[itmaxx]

Bratan you're right as usual!
I forgot that one. My sh g350 has the network port outside, near the USB ports and the U/D table switch.

@miketola, your pin table is so cool, I am curious. rivets on simple woodjoint plates? please, enlighten us :-)

[bratan]

I decided to build my own pin table. Got box of rivets at Lowes, checked lengths, they are pretty much even (maybe 1 mm deviation). Also ordered 12x24" 1/4" thick aluminum sheet on eBay ($42 with shipping). Gotta drill holes about 2" apart, that shouldn't be too hard
I wanted to ask what kind of water you guys use? Is tap water ok? How frequently do you change it? Any filters?

[fixtureman1]

I use distilled water with a little aquarium algaecide in it

[itmaxx]

Distilled water seems the way to go. Algaecide is a good idea. I read in several threads about people using car radiator coolant (hope to write it right) but really dpn't know if it is a good idea or if it is needed.


btw... still not activated my sh350 but today my boss give me green light on buying a gravotech ls100...
from 0 laser to 2 lasers in a month :-) :-) :-)

[bratan]

I'll have to get some distilled water then! Thanks for the tip on algaecide! I'll get some.
BTW I was finally able to connect my laptop to the cutter. It appears usb interface is just USB to serial converter, kind of like FTDI. It adds COM port to your computer. I had to install driver manually tho, but it works on Windows 7! I can move carriage in both axes!
If anyone interested my cutter has RDC6442G (EC) controller.

[TehPepper]

The software works fine on Windows 10 and I have a few FTDI devices that also work on 10 so you wouldn't really have any issues for the foreseeable future. I find this to be a refreshing change

[bratan]

One more question about this machine. What is the ideal distance between object and laser head? I can't seem to find that red piece of plastic on a string that was used for distance measurement

[itmaxx]

The little red plastic I found in my accessory case is (I hope I remember it well...) about 4cm long and 0.9 cm high. the distance between the object and the tip of the lens holder should be that. 0.9cm.
I think tha lens inside is a common 2inches focus lenght so check if there are about 5cm (0.9+4.1) between the position of the lens inside the holder and the thing you are engraving/cutting.
just an advice i ofund in some reading around. the ray is not a cilindrical beam... it is a double cone (think of a hourglass) where the center point is the lens focus length. so if you are engraving, the point must be ON the material. If you are cutting the focus lenght should be INSIDE the sheet, halfway.

Focus Lens 101

hope to be right...

[TehPepper]

I lost mine too Experimentation revealed that 9mm was the best for cutting 3mm stock.

[bratan]

Thanks a lot guys!
I tried 9mm, it worked but beam was out of focus, so I kept lowering bed, until I hit about 20mm. At this distance it cuts 1/8" acrylic the best...
BTW, what are the Min1,Min2 settings for? Does laser cutter uses this minimum power settings for anything? Also why are there 2 maximums?
I noticed that my print bed is shaking a lot, does anyone has same issue? It's a manual lift kind, but it's just kind of floating on the threaded rods

[BrianJenkins]

How do you like the Ruida controller so far? It does have a virtual printer driver too

[Nolan Yang]

Hello BrianJenkins, this is Nolan from Thunder Laser, there are many tutorial videos about Ruida controller, you can find it on our website, maybe it is useful for you.
How to use laser software - Thunderlaser

How do you like the Ruida controller so far? It does have a virtual printer driver too

[Greolt]

If anyone interested my cutter has RDC6442G (EC) controller.

I was using a new GWeike machine yesterday that had that controller. Looked pretty good.

RDworks was nice, with a clear workspace and a few nice features.

It also has a plugin that goes into Coreldraw. (X5 in my case). It is a cut down version of RDworks, which has just the things you need when sending files from Corel to the laser.

All in all a very nice controller. Had me thinking of moving over from my AWC708 controller.

[itmaxx]

@bratan
try to think in inches. Lens on the market are 1.5 or 2or 2.5 or 4 inches focused. So if 5.08cm (lens to stock) doesn't work maybe 2.54×2.5 cm will.
of course testing and testing and testing wil work the same ;-)

[miketola]

Here. I made sample video how check yoir focal leght. Smallet dot and deebest cut is your focal area. I can also calcuöate dof with different lens if you need

Laser focal lenght help video to lindari: Laser focal lenght lindari - YouTube

[bratan]

Here. I made sample video how check yoir focal leght. Smallet dot and deebest cut is your focal area. I can also calcuöate dof with different lens if you need

Wow that's great method! Thank you so much for sharing! I'm gonna try it tonight.
Speaking of RDWorks, I like that standalone program so far! I just wish there was in depth documentation for it. I still have no idea what Min1, Min2, Max2 settings are for for example
Also there seems to be a plugin for Illustrator as well as CorelDraw, but personally I just don't see a reason to use it. I'm used to prepare file, export it and send to manufacturer to cut my design, so exporting it from my design program into a format that's understood by RDWorks, seems sufficient And this way you are not limited by specific version supported by plugin...
Also I have another question about 350 machine. Does any of yours have some kind of smoke management framework inside the machine? I.e. from cutting table to exhaust on the back? I build a very powerful fume extractor, but it still stinks bad when I cut acrylic It could be fault in my extractor, but I suspect smoke might be also leaking thru machine itself.

[itmaxx]

@miketola: thanks, great idea to check lens focus!

I started the building of my cabinet/filter. worked 6 hours today and this is the result:
Attachment 271456
I confess, it is better than I expected until now. the space is large enough to put the water over the extractor and to put (eventually) another extractor after the first, just to double the suction...
will put a 3m filtrete as 1# filter, then about 4cm of zeolite, a box with 16liters of active carbon and a hepa filter before the exit opening.
My idea is to put a long air hose (about 10 meters) to go outside, but if the filter works enough to remove all smell, the I will try it without it.
this is the 3d of the cabinet:

[bratan]

I just found out that my z bed is not even (back is lower than front), which results in failed cuts Is there any easy to way to adjust it? I guess for now I'll make inserts for my pin table so back side is higher than front...

[itmaxx]

Did you try to remove the belt and manually turn the threaded rods of the table (z axis) to make the table even?

[bratan]

Did you try to remove the belt and manually turn the threaded rods of the table (z axis) to make the table even?

Yup, that worked. Thanks!
BTW while leveling table I discovered something a little disturbing. Machine was unplugged yet when I moved axes around LCD screen would light up briefly! It means they have no protection diodes from stepper motors, so when it generates voltage it goes straight into motherboard