40W Chinese Laser - Engrave and Cut Leather - Discuss

[ke6cvh]

Hello group,  regarding the comment about having a hard time getting one's head inside the case.....the real concern seems to be the laser reflecting off anything and in the video link provided how the alignment was way off.  I'm shopping for a laser myself but need a larger work area so I can use it for various things besides also leather.  I'll google alignment procedures done safely.  The "sunglasses" provided with some of these surely are part of the solution as well as using a lowest power setting while aligning but there certainly is possibility of injury to the eyes if the wrong mistake is made.  With a larger unit comes more potential for accidents as the cover is lifted.  Best regards, Mike

[GrantNOVAROBOTICS]

Have a peep at these links maybe...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/192930340242?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/192931718520?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

Face-Book Search here & plenty of movie clips....        Nova Robotics - Lasers & 3D Printers

NOTE - shipping these out of the UK will need some discussion, but is possible.

[ToddW]

I thought i would ask on this old thread unless someone can point me to a newer one.  I was looking at a GlowForge and came across this thread.  Glowforge are 40w & 45w which is where the cheap chinese laser cutter and engravers are.  I make wallets, journal covers, and a periodic bag when I have the energy.  I was watching lil king goods use his glowforge for cutting and stitching holes.  Since these Chinese ones are $400 - $500 (far cheaper than the $3K - $5K), I was drawn in but don't want something I waste my money on.  This will be for low volume or R&D on new patters.  I would probably buy a clicker die for any high volume work.  Cutting to the chase.. Are these junk?  I see the ebay prices of $400 for a 40w https://www.ebay.com/itm/253313831369?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20180105095853%26meid%3Dda0d6a8569e244afbb7127182380030f%26pid%3D100903%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D20%26sd%3D254840192013%26itm%3D253313831369%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2510209%26brand%3DOMTech&_trksid=p2510209.c100903.m5276

[DocReaper]

is there anyplace other than China to get theses from?

[ToddW]

just seeing the ones on eBay and Amazon which I assume are the Chinese ones.  I can afford $400 - $500 but $5K is another thing.  GlowForge does have payments but its still $200 per month

[Bert03241]

dont buy a glowforge. look at Rabbit ,Thunder or boss lasers they have financing and youll be a whole lot happier. I bought a rabbit laser 6 years ago and very happy. It cost a little more but for the support and reliability of this laser it was worth it.

 

[ToddW]

which Rabbit model did you buy?  The cheapest I saw on their website was $7,800.. I would have to do A LOT of work to pay for that one..

[Bert03241]

34 minutes ago, ToddW said:

which Rabbit model did you buy?  The cheapest I saw on their website was $7,800.. I would have to do A LOT of work to pay for that one..

thats the one I bought but it was 5 years ago and on sale I paid 4 plus I picked it up at the factory no shipping fees

 

Just now, Bert03241 said:

thats the one I bought 60watt  60x40 but it was 5 years ago and on sale I paid 4

 

Edited January 12, 2022 by Bert03241

[Nikos69]

Be careful with lasered stitch holes since they will have soot transfer over to the thread. You will have to clean out the holes which is a pain. I resorted to have the laser mark the stitch holes with the same spacing as my irons.

[mchaney2003]

17 hours ago, Nikos69 said:

Be careful with lasered stitch holes since they will have soot transfer over to the thread. You will have to clean out the holes which is a pain. I resorted to have the laser mark the stitch holes with the same spacing as my irons.

This may be dependent on the strength of your laser. I use a 60W OMTech CO2 laser and have never had this issue; I laser cut every hole for my hand stitching. 

EDIT:: After re-reading the question I realized you said soot TRANSFER to the thread. Thats very dependent on the air pressure you have coming from the nozzle of the laser. I run about 25psi for cutting and have clean holes with no soot in them. I do still do a quick scrub afterward with some saddle soap or light dawn dish soap. 

Edited January 23, 2022 by mchaney2003

[ToddW]

One thing I completely overlooked is that I use a lot of chrome tanned leather.. most specifically one from Lefarc as I really like.  Have been spending the weekend reading about cutting chrome tanned leather with laser is toxic.. some say is bad for the laser although I can't find any data to support that.. might void warranty, not a clean cut as veg tan.etc..etc..etc...  I was looking hard at a Glowforge.. tempted by the boss and rabbit as the lasers are a lot stronger.  Glowforge is 40w and 45w.. just about e everyone says I would be happier with them over the glowforge. The place I want to put my laser cutter is by a window and I can vent out easily and its on the second floor so no near people.  I have looked at the filters as well..  Anyway.. deepens my questions and causing me to put off again.  I really want the laser for playing around with design and small volume stuff.

at the end of the day, I don't have a fortune to spend.  I think I am pretty set on the Cowboy class 26 sewing machine.. Was weighing the Glowforge Plus vs the basic.. or buy a clicker.  I don't have 220 or 3 phase power where I work.  That would probably have me weighing the Mighty wonder 8 ton clicker with a bed of 12" x 24.  The Glowforge is 11″ (279 mm) deep and 19.5″ (495 mm) wide but has a front loading slot so you can go long if you need to.  If I go the press, I loose the ability to etch a logo so back to dies..

This chrome tan thing brought me right back around to the clicker vs laser..

[mchaney2003]

29 minutes ago, ToddW said:

One thing I completely overlooked is that I use a lot of chrome tanned leather.. most specifically one from Lefarc as I really like.  Have been spending the weekend reading about cutting chrome tanned leather with laser is toxic.. some say is bad for the laser although I can't find any data to support that.. might void warranty, not a clean cut as veg tan.etc..etc..etc...  I was looking hard at a Glowforge.. tempted by the boss and rabbit as the lasers are a lot stronger.  Glowforge is 40w and 45w.. just about e everyone says I would be happier with them over the glowforge. The place I want to put my laser cutter is by a window and I can vent out easily and its on the second floor so no near people.  I have looked at the filters as well..  Anyway.. deepens my questions and causing me to put off again.  I really want the laser for playing around with design and small volume stuff.

at the end of the day, I don't have a fortune to spend.  I think I am pretty set on the Cowboy class 26 sewing machine.. Was weighing the Glowforge Plus vs the basic.. or buy a clicker.  I don't have 220 or 3 phase power where I work.  That would probably have me weighing the Mighty wonder 8 ton clicker with a bed of 12" x 24.  The Glowforge is 11″ (279 mm) deep and 19.5″ (495 mm) wide but has a front loading slot so you can go long if you need to.  If I go the press, I loose the ability to etch a logo so back to dies..

This chrome tan thing brought me right back around to the clicker vs laser..

I cut chrome tanned leathers all the time. It is NOT nearly as bad as some uninformed folks say. There are several threads on the Glowforge forums about this as well. 

Also, do not buy a Glowforge. PLEASE do not waste your money. You will pay twice as much, for a laser with half the bed size, that cuts half as quickly. I am not exaggerating. 

You want to get a chinese laser, at least a 50W, hopefully a 60W. Do NOT get a 40W, these are basically shenanigans. 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1364016877267714 <- This group has a lot of info and is a great resource. 

[ToddW]

if you don't mind me asking.. what do you have?  

I have 2 tarantula PRUSA 3d printers that I have had to mess with.. Carbon fiber boards, better print heads etc..etc..etc.. Very difficult to get going and LOTS of jacking with.  I bought an Ultimaker 2 a while back and the thing just works.. over and over and over..  No Jacking with.  My point is that my experience with the chinese 3d printer was not that great although it ultimately worked.  Kinda like the chinese cobler machine I bought.. it sews.. but lots of jacking with..  I am definitely not opposed to doing work..  I am very mechanical and software savy.. but.. I really want something to work out of the box and work over and over..

What I want is a large cutting bed.. camera inside so I can see.. My preference would be to have something that I can feed material for long pieces like this shotgun case..   Glowforge does all that..  the pro is a 45w but at $5K, you start getting closer to the Boss or rabbit.  I do like the financing option as well..  The leather I tend to go to is a chrome tan leather.  I can vent out or buy a filter.. Not super concerned with the fumes as the laser is by a window I can vent out of.  I do want it for stuff I will be selling so needs to be professional grade.  Probably looking at it wrong, but I have viewed the glowforge like my Mac.  Can I get a more powerful, more feature Intel or AMD laptop cheaper.. yes.. but my Mac just works...

I do appreciate the conversation.. Just looking to be pointed int he right direction as my brain is hurting..   I am "almost" to the point of just going the 8 ton might wonder clicker route but really don't want to have to continually have dies made until I know something is going to sell..

[mchaney2003]

23 minutes ago, ToddW said:

if you don't mind me asking.. what do you have?  

I have 2 tarantula PRUSA 3d printers that I have had to mess with.. Carbon fiber boards, better print heads etc..etc..etc.. Very difficult to get going and LOTS of jacking with.  I bought an Ultimaker 2 a while back and the thing just works.. over and over and over..  No Jacking with.  My point is that my experience with the chinese 3d printer was not that great although it ultimately worked.  Kinda like the chinese cobler machine I bought.. it sews.. but lots of jacking with..  I am definitely not opposed to doing work..  I am very mechanical and software savy.. but.. I really want something to work out of the box and work over and over..

What I want is a large cutting bed.. camera inside so I can see.. My preference would be to have something that I can feed material for long pieces like this shotgun case..   Glowforge does all that..  the pro is a 45w but at $5K, you start getting closer to the Boss or rabbit.  I do like the financing option as well..  The leather I tend to go to is a chrome tan leather.  I can vent out or buy a filter.. Not super concerned with the fumes as the laser is by a window I can vent out of.  I do want it for stuff I will be selling so needs to be professional grade.  Probably looking at it wrong, but I have viewed the glowforge like my Mac.  Can I get a more powerful, more feature Intel or AMD laptop cheaper.. yes.. but my Mac just works...

I do appreciate the conversation.. Just looking to be pointed int he right direction as my brain is hurting..   I am "almost" to the point of just going the 8 ton might wonder clicker route but really don't want to have to continually have dies made until I know something is going to sell..

I purchased the OMTech 60W with a 20" x 24" bed. It has dual passthroughs, so I use it for making belts. It ran me about $2200 after shipping, and I put about 800 worth of upgrades into it as soon as I got it. I use a software called Lightburn with it, and I believe Lightburn can run on a mac. 

 

I use this for engraving custom designs into leather - I can find a cool pic I like on the internet, convert it to a vector in 15 minutes, and have it burned onto leather and cut out in no time. I can also set it to engrave and cut 20 small designs and just read a book while it makes me money. Its friggin great. 

 

[ToddW]

ok.. definitely sounds interesting and price is very attractive..and agree bigger more powerful than a glowforge.

If you don't mind, which 60w did you buy as they are $2,800 + shipping on OMTech's website.  The 50w are more along the pricing you mentioned.  Also interested in the upgrades you chose as I see fan's, chillers, filters, etc..  I would like to work through the unit and options to see where I am at..

Lightburn does work on a mac and supports camera..  Also looks like OMTech has financing..

what would be nice is to take a pdf plan.. import it and hit a button to cut.  What I would engrave is branding/logo's on my wallets..

[Bert03241]

I'll scream again DON"T BUY A GLOWFORGE !!

You can import a decent Chinese CO2 laser 60 watts 14 x 24 bed with pass thru front to back and a z axis for under 4K most likely under 3 K OK 

Last question I saw was soot in the holes. Few things to do here that fix this problem. What I do is use the lowest power that gets a good clean cut and I make the holes smaller then the finished hole ,I then take my dremel with the right hole size bit and drill out the holes. Yea takes time but I find it worth the effort.

 Another trick is if you hand stitch is to pull and extra foot of thread thru the needle,  so your pulling 2 threads thru the hole for a foot or so, this will clean out most of the soot before it gets to the good thread.

[ToddW]

I am past the GlowForge (hate sounding wishy washy but hear you) and looking at the Chinese.. I sent an email to OMTech, Rabbit, Boss, Thunder trying to get pricing and options..  I know I want 50+ watt preferably 60w.. as big as a cutting area as I can afford..  front loading.. camera.. good venting...  camera...  not sure about water chillers, external filters, options, etc..

[Bert03241]

1 hour ago, ToddW said:

I am past the GlowForge (hate sounding wishy washy but hear you) and looking at the Chinese.. I sent an email to OMTech, Rabbit, Boss, Thunder trying to get pricing and options..  I know I want 50+ watt preferably 60w.. as big as a cutting area as I can afford..  front loading.. camera.. good venting...  camera...  not sure about water chillers, external filters, options, etc..

Theree are no real 50 watt co2 laser tube, whats being sold as a 50 is really a 40 watt tube pushed at start up to 50, tube is over driven and will not last. get a 60 watt tube, make sure of the length and Dia of tube is 55 x 1200mm = 60 watt tube.anything less is not a real 60 watt.

40W Laser Tube

Length=1010mm, Diameter=51mm

Edited January 24, 2022 by Bert03241

[ToddW]

Ok.. appreciate that...

[mchaney2003]

On 1/23/2022 at 7:22 PM, ToddW said:

ok.. definitely sounds interesting and price is very attractive..and agree bigger more powerful than a glowforge.

If you don't mind, which 60w did you buy as they are $2,800 + shipping on OMTech's website.  The 50w are more along the pricing you mentioned.  Also interested in the upgrades you chose as I see fan's, chillers, filters, etc..  I would like to work through the unit and options to see where I am at..

Lightburn does work on a mac and supports camera..  Also looks like OMTech has financing..

what would be nice is to take a pdf plan.. import it and hit a button to cut.  What I would engrave is branding/logo's on my wallets..

OMTech has raised their prices twice since I purchased my machine. You can get these exact machines on Alibaba or AliExpress and save about $1000 to $1200 dollars. The thing is, you're taking a much larger risk in that situation. OMTech is basically just buying these in mass from China, fixing what comes damaged, and selling them. 

OMTech does NOT have good support. That's a known factor. That Facebook group is fantastic though - it was started by three guys who got into OMTech machines like a year and a half ago just before OMTech hit their big popularity boom and began jacking prices up every six months. 

An OMTech comes with a lot of work -, you will need to upgrade the Air Assist immediately imho, and install a ventilation system. I cut a six inch hole in my house and use an S8 for ventilation, basically eliminates the bad leather smell. 

Anyway, all this info and more is in the Facebook group. I hope OMTech responds to your email, but they are notorious for failing to do so. 

I love my OMTech machine, but it's not plug and play. I've had to replace a couple limit switches, re-level bed, my lens came installed  upside down from the factory - but I knew to expect each of these issues and check for them because I did my research on YouTube and the Facebook groups. 

Depsite those issues my machine cut great on day 1 after flipping the lens - even then, it will cut okay with the lens upside down lol 

It has made me put out products four or five times faster. 

Oh, and in regards to your pdf comment, it depends on the pdf. Some PDFs are basically vector files so you can convert then with a program like Inkscape and import them into Lightburn natively. To make files for the laser, you need to be good with a computer - it is graphic design after all. OR, you can just buy premade files from Etsy for a few bucks per pattern. Do a quick search on Etsy for laser pattern and you'll see what I mean. 

I do a ton of graphic design and have since high school so for me, the laser was a natural shift since it is an intersection of several of my skillsets. For people who aren't comfortable with Photoshop / GIMP and Illustrator / Inkscape, there are lots of other places to source your laser files, many services that will convert a picture to a laser file for you for a few dollars, or dozens of YouTube tutorials so you can learn to do it yourself in just a few hours. 

It's super nice to be able to take a customers logo and engrave a perfect copy of it. 

Edited January 25, 2022 by Northmount
removed excessive white space

[mchaney2003]

Here are a couple videos I took when I first set the laser up.

 

 

Edited January 25, 2022 by Northmount
removed excessive white space

[ToddW]

boy.. diving into the Chinese laser world is like the 3D printer world on steroids..  LOTS of units.. LOTS of modifications.. LOTS of sellers..  LOTS of videos and opinions...  milage definitely varies..

 

I am off the GlowForge as the size, power  & Cost are definitely attractive..  The Boss, Rabbit, etc seem out of my budget $7K + so spending the time on the Chinese variants.  Really looking for a point in the right direction on vendor to buy from (I am ok with Alibaba as I bought my 3D printer there).  I am ok with adding add-ons or options.. I will be cutting Chrome Tan so need good venting or a good filter.  Water chillers vary from a bucket with pump and water to contained ones.. 

Back of the envelope is around $3K for the 60W chinese with the options I want including Lightburn and camera.    

[ToddW]

ok.. I have spent the last few days catching up on the Chinese Laser.  OMTech definitely dominates the Ads and SEO as most searches bring them up.  What I was wanting to do is save the extra dollars and order from China but I really can't tell what vendor to use.  I joined the Facebook groups but pending acceptance.  I do want the bigger unit as its only a few hundred dollars more, but now starting to worry about space.  I don't have room in the garage.. Where I wanted to put the glowforge was upstairs where I do leather work but don't think I could get the unit up the stairs which has me putting it downstairs in my home office.  When you start adding better water chillers and better filters, its going to take up a lot of space.  Before, money was more my limiting factor but now finding space to be my challenge.  I emailed OMTech and their responses have been very short and brief.. not very helpful when I am trying to buy..

https://omtechlaser.com/collections/mid-range-co2-laser-engravers/products/55w-co2-laser-engraver-cutter-usb-6b46-us

vs

https://omtechlaser.com/collections/mid-range-co2-laser-engravers/products/50w-co2-laser-engraver-cutter-usb-5g3r-us

vs

https://omtechlaser.com/collections/mid-range-co2-laser-engravers/products/50w-co2-laser-engraver-cutter-usb-5b3r-us

then.. you get to what upgrades..  I have sent a few emails on Alibaba but its been a back and forth thing which is now on day 3 of trying to get to a build of materials..

This is why the glowforge was attractive to start.. I'm committed on the Chinese Laser now, but really just want some manufacturer to tell me what to buy and I pull the trigger.

[Bert03241]

contact https://www.gweikecnc.com

good laser good support decent prices

[ToddW]

1 hour ago, Bert03241 said:

contact https://www.gweikecnc.com

Email sent!