Where to get service on a non-mainstream laser cutter?

[shatterjack]

Hi guys,

I have a laser cutter made by a guy in Florida, custom but a lot of parts from McMaster and other "stock" suppliers. It's nothing very exotic is what I'm saying. Anyways, I know there are some people on here with cutters like mine, what do you do when you have a real stumper of a problem on your hands and want someone to take a look at the machine? I feel like I get some crazy problems and that if I could get someone to stop by and take a look, it would be obvious if I am in the ballpark with how I've set the machine up or I am doing something wrong. All I've ever known is my own laser machine so it's tough for me to judge.

In a related subject, I think a piece of something I was cutting blew up and inside the top part of the lens holder and sat on the lens and cooked for a little while, long enough to make me have to scratch it off with a piece of plastic (the only way I could get the stuff off!) Anyways after that the focal length I set the laser to, normally 1/8" is now more like 1/16" to make a focused cut. I feel like the heat on the lens warped it and now it focuses to a new depth. Anyone have any ideas? Thanks a lot

tony

[Tweakie]

Hi Tony,

If it's a plano-convex lens did you put it back the right way up ??
For best cutting performance it should have the convex side upwards (towards the laser tube beam).

Failing that perhaps a new lens is required - they are available on ebay quite cheaply from China.

Tweakie.

[shatterjack]

thanks tweakie,
I had the lens in correctly, it's just now I really can't get it to focus. It's better when it's really close to the material but it's still not really cutting. I got a replacement on the way by tomorrow hopefully so we'll see if that's the thing to fix it. I sure hope so because otherwise I don't know what it could be. How do most people's lenses fail?

[Tweakie]

How do most people's lenses fail?

From what I have read it is generally through having to clean debris / smoke off the surface (just as you have had to) sometimes scratching the surface or wearing off the AV coating and sometimes even breaking the lens by over-tightening the retaining device when re-fitting.

FWIW - I use a co-axial air assist which does keep the lens pretty clean.

Tweakie.

[Rodney Gold]

Be careful if you have a coaxial air assist system , ie the air goes into the lens nozzle. Often lens failures are caused by water and oil in the air assist , this gets on the lens.
Lenses are ubercheap , $30 or $40 , get a couple of em.

[shatterjack]

my air assist come in to the lens holder from the side and blasts out the same hole the focused laser beam goes. Do you have a suggestion for a filter I can put inline on the air line from my compressor to the table?

[Tweakie]

Rodney made a very valid point here and to add to my earlier post I use two pumps (to get various pressures) which are "T" into the same line. One is a Koi diaphragm pond pump the other is a Roc-r piston pump - both are oil-less. Depending on your location in the world and the prevailing relative humidity, condensation may or may not be a problem.

Tweakie.