Playing with my new 40W laser

[JROD]

Very cool video Adrian!

I just got a 40W CO2 laser myself...will post video of it in action soon

Have you tried to foucs your beam at all with some type of fixture? I bought a focusing head along with a dichroic mirror and focusing lens for it...haven't got that far yet though...just powered up the laser and burned a few things (including a small pinhole in my wall...had to see what kinid of range it had)

I will post an update on this when i make some progress...I know it sounds crazy but I want to get this beam to the point that it can cut thin sheet metal...don't worry...safety is always my first concern and I WILL BE CAREFUL as I work on this...wish me luck and any advice is always welcome.

-John

 

[Hardwyre]

What all do you need for a CO2 setup?

Tube
Power Supply
Water Pump
Air Pump
Control(?)

Anything else you suggest? I'd like to CO2 my CNC machine at some point.

 

[trussmonkey25]

Im. going to mak e a presser foot for mine . much like a jigsaw or a srwing machine..

 

[Mohrenberg]

Aluminum sounds so much cooler in the rest of the world. Americans ruin everything....

 

[AUS]

Aluminum sounds so much cooler in the rest of the world. Americans ruin everything....

Don't get me started on how Americans pronounce "Solder"....:undecided:

 

[lasersbee]

The " L " is silent......


Jerry

You can contact us at any time on our Website: J.BAUER Electronics

 

[Cromagnum]

Besides having fun, what types of practical uses would a garage enthusiast use one of these beasts for? I know in industry they are used for cutting intricate patterns, but holy cow that thing is mean.

 

[trussmonkey25]

Burn your name into something like a wine bottle, a tile,a piece of metal, clear plexiglas© or something else a dremel© just wont do.

 

[trussmonkey25]

Al you min ee umm......sa der. XDDD
aloominumnumnum.. sa dah

 

[Things]

Sol-der thank you very much

Aluminium sounds cooler

 

[trussmonkey25]

My bad...I see you are down under. would you say
a loo min uhm like USA blokes or al loo min ni uhm like the Londiniums?

 

[Things]

Like the Brits mostly, most of our pronounciation is just variations of the British version

 

[trussmonkey25]

Cool. a question about co2 cooling. Can you use antifreeze instead of water?

 

[DashApple]

Cool. a question about co2 cooling. Can you use antifreeze instead of water?

I think sticking just to normal water would be best for the tube .

 

[Cromagnum]

Cool. a question about co2 cooling. Can you use antifreeze instead of water?

Why would you want to? The laser isn't going to be subject to subzero temperatures, and ethylene glycol has a much lower thermal conductivity than water anyways (water is ~3x better).

Thermal Conductivity Common Liquids

 

[Things]

Yes you can use antifreeze, if you think your laser is at risk of the water freezing. Water freezing in the tube is a 100% guaranteed way to crack it. However, I'd stick to plain ol distilled/demineralized water if there isn't a risk of the water freezing.

I wouldn't recommend operating the laser at sub-0C temps either.