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Darkly Labs emblaser - affordable laser cutter - review


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Darklylabs have just announced that the Emblaser 2 has been delayed by 2 months, but then again, I  pre-ordered  a Glowforge back in Sept 2015, and they too have just announced yet another postponement -  until July 2017, so I'm not concerned by Darklylabs missing the target because I know they will deliver..

 

Also, in breakng darklylabs news.. they  have announced a 15% discount on the Emblaser 1, which is a brilliant thing in its own right and is great for experimenting with - for example..

 

I know once I EVENTUALLY get the colouring and weathering right that I'll surpass even that fancy new-school photo realistic brickpaper. i reckon its the corner treatment and the flat surface sheen that spoils the realistic look of model buildings made with even this kind of brick paper.

 

post-22541-0-17795000-1481201833_thumb.jpg

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The Emblaser 2 is set to ship in Feb 2017. The preorder price of $1700 is about twice that of the 4W A4 Emblaser 1 I'm considering, and my impression is that the extra cost would not be justified for model rail applications. Any thoughts please?

 

Only you can answer that, had mine on order since July when first announced, I don't feel the need to justify it.

 

Martin

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The Emblaser 2 is set to ship in Feb 2017. The preorder price of $1700 is about twice that of the 4W A4 Emblaser 1 I'm considering, and my impression is that the extra cost would not be justified for model rail applications. Any thoughts please?   

 

You might be correct, :-)   As far as I can see,  the Emblaser 2 is basically the Emblaser 1 but with a full, shielding case around it and a few other bits and pieces to extend its usefulness.  You certainly don't want others around you without eye protection when operating an Emblaser 1.   However,  for the hobbyist the Emblaser 1 does offer the advantage that you can mess around with it as I'm finding out.  I'm trying to get the machine to work on both sides of a piece of material in register and that has meant a fair bit of experimentation and adding bits and pieces to my Emblaser 1.  This has been relatively easy since the original is pretty well bare bones and allows a fair bit of messing around,  especially since you have built it from the basic parts.   The Emblaser 2 comes with a higher power,  pre-focussed laser diode but I believe that that will be available as an upgrade for the Emblaser 1 as well.  I don't find the focussing facilities on the Emblaser 1 very good and any improvement in that area will be very welcome. :-)

 

Jim.

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 For creating brickwork, windows, doors, iron lace  and so on the emblaser 1 has been brilliant, and I am 100% happy with it and certainly an Emblaser 1 with the Emblaser 2 upgrades would be all you'd need for model-making.

 

Its the addition of the Z axis on the Emblaser 2 that sold it to me (plus the intro half price!), 3D cutting and engraving should make a whole lot more items 'modelable' with the laser, for instance I'm thinking gothic windows in one piece rather than in layers. Of course that then brings up the necessity of mastering 3D drawing..

Edited by monkeysarefun
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After a fair bit of messing around I've managed to produce sides, ends and the floor for an open wagon in S scale.

 

post-542-0-05913900-1482621799.jpg

 

post-542-0-59026100-1482621810.jpg

 

The messing around was caused by trying to find a way to etch the plank and door lines in register on both faces of the sides and ends and I think I've cracked it now.   The material is 1mm MDF which is pretty well spot on for 2 1/2" thick planking.

 

post-542-0-37949500-1482621824.jpg

 

These are the component parts with the sides and ends at the top being etched on both faces but the floor at the bottom is only etched on the top face.   I used joints on the corners of one end to help with the construction of the body.  These joints will be covered by the corner plates.  I've used PVA glue to stick everything together,  applied with a cocktail stick with any excess being cleaned off immediately.

 

The next job will be to make the parts for the wooden underframe and also the strapping for the sides.  I'll probably use my CNC machine to do that.

 

Jim.

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After a fair bit of messing around I've managed to produce sides, ends and the floor for an open wagon in S scale.

 

attachicon.gif12TonMineral-002.jpg

 

attachicon.gif12TonMineral-003.jpg

 

The messing around was caused by trying to find a way to etch the plank and door lines in register on both faces of the sides and ends and I think I've cracked it now.   The material is 1mm MDF which is pretty well spot on for 2 1/2" thick planking.

 

attachicon.gif12TonMineral-004.jpg

 

These are the component parts with the sides and ends at the top being etched on both faces but the floor at the bottom is only etched on the top face.   I used joints on the corners of one end to help with the construction of the body.  These joints will be covered by the corner plates.  I've used PVA glue to stick everything together,  applied with a cocktail stick with any excess being cleaned off immediately.

 

The next job will be to make the parts for the wooden underframe and also the strapping for the sides.  I'll probably use my CNC machine to do that.

 

Jim.

very nice s always looks a interesting scale 

 

Nick

Edited by nick_bastable
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Hi Jim, I had a go at this with the cart that I put together - planks on both the inside and the outside. Luckily the part that was scribed on both sides wat symmetrical, so it was just a case of:splitting the job into two parts

 

1.

tape the material to be cut down onto the board

start the first two jobs, namely, scribe the outside planks and cut the parts from the material

 

2.

with a knife blade, carefully remove the part from the surrounding material

turn it over and reinsert into the hole

set the laser cutter going again, this time with the job that scores the inside planks

 

If the part isn't symmetrical, are there two parts that are exactly the same shape, but the opposite way around? In this case the parts can be swapped between the holes made in the material.

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Merry Christmas and seasons greetings to one and all..  

 

Shirking last minute Christmas shopping I cranked the emblaser up to 11 and did windows, raised lettering and various other things for the AH and I hall model..

 

(Hopefully this google map link works - if so, as a christmas treat  you can visit my world and travel around the roundabout - where you might see from the sign on the roof of the hall  that you start in 2013, and exit in 2014..... those sign-posted 'surveyors on  road'  really held things up there..)

 

I really just have the roof to do now, and given that I'm cheating by using embossed sheets from a wargaming shop the laser cutting is just about over for this, so I thought I'd post up a couple of pics.

 

My birthday present of an Optivisor is proving very  useful for the smaller details  and is probably my new favourite tool after the emblaser, now that I am getting old and decrepit.

 

I used my phone camera which has made up some stange colours for me...

 

This is me attemping an arty zooming in thing..

 

post-22541-0-95454700-1482651505_thumb.jpg

 

post-22541-0-84775200-1482656200_thumb.jpg

 

post-22541-0-31789600-1482651399_thumb.jpg

Edited by monkeysarefun
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Happy Christmas down south!

 

That second photo is just fabulous!

 

Best

Simon

 

 

Why, thank you, kind sir.

 

I just edited my post to sneak in another pic,  - so its now probably the third photo!

 

The roof has a tricky *Pizza Hut" style change in pitch near the bottom, so I'm putting it off until New Years eve when I'll be drunk and more confident.

 

I don't think I've mentioned before that its 4mm scale, hence the Optivisor..

Edited by monkeysarefun
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With all this technology, 4mm IS the new 7mm!

 

For example, in the first pic I posted theres a 4mm scale A4 flyer in the nearest window ( the one with the red bit on top). I wanted some random colourful posters to put in the window so I googled 'pamphlets" or whatever, and just chose the most colourful ones.  It was only after I'd printed them off, stuck them in the window and thought I'd check them with  a jewellers loupe that I realised that I can actually read them and that that colourful red one is calling for a boycott of a certain country.... So now because of high resolution printers I have to check all my posts just in case I unintentionally flout either the web forum rules, OR  Australia's...

Edited by monkeysarefun
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Well, you'll be pleased to know that your red-topped flyer is illegible on my iPad, so I reckon you're safe from retribution!

 

Today's technology-assisted-modelling offers some pretty amazing opportunities. I hope my 7mm brickwork comes up the the standards you've set.

 

Have a good 'un!

 

Simon

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Merry Christmas and seasons greetings to one and all..  

 

Shirking last minute Christmas shopping I cranked the emblaser up to 11 and did windows, raised lettering and various other things for the AH and I hall model..

 

(Hopefully this google map link works - if so, as a christmas treat  you can visit my world and travel around the roundabout - where you might see from the sign on the roof of the hall  that you start in 2013, and exit in 2014..... those sign-posted 'surveyors on  road'  really held things up there..)

 

I really just have the roof to do now, and given that I'm cheating by using embossed sheets from a wargaming shop the laser cutting is just about over for this, so I thought I'd post up a couple of pics.

 

My birthday present of an Optivisor is proving very  useful for the smaller details  and is probably my new favourite tool after the emblaser, now that I am getting old and decrepit.

 

I used my phone camera which has made up some stange colours for me...

 

This is me attemping an arty zooming in thing..

 

attachicon.gifIMG_20161225_170723 (1024x768).jpg

 

attachicon.gifIMG_20161225_170716 (1024x768).jpg

 

attachicon.gifcloseup1.jpg

 

Thats one of the best I've seen. Fabulous work.

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top quality modelling there (shame its not 2mm  :jester: )

 

with regard to etching on the reverse side never really had issues with this  3 files 1/ etch top 2/ cut out  3/ reverse in material etch bottom if the shapes really strange then cut a  extra mirror image out 

make sure material is well secured with masking tape etc

NIck

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