Any info on an 1996 Epilog Eclipse

[BanduraMaker]

Hi there,

I usually hang out in the CNC router forums but I just recently got a line on a 1996 Epilog Eclipse laser, 25w with an 18x22" work area. Price is under $1k and apparently it's still working and will come with 2 computers to run it (laptops I believe). From what I know, Epilog no longer supports this machine but laser tube re-charges are available (about $1500) as are re-furb lasers (I think around $3500).

Basically just wondering how this machine might compare to more modern machines including the Chinese ones in the sub $3k range.

I'm going to check it out tomorrow and there will be a brand new Epilog right next to it to compare it to. I don't have access to a laser power meter but cutting the same material in the new machine (30w) and the old machine side by side should be telling.

Thanks in advance!

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[Exsecratio]

A working 25 watt RF source is worth the $1,000 alone.

For the parts in it, it's worth $1,000 for sure, weather it will be any good as a machine...no idea really, it will depend on a LOT of things.

best wishes

Dave

[BanduraMaker]

Thanks for the info, Dave.

I checked the machine out last night and there were plusses and minuses. The Laser seems to be in pretty good condition and the laser itself seems to have some life left in it. It was obviously down on power compared to the brand new 30w Mini that the guy had but it was still useable.

The minuses:

1) The PC he had to run it was pretty ancient running win 98 and the guy who traded it in kept the PCMCIA ethernet card so we had no way to talk to it. I made a DXF in SolidWorks 2012 that I wanted to import into the ancient version of CorelDraw but I couldn't test that out. He's going to try to get the card from the guy who traded it in. If I can't get drawings into the thing it really doesn't do me any good.

2) The driver supports both raster and vector cutting but, there is no frequency control. We did draw some shapes in CorelDraw just to check it out and while it did cut, the edges were a bit charred and chamfered I'm assuming because the laser can't be dialed in as well as newer machines.

I drove home without the laser but I might come back and pick it up if he can get my DXF imported into the old computer.

[Exsecratio]

Heya Andy

The charring and edge knock off could well be air assist and focal distance issue and not related to the laser itself.

Very rare to see that kind of thing come up over here

cheers

Dave

[Jmhx2]

I picked up an epilog summit 1997 a while back for $300. Keep in mind you will have to keep an old computer to run it as the driver stopped being supported after win 98. I was able to put it on my network and print from my newer computer, however.

Sent from my MB855 using Tapatalk 2

[BanduraMaker]

Jmhx2 - Can you give me some more details on how you did that? What driver did you use?

The machine will come with two laptops running win98 and right now the seller is trying to find a network card for the laptops. What drivers did you use to get the machine to print?

P.s., I believe I was incorrect in stating that this is an eclipse I'm looking at, it's a 96 summit I'm pretty sure. roughly 18x22 work area, size of a washing machine. Sound about right?

[Jmhx2]

Yep big ol' washing machine in my shop.
Basically set up an old notebook as a print server.
1. I used an older IBM P4 notebook that had built in NIC, I installed WinXP SP3.
2. Installed Win98 in a Virtual machine on the laptop. (there was a reason why I used VM, but it currently escapes me, think it had to do with networking, printer sharing, drivers, etc).
3. Installed the Epliog Win98 driver (from website) inside Win98 and connected to the printer & test printed.
4. Then I "shared printer" through WinXP and it was visible on my network.
5. Connect to "shared printer" (laser) with Win7 desktop and use the newer 32 bit driver (Epilog website) to install on the Win7 machine.
Now I can send anything from my desktop (newer programs) to the laser.

Note1- This was required for me because the firmware was older than 3.3, if yours has been upgraded to 5.1 or higher you can use the 32 bit driver directly.
Note2- Photovac laser will re-gas the laser for $1600 + shipping both ways, with 2 year warranty. My laser is a silver one, which is Epilog branded, some models had a black laser which is a Synrad.

Concerning your first post comparing to Chinese glass tube laser. I would prefer the older Epilog all day long. IMO - Production tool vs toy.

[BanduraMaker]

Dang dude....very clever! Sounds like I should be able to get this thing working without too much difficulty, although where I'll find Win98 install discs I'm not sure.

The guy selling it is still trying to get the laptop's ethernet card functioning and if he can't, I'm sure I can as he doesn't seem too technically savvy. Maybe I can knock another $100 off the price or something like that.

Thanks for the advice! I'm really excited about this now.

[Jmhx2]

PM me with email

[BanduraMaker]

Yep big ol' washing machine in my shop.
Basically set up an old notebook as a print server.
1. I used an older IBM P4 notebook that had built in NIC, I installed WinXP SP3.
2. Installed Win98 in a Virtual machine on the laptop. (there was a reason why I used VM, but it currently escapes me, think it had to do with networking, printer sharing, drivers, etc).
3. Installed the Epliog Win98 driver (from website) inside Win98 and connected to the printer & test printed.
4. Then I "shared printer" through WinXP and it was visible on my network.
5. Connect to "shared printer" (laser) with Win7 desktop and use the newer 32 bit driver (Epilog website) to install on the Win7 machine.
Now I can send anything from my desktop (newer programs) to the laser.

Note1- This was required for me because the firmware was older than 3.3, if yours has been upgraded to 5.1 or higher you can use the 32 bit driver directly.
Note2- Photovac laser will re-gas the laser for $1600 + shipping both ways, with 2 year warranty. My laser is a silver one, which is Epilog branded, some models had a black laser which is a Synrad.

Concerning your first post comparing to Chinese glass tube laser. I would prefer the older Epilog all day long. IMO - Production tool vs toy.

Couple more questions for you - which virtualization software did you use in WinXP to virtualize the Win98 install? I'm sure there's a good reason that you used the VM, but it seems that it would also work with a newer laptop or something like that running win7 and Virtual Win98 no?

[Jmhx2]

That was the route I first tried, but had to redo due to incompatibilities. Win7 64 is what I first tried with MS virtual machine, which is not compatible with printer ports nor win98. Apparently Win7 32 also had the problem with win98.
I downloaded MS virtual PC 2007, that installs in WinXP & supports Win98.
Hope that helps.

[Jmhx2]

My last post may have had an incorrect item in it, I just read a thread that Windows Virtual PC 2007 will run on Win7. But if you wanted to try it, I would only use Win7 32 and not 64 (due to the parallel port)

[BanduraMaker]

Well, I came home with the laser today and it seems to be working ok. I did some quick and dirty test cuts which came out only OK but I imagine with some practice and perhaps a little adjustment it will get better.

Q for the old hands here - are vector grids pretty much required to vector cut through stuff? I was cutting through cardboard just for practice and it seemed that the cuts on the bottom were a struggle for the laser. I'm wondering if it has something to do with the fact that the bottom is supported and perhaps the material underneath somehow interferes with the cut?

Anyhow, next step is to get a new laptop and get the laser talking to modern machines!

[Exsecratio]

I was cutting through cardboard just for practice and it seemed that the cuts on the bottom were a struggle for the laser. I'm wondering if it has something to do with the fact that the bottom is supported and perhaps the material underneath somehow interferes with the cut?

Could be a number of things including focus of the laser causing a problem , dirty lens, material resting on a flat surface etc etc

Vectors are usually used to cut, rasters are used to engrave.

best wishes

Dave