What else can you do with a Co2 rust removing laser?

[steve001]

Some impressive things.

 

[WizardG]

Not a CO2 laser. Pumped fiber. I want one

 

[RedCowboy]

This guy has some good videos.

 

[steve001]

Not a CO2 laser. Pumped fiber. I want one

From what I have read these rust removing lasers are Co2. They range in output from 20W-2000W operating as pulsed and/or continuous modes. Wavelength is 10,600nm.

 

[RedCowboy]

The laser in backyard scientists video is an active fiber laser of 1100nm output doing 2000W

 

[CurtisOliver]

I’ve done rust removal with a 60W CO2 laser engraver. You can also cleanup casted pewter. However you have to be careful with reflections.

 

[steve001]

The laser in backyard scientists video is an active fiber laser of 1100nm output doing 2000W

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I see after a further search there are rust removing machines outputting at that wavelength

 

[RedCowboy]

A Co2 laser is better absorbed by organic materials like wood, fabrics, cardboard and flesh where coagulation is desired and a fiber laser is better absorbed by metals such as steel, aluminum and brass also a Co2 laser cavity can't be rolled up like glass fiber can....... I know they can bundle multiple Co2 laser tubes and use polished aluminum cavities, but if you want a 2000W ( two thousand watt ) rust remover in a compact size it's not going to be C02.

Fiber will take more market share as prices are coming down and the footprint of ultra fast lasers will be even more compact, but I digress, point is I haven't seen a 2KW Co2 rust remove in a small business size format and in the 10,000 dollar price range.

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[Bowtie41]

I’ve done rust removal with a 60W CO2 laser engraver. You can also cleanup casted pewter. However you have to be careful with reflections.

Could you please PM me more info on how you did it? I have a 50 watt CO2 laser engraver and have been wanting to see if I could convert it to rust removal. Thank you

 

[CurtisOliver]

Could you please PM me more info on how you did it? I have a 50 watt CO2 laser engraver and have been wanting to see if I could convert it to rust removal. Thank you

No need for conversion at all. Just set the laser to engrave a rectangle that covers the surface you want to rust remove. If the surface is uneven, set the focus to the middle of the z of your piece to have better coverage. If you have a 1” lens then trial 200mm/s 80% power and 0.125mm line/scan gap first. If the rust is stubborn, slow the engrave speed down and reduce the scan gap slightly to around 0.1mm to slightly overlap the beam. This technique works best on flatter steel surfaces. A 50/60W CO2 doesn’t have the necessary power to etch rust off like a kw fiber laser.

 

[trussmonkey25]

From what I have read these rust removing lasers are Co2. They range in output from 20W-2000W operating as pulsed and/or continuous modes. Wavelength is 10,600nm.

No these are fiber lasers. I have one

 

[RedCowboy]

No these are fiber lasers. I have one

I bet you are loving it. How's the laser artwork going ?

 

[trussmonkey25]