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Darkly Labs emblaser - affordable laser cutter - review


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A great thread this one...   ...I'm (still) resisting getting one of these cutters myself.

 

 

Anyway. How thick are the 'beds' of the LASER Cutters and what are they made of?

 

I'm thinking that you could use magnets.

Directly if the bed is ferrous or, if not, then with one magnet above the work piece and one under the bed directly beneath the first one.

Several 'pairs' of small Neodymium could be used with some 'clamping inner cut-outs too.

 

 

I've just had a 'play' with several 10mm diameter by 3mm deep Neodymium magnets. (I imagine that this is way thicker then the Emblaser's bed.)

I used a piece of 10mm thick wood and placed magnets above and below.

They 'clamped' thin work quite well and could be spaced 50mm apart with no problems.

I found that you could place 2 pairs of magnets 25mm apart if you placed the 2nd pair with an apposing field to the 1st pair.

 

 

Kev.

 

 

Hi Kev,

 

The base of a straight out the box emblaser is 2mm aluminium sheet, and there are little rubber feet that raise it half an inch or so above the surface, so magnets are an option,  you'd just need to be aware of the path that the laser head takes to get to the work to avoid it crashing into the magnets, since it has a shield which is only .5mm above the workpiece -  but it could be done.

 

I found the aluminium sheet a little flimsy and prone to not being flat across its entire area, so added some 10mm MDF topped with a piece of  3mm glass stuck on with double sided tape.  All up,with the work piece added  it might be  a bit thick for the power of magnets, but....  I'm thinking now as I write this, how about some strips of  thin steel or something  that is more magnetic  sandwiched between the MDF and the glass, and then magnets on top to hold the work  down?

 

  Thats definitely something to think about, since currently I'm using masking tape which doesn't stick too well to the glass  here when its humid, so thanks heaps  Kev - I'll follow that up and report back!

 

    Come join us..... you know you want to! :devil:

Edited by monkeysarefun
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Chris

 

Charge him $14 each...

 

Pay for the materials for your next 3 models!

 

Kev

 

The base of mine is a (removeable) aluminium hexagonal honeycomb about 20mm thick, over a steel bed.

 

It would probably be easier to drill & tap it round the edge, say M3 or 8BA than to find aluminium magnets :)

 

Would have been a good option otherwise!

 

Best

Simon

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I've been waylaid by someone at work hearing I have a laser cutter trying to talk  me into doing his daughters laser cut wedding invitations because 'why pay 15 bucks a card when a bloke at work will do it for nothing?" (he thinks..)

 

That "bloke at work" could buy his own Emblaser, burn/cut the invitations and still save money!

 

 

Kev.

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All the laser work of the Denton Brook building is finished and assembled. Windows fitted, the cills were cut in situ, and pulled forward. Some bricks were cut out (probably too many), the building still awaits weathering - together with roof (corrugated) gutters etc.....

 

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4FDD4826-6553-44D5-9BB5-1A00DE2CCB00_zps

 

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Edited by Giles
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stunning looks like I will have to up my game....

i clicked the 'agree' button, to  mean that I'll have to lift my game too, I'm not intending to imply in  anyway  that I agree  that  you need to lift yours!

Edited by monkeysarefun
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Simon,

 

I don't clamp my work down, but I do use bars and weights to hold it down. I keep meaning to make a clamp, but even a clamp may still need weights if the middle of the sheet bows.

 

Ideally the MDF should be kept in a level, dry place so its square and ready to use.

 

With the settings to use, have you made a ramp test yet? this is a good way of working out the cutting/engraving properties of the laser/material. Remember though the laser changes over time and the air quality, ambient temperature all can influence the cut.

 

Phil

 

Thanks for your advice.

 

I have made a number of "Ramp Tests" - rather than clog up this thread, I've started a new one with some photos.

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/110058-co2-laser-the-learning-curve/?p=2267502

 

The MDF is kept flat on a shelf, but maybe I should bring it indoors - the garage is not the driest place on the planet. I'm now trying the weights to keep the material flat.

 

Best

Simon

Edited by Simond
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not upto Giles standard but hey its better than I could cut  by hand

 

post-1480-0-57502700-1460483659_thumb.jpg

 

 

post-1480-0-65944800-1460483698_thumb.jpg

 

0.8mm ply  was well pleased how the 0.8mm x 1.6mm open mortise joint worked on the benches.

 

Then the problem the 0.8mm I have just bought will not cut it either etches or burns so back to my original supplier

 

 

 

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Nice - very nice! Apart from the laser cutting, I'm really impressed that you could even see to assemble those benches!

 

I had bought a couple of sheets of 0.8mm from Hobarts, which were un-laserable, and these were (with hind sight) the exterior grade. Their proper laser-grade however, I find very good. I've just received a couple of sheets of cast Perspex to try - so we'll see how that does!

Edited by Giles
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There are various 'paints' you can apply to difficult materials, to let them be more laserable. You'll have to search for 'em, and try them, since the wavelength of the emblazer laser is different, afaik, to the more usual CO2 variety.

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Sorry that it won't help, or even make you feel better about it, but the CO2 laser goes through Perspex like the proverbial knife through butter.

 

I'll try the Hobarts laser-able ply at some point.

 

Best

Simon

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......... However.... In my search for the correct plasticard substitute, I came across a material that allows me to do this in 0.8mm. It's fairly bendy, so doesn't break when you're glueing them on (i haven't broken any at all...) - but it needs superglueing, as MEK etc won't do the biz....

That's fine, as in this application I was fitting then onto a ply board (lasered with locating slots) in any case.

 

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The gutter was a 3mm u rib from an old umbrella, and the board was lasered with the slots giving a slight 'fall' to the gutter. The brackets are amazingly resilient. I could probably fold one in half before inflicting damage on it. The thickness of the support is about 0.35mm

Edited by Giles
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......... However.... In my search for the correct plasticard substitute, I came across a material that allows me to do this in 0.8mm. It's fairly bendy, so doesn't break when you're glueing them on (ia2a6722e3cee6440d4aa2f5cb66db602_zpsyhbw

Fingernail?

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......... However.... In my search for the correct plasticard substitute, I came across a material that allows me to do this in 0.8mm. It's fairly bendy, so doesn't break when you're glueing them on (i haven't broken any at all...) - but it needs superglueing, as MEK etc won't do the biz....

That's fine, as in this application I was fitting then onto a ply board (lasered with locating slots) in any case.

 

a2a6722e3cee6440d4aa2f5cb66db602_zpsyhbw

 

 

 

 

 

409b372527b5365ed121bea6ae1d6488_zpsg3pr

 

The gutter was a 3mm u rib from an old umbrella, and the board was lasered with the slots giving a slight 'fall' to the gutter. The brackets are amazingly resilient. I could probably fold one in half before inflicting damage on it. The thickness of the support is about 0.35mm

 

now that I like!

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That bottom picture, that is so easy to mistake for a real building.. 

 

and the top picture - that is so easy to mistake for a real thumb :)

 

Talking materials - my 40 sheets of taskboard arrived yesterday so hopefully I can try that out on the weekend and report back.

 

This also looks interesting, and these guys ship to down here, so I've ordered some.

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Bless you... If you squint......

 

Finally I've got this building just about done (there's always a couple more jobs to do.....). I find buildings difficult and labour-intensive, although this one has been much easier by using the laser cutter. I feel I'm now reasonably fluent, so if I want a part, I can just cut it, so to speak.

 

I should have been struggling to do the fire escape any other way, in any event (other than etching it in brass, of course).

 

The stone wall at the bottom is a piece of 18mm ply, covered in fire cement, embossed and carved - it took a surprising amount of time to do!

 

I'm not particularly happy with any of the painting - but that is very much my weak point (I don't count polishing locos!)

 

The Emblazer does what it says on the packet, and I now wouldn't be without it, even if it ends up standing idle for significant periods. The level of accuracy is much greater than I anticipated, with a kerf of approx 0.12mm, and the machines limitations are extremely reasonable.

 

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Not on your life - I can't even see how many wheels locos have got at that scale! I greatly admire the 2mm boys, but I only really get to see what your all doing when you post or publish ruddy great photos!

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......... However.... In my search for the correct plasticard substitute, I came across a material that allows me to do this in 0.8mm. It's fairly bendy, so doesn't break when you're glueing them on (i haven't broken any at all...) - but it needs superglueing, as MEK etc won't do the biz....

 

So what material did you use for the brackets Giles? Is this 0.8mm Rowmark?

 

Guy 

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It's also interesting to note that excellent as Trotec is, it won't do everything. I can't do the fire escape steps in it, as I get left with scrap in the little square holes, no matter what setting I use. It seems that ply is the only candidate for that particular job (or any very teeny clear holes)

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I have to agree 0.8mm ply is very laser friendly (if of the right quality)  most fences where lasered for this in 0.8mm threading the wire was a  :banghead:

 

At the moment I find myself at a stage of what to do next my latest project is  mainly finished may be time to try a wagon if my cad skills are up to it

 

post-1480-0-86748800-1461177414_thumb.jpg

 

or perhaps back to loco building or rather ruining well designed etches with rubbish soldering

 

Nick

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I've pondered a wagon.

 

There's a potential problem....

 

I'd like to laser both sides of the panel. How do I get a datum that transfers from one side to the other?

 

Answers on a postcard. ( or on here!)

 

Best

Simon

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