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  1. Ian

    K40 Laser Cutter Upgrades

    Thanks for the tips! I was going to direct the air-assist via a copper nozzle directed near the cutting point, which should blow most of the smoke away from travelling up in to the focal lens. Here's an example image that describes what I was going to build: However that wouldn't get much...
  2. Ian

    K40 Laser Cutter Upgrades

    Oddly they market the castors as a selling point, I'm not sure why :confused:. No air assist on this model either - it's a real bare-bones system. I've got a mini air compressor arriving next week, but I need to measure the barb dimensions once it arrives before I can order in any tubing. I've...
  3. Ian

    CO2 laser tube lifespan - time used vs age of tube?

    The laser cutter arrived this morning, so I've started on a project log: https://www.electronicspoint.com/projectlogs/k40-laser-cutter.154/ More to come once I get going :).
  4. K40 Laser Cutter Upgrades

    K40 Laser Cutter Upgrades

    After much deliberation and questions on the forums, I finally bought a K40 laser cutter. It cost around £350 (after discounts) and was delivered within 2 days from a UK warehouse - which means I can avoid any lengthy delays and import fees from ordering direct from China. Here's the model I...
  5. Ian

    K40 Laser Cutter Upgrades

    Ian submitted a new Showcase Item: K40 Laser Cutter Read more about this showcase item here...
  6. Ian

    CO2 laser tube lifespan - time used vs age of tube?

    I had a further read and found this article, which does some pretty interesting testing (firing a CO2 laser at pig eyes behind different types of glasses): http://www.williamosman.com/2017/05/safety-glasses-vs-laser-glasses.html CO2 laser Safety glasses are being ordered as I type :). Edit...
  7. Ian

    CO2 laser tube lifespan - time used vs age of tube?

    Lots of useful info here - thank you! Am I correct in thinking that this wavelength is going to be absorbed by pretty much anything I'd wear? I've got lots of acrylic safety glasses in the workshop, which I assume would be good enough for a diffuse beam or specular reflections at 10.6 μm? The...
  8. Ian

    CO2 laser tube lifespan - time used vs age of tube?

    Will do :D I'll take plenty of photos whilst documenting the modifications and tweaks, as I'm already deciding how I'm going to pull bits off and improve it (at least that's the aim!) ;).
  9. Ian

    CO2 laser tube lifespan - time used vs age of tube?

    Thanks for the feedback folks :). I've pulled the trigger on buying a K40 cheapo laser cutter :D.
  10. Ian

    CO2 laser tube lifespan - time used vs age of tube?

    I suspect the tube included in this bundle will be as low-end a 40W tube as possible. It is water cooled using an aquarium pump cycling water via a bucket reservoir and I'll likely aim for no more than 75% max power, as I'd wager it's really not a 40W tube! Do you think that not using the tube...
  11. Ian

    CO2 laser tube lifespan - time used vs age of tube?

    A few weeks ago I was looking for some advice on a CO2 laser cutter, but in the end I had to reel in my expectations after realising how much import duty and other fees would be. However, I have now found a really affordable K40 laser cutter based in the UK, which means it'll give me something...
  12. Ian

    Hello from India

    Welcome to the forum, RT59 :).
  13. Ian

    Hello, everyone. Tracy here.

    Hi @Sternwheeler, welcome to the forums!
  14. Ian

    hello from uk

    Welcome to the forums :).
  15. Ian

    {computer}: How to add a monostable to PC PWR/Reset button?

    I definitely agree that having the SSD as the OS main drive would help significantly - if it's in an external enclosure, you may be able to open it nicely and find a 2.5" SATA drive in there, which should fit inside your case. 6-7 mins sounds like an awfully long time to boot up - my system is...
  16. Ian

    Hello from Beautiful Greenfield Indiana!

    Welcome aboard Richard - I think you'll find many like-minded members here :D.
  17. Ian

    Cheap Chinese Laser Cutters

    I've just had a quick search for fibre lasers, but yep, they're expensive :eek:. I'll keep a watch on ebay over the coming months and update this thread if I get anything. That would be the icing on the cake ;).
  18. Ian

    Cheap Chinese Laser Cutters

    I did consider that, but it looks like the only type that would be practical to build would involve using much smaller laser units (~5W) that could only cut paper or lightly engrave wood. I want to cut 3-6mm ply which would involve using a water cooled CO2 laser tube that's something like 800mm...
  19. Ian

    Cheap Chinese Laser Cutters

    I've done a lot more reading up on getting a laser cutter and the biggest hurdle seems to be the import costs - a "cheap" machine ends up doubling in price if I want door-to-door delivery. The "free" delivery that a lot of these machines come with means that they'll be delivered to a port at the...
  20. Ian

    Cheap linear actuators

    Yep, and I can't even imagine what it's for as there's nothing above or below it (a solid floor below and a roof above - water/elec/gas all come in elsewhere) - you've piqued my interest now though, so I'm going to have an explore and see what it could be. I think I like this idea even more...
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