I want to make the perfect laser cut

I am using Rd Works to operate my CNC 50w cutter its the only program I can get to work with my machine still trying to figure out how to fill in objects and add layers other then that it works fine. I am also trying to figure out the best speeds to use with my cutting power which I keep under 75 and also the best wood to use I look forward to the good advise I always seem to get on here.




The CEO

lucan07 provided some very good advice on the wood to use in your last thread, together with sage advice on reading the manual. Unfortunately all laser tubes and control circuitry will have tolerances (and the wood that you use will have different characteristics due to manufacture and storage) - your best bet is to experiment with power and speed for each grade of wood that you acquire and log your results for your own use.

There's no out-of-the-box answer for you.

Thanks Doddy, but yeah I do notice something new every time I use I do remember you guys saying something about keeping the laser cool to help with the cutting just realized that the performance of the laser was not as well because I was not keeping it cool enough and yes I am going to try some of the wood choices as well thanks again.

Whilst I'm thinking about it - worth a sanity check on the cooling to the laser tube - my inlet/outlet on a cheap 40W Chinese special were swapped (fed through each other's holes in the back of the enclosure) - the water inlet is supposed to be on the lowest point on the tube and the outlet is on the highest part of the tube - to ensure that once coolant is flowing that it completely encloses the laser cavity (and thus cooling it). If you get those the wrong way around, the water flows in from the upper inlet, and drains out of the lower outlet without being able to form the water bath to properly cool the laser.

It's the work of a couple of minutes and (thanks to the Chinese manufacture) a single screw (from what I recall) to visually confirm this before risking damage to the tube.

Thanks that is good advise didn't I will check that to make sure its right