60W Laser hairline crack in focus lens.

[Ed Hagopian]

I was cutting paper and then 1mm thin plastic with zero problems this afternoon, moved to 1/8th inch plastic and noticed a flame up when normally it shouldn't have.  Stopped the cut, thought maybe there was soot on the lens, looked to see if it was clean and noticed a hairline fracture on the lens. I don't know how long it's been there. While it had been cutting the thinner stuff fine I decided to stop till someone told me different. I forgot to tag it out so it's just powered down per normal. Thoughts? We'll need the laser for the derby for sure, with the 25watt out. If we need to order a new lens let me know and I'll be glad to help on funding as I'm a frequent user of it.

Decided to instead print 3 CNC hold-downs for the CNC router, they are in the drawers and look spiffy and strong.

[Pete Prodoehl]

This has to somehow be my fault... only because it's the second week in
a row I had plans to go to the space on a Friday morning to do some
etching, and then get an email on Thursday saying the laser(s) is down.

Dammit!


Pete

> --
>
>
>

[Tom Gondek]

Thanks for taking responsibility for it Pete! :-)

Seriously, its been cracked for a few years. It doesn't interfere with
operation. ( I'm sure it has a small effect on the cutting, but nothing
major.)

I would be more "concern" with the etching. I replaced the bearings, but it
still sounds a little rough. Please let me know how it turns out!

Tom

--

[Matt Wittmann]

Anyone find a 32 gb flash drive by the laser

--

[Matt Czapar]

If someone were to want to buy a new lens to donate to the laser cutter, is there a place one could go to to buy it, and do we know what the approximate costs would be?  Even an order of magnitude would be good to know.

--
 
 
 

[Pete Prodoehl]

I'll take this to mean the 60 watt laser is operational, and since I've
been checked out on it, I can use it tomorrow morning.

So unless I get an email stating otherwise in the next 13 hours, Imma
gonna go for it.


Pete

[Ed Hagopian]

It was cutting fine, the only thing that caused me to even look was a flare up. Could have beennl junk on the plexi as i didn't wipe it down. Go for it Pete.

[Brent Bublitz]

Make sure the air is running properly. Lack of air movement and/of
poor lens focus can cause flare-ups like that.

On Thu, Aug 30, 2012 at 5:53 PM, Ed Hagopian <edhag...@gmail.com> wrote:
> It was cutting fine, the only thing that caused me to even look was a flare up. Could have beennl junk on the plexi as i didn't wipe it down. Go for it Pete.
>

> --
>
>
>

[Have Blue]

I was just about to ask the same thing - I was hoping to maybe use the laser for Nerdy Derby cutting, and I would be happy to chip in money for a new lens.

I recall browsing Ebay for ZnSn lenses, and the appropriate ones were only in the range of $30-$40.  That's assuming the Universal doesn't need something weird, and a direct-from-China lens will suffice.

--
 
 
 

[Ed Hagopian]

Yah I might have forgotten to adjust the Z for the new thickness but I can't recall.