I use all windows machines at home. I have this one old (2012) MacBook because I run an app called Loop on my phone that controls my insulin pump. With that it takes care of 95% of the hassle of being diabetic lol. For that app I have to be able to run Xcode. And incase I run into problems at work and need to rebuild the app I carry the MacBook to use.
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Thanks! Unfortunately this laser will be in my garage along with my other cnc machines. In July/August we can hit 95° in the garage with 90-100% humidity. So I think ice is definitely going to be needed.
I only plan to run this setup until the laser makes enough money to buy a chiller for it. So hopefully we can manage until then.
I’m also thinking about using some DS18B20 temp sensors I have and keeping an eye on the water temp in the cooler and the water temp in the line going to and from the laser. Figure out some sort of small screen to put on it and display the temps so we can keep a close eye on it and add more ice as needed. Luckily we have a vevor 110lbs a day ice machine that does very well and should keep up with this laser and any cold snacks lol
I retract my jab at your life-sustaining software. As a Type-2 survivor, I’m constantly thankful that mine is controlled via medication. Because otherwise, I know I’d end up like a guy my dad knew in college, who basically lived with one pocket full of Hershey’s Kisses, and the other full of insulin (this was back in the 60’s when insulin was affordable), and took one or the other as symptoms presented themselves. I think he was one of the ones to die young(ish)…
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Looks like a programming learning opportunity to me!
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That, I’m afraid, sums up my problem.
Even after spending, or perhaps because I have spent, the last twenty minutes catching up on this thread, I am still not convinced that I “need” CO2. (except that the ability to cut clear plastic would be nice…_
Consumer lasers seem to be going through something of a revolution at the moment - I hesitate to use the word “innovation” but there’s plenty of development happening. The XTool S1 is the “best ever” at the moment according to fifty youtubers today, it can probe irregular surfaces and adjust head height on the fly - which is cool if you want it to engrave rocks, and a conveyor which gives close to unlimited cutting length.
I suspect I need an “Ender 3” - build a case and give it some decent fume extraction, and probably increase the footprint - I’m thinking 400 x a metre or so, with a slot in the box so I can feed full sheets of card in.
I probably don’t need any more than 20W either - that will cut 6mm stuff with a bit of effort, but really 6mm is easy enough on the tablesaw and LR3 isn’t it? I don’t “think” the laser is for cutting.
BUT I have a plan!!
I don’t really understand why the further fabrication machine has all that aluminium when a simple MDF box would arguably do the enclosure job better. I think once I know that I really do need a Co2 Jobbie, and am convinced I have the size sorted - I will revisit then, after you lot have made all the mistakes I would have.
Am I missing something here?
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RIght now we are doing everything with a 40w (10w optical) Neje A40640 mounted on the Primo. And she is going a lot of nice stuff with it. But it takes a WHILE to cut stuff, espically in 6mm. But she is cutting detail that just cant be achieved with the LR3 and the smallest bit i can find. So thats where the CO2 comes in. To be able to speed up production and “Hopefully” have a lot less miss cuts. Seems every project we try to cut has a few spots that just dont cut all the way because of glue spots in the plywood. Right now she is using 1/4" “china birch” from the cabinet shop. I get that for $25 a sheet. They have some “nicer” 1/4" birch at $45 a sheet. I think im going to pick up a sheet of it when I get home. I have to go get a bunch of 1/2" from them anyways for the christmas grinches ($34 a sheet for cabinet grade china birch from them vs $42 for cheap construction grade from home depot) Anyways, got lost there for a bit LOL. Im really hoping that the CO2 will be a big step up in the cutting department for us. And ill still have the A40640 to do engraving and such. hoping the lightburn camera will help in setting up and lining things up as well. We will see how that goes when i get home and set it up!
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Go to Sam’s club and buy one of those small wine/beer fridges. Half can be a water chiller for the laser, half can be for its intended purpose.
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shoot. There are 2 freezers and a Fridge/freezer right next to where we are planning to put the CO2 laser. Of course the fridge is the farthest away. I wonder if i can run a line though the chest freezer right next to it and get the result we are looking for. Would have to run something other than water of course. hmmmmmm… Gotta be an easy way to do it like that…
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Freezer could work as long as the water runs out when you are done and doesn’t sit in the freezer between.
A coil of hose in the middle of some ice in the freezer could provide enough cooling to keep the water from heating up while it’s running.
But without some loops, it may not sit in there long enough to cool down.
Yeah I assumed it would need to be a coil of some sort in the freezer. Also could I run something like glycol or something similar to keep it from freezing even if it does sit in the freezer for some time?
Water having to be drained out would cause a big issue. It would have to be automated at shutdown to drain the loop and thats just more than i want to fool with. Having a longer run to the fridge would be better than having to do that.
As long as that’s fine for the laser. I have no idea.
Fridge might not be cool enough to bring the temp down for a long job. Would have to test it and keep a temp sensor on it. Figure out what the max coolant temp is before it isn’t effective, and put a shutdown on it if it crosses that level
All of that might not be worth the trouble over buying a chiller
https://www.amazon.com/VEVOR-Industrial-Chiller-Recirculating-Engraving/dp/B08FWFPQ2F?th=1
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My BlL used a bucket with a hose to the house going in and a hose going to the drain out and a pump to the water jacket. House water is 48 degrees here mostly year round
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I know you’ve all seen this a thousand times, but do you really need a chiller or will a radiator with an airflow through it be good enough?
Dangit. I didnt even think to check Vevor!
That particular chiller i dont think would be enough for a 100w laser…
But look at this…
And this chiller is only $3 more than the one rated for 80-100w CO2 laser, and would give me room if we ever wanted to upgrade
Im worried that in the heat of summer it just wont be enough to cool. The ambient temp in my garage can reach 95ºF/35ºC in July/August. So even if I had a ton of fans and a few large PC radiators Im not sure it will keep it cool enough. The vevor i posted has active cooling with R410 refrigerant in it. That i believe will be able to keep it plenty cool. Now if i could afford to insulate and install HVAC in my garage then that wouldnt matter. But thats not happening any time soon lol.
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This could be useful for cooling. A homebrewer trick to manage fermentation temps. Simply an old window unit and a cooler.
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What I’ve been reading is to “chill” the water to 20-30°C – in other words, room temperature.
I’ve been thinking about doing a CO2 laser a while, and this is one thing I think I have ready. I have a couple of old car radiators cleaned out and ready. Combined with the box fan (and furnace filter) that I use for room dust control it should do a very good job of keeping a reasonable volume of water at room temperature. Probably combine the water with a glycol based antifreeze, which will also work to keep a water pump lubricated and serve as an anti-corrosive. I figure about a 3:1 ratio would do the job nicely. I suppose that I could use RV plumbing antifreeze if I were worried about toxicity, but I don’t think that’s an issue. I already have a submersible water pump, so that portion is ready to go.
I’ve been gathering other parts, and have (I think) everything but the laser tube and power supply. Well, that and an acrylic safety cover for the assembly. Still waffling between 40W, 60W and 100W for output power. I went with a 2.5" focal length for the laser head, so should have a sharp cut.
Motion will be based on 2020 and 2040 V slot aluminum extrusion, with POM wheels. Working area will be a bit under 1m by 1.5m. I really like the idea of CoreXY kinematics because it will help enforce squareness, once dialled in. It’s also helpful for keeping moving mass to a minimum, which is helpful for keeping speeds up. I suppose that I could see what kind of speeds I can get which will help determine what level of laser power it is best optimised for.
Basic design is an aluminum extrusion frame. The long axis has a 1.5" C channel which encompases the 2 mirrors at 45° to redirect the laser to the head on the short axis. Sheet metal will cover the laser tube, and the places where the laser might hit if a mirror is out of alignment, including the opposite side of the long axis. One concernnis that the higher power laser tubes are longer than the short axis so I may need to widen the frame… but I suppose that I could use the extra width to house the control board and the coolant reservoir/pump.
Pictures will come, probably before the laser tube gets here. I still have some sheet metal to bend and paint before it’s ready to reveal.
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He and everything looks all classy, and then the camera pans over and it’s all like “Hillbilly handmade”!! LOL
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Hard to make a old air-conditioning unit looklike a purse 
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I am a little late to this party, but did you see this build series.
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