<![CDATA[SoliForum - 3D Printing Community — Laser cutter repair]]> 2014-02-21T11:04:54Z PunBB https://www.soliforum.com/topic/5515/laser-cutter-repair/ <![CDATA[Re: Laser cutter repair]]> the software to control the unit is.. just a parallel cable and printer driver?

The computer sees it as a normal printer.

Apparently it is supposed to see lines that are 0.001" as vectors but that does not appear to work..

]]> https://www.soliforum.com/user/2694/ 2014-02-21T11:04:54Z https://www.soliforum.com/post/50411/#p50411 <![CDATA[Re: Laser cutter repair]]> ITman496 wrote:

Does anyone know how to get these things to do vector cuts?  It seems to require special programs and formats..

What you driving it with at the moment? LinuxCNC (formerly EMC2 CNC) is actually the opposite - will do vector all day but its raster is kinda lacklustre ..

Anyway... indeed it comes down to the control software

Heres some threads on the subject from over at CNCZone:
http://www.cnczone.com/forums/general-l … d-dsp.html

And a writeup on reviving a 25w CO2 (but doing vector/raster as well)
http://www.andrewkilpatrick.org/?p=laser_cutter

Mach3 also has some reasonable laser support for raster and vector...

anyway - no specific help - I have a CO2 one but not an RF Synrad - but theres some places to at least poke around.... *shrug*

]]> https://www.soliforum.com/user/663/ 2014-02-21T07:31:03Z https://www.soliforum.com/post/50405/#p50405 <![CDATA[Re: Laser cutter repair]]> Does anyone know how to get these things to do vector cuts?  It seems to require special programs and formats..

]]> https://www.soliforum.com/user/2694/ 2014-02-20T21:53:24Z https://www.soliforum.com/post/50371/#p50371 <![CDATA[Re: Laser cutter repair]]> LUCKY!

]]> https://www.soliforum.com/user/1682/ 2014-02-20T17:25:41Z https://www.soliforum.com/post/50352/#p50352 <![CDATA[Re: Laser cutter repair]]> Got ventilation and stuff!

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4963246/laser/IMG_20140220_241842_260.jpg

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4963246/laser/IMG_20140220_021237_640.jpg

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4963246/laser/IMG_20140220_011200_125.jpg

]]> https://www.soliforum.com/user/2694/ 2014-02-20T08:08:17Z https://www.soliforum.com/post/50320/#p50320 <![CDATA[Re: Laser cutter repair]]> Custom optics holders, Nice!!!

]]> https://www.soliforum.com/user/296/ 2014-02-20T04:33:34Z https://www.soliforum.com/post/50300/#p50300 <![CDATA[Re: Laser cutter repair]]> woo!  fixed!

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4963246/laser/IMG_20140219_021104_727.jpg

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4963246/laser/IMG_20140219_022843_126.jpg

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4963246/laser/IMG_20140219_030455_116.jpg

]]> https://www.soliforum.com/user/2694/ 2014-02-19T21:06:05Z https://www.soliforum.com/post/50253/#p50253 <![CDATA[Re: Laser cutter repair]]> Nice find - hang onto that synrad tube whatever you do - they're pricey little things to buy new, and can be recharged - a synrad for the cost of a recharge may be worth it, nice clean beam and good reliability/repeatability all without needing wc (for 40w anyway). Schools and unis throw out some really nice stuff sometimes, it's borderline tragic!!

]]> https://www.soliforum.com/user/4515/ 2014-02-18T22:25:40Z https://www.soliforum.com/post/50118/#p50118 <![CDATA[Re: Laser cutter repair]]> Hey the thing works and I didn't even need to fix it!

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4963246/laser/IMG_20140213_221330_336.jpg

]]> https://www.soliforum.com/user/2694/ 2014-02-14T07:14:41Z https://www.soliforum.com/post/49754/#p49754 <![CDATA[Re: Laser cutter repair]]> No, got it from my old high school in NJ

No way in hell am I gonna pay to have a machine of this weight shipped from CO to NJ haha

]]> https://www.soliforum.com/user/2694/ 2014-02-13T22:23:43Z https://www.soliforum.com/post/49700/#p49700 <![CDATA[Re: Laser cutter repair]]> ITman, you didn't get that from CO did you?

]]> https://www.soliforum.com/user/55/ 2014-02-13T19:49:23Z https://www.soliforum.com/post/49685/#p49685 <![CDATA[Re: Laser cutter repair]]> Just tested everything but the tube.  The rest of the machine works.  This is good, because if the synrad tube is bad, then I can just get a cheap 40w watercooled ebay laser and slap it into the machine, plus driver for it.  So good news all around!

Testing the tube tomorrow with a piece of wood as a target.

]]> https://www.soliforum.com/user/2694/ 2014-02-13T06:18:26Z https://www.soliforum.com/post/49652/#p49652 <![CDATA[Re: Laser cutter repair]]> The synrad tubes can usually be recharged.... but it may still be cheaper to get one of the import replacement tubes.

]]> https://www.soliforum.com/user/296/ 2014-02-13T01:26:56Z https://www.soliforum.com/post/49625/#p49625 <![CDATA[Re: Laser cutter repair]]> Got the laser itself out, starting to test it later.

It's a 40W RF excited Synrad tube

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4963246/laser/IMG_20140212_021505_850.jpg

everything inside looks okay, lets hope it works!

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4963246/laser/IMG_20140212_024337_225.jpg

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4963246/laser/IMG_20140212_024346_014.jpg

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4963246/laser/IMG_20140212_024328_245.jpg

]]> https://www.soliforum.com/user/2694/ 2014-02-12T21:09:38Z https://www.soliforum.com/post/49585/#p49585 <![CDATA[Re: Laser cutter repair]]> Nice!

]]> https://www.soliforum.com/user/1682/ 2014-02-12T15:25:59Z https://www.soliforum.com/post/49532/#p49532