Clueless

Just search co2 laser in ebay. You will need the tube, power supply, water pump, some sort of cooling unit (TEC based or radiator based), steering optics and the laser head itself. Depending on what you're trying to cut an air assist may benefit you.

But honestly if you have to ask you probably shouldn't be handling things like that. They can be 40W plus and use extremely high voltages and water. Electricity and water don't mix so you have to be even extra careful.

You bought a 5W argon laser to use on a CNC machine?? You _realllyy_ should have done a bit more research first. You could have picked up a 100W+ CO2 laser for the same you paid for that argon laser. 5W will only just cut paper and engrave wood, it won't cut plastic or anything. A 100W CO2 is on the verge of cutting very thin metal, and it'll chew through wood and plastic. Not to mention the CO2 laser wouldn't require 35A 3 phase, and can be used with $2 hardware store safety glasses.

Things said:

You bought a 5W argon laser to use on a CNC machine?? You _realllyy_ should have done a bit more research first. You could have picked up a 100W+ CO2 laser for the same you paid for that argon laser. 5W will only just cut paper and engrave wood, it won't cut plastic or anything. A 100W CO2 is on the verge of cutting very thin metal, and it'll chew through wood and plastic. Not to mention the CO2 laser wouldn't require 35A 3 phase, and can be used with $2 hardware store safety goggles.

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It doesn't matter what it cuts i just need it to cut a foam cube and engrave a plastic square my competition is only using salvaged toy rc boards and knives and dremills im using stepper motors and steel frame with legitimate stepper motor controller boards the build is not for me its not my money and once its all done i don't get to keep it they sell it to make profit for the next competition. in which i will take this forums advise and make a better higher performance cnc laser. also im thinking about making the next one full 3d cut instead of this 2d version. its all a learning process for me thank you any ways. im glad i found this forum

7 kilowatt input for a 5 watt useful beam! for once I disagree with Dan, if you have a knowledge level that has you buying 5 watt argons for cutting then a 100 watt co2 is very likely going to blind you at best and kill you at worst. while I'm impressed by your willingness to try I do have concerns that your aspirations and abilities have a bit of a gap between them.

That set up is entirely unsuitable for any kind of cnc machine or laser cutter when compared to the myriad of other possible sources.
From memory the only machines that use the 530 range are subsurface engravers.

cheers

Dave

here's what i plan for my next cnc to be.
a 35w co2 laser with 220v power supply and some type of either water cooling or oil cooling but I'm still short on the details i will ask on this forum when it comes to that at this point i was only building rotary tool cnc machines and milling machines but had never used lasers i knew i bit about the pointers and that a 5mw laser could create a visible dot but a 5w would burn a hold in some surfaces so i got stupid i looked up the biggest laser i could find for 5w 5000mw and bought it i now have it and it has a certificate for light shows ... not what i wanted but i have learned how to focus it it does engrave but not as i had planned any ways im miles above my competition and im most likely gonna win. When i win the competition will start the finals which will have a new goal. I'm a fan of lasers and mechatronics i like robotics and precision machining so i thought id put my best into it and so far it has worked out i understand i made mistakes but isnt that the point of a learning process?

i understand i made mistakes but isnt that the point of a learning process?

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It is indeed brother,(+1 for at least having the nuts to try it) the guys here (Hakz, Blord, Arg,Things, Bloompyle, DTR, Daugin, Blaster,Trevor, Sigthur, Moh, Atomix, Meatball etc etc) are about to save you a LOT of money in future
That aside the learning process with a CO2 gas laser is a very quick one, it's either right or you get hurt...badly hurt very quickly.
The voltages are dangerous and the beams are invisible so repeated visits to Dr Sams web page are essential.

If you have an interest in machining use the engineers law when working with lasers

"Measure twice, cut once"

cheers

Dave

"It's not my money so help me waste it." Does the word "ethics" mean anything to you?

Unfortunately you would be hard-pressed to find a WORSE laser to spend money on.

Not only (if it did actually output 5 watts) would it be unsuitable for a laser cutting/engraving machine, but it will not be likely to work at all.

The laser you bought is a Coherent CR-2, a member of the "SuperGraphite" family. I actually owned one of these lasers myself at one point. I wouldn't buy one for more than $10 let alone $1500.

From the ebay auction: "This laser was operating when removed from service. The owner doesn't have what is needed to currently test it, and I no longer have time to, so while I can see the laser system is complete and in good physical and cosmetic condition, the unit is sold AS-IS. It may, or may not need repairs. BUYER IS RESPONSIBILE FOR ANY AND ALL REPAIRS THAT ARE NEEDED AND / OR WANTED."

Red flag right there. This laser is likely over 20 years old. Unlike more modern ion laser systems the glass windows at the ends of the tube are sealed with epoxy, which leaks over time. Eventually enough air leaks inside the tube and the laser is basically ruined.

Steve, "LSRFAQ" a member here is pretty much the go-to guy on argon lasers. Here's a quote from him a few years ago to another member who stumbled across a SuperGraphite laser.

That is a supergraphite tube. Its a museum piece. The bore walls are made of a set of hard but porous graphite disks. The graphite disks are held in a quartz tube for vacuum integrity. The optics are "soft coated" whitelight optics and will degrade rapidly. Please believe me that a 1982 or so laser using graphite is best left alone. It is a testiment to Coherent's engineering skills, but nothing more. Graphite tubes are very pressure unstable to begin with.

The graphite glows orange hot and transfers its heat by radiation, not conduction, to the cooling water. Modern tubes use conduction for a reason. As the graphite heats up, becomes powder, and cracks, it adsorbs gas from the fill. That gas can suddenly emerge to become a high pressure issue.

Its worth 50$, maybe, at best. The CR54 psu might be useful if you had other small Coherent heads.

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im happy to say that my laser did end up engraving it works it follows g-code but is extremely slow i had to use 3 lenses to focus it and replace the drivers as they were fried but other than that i won 1st place in the competition and will start my next design a robot butler

Congrats, though that isn't the best laser for your setup its still an awesome piece!

Sitherus said:

Hi i have recently purchased a 5000mw blue/violet laser pointer and am an amateur in lasers in general but i would like to know what type of glasses i could get for like 20.00 usd i need something that fits over glasses and works for 5000mw 405nm does any one know of decent glasses that i might be able to use for this? Thanks in advanced. also I created an account to ask this question so i don't know if this is the right section to post. and if i need to be an active community member to get my answer i will do that.

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mw? you mean mW ..right??:shhh:-- it DOES make a (HUGE) diff.
as does your location- its a good move to add it to you profile.
also there is no such animal as a 5000mW 405 handheld.
hard to find many over 500mW- especially for 20$

have you added a link to this laser?- that helps a lot too.
LAST 2 CENTS-- a wise user gets eye ware first (for the correct wavelength) THEN gets the laser.

I have a +-4 to give after you finish your profile page --WELCOME! (from Brazoria Texas):beer::beer::beer::beer:

^ Hakzaw,

It turned out to be a 5W argon laser (not handheld) that he was using in a CNC machine for a design contest. He won the contest.

QQ-Tech® Goggles Laser Eye Protection Safety Glasses Goggle Glass Shield with Case for Green Blue Laser Pointer - Amazon.com $2.99 405nm-532nm protective goggles