So first off, I cannot compare your test tiles to mine because I’m doing something a bit differently. In the year I was only cutting, I did some research on NWT, and one person claimed superior results with this product:
I ran tests with the white Rustoleum paint and this paint. I found the galvanizing compound:
reacted sooner/better to the laser resulting in either less power needed, or could be engraved faster.
had a (subjectively) deeper black in the blackest squares.
easier to see when I have complete coverage when spraying, and easier to see if I’ve scratched a tile
easier to clean with acetone
I’ve done a bunch of test tiles trying to dial things in. Here is one pair using this specific paint and the JL1. The right tile is a stepped grayscale test:
I ran a tile test on my MPCNC, same file, same settings, same laser. The primary differences are Marlin vs GRBL, and acceleration, about 200 for the MPCNC vs 500 for the JL1., As you can see there are no double-line artifacts in the MPCNC tile (right):
Well…I went low tech. I’ve never had a real laser engraver, so I don’t know how the laser alignment should work. I mounted the alignment laser to the side of my laser module and then connected it to a 3V coin cell battery with a switch. Next, I calculated the offset between the alignment laser and the real laser, and attached a move of that offset to one of the macro buttons in Lightburn. So, I use the alignment laser to find the spot and then hit the macro button to move so the laser is pointing at that spot.
The alignment laser’s cross is largish and fuzzy, so the alignment is not real precise, but I’m getting within a millimeter or two. If I replaced the alignment laser with one that focused to a fine point, I could be more accurate, but it is good enough to test that my cut will be within my stock.
I found a solution to my problem. A bunch of searching on the internet lead me from one similar unanswered question to another until I finally was directed to this page. With some testing, I landed on these Lightburn settings:
The test that shows whether a correction is needed or not is to fill a rectangle at 0.5mm line intervals and see if the ends of the lines match up. I used a 50mm x 20mm rectangle, and engraved on black posterboard. If anyone else runs this test, I would appreciate knowing the result for your JL1 machine. I am curious to know if this is a general attribute of this machine, or if I have a specific problem with my machine.
So I did open the box the other day and I did receive the JL-1 version (sorry @geodave!). I didn’t really dig too much into it as I really don’t have space to set it up at the moment (still waiting to close on our new house). With that being said, I went to my order on the amazons as I wanted to see if it said anything about it coming with the laser pointer as I have read in other forums that the new batches as of late did not have them, and I am not at home to physically take a look at it. Low and behold when I click on my order, it only takes me to a listing for the JL-2 and is listed at $65.99. Maybe that is helpful information for anyone that just wants a low cost laser to start and play around with (like me)!
After seeing your post, I was very nervous in opening the box. I did read on the lightburn forum @dkj4linux or someone else posted in here that someone else got their order cancelled, and another got the JL-2, but they were going to keep that one and mess around with it to see what they could do. That forum was a pretty good rabbit hole to go down, and I’ll probably end up joining that forum sight as well as I do intend to look up and use lightburn from what everyone on here has said about it. I just wish we could close on the house so I can get my life moving forward again! I’ll post up anything I learn/do here with it. Thanks to all that have contributed to this post (and other lasering stuff). I now have the trifecta of creative machines (3D printer, CNC, and now laser)!!
Boy, oh boy, oh boy…OH, BOY!!! Did I win something?
Pretty cool, I guess… though I wish they’d waded through the whole thread to find out it doesn’t have to be a kludge (unless you should somehow botch reflashing the controller…). With Heffe’s help and moral(?) support, WE figured out, using @LsrSal 's instructions over on LB forum, how to flash it with Grbl within the first 20 posts… however, we both admitted to feeling a "little dirty" afterwards, having to stoop to using that “other OS” to accomplish it, given that’s all we had to work with.
Also funny how all the "alarmists" came out so quickly in the comments. They seem to assume that everybody is just an operator or button-pusher…
so I think that makes the rest of us cool by association because we read your stuff before it was HAD cool. Congrats on the mention. It is evidence that what you are doing is useful to many and your efforts are productive and appreciated.
I haven’t gone over there to read the comments, but from what I can glean, it sounds like their safety monkeys are much shriller than ours, and much more prone to throwing unpleasant substances…
I would say that all the commenters out in the world (this forum mostly not included) are really only there to spark and raise controversy/drama because they didn’t think of it first, or they just want to be argumentative. I would say the fact that HAD put it up, and mentioned you and the work-arounds all came up with, that there are some that think, as @orob stated, “is evidence that what you are doing is useful to many and your efforts are productive and appreciated.” -orob. I would say that the amount of people that have turned this thread into 196+ comments, and the numerous people on here (and the LB forum that I jumped into as well) that have purchased one of these because of your efforts should mean a hell of a lot more than the rando commenters on HAD!
Thanks again for all of your time! I can’t wait to get mine set up, reflashed, and start trying to get to at least half of the level you are!
Thanks a lot for the kind words. Please know that I’m not at all surprised or upset at the comments over on HAD… they’re simply a different audience. Where they read a very brief synopsis and may opine and argue ad nauseum about a “hack a day”… we here at Ryan’s house have many “hacks” to consider. And sometimes we’re even inclined to stick our hands into the “innards” without adult supervision. As I’ve said before, this is HOME to me… and thanks to all here for making it so. – David
