Laser engraver purchase or DIY

[WillyInAus]

Hi Guys,

Just thought I would give you guys a quick run down on what I have done and then hopefully you can give me some gidence on what I need to do to get my next project up and running.

I have completed two CNC Routers with spindles and all the jazz
1st was a 480x480 CNC router steppers 540 Geco driver spindle etc
2nd is a 1200x900 CNC router and have removed the z axis and spindle from the first router and put onto this router for the time being.

So what I have is the small 480cnc and was thinking of adapting it to a laser engraver but am unsure it it would be worth doing.

So I guess the next question is what do I want to do.

I want to engrave on champagne flutes/glasses and also pens as well also cake knives for weddings etc.

I am already have a small home business and want some value adds to my product lines.

If I upgraded the little cnc router could it do it?
I have been looking at the speed of a lot of these Rabbits etc and am not sure if an upgrade of the 480 CNC would be the best idea as it may not be fast enough I can only really run it a 9 meters a min accl and decel worries me at those speeds.

I am sure a rabbit could be used for the pens could it do flutes as well out of the box would I could modify it if need be?

I would get something bigger a little down the track if all works out as I would like to be able to cut thick acrylics and ply etc but want to start out small and if the value add works and I can up may product sales I will probably get a bigger machine if required.

I dont my who answers all are welcome even the Chinese sellers I have to make my mind up over the next few weeks as I really need to get moving before xmas actually looking at the date I am leaving it a bit late anyway

Willy

PS put a pick of first router to give you an idea.

Thanks

[zax15uk]

Willy, yes your machine could be used as the base for a laser engraver/cutter. This would require adding a CO2 tube, mirrors and lens. I would also suggest a full safety enclosure.

Since you want to do curved flutes/glasses, you would need to adapt the Y-axis so you could add a rotary chuck.

The speed would be ok, perhaps 45 seconds per glass if you are just engraving names and dates etc. Pens and knives (presumably they have wood handles?) would be ok too. The major problem would be the software.

I would probably suggest buying a new/used laser system vs. modification, but that depends on your budget. A Chinese system (Rabbit or similar) with rotary adapter would work for your current and future requirements.

Zax.

[WillyInAus]

HI Zax,

Thanks for your reply yes its all about the $$$ but then hey you cant make any unless your willing to spend the $$$.

I am really going to have to do my sums before I take the upgrade path though.
I have been thinking about what I would need for an upgrade?
PSU
Tube
Colling System
3 Mirrors (it would probably be best to keep it off the gantry?)
The lens

How do I suppy the Power ? (mach3 maybe?)

Software

HMM could cost a fair amount I guess and if I was to do this I might as well fit it to the Larger CNC.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

I may just sell the actuators off the small CNC or sell it all together and put it against the cost of a new unit.

Could you add a y axis to one of those Minis or would you need to go to the larger machines.

Willy

[miguelver]

hola a todos, estoy a punto de comprar una gwike lg6040, y agradeceria que me Diera su Dictamen El Que tenga esta maquina, pues despues de mucho leer y mirar, es la maquina y Empresa que mas me convence y la voy a comprar.

* Un saludo.

[WillyInAus]

Originally Posted by miguelver hola a todos, estoy a punto de comprar una gwike lg6040, y agradeceria que me Diera su Dictamen El Que tenga esta maquina, pues despues de mucho leer y mirar, es la maquina y Empresa que mas me convence y la voy a comprar. * Un saludo.

Can anyone translate to English for me

Dont worry just used an online translator isn't the internet a beautiful thing

hello all, I'm about to buy a gwike lg6040, and would like to give me their opinion Whoever has this machine, because after much reading and looking, and Enterprise is the machine that convinces me more and I will buy.

[WillyInAus]

Yes I like the look of the LG6040 as well I actually didn't see that page on their website only looked at the first page.
So thanks for that, have you got any pricing as yet?
Actually it would be perfect for my needs.

Willy

[WillyInAus]

Another thing I wanted to ask could you cut through 12.5 mm ply with a 40w laser or would you need to go for something higher in the watts or does it come down to just doing more passes like a router.

Still reading through this forum and getting a grip with it all but I wont say it isint getting a bit over my head

[zax15uk]

I would recommend >=80W (or 100W for Chinese glass tube) for 1/2" ply. It is difficult to say, since it depends on the grade of wood used for the ply and the epoxy resin thickness/type. 40W would not be sufficient.

Additional passes don't have the same effect as a router, although if you adjust focus it is possible to achieve similar results. It will also cause more charring though.

Zax.

[WillyInAus]

Thanks Zax I will leave my router for that work I guess as it is what it was built for after all .

How long does it take for these places to get back to you with quotes sent a couple of emails off to no avail as yet.

Maybe a public CNC holiday in china or something.

Willy

[zax15uk]

It can take a few days, to a week or more for some.

Have you looked at RedDotMachinery?

http://www.reddotmachinery.com.au/index.html

They are resellers for Chinese systems, there are probably others too and I don't have any first hand experience with them so it is not meant to be a recommendation. I would just suggest checking on local pricing as well.

Zax.

[WillyInAus]

Hi Zax thanks again yes I have had a look at Red Dot but the prices are way out of my price range for what I want I also don't think I need the support from a local company I can work out most stuff myself.

I am going to sell my little CNC to help put the money together for the bigger unit.

Cici has been in touch with me with some offerings from http://www.wklaser.com/ and it all looks very positive so far.

Looking at the LG 6040 but may wait a little longer and push my finances up and get a Lg900n seems a better choice for me.

Still have to work out the import duties as well as customs charges to Australia that's the hard part and if anyone has any idea on that crap please feel free to drop a line.

Thanks again I will keep everyone updated.

Willy

[zax15uk]

Willy, although I can't speak for Austrailian law it may be similar to the US and UK.

You most likely have a personal import allowance, so tax/duty should be minimal if any at all. The easiest way (not the cheapest) to do the import is to have them ship via air (DHL or another door-to-door shipper). The alternative would be cheaper, that's to ship it as sea freight. It would usually be delivered to the nearest port, from there you'll have to arrange customs clearance (make sure they provide the certificate numbers and custom codes) and pay duty, then arrange for a freight forwarder to get it to your door. Remember these are somewhat fragile, and air shipments generally get treated better and arrive faster too. In my opinion the extra cost is well worth it, but if you are looking to keep costs down you could go with sea freight. There is likely to be additional costs for partial container, storage and handling - it can add up and be close to the air option.

The 6040 machines are generally good value. The 900 model is slightly updated and well built. I would suggest you contact XYZ-Tech, just to compare prices http://www.xyz-tech.com (same as the Omni series sold by RedDot - I think).

Zax.