Epilog 30w Mini 24 Laser Engraver: Difference between revisions

| where=Main shop floor, just outside kitchen

* Now: as of 12/24/2016 Broken, displays the error "Disabled: x axis". Due to winter holidays, repair has been delayed. Hopefully will be updated on Jan 3rd.  

The Epilog uses the inline exhaust fan through the roof, the switch for that is wired into a box on an orange extension cord; the fume extractor is not currently being used with the laser. You must use air assist (compressed air) and the exhaust fan whenever you use the laser.

== Table Saw Note! ==

You can try to sand off the char and repeat steps 1-5 or use another method to cut these pieces.  

 

 

== Top Eight ==

Authorization for the laser is not viral. There are a few authorized trainers, though, and fairly frequent authorizations. Currently (as of Jan 2016) authorizations will appear on the calendar, but are not planned much more than 2 weeks in advance. See below for list of authorized users and link to authorized trainers. Post on the Google Group email list; look for a recent thread about laser authorizations and post there.  

'''Always''' turn on the exhaust fan using the switch located in the silver box to the left of the machine.

Turn on the air assist by turning the silver knob on the regulator located on the red bracket attached to the wall behind the machine. The pressure regulator has no adjustable settings. It is either on or off.

 

* '''Polycarbonate:''' Also known as '''"Lexan."''' Polycarbonate is also often found as flat, sheet material. The case cover window on the laser cutter is made of Polycarbonate because polycarbonate strongly absorbs infrared radiation! This is the frequency of light the laser cutter uses to cut materials, so it is very ineffective at cutting polycarbonate. Polycarbonate can also emit flame and chlorine gas when cut, making it a poor choice for laser cutting.

 

* '''Fiberglass:''' The epoxy resin used in fiberglass is bad to cut, the vapor/fumes of the epoxy resin are bad. The fiberglass mat itself, without resin, is safe to cut.

* Silhouette '''magnet paper''' (sold by Inventables by example): it likely contains chlorine. Emits HCl and nasty chlorinated compounds when cut! Don't ever cut this material as it will ruin the optics, cause the metal of the machine to corrode, and ruin the motion control system.

* '''Gator foam''': foam core gets burned and eaten away compared to the top and bottom hard paper shell. Not a fantastic thing to cut, but it can be cut if watched. And the MSDS sheet says it may produce hydrogen bromide and hydrogen chloride known to degrade the optics and mechanic of the cutter

* Any other plastic with "Chlor" or "Fluor" in the name, for the same reasons as PVC and PTFE above.

 

 

 

* '''ABS:''' ABS does not cut well in a laser cutter. It tends to melt rather than vaporize, and has a higher chance of catching on fire and leaving behind melted gooey deposits on the vector cutting grid. It also does not engrave well (again, tends to melt). ABS emits hydogen cyanide when burned. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acrylonitrile_butadiene_styrene

 

The laser can cut or etch. The materials that the laser can cut materials like wood, paper, cork, and some kinds of plastics. Etching can be done on almost anything, wood, cardboard, anodized aluminum, plastic, marble, stone, tile, and glass.

** Paper cuts very very well on the laser cutter, and also very quickly. Thin paper and single layer card stock and cardboard are perfectly OK. Thicker cardboard, carton, and other papers also cut very well but need to be watched to make sure they don't catch fire.

** Cork cuts nicely, but the quality of the cut depends on the thickness and quality of the cork. Engineered cork has a lot of glue in it, and may not cut as well. Cork thicker than 1/4" should be avoided.

** Delrin (POM) in thin sheets cuts and engraves very well. Delrin comes in a number of shore strengths (hardness) and the harder delrin tends to work better. Great for gears! It is possible to deeply engrave Delrin to make dies for embossing paper and leather.

** Mylar : Works well if it's thin. Once you get too far past 1/16" thick mylar has a tendency to warp, bubble, and curl. Gold coated mylar will not work.

** Cloth (leather, suede, felt, hemp, cotton, polyester, but NEVER vinyl or pleather-- see above) They all cut well. Leather is very hard to cut, but can be if it's thinner than a belt (call it 1/8")

** NON-CHLORINE containing rubber is fine for cutting. Natural rubber engraves but leaves a dark sticky residue that doesn't affect stamps if the piece is engraved deeply enough.

There is an expensive coating called 'cermark'. This marking compound costs $100 for a small bottle, and must be diluted with ethanol and applied to metal (not ceramics or stone) before being etched to leave behind a permanent dark black mark.

=== Material sources ===

* [http://www.inventables.com Inventables] for acrylic

* [http://www.abbeyspecialties.com/ Abbey Specialties] for acrylic in varied sizes, this company is our landlord. They are in the other half of our building and if you ask they can drop off in our shared loading dock.

* [http://www.amazon.com/Baltic-Birch-Plywood-Great-Scroll/dp/B00GQND2PK/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421174541&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=laser+plywod Amazon.com] good Baltic Birch 1/8" plywood.

* [http://www.rubberstampmaterials.com/laserengravablerubberandpolymer.aspx Laser-engravable rubber and polymer, for stamps]

[[Laser settings]] for various materials.

== Notes on Software Compatibility ==

==== I was certified a long time ago ====

# Talk to a recommended certifier, The area host, or email info@pumpingstationone.org

 

 

The front door interlock has two reed switches. The one on the right isn't being activated by the factory magnet so it currently has an additional magnet on the inside of the machine, right to the left of the switch

== List of Currently Certified Users ==

This list is hugely incomplete because nobody was doing it. Someone should fix that eventually... for now, new certs should go in here. If you are certified and remember who certified you, go ahead and add yourself. Your non-presence on this list is not intended to insult you or your relatives.

|Roy Doeksen

|[[User:skynaya|Skylar Nova]]