Micro-Mark MicroLux LaserKnife 2525 – A Review

[mtaylor]

Since interest has been shown in this tool by many including myself, here goes a hopefully, full review.  I will preface this by saying that this tool is NOT for everyone.   To make it clear:  if you are expecting out-of-box performance from this, stop reading and go do something else.  I fear this is going to be rather long winded....

 

Background

My scroll saw skills leave a lot to be desired and for repetitive items like knees, beams and even cutting small pieces for carving is an issue.  So rather than stand in front of a scroll saw for hours and end up tossing 30-50% of the pieces into the scrap box, I thought about a laser cutter.  The so-called “hobby lasers” seem appealing.  Reasonably low power requirements, low costs, and relatively smaller size appeals to me.

 

Research

The caveats that I read about Laser Cutters and followed in the research are: 

1. Use a company in the country you are in or will provide support to you.
2. Use a company that has been in business for more than a couple of years.

I’ve looked at the imported China Lasers (~$500 US) but have found much wrong with them in the reviews.  Extra costs of dealing with an import agent to get the unit out of customs and shipped to you, generally mediocre quality in the assembly, and then there’s the normal software that comes with the these products.  Also dealing with a seller in China leaves you high and dry without support.   I discovered two being “used” here locally.  One is not working and hasn’t from the time he got it a few months ago.  He’s in the process of replacing the PC board to be compatible with better software and fixing some damaged items like a broken laser tube.  The other, I saw it work, and tried my hand but the software (MoshiDraw) is incredibly bad.  The owner was running it on an XP PC as it wouldn’t run consistently in Win7 even in compatibility mode. 

 

I looked at another higher priced unit (~$4000 US base price with accessories adding up rapidly).  The unit was high quality, made in the US with some Chinese parts including the main board.  It used  LaserDraw software and from what I saw, the performance was adequate.  But as I was unable to sit down and try the woods we use, I can’t give a full report on it.  The owners use basswood and thin veneers for creating dollhouses, model railway buildings, etc.  The output seemed of good quality but again, it was not the woods or sizes we use.   My observation is that this is basically a hobby machine upgraded to being a production type.

 

The one I’m testing is the Micro-Mark brand (~$2000 US).  It comes with a 30 day refund guarantee which, if I determine this isn’t what will work for me, I’ll return it.   I read their claims that this machine is built to their specifications (http://www.micromark.com/html_pages/misc/the-micro-mark-difference.pdf) .  I know that some of us (myself included) have issues with certain practices which I won’t go into.  I will say that I won’t buy ripped off equipment.  This unit doesn’t appear ripped off but an upgraded Chinese unit.

 

I did not consider anything more powerful than 40W.  Maybe I should have, but there's also a cost factor that goes with that.

 

Pre-Order

The unit uses CorelLaser as its cutting software using an industry standard HP Plotter Driver and also Corel Draw.  I downloaded the manual and documentation from MM.  I also ordered a copy of CorelDraw X6 from Amazon.   CorelLaser works only with CorelDraw above version 13 so I bought a shrink wrapped, new-in-the-box program for $150 US.  I would suggest you do your homework on this.  X7, the latest from Corel is a subscription based program.  In other words, you pay every month for it.  I prefer to have a CD in my drawer just in case….

 

I spent a week or so refreshing myself on CorelDraw as the last time I used it was Version 5… yeah… been a few years.

 

Unpacking and Set-Up

I received this is 3 boxes, well packed in foam.   Unpacking is pretty straight forward.  I would suggest that the air pump and water pump NOT be removed from their bubble wrap as there is nothing on these items to indicate what they are.  I wish that MM had put a photo or two in the instruction manual to identify parts.

 

One thing that is needed is a GFI socket.  I’m using  a GFI adapter in case I wish at some future date, to move the cutter to a different place.

 

Set-up is pretty straight forward following the manual.  The hardest part was figuring out the exhaust setup without cutting a hole in the wall of the house.  Also, do NOT secure the exhaust unit to the cutter with tape.  Use #10 X 3/4” self-tapping screws.  There’s  bit a misfit between these parts and the tape will not hold it securely in place.  

 

Here's photos of the unit and all the accessories...

 

Testing Started

I used the factory settings and followed the instructions in the manual for the recommended passes and power.  Not a happy camper using boxwood.  The little nameplate is 1/8” thick boxwood.  Took  9 passes to cut.  Lots of charring.

 

 

I discovered the mirrors were off.  MM instructions are vague in the extreme and need some serious re-writing to be useful.   I Googled and eventually found the information I needed here:  http://dck40.blogspot.com/

Using other web sources, I discovered that the lens in the cutting head was upside down…  WTF!!!! This really irritated me.

 

After  spending a day going back and forth between all three mirrors and adjusting them, and then resetting the focus for the wood, here’s the next round.

 

 

I’m continuing to test and massage things.  This will take time.   I’m able to cut 3/16” boxwwod which requires multiple passes but as yet, not I’ve not tried ¼”  boxwood.

 

Overall Observations.

The learning curve on this machine is a vertical, straight line.  These machines are still in their infancy and not mature.  Documentation is extremely sparse although there are forums out there for laser cutters, getting to the information you need for a particular type or model is a bit overwhelming and I consider myself a knowledgeable Googler.

There is no guidance on power settings or cutting speed to cut various types and thicknesses of wood.  Serious experimentation is required.

 

This machine is finicky in that all mirrors have to be perfectly adjusted to make use of the power and they have to be kept clean.  It is big, and sometimes smelly.  It’s not a production machine and the bucket of cooling water will have to be watched.  Running at “high” power (no definition from anyone on this or on the max water temperature) will shorten the life of the laser bulb.  There is a focus issue and I believe it could cut with a thinner kerf.  I’m trying to talk with MM about this….

 

The nameplate, I couldn’t even begin to cut something that tiny on the scroll saw.  It’s now almost ready for carving.  I do need to tweak the drawing some more to get a bit better spacing.  The anchor stocks I’ve done,  would have taken maybe 30 minutes on the scroll saw.  Including drawing time, this took approximately 1 hour and no wasted/ruined pieces.  However, all 4 are exactly alike and the bolt holes are ready to be cleaned of char and the bolts installed.  No fiddling with the drill press, either.  I have about 8 other parts ready for cutting and will do them as I go.   The kerf size and charring are still an issue.

 

I’ll say it again, it’s not for everyone.  If you have the time and ability to Google and research and then  to fiddle with it and get it running correctly and then to keep it running, it might be ok for you.  The manuals are skimpy at best and a bit of creative Googling will need to be done to help sort things out.  There’s still settings in CorelLaser that I have no idea what they do.  There is an alternative to CorelLaser called LaserCut 5.3.  I haven’t tried it yet and the documentation on-line seems rather sparse from what I’ve seen.

 

Thicknesses of 3/16” and up are tricky to work with.  There’s no tables or inputs from MM on this and the web is all over the place on using these “hobby” cutters.  However, most folks who have reviewed similar machines are using basswood and thin woods.  Doll houses and RR accessories seem to be the major uses along with etching for various things like signs, pendants, etc.   I need to have a conversation with MM on the lens… I think it needs to be higher quality and damn it... there’s no excuse to have it installed upside down. 

 

Lastly, tech support.  I emailed them late on a Sunday night about some issues.  I'm still waiting for answer after 3 days… 

Since we’re talking tech support, it’s worthwhile to note that tech support hours are very limited… Monday through Friday, from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm, EDT.

 

I asked tech support before I ordered about using an extender cable and the answer was a simple: not recommended.  The unit comes with a 9 foot USB cable so I had to seriously rearrange my workshop to get it closer to the computer.   I’m testing a USB powered extender cable so I don’t have cabling running across the floor where it can be stepped on.   Jury is out on this.

 

The short answer for all this is: I wouldn’t recommend it unless you are tech savvy, not just with computers but also can tolerate a large learning curve.  The quality of the cuts could be a lot better.  Overall, it might better that if this tool is something you have to have then spend about double the cash and get a higher powered, non-China built laser cutter with some tech support.  The BossLaser that Chuck uses runs about $5000 and has the higher power to cut thicker woods and is, I believe, also suitable as a production machine.

 

I'll continue to test, adjust, fiddle, and tweak for now... 

[robnbill]

Very interesting Mark. Thanks for reviewing this.

[Landlocked123]

Thanks Mark,

 

For all the jokes I've made I believe this is a very important technology and the applicability to our hobby (or more truly, second vocation) is great. You are really taking the role of an "early adopter" and hopefully will make things easier for us down the road.

 

Best,

John

 

ps. It sounds like it may be going back after the 30 days? J.

 

pps. It sounds like it's going to need a hell of a lot more work before we put it on sharks!!!

Edited June 11, 2015 by Landlocked123

[augie]

Thanks, Mark, for providing this initial review for us.  There simply is no substitute for someone providing information based on actual experience.

 

Here's hoping your dealings with Tech Support (NO excuse for the delay) and additional tweaking can bring the device reasonably close to your expectations.  My hat's off to you for testing the waters.

[hornet]

Excellent review. Much appreciated!!!!!

[UpstateNY]

Hi Mark,

 

Very interesting and great you have got the tool running and getting good results. Thank you for posting.

 

Having worked quite a bit w optics and lasers, if you haven't already, perhaps consider checking the replacement laser cost before you decide if you will hold onto this unit.  Seems you will be running multiple passes and/or at high power so tube life could be an issue.  Also, keep plugging away on the focus part....even very small alignment tweaks will make a huge difference to the laser focus point. Finally, if the optics fixtures have any flexure and/or have poor fine adjustment and lock capability in all directions including rotation, regular re-alignment may be a continued headache as things will drift as you load/unload your unit.  

 

Good luck and looking forward to you next update!

 

Cheers,

 

Nigel.

Edited June 11, 2015 by UpstateNY

[gjdale]

Very interesting review Mark, thanks for posting.

[lb0190]

Mark,

Thank you for providing a detailed and articulate review.

[riverboat]

Hi Mark,....... You are undoubtedly a very intelligent person, seeing as how  far you have gone testing this piece of equipment. I was actually lost after you took it out of the box ...... My concern for you is MM's knowledge of their own product??? For them to send out a piece of goods with components not installed properly is terrible at best. ( considering the cost) ...... so to be honest with you, I really don't think you're goin to get much help from their tech dept.I don't know how bad you really need, or want this machine , but if it were me , I definetly  would save my money and get a better machine. It seems there's an awful lot of "Googling" going on for the MM machine . Have Fun!!!!

 

Frank

Edited June 12, 2015 by riverboat

[popeye the sailor]

when purchasing a piece of equipment such as this,  one does tend to wonder if it will pay for itself.   I hope that things get better and easier for you,  before your patience runs out.

[mtaylor]

Thanks for the likes and comments, folks.    Here's the latest...

 

Well... my patience has run out with MM.  There will be no more tools for me bought from them.   If I can't fix any of the ones I've bought from them, it will be replaced by another manufacturer.   As I said previously, I sent an email (posted at the end of this post) on Sunday night.  5 days and no response.   I don't believe I was offensive, angry or mean. But no response, not even a "got your mail and we're looking into this" would have been acceptable. 

 

As for the tool in question... after discussion with the Admiral, she calmed me down and got me rational.  Rather than starting the whole process over, I'm hanging on to it.  I can upgrade when the laser tube dies to a larger power tube.   With what I'm using it for, it'll work.   I had to do mods to the mini-mill to get to work better and sometimes the devil you do know is better than the one you don't.

 

I'm not sure there really is a good solution to a hobby type cutter out there for what we do and under $3000 (US).  Or at least one that won't require a lot time and energy to set it up, climb up and over the learning curve, and get it properly tweaked.   This already has many of the mods that I'd have to source and go through anyway....  220 VAC power unit, for example.  I also know the weaknesses.  So I'll put my time and energy into resolving the issues I have left rather than starting over. 

 

Anyway... I won't recommend this tool to anyone because the tech support isn't there.  But if you do buy one, be forewarned.

 

Anyway, here's the email.... 

 

Hi,

I have a question and some observations on my LaserKnife.

 

Questions:

1)  Lenses... are there better lenses available or perhaps ones with different focal lengths?  I'll be cutting a variety of wood thicknesses from 1/64" up to possibly 1/4".  I've double and triple checked and cleaned the mirrors and I think the focus could be a bit better.

 

2) Is there a manual somewhere that has more detail on CorelLaser?  There's settings in there I have no idea what they are for.

 

3) The cooling water, is there a max temperature rise or a max temperature to watch out for?

 

Observations,

1)  The manual is a bit vague in areas like parts identification and mirror alignment.

 

2)  The lense in the cutting head seems to have been installed upside down.  It had the concave side up and the convex side down.  After Googling and reading, I find out that these should be the other way with the concave side down and the convex side up.  I got a finer cut when I did that.

 

Thank you. 

[GLakie]

   I think it's a rotten shame their tech-support is non-existent, and after spending that much money on an item that you have to spend hours to get to work right? Sorry, but I'd be really tempted to take it back, and personally feed it to the sales-rep. Well, probably not, because I'd still want my money back at that point, but it's fun to fantasize. 

   I hope you get things tweaked so it functions alright for you Mark. Still I'd mark the "too late to send back day" on the calendar, just in case. Thanks for the review. I know I won't be getting any tech items, or power-tools from them for sure.

[UpstateNY]

Hi Mark,

 

Bringing up any optical based tool is tough and it is even harder when the customer service is poor. Your tests do show the promise the tool has to do some really detailed work.

 

Couple more thoughts in case they help.  Consider checking how level the stage is in the x  and y directions and also if the laser head is perpendicular. Any tilts could make finding a clean focus point across the piece more difficult. I also don't know how much adjustment you have to control the scan speed. Slowing the scan speed should allow the laser power to be dialed down and perhaps help reduce the charing. Sometimes slower translations speeds also help to reduce any vibrations back into the optics as well. Every little can help.

 

Cheering you on from afar... good luck!

 

Cheers!

 

Nigel.

[mtaylor]

Thanks Nigel.   I'm still working on the speed and the power along with the number of passes settings.  And you are right about the potential.  

[Nirvana]

Mark, I am interested in the laser cutter but however I am very hesitant over the quality of this MM product.

As Chuck stated in another posting there is a huge difference between the machine he is using for his products vs. the items "we" (the common) like to use for our personal use.

400 dollars of laser machine is still a lot of money, this versus what you can get custom made from Chuck who has a higher quality machine with better tolerance.

I am looking forward to read more about your advances with the laser.

As of today, my money would go to Chuck.

He know his machine very well, while our trial and error will increase costs for a time.

Good luck my friend.

 

Edit from previous:

I don't know if I am wrong but I might have the cost of the machine wrong, as according to MM the price is $2000.00

Edited June 13, 2015 by Nirvana

[mtaylor]

Dr. Per,

 

You are correct.  The hobby market cutters are just not to a good level yet.  Hang onto your cash and buy what you need from a known good supplier, like Chuck. 

[Nirvana]

Mark,

One of your pictures shown an item submersed in water in a bucket??!!

Please tell us more about it?

This is interesting!

[Jack12477]

Mark, you have far more patience and tolerance than I do! That machine would have been packed up and shipped back to MM with a request for refund. Thanks for the review tho, it's very informative.

 

Regarding your email to tech support: Very professionally stated by you, so they should not have taken offense. I suspect they do not have have in-house tech support and have to farm the questions/emails out to either the OEM or a third party vendor but they should have sent you a response saying that. There is no excuse for not responding to a customer.

 

If I ever need any custom laser cutting work done, I will definitely call Chuck.

[mtaylor]

Mark,

One of your pictures shown an item submersed in water in a bucket??!!

Please tell us more about it?

This is interesting!

 

Per,

That is the water pump.  The 5-gallon bucket has 3-gallons of distilled water in it and is used for cooling the laser tube.  There are some companies that sell a refrigeration unit that pumps chilled water through the laser tubes water jacket. 

 

Jack,

Their tech support is in house and only operated 4 hours a day, Monday through Friday.

[Jack12477]

Jack,

Their tech support is in house and only operated 4 hours a day, Monday through Friday.

 

And it's probably the 4 hours you guys on the west coast are sleeping !    That's not much of a customer service then.

[RichardG]

 

Well... my patience has run out with MM.  There will be no more tools for me bought from them.   If I can't fix any of the ones I've bought from them, it will be replaced by another manufacturer.   As I said previously, I sent an email (posted at the end of this post) on Sunday night.  5 days and no response.   I don't believe I was offensive, angry or mean. But no response, not even a "got your mail and we're looking into this" would have been acceptable. 

 

 

 

Given that software is an important part of this tool, it doesn't bode well if they can't even setup an automated email reply. And even if you'd been offensive, you should still get a reply. I think my email under the circumstances would been a lot less polite.

 

Richard.

[DJones]

Hi Mark, I was so glad to see that we weren't the ONLY ones on the planet that bought the Micro-Mark Laserknife 2525!

 

Sadly, our problems have been quite similar to yours, only we've been fighting the battle with it longer and still no real results.

 

You mentioned something about cooling- yes, it's important that the laser tube cooling water be between 62 degrees F and 68 degrees F to prolong the laser tube lifespan.  Since we live in Phoenix, AZ we have been using the gel ice packs in the bucket of distilled water to get the temp down. We installed an aquarium thermometer with an alarm and the probe goes in the bucket.

 

Anyway...We bought ours in April and it took awhile to get here because the main box sat lost on a dock in NM for a week or so until we made a lot of phone calls and they tracked it down.  We got the other 2 boxes with the extras right away.

 

While it is true that their return policy is 30 days, I asked specifically what the warranty was and Tech Support said 90 days. Since ours has never functioned properly since day 1, (and we have documented it with emails and photos) I feel we might have a little bit of recourse. That remains to be seen.

 

I called the credit card company that I used to buy it with today and explained it's a couple days past the credit card company's protest period (60 days) but since we've been working with Micro-Mark to try to fix the problem (s) they extended the time for us to protest the charge a bit in case Micro-Mark decides not to play fair.

 

The very first thing we discovered on day 1 was that the laser tube pointed so high on mirror 1 that it missed mirror 2 (going from 1 to 2) completely by 1/2"! Not even ON the mirror at all.  Micro-Mark's tech said we shouldn't even have to touch mirror 1.  Really? They did send us a MS-Word document on how to align mirrors but we found the same one you did on the internet.

 

We have adjusted mirrors, cleaned them, tried the lens both ways (ours was installed flat side up also), etc.  The gantry arm was not level front to back. On the left side it actually sloped down by 1mm & level on the right.  Micro-Mark told us how to fix that. The bed was badly out of level, too.  We had to shim it by 1/16" in the back on the right side and 3/32" on the front right to get it level.

 

The M-M tech said it should cut through 1/16" chipboard in 1 pass using 5mA power and speed of 20.  What a joke!  It barely engraved and trailed off to nothing (not even engraving) as it got to the lower right of the bed. We had tried it on 75% power and cutting speed of 25 and it took 12 passes and we got exactly 1 part out of 12 in the file cut through before it died off to nothing in the lower right. Of course they were well toasted with char and unuseable.

 

We have tried and tried and tried. It doesn't even cut 130# cardstock consistently.  We've tried bassword from 1/32" to 1/16", and the very thin chipboard they supplied and really have not had good results- ever. 

 

We seem to have a "sweet spot" of about 3"-4" square in the upper left of the bed where it cuts ok and the kerf is decent (although I'd like it thinner) and the further right and down you go, it starts trailing off to nothing or starts ghosting as if the laser beam is hitting the nozzle or something. We have aligned and re-aligned the mirrors for hours and hours and hours.  Yesterday we got them very closely aligned and it still did the same thing.

 

He took pictures every step of the way to prove the test firings in the alignments and that the mirrors were clean, and photos of levels everywhere.  He did notice today that the bracket that holds the nozzle assembly is itself NOT level left to right but, at this point we are so disgusted with it all we are not going to bother fixing that.  We will contact M-M's tech support one more time, armed with even more photos and info and tell them the ball is in their court.  If they don't play nice we will protest the charge with the credit card company.

 

We have Goggled for weeks trying to find a posting somewhere that someone else had actually bought one of these machines, but all we saw were people talking about it and finally my husband saw your posting a couple days ago.

 

If you want to compare notes with us, feel free to send me a Private Msg and I'll give you an email address. 

 

We have had years of experience creating the Corel files but always outsourced the cutting to others. We wanted the convenience of being able to pop in and test out a design and to control the process a bit better ourselves, so that's why we bought the Micro-Mark laser. We knew it wasn't going to be robust enough for big production runs, but probably fine for our needs for now.  The people we outsourced our cutting to had 25 watt lasers so we thought a 40 watt would be better- HA!   BTW, the laser cutter appears to be based off of a K40 Chinese machine, with a few things Micro-Mark added.

 

OK, I've ranted long enough.  We just were so excited to see another person that actually bought one. I swear we thought we were the only ones, with no reviews anywhere until yours.  THANK YOU for posting it!

 

Regards,

Debbie & Charles Jones

 

 

[mtaylor]

Debbie and Charles,

 

And here I thought I was the first...    :D   I think, if you don't mind, we'll converse in the clear.. in public.  This site is indexed by Google and it might help someone on the fence buying this product.   Or...  it might push MM to step up and sort this mess out.

 

Thanks for your feedback.  It's been a bit of rough ride to say the least for me and it sounds like it's been hell for you.  And some might wonder why I don't recommend this product.    By nature, I'm a fiddler and tweaker so I don't usually give things a second thought that aren't perfect. 

 

I didn't have as many of the problems as you did but have had and am still having some.   I'm still testing but I think I'm almost dead on with the levels of the bed and arms.  The bed on mine needed a bit of shimming.  I haven't found nearly the misalignments you had.  If I had, it would have been back in the box in a New York second.    You probably should cut your losses and send it back. 

 

On the beam/mirror alignment.. I checked the bed and arm with a bubble level to get everything set up. That's what told met bed was off.  The link on the mirror alignment... the mirrors should be checked at upper left and at lower right at a minimum.  

 

Yes, this is a modified K40W laser.  They upgraded the Power Supply for 220 VAC which why the transformer is needed here in the states and also the mainboard so it would work with Corel.  The originals use 110 VAC in an unstable power supply and the mainboard is for MoshiDraw.   There are some upgrade parts out there, but the rest of the machine (alignments) have to be spot on and one of the things I'm looking for now is.. do they change?. 

 

In spite of the recommendation not to use an extender, I'm using one with no issues at this point other than it takes a bit longer for a large data file to move over to the cutter. 

 

Thanks for the tip on the water temp... I'll go freeze a jug of distilled water and put it in the bucket.   Crickey... 68 degrees max????  We keep ambient here in the house at 71 degrees.    Did tech tell you this or did you find it out on your own?

 

It's nice to know that I'm not the only one with an upside down lens.   I'm still looking for a better lens as I'm pretty much convinced that this is a cheaply made one.

 

I'm wondering if your laser tube is damaged or dying?  1/32" basswood should be a snap.  But if it's a big kerf with lots of charring, something is spreading the beam.  If it's not penetrating and kerf is thin and power setting is high, then tube is shot.  I'll test on some basswood in the couple of days.

 

I can currently manage up to 3/32" without a major headache and 1/8" with trial and error.  I'm using cherry and boxwood currently since boxwood is the tough nut to cut. The biggest problem is working out the power settings and speed and then number of passes. Once I sort out 1/8" to where I'm happy, I'll shoot for 3/16".  That may not be doable without an upgrade to the laser tube.  There is a 45 watt tube available but I'm still looking for specs on the power supply to see if it will run it.  It might work with the power supply and no increase of power out of the laser but give a longer life at a higher power than recommended for the 40W.

 

The work is passible for what I intend to do with it.  Knowing that I have to allow for kerf and not be in a rush is the key and then sand off the char.

 

If this goes back, I won't even deal with tech... I'm still on the fence...

 

Here's a picture of latest efforts.   The dime is there for scale.   The wood on top is 1/16" boxwood, the middle is 3/32" boxwood and the bottom is 1/8" boxwood.  Still a bit too much charring but I'm fiddling.  For me, this is a hobby and there's no pressure.

 

 

I really need to win the lottery... bigger workshop and 50W or 60W cutter would be great. 

 

[UpstateNY]

Hi Mark,

 

Great progress...windows are especially beautiful and the carvings look like they just need the char removing and then some relief adding to finish them off. I do see what you mean about adding some margin to allow for charring on the really thin details.

 

Looks like all your hard work is paying off and potential is really there. A pity the manufacturer can't deliver this capability level out of the box and provide the level of tech support needed to help their customers come up the learning curve smoothly.

 

Cheers,

 

Nigel.

[mtaylor]

Nigel,

 

Thanks.  You hit the problem on the head... support for questions.  I fear I got bit testy and resent my email with some choice words.  I don't really expect a response but at least I feel better.   

 

Debbie brought up some interesting points and I'm searching the web for clues...  I do hope she and her husband can get some resolution even if it's just her money back. 

 

I've got it to where the kerf is 0.03" on most woods but I'm suspecting the lens is one of low quality.   I found out that these need to be replaced periodically also.  

[UpstateNY]

Hi Mark,

 

I was thinking more about your issues as well as Debbie and Charles after re-reading latest posts. You both have faced the same basic issues but their level if anything seems more severe as they aren't matching your results, even after similar debug efforts. Not sure I can suggest much new, but thoughts below.

 

As the quality control on these tools can only be described as poor at best, I am wondering if your lasers have their reflectors and output couplers correctly aligned. I would expect these would be factory set and probably aren't user adjustable on a unit sold for use by even technically very aware buyers like yourselves. Net would be markedly lower output so even well aligned optics post laser could not compensate, leading to the use of much higher power settings. Could have been a bad production run so it may be worth asking for a replacement laser assembly to test this idea out as you seem to have have worked through every other likely alignment option. Check for a much later serial number on any new unit so you know the manufacturing dates are well separated.

 

I also know you will be doing your checks carefully, but please watch the material, power handling as well as the optical specs if you try different lenses. These lasers need careful matching to their optics given the power outputs.

 

As for MM, my thought is they are probably out of their depth and don't have the training yet to really support this tool. Working with you on this debug is a good way to learn and train their staff. They should be grabbing the chance...I know I would given the tools' potential.

 

Finally, I hope you don't take this amiss, but please be very careful as you debug things. I expect the tool is fully interlocked for safety, shutting off the laser as the tool is opened and so on, but like many tools, these lasers can be very dangerous. There is an old, but actually rather non-funny, joke on the wall in most labs I've worked in where lasers were used, especially in labs with open beams . "Do not look into the laser with your one remaining eye".

 

Stay safe!

 

Cheers,

 

Nigel.

[mtaylor]

Nigel,

 

I'm in agreement.  There's something strange about this.   I rechecked the items she ticked off... bed not level, moving parts not level, mirrors way out of alignment.  They're page where they explain things, discusses that these things are tested before shipping.  This makes me wonder if the carrier dropped it.

 

My stuff was off but it did work (although not well) out of the box.  My alignments, once I figured them out, have been minor in deviation but also pretty intense since you start at one end of the mirror chain and work your way through and then go back and re-check.

 

I'm still testing and feeding my curiousity on these.   I've seen aftermarket mirrors, lens assemblies, etc. but one just doesn't know about the quality.  I think tha's the killer.. is a $100 12mm, 50.8 focal lens actually better than it's $25 competitor? Are all laser tubes the same? 

 

There's one company who will remain nameless for now, who pulls down negative comments to their forum.  Word is that they will terminate your warranty for such comments.  What's surprising is that they've been reworking, manufacturing, and selling these products for several years.  

 

And yes.... safety is priority one when adjusting, testing, etc.   The MM has one advantage in the interlocks but I've been around electronics long enough to know parts fail and many times in the "closed" or operating position.   Every tool I own has 'bit' me but this is one tool that I'm not going to let that happen.  Power is off unless the lid is closed and I'm actually making a cut. 

[wefalck]

Hi Mark,

 

I have been tossing with the idea of getting one of these cheapo units, but your experience really put me off becoming an 'early adopter'. There is a lot of potential in laser-cutting, but as with every tool you get what you pay for. Also this experience seems to confirm the wisdom that these Chinese machines (whether manufactured to foreign specs or direct imports) should be rather considered an assembly of parts in an advanced state of machining … a starting point for a project 

I may come back to this, when my eye-sight gets too bad for working on small parts - hopefully in another couple of decades or so.

[mtaylor]

Wefalck,

 

There are machines of higher power out there and they all cost more money.  I'd hope the price will drop in the near future, but if the market is being saturated with the imports and people are unhappy with the product, they're not going to buy another one unless they really need it for a business.  You approach seems very reasonable.

[mtaylor]

Continuing the saga...

 

I discovered (from another webite... sawmillcreek I think it was) that the lens holder may have issues like the hole between the mirror and lens being too small or off center. It's too narrow or off-center (seems to be a common problem) then the beam hits the sides and power is dissipated and the beam distorted before hitting the lens.  Well... mine is off-center about 1/32" or so.  I'll be firing up the lathe and re-cutting the opening with boring bar. 

 

My late father-in-law who was doctor before he retired, used to say that a good challenge is excellent for keeping the mind sharp.  I'm now thinking he meant a "challenge on the golf course" instead of something like this.   

 

And for the record,  I got an answer back from MM...  no inference that they mislaid or ignored the first.... anyway, here it is.. verbatim.    I've found lenses on line if I suspect that's what I really need at this point and the water temp is doable without adding ice to the bucket..

 

There are no lens options available, only factory replacements of the stock lens that comes in the machine.

 

There is not a manual for the CorelLaser program.

 

The ideal water temperature is between 70 -75 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperature should not be allowed to go much over 78 degrees. Cool water can be slowly added into the bucket with the laser powered off and the pump still circulating.  To prevent thermal shock and damage to the laser tube be sure the water being added is within 10 degrees of the water temperature in the bucket.

 

Thank you for your feedback, I have passed your comments on regarding improvements to the LaserKnife manual and asked that our quality control check that the laser lenses are properly installed.

 

Micro-Mark Technical Service Department