode laser. Might be a future option where you click it once after a job to switch lasers, pause, then double click to otherwise re-run the job.

[@spoon1272]

Great video and thanks for showing the affect on different filaments.

[@dantadysak5485]

I could see where this would be a great use for removing rust and fine pitting on metal that you do not want to sand. Like something that commonly gets blued so the surface is even before bluing so you don’t get dark and light spots.

[@VacFink]

They make fiber cleaning lasers that are on a wand, so you can clean large areas, typically much higher power.

[@joell439]

Thanks for sharing all the details. This has been very enlightening. 👍👍

[@motoformprototyping]

That cell tab is most probably nickel.

[@awkwardsaxon9418]

34:50 that actually sounds like an interesting use case for bigger machine shops too. You could save very expensive parts this way that would otherwise be irrecoverable fuck ups

[@JohnDoe-ot5ir]

This looks cool and I'm trying to justify buying one but not sure what I would use it for.

[@FunctionalPrintFriday]

It's like any other maker tool. They're the star of the show when you need them, and a dust collector when they're idle. True for most tools I guess.

[@mikeycoop66]

I really enjoyed your demonstration of the laser and the technology. So many creators just show making items that could be sold or given as gifts. You showed it in a more functional way. I know that is a stretch with your channel name (said with as much sarcasm as possible). My curiosity is, can you use it to mark more traditional hand tools? Plastic type material for handles would mark easily given your demonstration. Even pliers or other type metal tools seems achievable. But what about chrome wrenches or sockets? Could you use the laser to label or identify your tools? Another practical use would be taps or dies. The superficial markings get rubbed away easily or the slightest bit of rust make those unreadable.

[@FunctionalPrintFriday]

Thx! It's worked on all the metals I've tried so far. I haven't tried solid carbide yet, and will probably give that a go next time I fire it up.

[@gear_ant]

This machine does NOT work with lightburn, despite what they advertise. Let me rephrase that. This machine works with lightburn on diode only. If you want fiber, you have to change the gcode manually before every job. Thats why i returned mine. That aside, i thoroughly enjoyed this review

[@FunctionalPrintFriday]

Yeh, I found this out a few days ago and mentioned it in a reply to another comment. It's annoying the way they did it. Needs better support for lightburn.

[@Rubacava_]

I wonder if it can remove layer lines from a 3d print. Would be so cool and easy method. Also can this do copper pcbs?

[@joell439]

👍👍😎👍👍

[@norseengineer]

I would have liked to see balsa sheet or lite ply for model airplane parts.

[@FunctionalPrintFriday]

I'll check to see if I have any balsa

[@ZeusJuri]

9:02 This is not stainless steel but a nickel belt. Or nickel-plated iron.

[@amberc2041]

XTool says this can scan a curved object and then engrave directly on a curve. Would that not have worked on the collet standing straight up, eliminating the need for the customer jig?

[@FunctionalPrintFriday]

wasn't aware of that feature. . may need to try it

[@Speedgaming802]

should put a pattern on the blade of the knife

[@abroken-heartedliberal9507]

Be careful what you laser. Some things like certain plastics and fake leather release clorine gas when burned

[@oorcinus]

It is honestly very hard trust ANY single review of this machine, as ALL of them were supplied for free to all of the channels. There doesn't seem to be a single, uninfluenced, genuine review out there. And sure, you can say "they did not influence the review", but no, they did. You got a free device. That is influence.

[@FunctionalPrintFriday]

I don't disagree with you. I could sit here all day and say I'm unbiased, but in the end, getting something for free is just a different scenario than the expectations you have when you just paid full price for it. All I can say is that the things I accept for review are things that meet two basic criteria: It has to add some additional capability to my shop that I didn't previously have, and it has to be something I personally want and actually plan on keeping. I also don't tolerate any 'control' over how I make my video or what I say. I know some creators will take anything that has value, but I just don't have time for that, and neither do my subscribers. Also, I'll give you two additional potential negatives that I've uncovered using it more since my review. First one is the lightburn compatibility. While it *IS* compatible with lightburn as I had stated, I've discovered it runs in GCODE mode instead of GALVO mode, which is not ideal. It limits usability, and to switch between the two laser modules, you have to edit the gcode after generating it. xTool NEEDS to add greater compatibility with lightburn. Second one is the pre-filter in that fume extractor. Only a few days later, the prefilter was already shot and needed to be replaced. To xTool's credit, it looks like they have released a new fume extractor that uses a cyclone separator ahead of the pre-filter to resolve this. Overall, I am genuinely happy with the machine. I hope that helps.

[@oorcinus]

@@FunctionalPrintFriday Oh, i get all that. Don't take this as a knock on your video. For what it's worth, it's probably the most in-depth coverage i've seen, especially since i'm looking into potentially using this for engraving 3D printed items. My comment was more aimed at the fact that xTool has "poisoned" its own well by giving free units to everyone under the sun. Particularly considering that while browsing their own forums, i've seen quite a few reports of firmware issues, random power dropouts etc. - seeing that, then seeing a bunch of basically sponsored reviews (yes, i know, not truly sponsored, but that is the end effect) not mentioning any of these issues makes them look needlessly shady.

[@oorcinus]

@@FunctionalPrintFriday Regarding the pre-filter - i've seen reports of the same, especially for engraving metal. Basically, the pre-filter is shot after every job, and needs to be replaced. That's just bad. The new cyclone extractor is still on pre-orders and will supposedly ship around now.

[@rapidomento1502]

Does this engraver require an Internet connection to activate and/or to function at all? Earlier this year I watched someone else's video on some other galvo laser brand and it required constant access to the manufacturer's servers to function at all. Meaning that the very expensive gadget would be a dead brick if anything happens to the connection to the manufacturer's cloud service or if the company ceases to exist, your device ceases to exist and your four-digit lump of money has gone with the wind.

[@FunctionalPrintFriday]

None required, works over USB with lightburn as well. You can also drop files onto a thumb drive and plug it into the side and use the touchscreen controller to start/stop jobs. I agree with you, machines that require logic from the cloud to function (aside from maybe voice assistants) have no place in my shop.

[@haydenc2742]

I think on metal, you can 3D print a thin stencil...and electro etch to a deeper depth as well, the thin plastic will be a barrier between the etcher and the metal leaving the imprint. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oGTceXaAns2fq6s