I attempted to use the laser this am, unfortunately regardless of what file
type or program on the attached PC I used or what file I tried to print I
was unsuccessful.

The cutter head would travel to about 5cm off the left side of the bed and
about the same down from the top and it would oscillate along the y axis
moving about one inch back and forth.  I'd open the hood and it would
continue this for a dozen or more times and then return to the home
position.

The other thing I noticed is that for most of my attempts the power, speed,
and pulses would all be zero value as shown on the LCD panel.  I could set
these values manually but even though I could set them before printing they
would not be carried through with the print.  I did find that when I
changed from Corel Draw to the other Corel program on the PC that I did see
these values carried through to the printer.  That confounded me, not at
all what I was expecting.

I messed up once using this second program and started the print without
adjusting down the power/speed/pulse rate and the same resulting pattern
happened moving off the upper left and oscillating back and forth over the
same line over and over again.  I was slow to see that this melted some of
the plastic support underneath.  I will order a replacement if someone can
show me where to find it.

Perhaps someone can show me the error of my ways on Tuesday evening.

Buggs

I used the laser Friday morning and it worked great. We should perhaps make
a habit of moving the gantry into the position Jim mentions below. (I
actually did this when I was done in preparation for the next person to use
it.)

And this may be slightly out of date, but may still be useful:
http://wiki.milwaukeemakerspace.org/spacedocumentation/lasercutterhowto

Pete

I did both of these things and the problem I explained occurred anyway.
 The checkout described these actions in detail and I followed those
instructions to a "T".

Buggs

The only difference I will note, and I believe it was correct since I was
using the 60W laser and not the other one is that instead of selecting
ULS-25E I selected V-460 from the drop down list.

Buggs

Since I evidently left my USB Flashdrive in the PC if someone would like to
try to print my file on a small piece of Poplar Plywood scrap [the part is
only 70mm x 30mm] go for it.  It is in a folder "Makerspace\hotend1.dxf"

Buggs

Hi,  It sounds like you were engraving, not vector cutting.  Was that your intent?  In engrave “mode” the laser will repeatedly move right and left (x-axis) and slowly move front to back, engraving any solid object in your drawing.  If you want to vector cut in Corel draw, make sure you have no filled objects and you line width is set to hairline, then print.  You can combine both operations into one file, just depends on what you are trying to do.

Hope that helps

Tom

From: David Buggs
Sent: Saturday, September 01, 2012 5:47 PM
To: milwaukeemakerspace@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [MakerSpace] Issues attempting print on Laser

Since I evidently left my USB Flashdrive in the PC if someone would like to try to print my file on a small piece of Poplar Plywood scrap [the part is only 70mm x 30mm] go for it.  It is in a folder "Makerspace\hotend1.dxf"

Buggs

  And this may be slightly out of date, but may still be useful: http://wiki.milwaukeemakerspace.org/spacedocumentation/lasercutterhowto

  Pete

  On Saturday, September 1, 2012 4:04:03 PM UTC-5, Jim Rawson wrote:
      This may not be the same issue, but when you select Black and put in your power and speed and ppi settings, remember to click on the SET button.  Also, before you turn on the laser pull the gantry all the way towards you and the laser all the way to the left.

  --

--

And make sure you select VECTOR instead of RASTER for the operation, right?

Pete

Actually you don’t need to select anything in the print driver (assuming that no one has changed it, and vect/rast is on)  The drive is smart enough to vector any line with a width of “hair line” and raster any solid objects.  This can be very helpful if you want to engrave a pattern, and then cut it out in one file.  For example, if you engrave a pattern, and your “object” has an outline of the same color, the laser will engrave and then do a quick vector around the object, cleaning up the edges, or if your outline is in a different color, you could change the power / speed settings on the second color, and cut the object out.  All depends on what you are trying to accomplish.

Tom

From: Pete Prodoehl
Sent: Saturday, September 01, 2012 6:20 PM
To: milwaukeemakerspace@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [MakerSpace] Issues attempting print on Laser

And make sure you select VECTOR instead of RASTER for the operation, right?

Pete

  Hope that helps

  Tom

  From: David Buggs
  Sent: Saturday, September 01, 2012 5:47 PM
  To: milwaukee...@googlegroups.com
  Subject: Re: [MakerSpace] Issues attempting print on Laser

  Since I evidently left my USB Flashdrive in the PC if someone would like to try to print my file on a small piece of Poplar Plywood scrap [the part is only 70mm x 30mm] go for it.  It is in a folder "Makerspace\hotend1.dxf"

  Buggs

  On Sat, Sep 1, 2012 at 4:40 PM, Pete Prodoehl <ras...@gmail.com> wrote:

    I used the laser Friday morning and it worked great. We should perhaps make a habit of moving the gantry into the position Jim mentions below. (I actually did this when I was done in preparation for the next person to use it.)

    And this may be slightly out of date, but may still be useful: http://wiki.milwaukeemakerspace.org/spacedocumentation/lasercutterhowto

    Pete

    On Saturday, September 1, 2012 4:04:03 PM UTC-5, Jim Rawson wrote:
        This may not be the same issue, but when you select Black and put in your power and speed and ppi settings, remember to click on the SET button.  Also, before you turn on the laser pull the gantry all the way towards you and the laser all the way to the left.

    --

  --

--

I wasn't trying to engrave and I had chosen vector in the print properties
along with a lesser power/speed/FPS and there is no fill in my design file.
 The line setting was very thin too.  As I'd said I opened the cover to
disengage the laser and let the toolpath run it's course and the only thing
it did was repeat the 1" line before returning to the  home position at the
back right of the machine.  It didn't try to do any of the other sections
of my design which is what confuses me to no end.

I had pulled the laser head to the front and then to the left before
powering it on so the initialization was ok.

Pete/Kevin's suggestion on head placement is good to follow after powering
down, but should not be assumed so we should always check to see that the
head is positioned left front before powering on.

Buggs