Xtool M1 Material Settings

[Peppin Kishore]

Ihave to admit, when I first got my xTool M1 I was a little nervous about get the correct laser engraving settings. I started searching online hoping to find a cheat sheet or list that would just tell me what power, speed and number of passes to use for different materials.

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First I went to the xTool website, and they do have a page for material settings, but the list is for just the products that they sell. While I was disappointed, the more I thought about it, it makes sense. Why would they want to tell you the settings to use on a product you are going to buy from someone else.

The suggested settings did not work! I did more research and found out that while I was trying to engrave on a leather patch, just as this other crafter was doing, there could be differences between the different types of patches. For example, the one I was attempting to engrave had a metallic layer under the surface, so it needed different settings.

The short answer is because there is such a huge difference in the materials and machines out there! If you get a leather patch from one retailer, it might not be exactly the same as a patch from another retailer. Even with the xTool M1 there is a 5 watt and a 10 watt version of the machine, so you would need different settings.

Since I have the xTool M1 10w I am going to create the type of list I was looking for! That way you will not have to waste time spinning your wheels like I did. If you purchase the same products I do you will be able to learn from my trial and errors.

Think about ironing clothing, and think of Power as how hot the iron is. If you want a hard crease line on a work shirt or pants, you are going to increase the power, or heat of the iron. You might move the iron slowly and go over the same spot several times.

If you own the xTool M1 10w then you might want to bookmark this page. Each time I test out a new product and discover the best settings I will be adding to this list. I will link directly to the products I used so you can be sure you are purchasing the exact same items.

Reminder: These settings are what worked best for me using the xTool M1 10W machine. If you like the results I was able to get, then the laser engraving settings I provide here are exactly what you need. If you want your designs lighter or darker, you can always adjust the settings.

This was another one of the handmade clay ornaments. Again, I engraved them after they had been fired just to test and see if it was even possible. This version was painted after it was engraved, and I feel like it really made the wording pop!

I am going to be totally honest with you . . . THIS was the part that had me most nervous! What if I could not find anything to even know where to start! Remember when I started off saying I felt like I was spinning my wheels? And when I mentioned a power/speed setting range, how did I figure out that range?

After totally ruining two patchs, I decided to do a material test array and it turned out it was the best thing I could have done! In the photo below I show the material test array I did for the leather patch. I was shocked! Most of those settings are way too much and were just burning and making a mess of things.

I do like the look of the Power 10 / Speed 75 / Pass 1 square and that is probably what I would go with for my personal laser engraving settings, but maybe you want a darker look for your patch. You could go up to the Power 19 / Speed 75 / Pass 1 but anything above that starts to burn the leather and leave soot around the edges of the engraving.

For the Speed side of things, 30 is too slow across the entire material test array. To me, 60 is the slowest I would go. So if I were to do a new material test array for this same patch, I would probably do my settings in a range from 1 to 30 for the power, and 60 to 80 for the speed.

What I learned from this process is that I have my speed pretty dialed in for using the xTool M1 on a leather patch since I have determined that somewhere between 60 and 80 is what I like. That is only a difference of 20 so that range is pretty small.

For the power I might want to play around with things more since anywhere from a range of 1 up to 30 could be good. Also, there is the factor of personal preference to bring into this. The setting I like might not be the setting that you like, but my main goal of this entire article was to help you stop spinning your wheels and at least feel like you had somewhere to start.

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I changed the file to .clb and when I load into Lightburn it does nothing. No errors just does nothing. I have checked and the ext is right. Brand new to lightburn I have loaded some art libraries with no problems. Would appreciate any help I have the 20 watt D1 pro

Thanks for putting such an effort into creating this library. As I was chechking the parameters I noticed that there were multiple settings that do no fit those in the PDF provided by XTool. The number of passes also always seems to be set to 1? It would be brilliant if we could figure these isues out :-). I converted the PDF into an Excel Sheet but due to a lack of programming skills have no idea how to write the code for the library myself.

It is not hard to convert to the XML. The current file is not current that downloaded so I will be writing a program to create a new file that is more accurate with number of passes and the proper power settings.

Anyone see a discrepancy in the published PDF settings vs what is in the CLB file? The file imported fine and all materials are listed, however when I select cutting parameters I get wildly different settings and mostly showing 20% power where it shows 100% in the PDF.

Be aware that the current files are NOT suitable for cutting plywoods as the settings will only set power at 20%, which is severely under the recommended power for Xtool regardless of the wattage you are running.

Finally, finding the right balance between power and speed helps to keep the power at the optimum level without using more than necessary. This is important because the higher the power usage, the shorter the CO2 tube lifespan. Using the Materials Test Grid helps find the balance that gets the job done and delays replacing an expensive tool until it is absolutely necessary.

Remember that understanding your specific machine and how it performs is part of the creative process, just as learning how a new brush feels in the hand or a new paint applies. Testing is the only way to get to know this new tool. Imagine how confident you will feel and how accurately you can price a job if you know exactly what the end result will look like!

Set the minimum and maximum power and speed settings to establish the test range. Then select the number of rows and columns to increase or decrease the number of speed and power settings that you would like to test.

Ungrouping the elements also provides an opportunity to verify that the test is set up properly. Hover over each test image and look at the power and speed settings in the right panel to make certain that they match up to the settings in the test grid.

Success! You have just created your very own handy Materials Test Guide! Now take a good look at it and decide which settings are right for your project. Usually, the optimum setting will provide a deep engraving or clean cut at the lowest possible power with minimal flashing.

Flashing can be prevented by masking. This is done by applying transfer tape to wood and a film of dish soap on glass or acrylic. Wood can also be sanded and wiped to remove some charring, but using the optimal settings and masking are the two techniques that will provide the best final result.

Creating a test for every new material helps verify that the combination of power, speed, and materials will provide the desired results. Predictable results will help you confidently price and create products quickly and easily!

Best of all, creating a custom Materials Test is completely free! Using XCS to create a custom Materials Test is a great way to become familiar with the software and its capabilities. Create a test grid of a letter or unique shape to see exactly what to expect when creating the final product.

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As am I. Definitely not my experience with CO2 lasers of the sub-100W class. 3/4" of black walnut is a lot of hard material to laser through in one pass. It must be either very special walnut or some magic in the laser.

Very wise comment. Too bad GlowForge as a company has no interest to monitor this forum to keep a pulse on the community. Sure would be a great way to inspire innovation and development putting GlowForge at the leading edge.

I have found quite a range with Walnut, some can be a half-inch cut with barely a scorch, but I have had some that burned horribly also. I think it has a lot to do with the age and growing conditions of the tree.

Ran the same SVG file through both machines, using their preset settings (found how to get those in the xTool software), on the same material (Thick Draftboard). This was the cut time for each machine.

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