More laser engraving

Re: More laser engraving

Leo Cuellar

Really nice patterns, Dick, and pretty bowls all the way around! You've given me a little inspiration for when my laser arrives sometime next year. I opted in on one of the "Glowforge" lasers.

Re: More laser engraving

John K Jordan

Wow, that wood looks perfect for engraving.

Which laser engraver to you have? I have looked several times at the Epilog models. The specs and descriptions look enticing but my definition of "affordable" must be a bit different from theirs.

JKJ

Lasers

Dick Coers

I have a 25 watt Universal Laser. It's ancient in today's standards, but just keeps holding on. I bought it rebuilt, 13 years ago for $9,500. Well before there were any cheap imports around. I had sold a Woodmizer sawmill and had to reinvest the money so there would be no tax consequences. That's how I like to explain it here in the house! I feel really strongly that you get what you pay for with lasers. Most of the Chinese machines get 2 years to the laser. I've gotten over 13. But, a replacement Chinese is a few hundred, I'll pay around $700 for an aftermarket recharge.

Leo, not sure the Glowforge will have the vertical capacity. My lense has to be 2" above the surface. The bowls are 2" thick, and I have a piece of plywood under it. So I'm using 4.75" of vertical. I thought I read the Glowforge has less than 1" material thickness capacity. I burn a circle in that base plywood the exact diameter of the bowl. Then go in with a small square and line up the bowl to the mark. It's the reason I've stayed 1/8" off the edges. A little allowance for centering error.

They are magical technology to me, even after having it this long. I like to say it's like a dot matrix printer, just with a freakin laser instead of an ink head. Just incredible how fast it can cycle the beam!

Re: More laser engraving

David Walser

Dick -- These are beautiful bowls. I think you're on to something. However, I think we'd all have been more impressed if you'd said you'd free-handed the pyrography!

Re: More laser engraving

john lucas

Yea, using those .005" pyrography pens would be a real challenge

Re: Lasers

Leo Cuellar

Dick, from my understanding, the GF has 1/2" focal range, but the material surface must be within that distance, but it can also be sloped. The GF has 2 cameras that recognize where the object is for artwork placement, or you can draw on the object and the laser will engrave that. If the tray is removed, it can work with materials up to 1 & 1/2" thick. After the warranty is up I plan to cut the bottom out If I'm lucky it may ship by the end of March, but more likely June.

I'm glad you are happy with your laser, you do great work with it! We all look forward to seeing some more. Freakin' lasers!

Re: More laser engraving

Dennis in Southern Oregon

Here is one done with my LASER (Lazy Artist's Simplified Engraving Resource). javascript:insertTags(":D");

Re: More laser engraving *LINK*

Jim Barbour

Nicely done Dick. What did you use to lay them out?

My laser is a 40W Full Spectrum Laser, US made in Las Vegas. I looked at Epolog and several others before deciding on FS. The principal advantage I have found is that the bottom is completely removable so I am absolutely unlimited in terms of the height of the object to be cut, either static or on the rotating attachment. I have it sitting up on 3 1/2" legs so I can easily carve on 4" bocce balls, or a batch of 6" boxes I am making.

The control interface with your software is as a printer. The laser control software simply shows up as a printer in whatever software you are using to create the images. Just print to the laser control and you are ready to go.


http://fslaser.com

Beautiful

Re: More laser engraving

Dennis in Southern Oregon

Jim, which model do you have and what was it's approx price?

Have you tried low relief laser "carving"? *LINK*

charlie belden

The Epilog laser I have access to has a mode that will do low relief "carving". Basically is interprets up to 255 shades of gray as "depth of cut" - or amount of power to use, 0 being 0% power No Burn, 255 means 100% power Deepest Cut. THe difference in height between 0% and 100% power depth is about 1/16th of an inch so you can't carve a Mt Rushmore - but low relief carving can be an interesting addition to the surface of a piece - almost invisible in some lighting conditions and very visible in others.


Laser Engraver Low Relief Carving

Re: Have you tried low relief laser "carving"?

Leo Cuellar

Thank you for sharing this, Charlie! Nice work, and your tutorials are always a great read. Now, I'm really starting to get impatient for the arrival of the laser.

Re: More laser engraving

Jim Barbour

Mine is a Full Spectrum H-Series, 5th Generation desktop, 40 watt. They are right at $3,500. I am really quite pleased with it.

Re: More laser engraving

Barry Rockwell

Jim, how long have you had it, and any problems so far? Is an extended warranty available? Looks really interesting.

Barry

Re: More laser engraving *LINK*

Jim Barbour

Hi Barry ~

I have had the engraver/cutter for three years now and have had no problems thus far. It does require a bit of preventative maintenance occasionally as the alignment will get out of whack every six months or so. However, the realignment procedure is fairly straight forward (after the first couple of goes when it seems impossible!). Much like realigning a table saw, only with lights and mirrors. On a more regular basis (every couple of hours of use, you will need to go through and clean the mirrors and lenses to keep the light as strong as possible. It is not difficult, nor is it particularly time consuming.

Like most of these systems this one has a red guidance laser and a white cutting laser. The red laser died on me the other day so aiming became problematic. A call to the company and for roughly $10 I had a new laser. It took maybe fifteen minutes to install and another twenty to fully realign the system and I was back in business.

When I was looking at lasers initially I considered an epilog and several others. This one caught my attention because it has a completely removable floor, making it possible to put anything you want under the laser. In their advertising material they have a shot of it sitting on a car hood, engraving the hood itself. Mine is up on four blocks of 4X4 cut to cubes, and I have a raised floor I can slide in when I want to engrave/cut something small. With it raised like that I can easily engrave on something 6 inches thick, which is impossible with most (all?) of the others. If I need something thicker cut (say the bottom of a 10 inch deep bowl), I just need to raise the laser higher.

I also have a rotary attachment (extra) that converts the Y-axis movement to rotation, allowing me to engrave around a "spindle" (actual spindle, wine glass, bowl edge, whatever). I have not tried it around the outside edge of a bowl, but am confident I could work it out.

I do not know if an extended warranty is available. I generally do not get them so I never looked into it.

~ jim


FS Laser website

Re: More laser engraving

Barry Rockwell

Thanks Jim, for all the information. It is a great help to have a testimony from someone who uses it like I would. The fact that the height is so adjustable gives it much more value to a woodturner, in my opinion. Pretty sure one of these will end up in my shop, if not now, pretty soon. Again, thanks for the input.