Re: laser cnc

> Rick
>
> That is really neat. I can understand that you don't want to
> waste your time answering questions that don't exist, BUT
> there are a some of us out here that are so dumb on this that
> we can't even ask an intelligent question. Like you pointing
> out materials that can't be cut. Hopefully you can take a few
> minutes and give us a quick run down of your machine and
> what its capabilities are. $25 is within the budgets of most of
> us, but I suspect there is many $1000s knowledge and equipment
> backing that up. I see different power lasers with

different 'chemistries'

> and don't have a clue as to what the capabilities are. Will it cut
> wood, cloth, plastic, or Titanium? I have an old Electron Drill

(EDM)

> machine that is strictly manual. Since it is not wire, and it does
> have automatic feed, I have left it as is.
> So, just a brief description of the capablities of the process

would

> help a lot of us decide whether we wanted to look further.
> Yes, and power supply requirements for some of the different
> wattage units.
>
> bob mcknight
>

Hi Bob (and others)

Graham hit on some really good points in his post, so I will just
relate my experience with this first (of many to come) versions of my
co2 laser system. I have scrounged about 15 co2 lasers since I
started looking about three years ago. The one in the pic and the
one I currently have mountable to my cnc mill is a Synrad 48-1 ten
watt unit that is putting out 17 watts (pretty normal, they usually
put out ten watts toward the end of life of the gas fill, up to
10,000 hours!). The other lasers I found for free or paid a little.
I think the most I have paid is $300. None of them are as nice and
compact as the little Synrad. I have two high voltage dc flowing gas
co2 lasers (one 50 watt and one 70 watt), several (6!) somewhat dead
(need regassing) 90 watt rf excited lasers but only two power
supplies, a sealed dc excited 70 watt tube doing about 60 watts, and
two laakmaan (pre-Synrad, but similar construction) 25 watt units,
one doing 25 watts and the other dead (but I just regassed it myself
and have it doing about 6 watts - more to come on that one!). Not
bragging, but just showing you what can be collected in a short
amount of time if you can hide it from your wife. :-)

The best place to find cheap/free co2 lasers is your local medical
repair/surplus dealer. You need to read up so you sound as if you
have a clue (they don't). Call them up and say you are looking for a
co2 laser to build an engraving machine...talk about how you do cnc
stuff for a hobby, maybe even show them something you have made on
your mill....they just end up giving you the laser..they can't sell
them since the doctors want the new stuff. Also, I have gotten 2
free lasers from local hospitals which had been storing them for a
couple of years because nobody wanted the responsibility of disposing
of them! One of these is the 50 watt flowing gas unit that works
perfectly!

This is getting way off topic from CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO stuff. I
appologize for that. But as you can see, even with all the lasers I
have scrounged, I still started with the little Synrad laser - easy
to control (5V ttl), sealed and compact. Prices on ebay are about
$1200 for a 10 watt unit and $2200 or so for a 25 watt. I would not
buy one with a date before 1998 or so, since they may have older
electronics that Synrad wants $$$ to upgrade before they will refill
them. Oh, refilling costs a bit...I think it is around $500 now for
the 10 watt, and $1200 for the 25 watt. Ouchy, considering you can
buy a new 25 watt for under (just) $5k. But then again they
warrantee it and the fill lasts 10,000 hours or so. Think about
using it for a couple hours a week...10,000 hours is a looooooong
time.

Things I have cut (so far, heh heh): acrylic, balsa, basswood,
aircraft plywood, styrofoam (watch the fumes), polycarbonate (bleh,
terrible cut...melts and turns blackish on the edge), vinyl, craft
foam, fabric (don't cut kevlar, you get cyanide gas!). You
absolutely will be amazed at the clean cuts you get in acrylic and
wood.

Ask me anything else, I can't think of everything that a newbie would
want to know anymore.

Rick