K40 Laser Cutter/Engravers... How Are They Really?!?
Вставка
- Опубліковано 18 січ 2019
- I heard much about these mysterious cheap Chinese "K40" Lasers. I decided to take the leap, and this is what I found out.
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Amazon K40 Laser Link: (These go in and out of stock often, so I will try to keep these K40 links current in hopes you can find one!)
www.amazon.com/shop/geeksmith...
If you still have your heart set on a Glowforge, you can use my referral code to get:
$600 off a pro, $300 off a plus, or $150 off a basic!
I'll get credit too! Use the link below.
glowforge.us/f/KSXLIFLM
List of Potential K40 Upgrades:
www.amazon.com/shop/geeksmith...
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Software I use:
Adobe Creative Cloud (Includes everything listed below):
adobe.prf.hn/click/camref:110...
Adobe Photoshop (Raster Graphics):
adobe.prf.hn/click/camref:110...
Adobe Illustrator (Vector Graphics):
adobe.prf.hn/click/camref:110...
Adobe Premiere (Video Editing):
adobe.prf.hn/click/camref:110...
Adobe After Effects (Video Effects):
adobe.prf.hn/click/camref:110...
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Social Links:
Website: geeksmithing.com
Twitch geeksmithing.com/twitch
Instagram geeksmithing.com/instagram
Patreon: geeksmithing.com/patreon
Twitter geeksmithing.com/twitter
Facebook geeksmithing.com/facebook
============================================ - Навчання та стиль
Can this be used on metal?
That is a simple question with a complicated answer.
While you cannot directly engrave or cut metals, there are still ways you can use the laser along with metals in your projects.
The laser can remove surface coatings on metals such as powdercoating or anodization. This allows you to engrave stainless steel tumblers and water bottles, as it is actually just engraving/removing the paint coating, letting the steel color show through.
You could also spray paint the metals and then laser away a design into the paint revealing bare metal making a mask/resist layer. Then use an salt water/electric setup etching setup to engrave/etch into the metal where your paint was removed. Remove the paint using acetone. You are left with an accurately etched surface.
If you still want to get a laser to engrave metals, you should look into "fiber lasers", but be prepared to spend at least $3000.
Geeksmithing thanks for taking the time to answer his question your answered a question I had. And subscribed!😁🛫
Hi. Thx for thw video. I liked. At least we can engraving on stainless steel?
@@marckleejoseph2498 nope.
Hi mate whats the largest size material you can engrave? Thanks mate
I’ve had one of these for 2 years. Played with it for a month and gave up because of the software and lack of knowledge base. This has inspired me to give it another go. Thank you very much. Subscribed 🏴
Oh wow. That is the best compliment I could receive! Thank you! Reach out if you get stuck again! We are in this together!
Sold me. I am getting one.
Just downloaded the software you recommended so I'll get a jump on it before the unit arrives. Thanks for posting great content!
Oh sweet! Happy to help! Feel free to reach out if you run into a snag!
the one u have is a Mophorn or Orion??
Great video Wes; I bought one last year on your advice and it’s already paid for itself twice over. It allows me to personalize hand crafted items. Thumbs up.
Woo hoo! That's great to hear!!
Can you engrave on glass as well?
I subscribed after watching this. I like how you get to the point and tell us just what we need to know. Great video.
Thanks Ken!! Cheers!!
I am also now subscribed for same reason! Also your a smartass and I respect That. Say it like it is, in a world full unicorns and snowflakes I like to hear its great or POS. Keep them vids coming.
@@markh2128 haha, thanks for the sub! Hope you like some of my other videos. 😄
I just did the same. Great video and can't wait to see more about the K40
@@_M317 cheers!
K40 might be on my short list of tools to add to my shop. Will be nice for details and logos and such on my CNC furniture. Also, great vid! Glad to see you putting stuff out there again!
Hey! It absolutely should be! I have been constantly impressed with it . Thanks, I have been wanting to put this video out for a long while! I hope to put vids out more regularly.
Great job on this review. I have mine for almost a year now. Burned out my first laser tube by over powering it. Then I upgraded to a 60W tube. Loving it.
Where you order 60W tube,how much,is it hard to instal???
If you have link please give us.
Thank you very much
many thanks for this intro video. I've just bought one 2nd hand and finally switched it on 12 months later without a clue of what to do!. Great overview to get me started. Thank you
Oh wow! Congrats! That's a big first step! Good luck!!!
Answered every single one of my questions & doubts! Well done video! Thank you.
Thanks! Happy to help!
I have had one for almost 3 years. Had to replace the laser power supply after only 2 months, warranty took care of that. Had to replace laser tube after about 6 months. I paid for that. Installed a real air nozzle system. Got rid of the clamping system and put in an aluminum grid for a bed. Built my own rotary device. Working good now.
I hope you see this... Do you have time to share more about your air nozzle system, the clamping system and your rotary device?
I assume for the clamping you the bed you put in has tapped holes spaced at regular even intervals. Ready to buy one of these, but would like to learn as much as I can. The rotary device would be a must have, but the once I saw on Amazon were close to $200.00.
You just gave me more to think about. I've been heavily looking and almost ready to make a decision on which of these machines to go with. The fear of not getting the added worth to my shop has made it really hard to pull thousands of dollars for a glowforge or other machine of that nature especially with me transitioning out of the military.
That is exactly the same thought process I went thru. I figured that $350 was an acceptable amount to toss at the idea of a K40... I figured even if it didn't work out, I could use the parts for something else... But now that they are also available on Amazon in addition to eBay, the consumer has additional protections/options if something doesn't work.
Well done, informative video. Thanks for taking the time to record and post.
Thanks! Happy to help! Thanks for stopping thru!
An honest and useful review, not seen one of those on UA-cam for a long time! I’ll finally be picking one of these up now
Hey thanks! I like to think it helps! Hit me up with any questions!
4:11 I like how the red highlighted squares are actually transformed to perspective rather than just a flat square
nice work
Thanks for noticing that!:) Cheers.
That impressed me as well. If you took the time to get that right, then I have a lot of confidence in what you said in your video.
Awesome Wes, super helpful for a lot of folks. Those mugs are dope
Thank you for all the information! I was trying to figure out what to buy, and I think I will be buying one of these in the near future. I will be watching more of your videos too!
Thanks!! I appreciate it! Glad it could be of help to you 😊!
I've been looking to pull the trigger on one of these for about a year now.. Great write-up. Subscribed.
Oh awesome! Thanks I appreciate that! Welcome aboard! 🚀
You, sir, just sold me on a 400 dollar laser engraver. Excellent review! Also, I just subbed. Thanks!
Hey, thank you sir! Happy to help. I have had mine for over a year now and it's still going strong! Thanks for the sub, let me know if you like any other videos:)
Is there a tool or setup that comes with it to do silicone bracelets
just stumbled across your channel as i am looking to get a k40 within a month or so. didnt even know you could get the rotary part so i am very much looking forward to seeing a video on that.thank you for taking the time to make videos to help us all. Subscribed!
Glad to help! Thanks for the support! 🤜💥🤛
Rotary vid is coming this week!
Rotary Video!! ua-cam.com/video/GOF0u9qsFOI/v-deo.html
Thank you for this I’ve been procrastinating for more than a year about this....
GREAT video. i make glass blocks and was wondering how this would work on glass? One of the first You tube videos that the person responds to most questions. way to go. thank you again
Hey! Cheers! I appreciate that! I am pretty sure you can engrave glass with it but I believe you should be careful as to not engrave glass with lead in it, from what I read... I haven't tried glass yet myself but it is on the list of materials I am going to go over on a materials test video coming up soon! :)
I've had a K40 for several years now and love it. I have done several upgrades however. I replaced the board with a cohesion 3d board ( I think it is based on the smoothie board but is sized to fit perfectly in the K40) . The board was only $100 and was the best upgrade I think you can do. I also made an electric water chiller from an Igloo ice machine ($90) and a temperature controlled outlet( made for a few dollars). The water chiller has worked great for 2 years now. I also added a motorized Z bed and air assist. All in all I probably have about $800 into it (including the laser itself) but now have a great machine that can hold it's own against much more expensive machines. The only issue I have now is the size (300mm X200mm). I think that the K40 is a great buy with a few accessories.
Thanks for your thoughts on the K40. I also have a Cohesion board, but have yet to install it. Looking forward to messing with that soon. Cheers!
@@Geeksmithing I think you will be very pleased with the Cohesion once you install it. I use laserWeb with mine and love it. Thanks for a great video and good luck with the new board.
Great review, great advice and awesome intro!
Hey thanks Steve! I figured true Nintendo fans would dig it!!! :)
We’ve had one for about two years no issues. Kinda hard to use but work good
Great video, thanks for sharing your experience!
I bought the upgrades that you suggested in the description but I'm lost in how your hooking them up can you do a quick video?
You have now got me interested in buying one. Can’t justify thousands, but this seems a good alternative.
Sweet! It's a fun bit of kit!
Thanks for the info I did not know they had come down in price this far.
Great review, I have been wanting one of these for a while now thanks.
My pleasure! Feel free to reach out if you have any questions!
The most common question I get is about the rotary module shown in the video. I finally made a video on how to make your own!
ua-cam.com/video/GOF0u9qsFOI/v-deo.html
does it cut glass or plastic ?
@@carlosherrera5624 it does cut cast acrylic perfectly. I am not sure about glass. I doubt it.
Thank you
Goodmorning
I was wondering is there a depth adjustment for the laser? Say if u wanted to laser 0.2mm stainless would it burn through it ??
@@musicilla you cannot cut or engrave metals with this, so.. um.. no. 🤷♂️🤓
I use various £50,000+ units at work and to be honest apart from a lot of QOL features the etching on yours seems to be on par with what the systems I use can do. Cool video!
Oh neat! That's interesting! Thanks for checking it out. Please stick around and enjoy some of my other projects!:)
That looks a lot better than I expected when I saw the boatload of those being sold on eBay a year or two back, complete with confidence-inspiring photos. I was at least expecting an upgrade money-pit, but that doesn't look like it even needs the upgrades I'd likely do.
Honestly, the few really necessary upgrades are pretty inexpensive...even better if you happen to have or have access to a 3D printer!
Love your video and the cheeky tone. I got my machine a couple of weeks ago from a company supposed to be in Australia. I am in Australia, I am glad you got an instruction manual because even if it is only stapled it looks like it has some info. Mine was sleekly printed but only two pages an not much on it.
Thanks for watching! Best of luck to ya!👍
If I remember correctly, these were anywhere from $1k - $2k only a couple of years ago. Nice to see the price come down. I may bite.
🎣🤓
Can you please make a video of it cutting 3-4mm clear acrylic (plexiglass) sheet? Can it do in one pass without melting the edges?
Yes, you have to turn down the power of it
Man thank you for the video! I do want to dabble in budget laser engraver but have not wanted to put the time in for the Gamble. This video answered all my questions and examples are more than respectable I do believe I'll be buying one in the next month. Thanks again!
Oh nice!! Happy to help! Feel free to hit me up with any questions!
Thank you! Bought a business over a year ago that has 2 x 100, 1 x 60 and 1 x 40 laser. Steeeep learning curve for me as learning everything from scratch. I haven't even touched the 60 and 40 as yet as I have no program/driver for them and the forums send me in 100 directions to get one. Thanks for the heads up on those programs.
Oh wow. What kinds of things do you make? Glad to help!
Personalised puzzles, assorted trinket boxes, toys, promotional key trags and magnets. Check our redearthtoys.com
Awesome! I can't wait for the follow up videos!!! 😀
I like that the free software really is Free Software, that's my style :D
Heck yeah!🤑😎
What's it called
@@hirenei Inkscape (for creating and manipulating vector files) and K40 Whisperer (laser control) are both Free Software and shown in this video.
But is it worth your time to use the free stuff, vs buying lightburn for instance?
Nicely presented and informative. Thanks for your time making the video.
I appreciate the nice comment! Please enjoy another video while you are here!:) Cheers!
I've taken your advice. just ordered one. like you, a laser has been on my list for a while and the price point on these feels reasonable for me to dip a toe in the water and see what they can do for me. Looking forward to giving it a whirl. Thanks for the video
Yes!! Hit me up if you have any questions!
Maybe on the next one show us how to run the machine, how to find origin, set z height etc.
great ideas! Thanks!
Not that you're unaware of this- but, that was a damn fine video. Thanks. Well done!
Ha!! Hey thanks!! I appreciate it!
Thanks for the very informative and also hilarious overview. Very helpful!
Hey thanks! I appreciate that! Happy to help!!
I did not see if it was included the cutting size. I appreciate the info, your video was very helpful
Hi! The max cutting area is 9" x 14" of you remove the default clamping bed as seen in video
You've basically answered my primary questions perfectly. Massively increased my confidence on pulling the trigger on a K40 soonish.
It was also cool to see the water bottle I won from the Making Geeks survey in the video :D at least I know what high quality is possible.
My main question outstanding is about the controllers and how to identify what type is in a low cost machine? Does it matter? FB groups seem to harp on about them but I guess it's just if whisperer is compatible with it.
That's a great question. The K40 has a list of compatible boards and ways to identify them I believe.... I picked up a Cohesion3d controller board replacement for it and hope to swap it in soon, so that's also an option for you down the road a bit.
I don't think you can know exactly what you're gonna get from the listing. But once you get it you can see your control board and it will come with CoralLaser/CoralDraw software. Had one almost a year and have used it probably 500+ hours (daily) and it does anything you really want to do with it but out of the box it needs upgrades and it needs constant maintenance (I use it a lot so obviously a lot for me).
Great content thank you for posting !
Thanks for this video, very informative! 🙏 I really would like to get one, but was nervous. I will go ahead now 🙂
Thanks for the candid and educational video. Very forthright. Great job! 👍
Thanks, I appreciate that! 🤓
Looking forword to you posting a video about the rotary module :)
Thx
It has been a popular request!:)
Geeksmithing I would like to see your installation and use process the eBay listings I see say it can’t be added to this smaller machine. I’d also like to see a link for the one you have as well. Awesome video you have me talked into buying one. Now for the wife!
The rotary video is coming out this week!
Rotary Video!! ua-cam.com/video/GOF0u9qsFOI/v-deo.html
Hi Where did you find the system to rotate the object and how did you synchronize it with the laser?
Thanks for the reply
Hi! The rotary device I threw together from some parts I had around the workshop and a 3d printer. On the machine there is a stepper motor that cause the laser head to move left/right (X-Axis) and one that causes it to move forward/back (Y-Axis). All you do is unplug the Y Axis motor and plugin the rotary in it's place. So when the machine thinks it's moving the laser head forward and back, it is really just spinning the bottle forward and back beneath it. Hope that makes sense! This has been my #1 question on this video and I really need to make a video showing the rotary in more detail. Thanks for the kick in the rear I needed for that to happen. 😂😁🤓 Have a great day!
@@Geeksmithing please do that. That's the first question i had when i saw it
@@Geeksmithing That's a brilliant solution :D
Rotary Video!! ua-cam.com/video/GOF0u9qsFOI/v-deo.html
Hey Man, thanks for this really informative and helpful... really appreciate you doing this
You bet! Happy to help!!
it may seems really low quality but surprisingly almost all machines I sold since 3 years ago didn't came back for service and working good :) it worth the price you pay it .
Nice Video Wes! I am asked about this all the time at my make space, With your permission I think I would like to link this video onto our Wiki page.
That would be amazing and I'd be honored! Thanks!!
Cool, thanks 🙏 for your brief introduction into this engraver, I have looked at them over and over again thinking should I take the plunge? After your introduction to them, I think I will have to invest in one of them, thank you very much for your information as it’s been informative enough for me, keep up the good work and I look forward to your further videos.
Hey, absolutely! Thanks for checking out the video! I hope to release more soon. Best of luck with your new laser adventure. 😎
THANK YOU SO MUCH!! for making this video. Im definatley gonna follow you!!!
😁 Hey thanks!! I'm glad it helped!! Hope you find some more videos you enjoy!
Went to a Sign show last year and YEA put the need in place of the want:) Hopefully I can get into this sooner than later. Thanks for the great video.
My pleasure! Thanks for watching!
This is great! I saw the Glowforge but 4 grand is a bit too rich for me. Especially considering I'm not going to be using it for income.
Great video. I've had one for about 4 years, although I never got mine working at all out of the box. Make sure you check all the wiring before turning it on, mine was a major fire risk the way it had been done in china. The earth wasnt even connected, and the high voltage cable to the laser tube was far too thin and poorly insulated. I upgraded to a DSP, added a larger tube, new PSU and a new focal lens and it's a very capable little machine now. Oh.. and I too am interested in that rotary bed. Great idea! Were those flasks you showed actually engraved with yours!!?? Brilliant results!
I think they have improved some since then, but you are right, since they are coming from different manufacturers, people may get different results. The rotary was indeed used with this machine and made the examples I showed. Hopefully within the next month or so I can finally get to the video for that. Thanks for your interest and watching!
@@Geeksmithing thanks for the reply! Looks like I'm gonna buy me some cups! Subscribed!
@@thewarthogproject of your K40 dimensions are similar to mine, I had to modify my K40(i.e. cut the bottom out) to fit in tumblers to keep surface of item within focus.
Rotary Video!! ua-cam.com/video/GOF0u9qsFOI/v-deo.html
Thank you , Excellent video very informative, no clutter and straight to the point. Liked and subscribed!
Hey I appreciate that!! Thanks!! 🙏
Great video! Great explanations and spot on with visual aids! Thank you!
Cheers! I appreciate it!
Great stuff, thanks for posting this!
A couple of other suggestions I've heard that make sense is one, try to buy from a US seller, as if there's a problem they're usually a lot easier to work with than someone overseas. And second, make sure it is WELL VENTED to the outside, a lot of the stuff you engrave with the laser give off extremely toxic fumes you do not want to breath!
Well the toxic fume thing can be a bit more serious than that, depending on what you are trying to laser. No one should laser any vinyl or anything with ABS in it, as it can create chlorine gas, that can corrode the internals of the machine and the internals of human lungs. Stick to organics such as wood, paper and cloth, and it's not really that serious.
Good tips with the US seller bit
Andrew Tornadoboy , could this be used to cut thin balsa wood?
@@leematthews3578 like butter
FANTASTIC video!
Oh wow. Thanks man! High praise!!✋
Thank you for an awesome review! Would this engraver be able to create script on leather? Thank you!
How large of work piece will this hold? I know the actual image size is listed but I am having trouble finding how big of piece will fit inside
Great question! Without taking that funky bed out, just using the default clamping device... The maximum size is 8"x 3.5"! What a joke. 😂
Taking that out then your available cutting dimension is 14"x 9", you just have to either make a new bed or set your board or whatever is to be engraved onto something to raise it up to the proper height. Hope that helps!!
I’m not sure how I ended up watching this video, seeing that I’ve never done anything with lasers, but I enjoyed it very much. Now I feel like I need a laser engraver.
Haha, well I am glad you are here! Please pull up a chair and enjoy some of my other videos! I would love to know what you think. :) And who can resist lasers?!
*Everyone* needs a laser engraver.
Great Job! I need one of these to add to my channel! Just don't know how I'm going to sneak it past the wife. The box is pretty big! :)
Haha! Just drape a frilly tablecloth over it. She will never notice!
While writing my comment I just realized you must have a 40 watt version, when I bought mine it was advertised as 60 watts, the lase tube looks to be identical to yours, so that tells me that mine is only 40 watts as well. Once again great video, straight to the point without the b.s.
I appreciate the kind words! Cheers!
I love how the ad before the video of a $400 laser engraver was for a $3000 Glowforge.
Haha are you serious? If you can snag a screenshot of that and send it to me, that would make my day! Heck, I'd send you a Geeksmithing tshirt upon receipt of that bounty!!😁
The gateway drug for lasers :-) The K40 is how I got started a few years ago. K40 Whisperer and a raft of innovations and safety upgrades came over time. (There's a super Google+ group out there - but Google is killing the app so it's moving to a proper Discourse forum.) If you have the space, jump straight to a 60 or 100W with motorized Z-axis, not much more than you'll end up spending getting the K40 safe and tweaked and so much more in terms of capability. (Then get the Glowforge, Epilog or Trotec) The K40 leads you down the path to serious "laser all things" :-)
Love your Surge protector!
THANK YOU!! Finally someone did! 😂
What file formats can this machine use? I am designing acrylic panels using Fusion 360 CAD software and it can export, for example, dxf files. Would these work with this machine?
The software shown in this video (K40 Whisperer) supports SVG and DXF file formats.
very INFORMATIVE VIDEO AND LEVIATED SOME ANXIETY OVER THIS LASERR I WAS HAVING. tHANKS FOR THE SOURCCE LINKS. when I ADD THIS TO MY SHOP TO SUPPLEMENT MY sHOPbOT dESKTOP cnc LOOKING FOR TOW MERGING THEIR CAPABILITIES AND WATCHING FUTURE VIDEOS
Freekkin lazers!!! Sorry it had to be done.
Dang! I should have had that in there!!
My family has been in the sign and engraving business since the 70's. I worked there for a couple years but my asshole uncle took over and I had to bail to avoid shoving his head under the heat press. I was are laser engraving tech. I miss the Convenience of having one of these around to use. I didnt know these ones were so cheap. Adding this to my watch list on ebay and subbing to see how this thing works out for you. Thanks for sharing.
I have had it about a year now, and it is still going strong. I hope to make more videos about it in the very near future. Thanks for the sub :)
Hi,
Is the machine able to engrave on long items such as Greek/Fratenity/Sorority paddles? There looks like there is a slot on the back that will allow you to insert longer items.
The slot in the back is an air exhaust vent. As they come, you can only fit an object 14" long in to engrave. You would need to do major modifications to get longer pieces in.
well, that was a very honest and accurate appraisal. I'm researching Laser Engravers with a interest to buy, I will use your vidio as the benchmark to judge all others against. Thanks for sharing - subbed 👍
Oh wow! That is some high praise and I think you for it! Please enjoy some of my other non-laser related videos ... and if you end up snagging one, hit me up with any questions you might have! Thanks! :)
will do ✔
The weird format paper manual was most likely A4 size, as used in every country in the world...except the USA
It was a deadpan joke. :P Sorry.
@Bingus McDrangus Murica fuk yea
can this laser cut through thin plastic / wood .. say 3mm to 5mm thick ??
Absolutely. Up to 6mm wood, acrylic, cardboard, plastics (as long as they don't have vinyl in them as that is dangerous to laser)
@@Geeksmithing absolutely AWESOME.
now i know what i'm buying :D :D
@@chmarr 😊 Those items and thivknesses, are what this machine really shines at cutting and engraving. Let me know if you have any more questions!
Can this etch into cerakote, or alternatively, if etching on polished aluminum does this have enough power to bond cermark to the surface?
There are many people that use ceramark successfully with this machine. (I haven't personally tried) Not sure about cerakote.
Watched this video again Wes! Very helpful. *Thank you!*
You bet dude! #teamK40 😆
You really sold me on this one! But I have a question!!! Where can I buy the Rotatory Accessory for mugs! That's dope! Thank you! Loved the review
Ha! I actually made it myself, with some bits and bobs from the shop and a 3d printer. I hope to make a video covering this very soon! Stay tuned!!:). Thanks for watching!🤓
Just an update... that rotary video is on my channel now, feel free to check it out!
It would be nice to engrave cell phones on the back, could be a market for it like at a mall booth or something.
Hi
I just would like to know if this machine K40 engraving machine can engrave on acrylic very fine writing letters which you can see them but you can read them without magnifier ?
Thank you
Definitely! If you have the machine calibrated properly, that should be no trouble.
Do you know of a version that has a pass through option like the glowfrodge pro ? I want to make longer wood signs. Thank you, loved the video!
Thanks!!! Those are higher powered machines that have pass thru doors... here is a link to an discussion about just that!
community.glowforge.com/t/20-x28-60w-chinese-laser-cutter/2204
5:50 What no "firein' ma' lazar" gif when you say "firing your laser"?
Hahhaha. I totally said that when testing it when I first got it!!
Who would win in a fight He-man or the crazy Optic laser kitty?
Or the Surge Protector?🤔
What power you use for leather, 1/8 in acrylic? I see people use all different settings and have trouble. Thanks
This is a must for anyone into stippling firearms and magazines.
With it being 40 watt can you use it for the serial numbers
@@osccha1834 lol possibly on aluminum plates, but probably not into steel
Any chance you have a link to the rotary piece you added?
Sorry, no, I built it using parts I had on hand. I will upload a video on how to make one/ where to buy one very soon.
There are lots of videos on how to make a rotary device yourself. Just a quick search and you willl get tons of results.
Awesome thanks! Sorry just assumed it was an add on.
Rotary Video!! ua-cam.com/video/GOF0u9qsFOI/v-deo.html
"That someone in China made specifically for me, that's nice... Just throw that out" lawl
Excellent video. I wonder if hard anodizing eliminates it optimally, leaving the text in shiny aluminum. I know this is a silly question, but I do have some aluminum parts with a fairly hard anodizing, and I would not like it to be left with little force to remove the hard layer of anodizing. Thank you.
I have lasered anodized aluminum dog tags and it works well. It sort of bleaches the areas hit with laser to a white color.
Hello, how did you make the wooden coat of arms? It is engraving + cutting in one task?
Thanks
Hi! The engraving and cut passes are all in the original artwork. In K40 whisperer, any part of the image that is black gets a raster engraving pass...and any red lines are vector cuts... So I just setup the artwork accordingly. They are two different types of operations but yeah, the laser can do both very easily. Hope that helps explain it.
The one big thing my father did to his was add in safety switches so if any of the lids on the machine are opened it kills power to the laser so there is 0 chances of the beam firing up while your working on it. He said he rather be paranoid than a paranoid blind man.
It's absolutely a great idea, and on my list of upgrades. I have the parts, just haven't yet... Thanks for the motivation to make it sooner than later!
I think if you are a person considering getting one of these, it is important to note that it can be a gamble. You may get a great (as great as it can be anyway) machine, or you may get a machine that needs all kinds of work to make usable. Quality Control is not a thing in the factories these come from. Good idea to have someone familiar with these types of things available to help you out, if you yourself are not.
Excellent points!
Thanks very much for this video. I'm a teacher and found out our school had a been given an Emblaser 2 that no one knew how to use so I've been investigating its use this summer and I'm really interested in getting a laser cutter of my own. The K40 looks like it might be an affordable option. Thanks again from an absolute novice.
Ah very cool! Feel free to reach out with any questions. Happy to help!
I subscribed after viewing the video. It answered some key questions I had, as I was on the fence about getting one. Well, it JUST arrived. I only skimmed the comments so I apologize if I missed this answer, but do you have a recommendation for a specific replacement for the exhaust fan? What were your qualms about the one it comes with (other than it being loose)? Thank you for the info in the video. I look forward to viewing the others.
Hello Jennifer! Congrats on getting a new toy for the shop!:) The looseness of the fan was one reason, the other was that it was not terribly powerful. There was a inline fan in the Amazon link below in description. Be aware it requires additional fittings (cheaply purchased or easily made). If you add some wood pieces to make the fan fit against chassis tighter, and even tape the seams it would help some with original fan. It, like many things on the unit, does work..but there is always room for improvement! :) Definitely go ahead and try it out!
I thought that tube with the chinese writing was some hemorrhoid cream to ease the deal with all the troubles this machine gives you?
Haha, I have not run into any issues but it may be of use for the sore Corel users that didn't like me tossing out their software. 😂😉😋
**Best Comment**
Hello, first of all forgive me for my English. Changing the mirrors and the lens that it brings from the factory, for which you propose in the "updates" link, what do you effectively improve? and when making these changes, does the effective distance that the articles must have with respect to the lens for an optimal process change?
Hello I was looking to get one of these for cutting out acrylic letters have u used it to cut out acrylic or acp material i wouldn't use the engraving feature
It can engrave and cut cast acrylic beautifully. I have two videos that feature cutting acrylic so you can see how it does.