[burnt]

Hi all,

I'm just dipping my toes into this world with one of these: NEW CUTTING ENGRAVER/50W CO2 LASER ENGRAVING MACHINE UP & DOWN PLATFORM | eBay - it arrived on Monday and I've been installing and fiddling for the last few days. All in all I have to say I'm pretty impressed with what you get for your money and the machine is I think better than the one shown in the pictures with the screen being of the high-res colour variety which makes running it much clearer, especially without hooking it up to a PC. Anyway, I've got the point now where I happy that its all working properly but have a few questions which I cannot answer, ideally the answers are in the manual but this is perhaps the least impressive part of the package as they refer to a different machine and software version as well as not being a totally clear translation.... but heyho, I expect that won't matter in the end. So, if I may ask the good folk here if they have any experience with this machine and may be able to lead me in the right direction on the following questions - any help is much appreciated:

• The machine comes with a 10mm acrylic focus setter but this doesn't seem to be the right distance as the line was very wide - I set some plywood up on a slope and etched a line up the ramp, measuring the distance between laserhead and wood at the sharpest point on the line which was 18mm. I'm wonderding if the lens has been inserted the wrong way up, should it be concave side up or down?
• Also related to the above, is there any other way to affect focus distance - it seems that I can adjust the distance between the lens and the last mirror but as this is before the lens I don't expect this to make any difference?
• I hope I'm right in understanding that this machine can cut 6mm plywood but so far I have failed miserably - the best attempt was at full power and 3mm/sec but it still didn't make it through - anyone got any settings tips which might help cut right through?
• I don't think its possible in the software that ships with it - RDCAM - which is actually OK in my opinion..... but wondering if anyone has found a way to get the laser to make multiple passes of a single path to help get through thicker materials?
• Are there any other software packages which work with this machine?
• I'm also keen to make cut-outs in plastic electronics enclosures - I have a choice of ABS and Polycarbonate, both about 4mm thick. To my surprise the ABS cut more easily at 100% power and 5mm/second. The ABS cuts were left a bit melted and I was wondering if this is a fact of life or can it be improved upon - getting somwhere nearer a plexiglass cut would be nice. The polycarbonte didn't even make it through to the other side at 100% and 3mm/second - just left a burnt mess on the top surface - I guess this material is just a non-stater?
• The software has a cutting option called 'Laser Through Mode' with a variable of 'Through Power' as a percentage - any idea what this is?
• Other options are 'Open Delay' and 'Close Delay' - I guess this is a delay at either end of a cut?

Well I guess that's enough questions for one day - hopefully not too daft and may help other folk in the same boat?

[GWK laser]

Hi burnt

I saw your link about the machine. the price is really very expensive.

i think the lasercut5.3 software is better. easier to operate.

I recommend 60W or 80W . it is better buy a larger size of machine. all of the parts is better than this model.

Abby

www.wklaser.com
[email protected] SKYPE:cyosusu

[jxuereb]

Did you sort out your questions? I have the same machine and found the distance to be 20mm from the nozzle head to be accurate. The acrylic measuring stick is way off for me.

I also found my table to be not parallel to the laser head. So the focal point in one spot isn't that same in another.