Micro-Mark MicroLux LaserKnife 2525 – A Review

[mtaylor]

I think.. I hope... this is final test post of this review unless I do something really stupid or find some additional info somewhere.  I'll be glad to answer any questions, however and share any knowledge I've gleaned. 

 

The lens holder did have issues.  The hole down the middle was burred badly at the top (laser light input) and off-center at the bottom (laser light output to lens) which seems to be a common problem with Chinese made machines.  There were scorch marks on the burrs and on the inside indicating that it needed to re-machined and made perfectly round.  The unit is aluminum and about 2" inches long.   Ok... aggravation time.  After a some "calm down and focus" time, I chucked it into the lathe and fired it up.  Using a boring bar, I took off about 0.010 inch of material and got the inside perfectly round from top to bottom and the top was de-burred.   The beast was then reassembled and tested.

 

I noticed that the kerf is a bit narrower and that it's cutting deeper into the wood.  For example, what took a speed of 12, power level of 9mA, and 4 passes to cut some of Jason's fine euro boxwood that 3/32" thick, I managed to get up the speed to 16, keep the power the same, and only 1 pass.   Similar results on 3/16" thick Castello (not the euro) and for the first time, I managed 1/4" Castello.  Took 4 passes but it I was happy since previous tests, I gave up after 6 passes at a slower speed and higher power.

 

On a side note, Boxwood is the toughest wood to cut from what I've seen.  Euro box seems harder to cut than Castello with a laser.  Maybe in the next couple of weeks, I'll try some ebony which should be interesting to say the least.   BTW, basswood cuts like butter now.

 

Here's a picture to compare to the previous one at post #24.  Less charring and a cleaner cut.  I went for broke on the photo and using the super macro setting went for the biggest image I could get to challenge this fix.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts:

 

I'm still not recommending it.  There's only been two reviews out there.. this one and the one by Debbie over at Sawmillcreek.org.  I'll be adding mine there also.

 

If I had known the challenges I would be facing, I would have looked at a different machine AND a different company. 

 

Since my scale of choice is 1:64, I seriously doubt I'll have to cut 1/4" wood but 3/16 is very likely and doable.   If my Licorne and the ships I have planned are any indication, mostly it'll be 1/8" and thinner.  

 

If anything else pops up.. I'll post it.

 

[GLakie]

Wow, the difference is amazing, to say the least, Mark. Nice job on figuring out, and fixing, all of the intricacies on a machine that 90% of people would have sent back, or taken a hammer to.  Micro Mess needs to get their crap in a group, and start selling a product that people can use without having to spend days fixing it first to get it to work.

[mtaylor]

Days?  So far, it's been two weeks.    :)   One would think that they would have all their crap in one bag, right?  I think I'm lucky.  Debbie got a turkey of a machine.  I wouldn't have tried as long as her and her husband did after the first two weeks and no progress.   Anyway... I'm going to go back to planking and figuring out how to do some things like rail carvings, watchkeeper's bench,  gun carriages, and hopefully, the ship's boats.   There's probably more but I'll have to fiddle and learn as I go.

[UpstateNY]

Congratulations Mark! Your last fix made quite a difference between dropping the passes while holding the power and increasing speed. New carving looks great. Hopefully your new learning also helps Debbie and Charles.

 

Hope you can now just enjoy using your new tool!

 

Cheers!

 

Nigel.

[Erebus and Terror]

Thanks for your review, Mark. I'm lucky enough to regularly use a 60 watt Epilogue laser cutter available for use at  a local library. The unit is consistently maintained and adjusted by professionals and I still have issues with it.

 

The best advice I can give is to use a test cut or two every time you use the machine, even if you are cutting the same materials and thickness. I usually just cut a 3mm strip off the edge of the material I'm cutting, and this helps me calibrate the speed, power, and ppi.  

 

With the 60 watt machine, setting the correct speed and power is critical, and on everything I've cut, including 1/4 plywood, I've had to keep the speed and power quite low to avoid charring (10 or 20 speed, 35 - 40 power). I keep a logbook of settings for every cut I make, recording the different materials and thicknesses, and this helps me avoid too much waste. 

 

But I find the most critical step is the test cut - it's saved me a lot of ruined material. The mirrors and tubes in these machines constantly shift and degrade, and even planks from the same piece of wood have slightly different densities, so you never have the same cut twice, even with a professional quality machine.  

 

I cut some stern timbers on swiss pear last week - which reminds me that I'm behind in my posts!

Edited June 19, 2015 by E&T

[mtaylor]

Thanks Nigel.   I'm still trying different things but repeatability is going to be the key.  Debbie and Charles are working on their solution.  

 

E&T,

Thanks for the insight.  I believe they all have their quirks being optical systems.  And that test cut idea is a great one. 

[usedtosail]

Mark, I am glad you got the machine so it is useable for you. I would have given up much sooner.

 

E&T- a library that has a laser cutter? Now that is full service!

[DJones]

As promised, an update... We compiled a 15 page document loaded with photos and notes showing that we had tried many things (some repeatedly such as alignment, bed leveling, etc.)  and everything that Micro-Mark's techs said to do-  and it just didn't work as advertised.  This was on materials it should have easily cut such as 1/16" basswood or chipboard, or even 130# cardstock cover stock. It barely engraved at best, despite changing focal points, power settings, etc.

 

We got a very prompt response from them the next day saying that after reviewing all of that, it's obvious that something is definitely not right.   To our surprise, even though it was long past their 30 day return period (65 days), they said they stood behind their product and would give us 3 options- 1) Warranty repair, which we opted not to do because we believe this unit had several things wrong. 2) Full refund including return shipping, or 3) Replacement.

 

We waffled back and forth trying to figure out the best way to go and decided on replacement, but ONLY iF they agreed to take videos or photos showing the mirrors on the replacement in alignment and using our Corel files and materials on test runs at their warehouse proving that it cut consistently in all 4 corners of the bed.  They agreed to do that, so we will give them a chance to make good on it.

 

We are prepared to do some minor adjustments, because it's a delicate machine and given the rigors of shipping 2500 miles, it's bound to have a few things get a little off-kilter in transit. However, we do expect it to function pretty much as advertised once we check it over.

 

Charles and I are very grateful to Mark for posting his detailed review & the various comments & responses.  

 

Regards,

Debbie & Charles Jones  Phoenix  AZ

[sfrisoli]

Bilge Rat,

 

I have the Microlux LaserKnife and couldn't be happier with it.

 

I've been to the MicroMark site and they have a video that shows you the hardware setup.  And your being such a smart guy I don't see how you wouldn't know the difference between  a water pump, air pump and exhaust fan.

 

Also, from my years of experience with Micromark"s customer service I can't see how you can badmouth it.  Something obviously went haywire. Their customer service has always been the best of any online retailer I've dealt with.

 

All of your problems seem to stem from the fact that you didn't check the alignment or clean the mirrors and lens.  And what makes you think the lens was upside down?

 

No, this machine won't do whatever you want it to out of the box.  There is a learning curve like there is with any machine you are not familiar with.  And don't expect it to do what its not intended to do.  Take your time and experiment with various settings.  There are sample materials included which you could have started with instead of trying one of the hardest woods known to man as a first attempt.

 

Since you didn't return it, you obviously finally figured out how to use it.

 

 

[GLakie]

This guy's an angry stock-holder! 

[Chuck]

George you are kind of correct...

 

 

The Frisoli's  actually own MicroMark.  John is the president and owner.  So he isnt exactly being fair and truthful....Yes he does own a MicroMark Laser Cutter  .....or you might say he owns them all   ,  until they sell one of those inferior machines to someone else.  He just left that part out of the post.....

 

Link below.

 

https://www.linkedin.com/pub/john-frisoli/35/a7/8a1

 

Chuck

[Jack12477]

Thanks, Chuck, for pointing out his true identity and relationship to the company. I hate it when company owners hide their identity when they reply to a product critique they find objectionable and make their reply seem to come from another consumer.

[UpstateNY]

This is so backwards and sad for an owner to respond this way...Mark has shown the tool has great potential. Yes it won't be a pro level machine like Chuck's, but at this cost level no-one should reasonably expect this.  I can see getting one of these as I get older and what dexterity I still have in my fingers vanishes so I can still enjoy building models.

 

So, why not actively work with your highly motivated, early adopter customers who are your best asset so you get the feedback to debug what is going wrong in the manufacturing and/or shipping processes?  Clearly something is going amiss somewhere even if only a few units are impacted and so could probably be easily fixed. End result is happier customers, better quality leading to reduced costs as fewer returns. This drives more sales and an enhanced reputation as a company. A lose-lose situation is then turned into a clear win-win for all.

 

Cheers,

 

Nigel.

 

Added some edits for clarity. 

Edited June 27, 2015 by UpstateNY

[JerseyCity Frankie]

Sell a guy an expensive product that clearly has some hidden problems, ignore his emails and let him navigate in the dark on how to deal with the failings of the product. Then when he writes in to a forum to give an honest assessment  which fairly lays out the shortcomings of the product and the customer service issues of the seemingly indifferent company, the OWNER of the company writes in anonymously pretending to be a satisfied customer to defend the product, but with some odd passive aggressive language blaming of the victim thrown in.  This is NOT a good way to handle the products issues and protect the reputation of the company.

[lb0190]

I hope to buy a table saw and thickness sander after I finish my current build. Hmmmm, Micromark or Byrnes? Maybe the above post will help me decide.

[GLakie]

George you are kind of correct...

 

 

The Frisoli's  actually own MicroMark.  John is the president and owner.  So he isnt exactly being fair and truthful....Yes he does own a MicroMark Laser Cutter  .....or you might say he owns them all   ,  until they sell one of those inferior machines to someone else.  He just left that part out of the post.....

 

Link below.

 

https://www.linkedin.com/pub/john-frisoli/35/a7/8a1

 

Chuck

Thanks Chuck.  Wasn't able to relay even one tenth of what was really on my mind after reading that.  But Mark knows!!    

[augie]

Yes, thanks Chuck.  I'm with JC Frankie on this one.  That's no way to conduct a business.

[mtaylor]

I think I owe a response... however, taking the criticism at face value in spite of the obvious troll, I'll shoot for the high road.

 

a) I did not view the videos at the time as Flash had been removed from our PC's.  There are/were vulnerabilities from Flash and we had several attempts to exploit them.   Ok. my bad on that.  Googling part numbers did clear it up. 

 

2) I followed the printed manual to the letter.  alignment isn't mentioned until well after where I aligned it.  The manual instructions are devoid of any meaningful explanation on how to accomplish this.  I had to use Google and research it.

 

As for the manual and your site, it's as simple as 1-2-3...  Set it up, run the cut and engrave parts  which I did, and go.  Note again in the process where I started the alignment it was right after the go and a "let's see what this thing will do". 

 

3)  In searching alignment procedures, I did find out that the Chinese do often install the lenses upside down.  The proper way is curved side up, flat to the bottom.  Mine was curved side down, flat to the top.  Numerous sites (including various optic sites discuss this).

 

4) There is always a learning curve.   If you had read the entire topic you would have seen the journey.

 

5) Why shouldn't I test it with boxwood?  It's very common around this particular hobby as is pear, apple, cherry, and ebony.  For the record, no laser will cut ebony cleanly.. the oil in the wood burns too easily.

 

6) I'm still figuring out how to use it and still learning.  Which applies to any tool.  I've already started the process if "upgrading" and getting it to work.

 

You'll also note, that I do not recommend it  "unless you are tech savvy"... and that the tech is "isn't mature".  I notice that the specs have changed for the next machines coming in... so it's obviously not mature.

 

Also, Chinese quality control sucks, quite frankly.  From the lens being upside down, to several screws stripped (and replaced) to the lens tube being drilled off center and at an angle which I corrected thanks to advice on the internet.  According to sources across the web, the tube isn't a "true" 40W but a "peak 40W" which is a 35W tube.  The true, continous 40W tube is about 100mm longer.

 

Much of the last 30 days has been spent on testing and tweaking.  I've been advised to bag it and send it back and buy a better machine.  But I'm a tad stubborn.  So follow along if you like.. I'll take actual advice instead of a beating.  It's a journey, not a destination.

[GLakie]

Well said Mark. You've shown a whole lot more class in your response, than this supposed "reputable business man"?   did.  I admire your ability to stay calm, cool, and collected in the face of ignorance. I, on the other hand would not have been so forgiving. 

[Jack12477]

Mark, I am in total agreement with what George said.above.  If this man was indeed a "reputable businessman" he would have addressed you by name not some slur; he would have come right out and identified himself as the owner, President and CEO of Micromark and offered his rebuttal. Instead he stooped to the lowest denominator, pretending to be an "offended but satisfied customer", and launched into a personal attack.  I've given his company an awful lot of business ($$$) in the last year; not so sure I want to spend any more money on his products.

 

In my opinion your review of his product has been very professionally done and presented in a professional manner to the modeling public. I thank you.

 

Maybe he should be reminded of those immortal words of our late President Harry S Truman - "If you can't stand the heat, get the hell out of the kitchen" 

[mtaylor]

Final Adjustments and Conclusions 

 

This should be my final review post on this cutter.   There's two images attached showing the progression of things.   This is with Euro Boxwood and these are either tiny, or detailed and are items that I couldn't cut out of a sheet of with a scroll saw to save my soul.  Euro box is even harder and a bit oilier than Castello.   By the way, just an observation, Euro does char but it's more like a glaze than a soft ash from Castello. 

 

I realize I'm pushing this thing to it's limit and while there might be some more in it, I need to get back to my build.  For the record, I'm keeping this machine.  It will meet my needs and there are upgrade parts out there much like any complex tool to increase versatility. 

 

I replaced the lens with a high-quality lens from the Internet and also the lens holder (about $100 total and some choice language during the swap which required some serious fiddling).  There was some slop in the factory lens tube which I thought might be creating some issues.  I had to adjust for this and it took some time to sort out.  But the kerf is now down to 0.02 inches or less after comparing cuts with the factory lens and new lens.  They're straighter and almost no taper and will probably get better as I fine adjust the speed and power settings.  Yeah... I just blew the warranty. 

 

I realize that the photos may not show a big difference but when I stick them under magnification for carving, the differences become obvious to me.

 

The first photo is the nameplate.   Tiny, not very complex but the lettering is the important part.  These will be bas-relief carved.  The final one is the bottom.  I could do some better spacing on the lettering but I can live with it.  The kerf is narrower and while I had the power setting a tad too high, I like the less charring I'm seeing on the cut.

 

The second is the Arms of France for the stern (again bas-relief carving needed) and are approximately 3 inches wide.  Again, Euro box and it's probably the most complex piece I'll ever have to cut.  I'm happiest with the bottom one which is what I cut tonight.  The kerf was straight, less charring.  A bit more definition to the relief lines to guide the carving.

 

My thoughts are that if I can do these detailed cuts, I can do the bigger stuff like framing futtocks without a hitch.  I do need to adjust my drawings for the kerf but again that's learning.  Also the different woods we use... ebony is a no go.. it turns to charcoal at the drop of a hat.  Holly... I tried some 1/32" and it flamed even at low power that didn't completely cut through the wood.  Cherry, pear, Swiss pear, and Castello seem to work best. I've not tried basswood as I don't use it except for prototyping or making jigs.

 

I realize I've got the first version and I see on the website that they're making updates as they go. I do hope there's some focus on the quality control at the Chinese end, but I guess I'm jaded and have come to expect that any tech I get from China is iffy at best quality control wise.  I also realize there's a pretty steep learning curve with any new tech. 

 

I guess one more consideration... I'm working at 1:64 which allows (or demands) thinner wood and smaller parts than 1:48.  I realize that 3/16" thick hardwood is pushing the limit.  1/4" is, without upping the laser tube power, really pushing it and it may not give the results one wants as it takes two passes and the kerf is a V-shape because of it.  At this point, from 1/32" up to 3/16" I'm now cutting all pieces with a single pass and not pushing the power limit which will help with tube life.  When the tube dies, I'll probably replace it with a more powerful tube and a case extender and I'll still be under the cost of the next higher price machine.  I've double and triple checked the specs and the power supply should handle it nicely.

 

Last observation.. I don't think it has the workspace for many of the 1:48 scale pieces, notably in the stem, keel, and keelson areas as they are quite a bit larger than the same pieces at 1:64.

 

I won't say "buy it" and I won't say, "don't buy it".  I've got almost a month at 6-8 hours a day learning, working and tweaking at this point.  It will require perhaps more time and effort than you're willing to put into it or maybe you like challenges.  I guess I do, otherwise I wouldn't be trying to scratchbuild a relatively unknown frigate.  Shipbuilding is a rather unique hobby as we do go outside the normal of things.

 

Thanks for joining me on this voyage of sometimes frustrating and sometimes rewarding exploration.  Let's go build some ships now, shall we?

Edited June 28, 2015 by mtaylor

[augie]

Thanks for sharing all of your experiences with us, Mark.  It's appreciated.

[GLakie]

Thanks for posting an honest, and a to-the-point, review Mark. 

[Jack12477]

Mark, thanks for taking the time and effort to post your experiences with the LaserKnife.  I like the nameplate - nice looking - ditto the Arms of France piece. What micro chisels are you using to do the bas relief carving on the Arms?

[mtaylor]

thanks for the feedback, gentlemen.  If anyone is interested I do have a complete list of quality control items that I found that have to be address.  I guess I'm so jaded by the lack of quality control in Chinese goods that I just fix them and go on my merry way. I have yet to see any product involving tech that doesn't have these or similar issues.

 

Jack,

I'll be using a mix. I have some Dockyard micros, assorted Swann-Morton plastic surgeon scalpels, a micro-motor and assorted micro cutting and grinding burrs.  Along with the obligatory lighted magnifier and an optivisor.  I'm looking forward to doing those... and holding my breath about doing them at the same time.

 

 

.

[DJones]

Charles and I are very grateful for Mark’s various insights as we are experiencing our own trial and error “journey” with this machine.   

 

I have been hesitant to post much on the forum about it for the time being because we are in the midst of working with Micro-Mart’s techs to resolve our situation.  I don’t want to say anything on an open forum that might impede that process.  

 

We returned our laser cutter last week for replacement. They have agreed to take photos or videos of the replacement machine operating using our files and materials, before they ship it to us. We made sure that the files would test most of the full size of the bed in all corners. 

 

The original machine we got would only cut reasonably well in about 3” square inches in the upper left and that was it. It’s very possible it was damaged in transit, although the box showed no outward signs of damage. These are very delicate instruments so even a good jarring can jolt something out of alignment.

 

The laser tube’s beam hit mirror 1 high and to the far right, making proper alignment of all 3 mirrors nearly impossible by the time you got down to the lower right side of the travel distance. Even using fairly high power settings, it barely engraved beyond the upper left corner of the material and the further down and to the right it went, it seemed to fade off to nothing. Perhaps it was a defective laser tube.

 

As Mark stated, the quality control of the various laser cutters from China leaves a lot to be desired. We had hoped that by buying it from Micro-Mark a lot of those quality issues commonly associated with the cheap K40’s would be minimized.

 

Once we have our replacement in hand, we will post a follow up.  We are really hoping for a good outcome this time. The materials we cut should not tax the machine’s capabilities much at all.  Typically we’d cut 1/16” basswood and the like. 

 

Although my husband is an avid model shipbuilder, this machine was purchased primarily for use for my dollhouse miniatures accessories business.  (1:12 scale accessories and 1:48 structures, etc.) He will likely also use it in his own modelbuilding.

 

I will say I am disappointed that Mr. Frisoli chose to respond in the manner he did.  I have found his employees to be polite and professional and willing to work with us to resolve issues, even given the short hours they are available to assist.  We did have to do a lot of research on our own on the internet to resolve some issues, as Mark also did.

 

-- Debbie & Charles Jones

[Tom Piccirillo]

Hi Fellas!  and Gals!

 

 

My name is Tom Piccirillo, and I am the President of Micro-Mark. With a great deal of trepidation, and donning my hard hat , I'd like to take this opportunity to offer some information and help about our LaserKnife with the hopes it will clear up some concerns that you rightfully have about our new laser cutter . . . much of which was developed by me (I'm a mechanical engineer with some 41 years experience) as an enhancement to a China-built machine that needed some improvements and fine-tuning. The maker I selected was the best of the bunch that are building these things these days, but he still fell a bit short of the workmanship, quality control and durability requirements that would be expected by our customers (I have been with Micro-Mark for 23 years after replacing John Frisoli and, by now, have a pretty good idea of what is expected).

 

First, let me apologize for our late response to Mr. Taylor. We had responded to his first inquiry in about 1.5 hours, but we failed to respond to his next inquiry within an acceptable time frame. It's not that we hadn't been working on obtaining the information. I had received the question early the next morning and told our technician I needed to check with the engineer in China, who took several days to respond, as he was away on a business trip. Our mistake was to neglect to reply to Mr. Taylor that we were indeed trying to get an answer, and to please bear with us until we do. He is right to point that out to us. That void in the correspondence created a great deal of strife, and my folks have been instructed by me to provide our customers with updates no longer than 2 business days apart. So, that should take care of that problem.

 

As for the lens . . .

We never made an issue of lens orientation, because our testing showed that, for the things we were making, it really didn't matter whether the curved side faced up or down. Yes, we know the preferred orientation is curved side up, and, when in this position, you do get maximum power, but also limited depth of field. Flip over the lens, and you get less power, but improved depth of field and less dependency on critical focus.

 

We test each and every machine before it is shipped to our customer . . . and that includes the Taylor and Jones machines. We keep records of the performance of the machines and any fine-tuning required to tweak performance before shipment. I developed a test pattern that our folks use to confirm the machine cuts acceptably from corner-to-corner. Based on the valuable comments I've heard on this forum, we will include this test piece with the machine in the future as a quality control stamp.

 

I designed the packing arrangement for this machine. You can see that I used all the preferred methods recommended by FedEx and UPS, including 2 inches of space between the machine and the carton, removal of heavy equipment from the machine cabinet, finger holes in the large carton, and air space in the corners. Of the 24 machines shipped from our first lot, 21 machines arrived safely to our customers, who are enjoying use of the machine with the 1-2-3 set up that I devised for everyone. Unfortunately, 3 machines arrived banged up, and this caused quite understandable grief to those anxious customers. We have strived long and hard to rectify the problems caused by this rough handling and will replace those returned to us with machines again thoroughly tested as before. We're adding labels to all cartons that indicate a delicate instrument is enclosed, and asking drivers to please handle carefully.

 

We're also adding instructions to the front of the manual that ask customers to perform a preliminary mirror check before setting up the entire machine. That document is in final proofing and will be published shortly.

 

As for the rough opening inside Mr. Taylor's lens housing, I cannot explain it, as the machine performed well when we tested it here. With that kind of performance, we don't look further, but, I assure you, now that we know about it, we will in the future watch for it. I've already notified the maker to watch for such things, and to make sure the lens is installed curved-side up.

 

You're right when you say we are still on the learning curve. This technology is indeed new to us, and your experience with the machine will be valuable additions to our experience (I've been using one for hobby use at home for about 2 years now, and as a result of this experience, could guide our maker in as many things that are possible).

 

When we set out to offer a laser cutter, we tried (in vain) to use the MoshiDraw software provided with the machine. I even hired a computer engineer to help, but he ultimately threw up his hands in frustration; so, we looked for another way, and found CorelLaser. This is an easy-to-use add-on that, even for a non-computer-genius like me, worked really well with our machine. Yes, it plugs in to what can be an expensive program to purchase in its current issue, but we found old issues available on the Internet at very affrordable prices and determined this was the way to go. I'm also a member of the "don't spend any money if you don't have to" society, and I knew our customers could be resourceful-enough to beg, borrow, or steal a copy of CorelDraw. And, it is true . . . if you follow the instructions I provided with the machine, you should be cutting parts within an hour after opening the box. But, as with using any delicate instrument, and as Mr. Taylor pointed out, a bit of technical savvy goes a long way toward achieving early success.

 

Now . . . I'll kid you not. To develop use of the machine to its full potential, you're going to have to spend some time with it, and learn the various techniques and tips and tricks that, hopefully, you'll share with us. I included several pages of such things, that I learned, in our instruction manual, which, by the way, is not intended to be a service manual. If you're having a particular difficulty or have a suggestion for improvement, kindly take the time to send it to our tech service department. I've already incorporated some of your ideas mentioned here, and hope to receive more.

 

All the folks at Micro-Mark are committed to do our best for you, so that you can get on with building superb models.

 

 

Tom Piccirillo

President

Micro-Mark

Edited June 30, 2015 by Tom Piccirillo

[trippwj]

Hi Fellas!

 

 

My name is Tom Piccirillo, and I am the President of Micro-Mark. With a great deal of trepidation, and donning my hard hat , I'd like to take this opportunity to offer some information and help about our LaserKnife with the hopes it will clear up some concerns that you rightfully have about our new laser cutter . . . much of which was developed by me (I'm a mechanical engineer with some 41 years experience) as an enhancement to a China-built machine that needed some improvements and fine-tuning. The maker I selected was the best of the bunch that are building these things these days, but he still fell a bit short of the workmanship, quality control and durability requirements that would be expected by our customers (I have been with Micro-Mark for 23 years after replacing John Frisoli and, by now, have a pretty good idea of what is expected).

 

 

Tom -

 

Thank you very much for responding to the concerns and suggestions offered here - as you can tell looking through the forum, we have a very wide variety of backgrounds and experience.  Knowing that you, as one of the major vendors for tools in our hobby, are responsive and listen is good for all of us - and for the improvement of the technology available.

 

All the best -

[pirozzi]

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...

Laser Cutter.JPGControl Panel.JPGElectronics Compartment.JPGLaser Tube.JPGBackside.JPGWater Pump and GFI Adapter.JPG

 

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.

 

test cuts.JPGtest cut - nameplate 1.JPG

 

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.

 

test cut - nameplate2.JPG anchor stocks.JPG

 

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... 

Thanks Mark, for your feedback. It is appreciated that you put all this work into keeping us posted.

 

Vince P.

[GLakie]

Hi Tom: First, let me thank you personally for taking the time to respond to us directly. It does resolve some of the issues we had with even considering this machine as a future purchase. The one question that is on my mind, and probably some of the other guys here, is why Mr. Frisoli responded in the manner that he did. 

 

Cheers