That is a good question. We have not tried to weld thermoplastics using our CO2 Lasers. It is possible since the laser outputs a heat source and at the right intensity and speed, the thermoplastic can be heated and melted rather than instantaneously vaporized and off gassed. I have done research to see if CO2 laser can weld thermoplastics with positive results.

Our CO2 lasers are typical of other laser cutters on the market, so if their literature, or examples you have found, successfully weld thermoplastics, then ours will probably be able to as well.

In some cutting test with different speeds and intensities, the kerf has welded back together; however, this was caused by an unintentional process rather than an intentional one.

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Would any of your CNC laser machines be appropriate for welding of thermoplastic materials?

That is a good question. We have not tried to weld thermoplastics using our CO2 Lasers. It is possible since the laser outputs a heat source and at the right intensity and speed, the thermoplastic can be heated and melted rather than instantaneously vaporized and off gassed. I have done research to see if CO2 laser can weld thermoplastics with positive results.

Our CO2 lasers are typical of other laser cutters on the market, so if their literature, or examples you have found, successfully weld thermoplastics, then ours will probably be able to as well.

In some cutting test with different speeds and intensities, the kerf has welded back together; however, this was caused by an unintentional process rather than an intentional one.

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Can a CO2 CNC laser machine be used for welding of thermoplastic materials?

You can modify our machines to have a camera to view your process and pick up registrations.
Here you can see a one of our customers adding a webcam to his machine! (https://www.buildyourcnc.com/tutorials/Example-customer-blacktoe-clintW)

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Would your CNC machines be able to have an optic camera to pick up registrations marks from a printer?

All the options for and variations of our blackTooth laser cutter/engraver are available on our website here https://buildyourcnc.com/blackToothLaserCutterAndEngraver.aspx#prettyPhoto. The wiring diagram is available here: https://buildyourcnc.com/blackToothLaserCutterAndEngraver.aspx#prettyPhoto/0/
We do not offer plans or a bill of materials for our machines at this time, but if you are interested in doing your own from scratch you can learn a lot about the design and build process from our tutorials. We wish you success in your endeavors.

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How can i get a complete list of all the components (electronics) I need for a CNC laser cutter with the laser controller? A wiring Diagram would probably be very helpful.

The plasma nozzle must be close to the cutting area and you will need some way to keep the nozzle at the right level with some type of device. The spray is downward, so you will need a contained area with a sheet of water at the bottom to extinguish he spray. You should have no problem using our machines for this application since you would need to product the table bed.

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CAN YOUR PRODUCTS OF MACHINES BE USED TO CREATE PLASMA TABLE?

the greenBull can handle cutting aluminum as long as the correct bit (end mill) is used and the bit is cooled frequently to prevent chips from melting and causing damage to the bit or warping the material.

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Would your greenBull 6X CNC machine be suitable for cutting 2024T3 aircraft aluminium? Working on a kitlpane project and I need this capability.

If you want to run a greenBull CNC machine using a generator, The generator will need to allow for a minimum amount of current draw. Here is a list of items that draw current and how much current (the list does not include the laser option):

Spindle: 10 amps minimum so plan for more.
The power supply for three motors and drivers: 9 amps
The computer to run the control software: varies but out redleaf system would be a max of 2 or so.

So you are looking at about 21 minimum so you will probably need a 25 amp generator.

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Can I run your greenBull CNC off of a generator? If so, what specs would you recommend? Thanks!

These files are no longer available. We suggest purchasing a kit, like the blackToe, or blackFoot as these kits are far more rigid and perform much better.

https://www.buildyourcnc.com/blackToe2x4v40.aspx

https://www.buildyourcnc.com/Item/cnc-machine-blackFoot-v4

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Would you be able to provide .DWG/.DXF files instead of .NC files for the CNC Routing Machine Kit Version 1.3 please?

The instructions for assembly are found in the book. If you are interested in purchasing the plans and instructional DVD please see this link https://buildyourcnc.com/cnckitintro.aspx

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I read the book and i want the vedios show assembly the CNC Machines please give me alink for vedios

Yes, our porter cable collets and nuts will fit the porter cable 7518.

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HAVE PORTER CABLE 7518 ROUTER ON MY CNC AND WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF YOUR ER20 COLLET NUT, FOR THE CABLE, WILL FIT ROUTER.

Building a vacuum table, for any CNC machine is possible but doing it right might take a adequate amount of information and extensive planning. Depending on the overall complexity you want to build.
Example, you want sections, and valves that can be operated to close sections of the table to allow vacuum to a specific spot of you material.
It is possible and would be a very precise method to hold down your material.


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Thanks. It may be something I'd like to try on my greenLean at some point. Dan Spangler wrote a nice article on building a "Universal" CNC vacuum table in the latest issue of Make magazine, volume 41.

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How feasible would a vacuum hold-down system be for a vertical CNC like the greenLean?

It's best to design a machine specifically for a lathe rather than adapting an existing machine kit to an existing lathe. If you are interested in us designing a machine like this, let us know.

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Can any of your CNC kits be adapted to work with a manual wood lathe?

Using Anti-Freeze in the cooling system with either our spindle or our laser tubes will not have any problems and we recommend using a small amount in locations where temperature is freezing or below.
Although we do not recommend using an entire gallon of anti-freeze rather just a small quantity with tap water will be sufficient.

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All last winter, the temperature was below freezing and sometimes below zero. I used 100% antifreeze for the spindle coolant. Worked great !! All the spindle needs is any type of coolant flowing through it to take the heat away. I use three gallons of antifreeze in a tub with a fish-tank pump to push the antifreeze through. 100% antifreeze works great in cold or hot winter.

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Excellent tip. Thank you for this correction. So it is OK to use antifreeze solely as a cooling method.

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Can anti-freeze be used as a coolant for your 40W laser tube? I live where winter temperatures are below freezing and my CNC machine is in my unheated garage.

The USB interface only works with momentary switches unfortunately. If you have extensive knowledge of digital electronics, you can apply a receiver that uses a microcontroller and a transmitter with another microcontroller that produces the pulsing signal with the controls that you need.

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I would like to make a handheld remote for the USB CNC Board using a joystick instead of momentary switches. Could you suggest one that will work with your board.

The Greenbull machine can cut a very wide variety of materials ranging from foam to aluminum. We recommend the use of our 2.2kW spindle to allow the greatest flexibility. Aside from that, the most important thing is to use an appropriate end mill for the material you are cutting and to use appropriate speeds and feed rates.



BYCNC Response:
Our 40W laser can cut up to about 1/4" materials ranging from wood and acrylic down through lighter materials such as leather, fabric, foam, etc. Speed and final cut are greatly enhanced by an air assist upgrade. We also offer an 80W laser which has approximately twice the capabilities of the 40W.

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WHAT MATERIALS CAN THE GREENBULL MACHINE CUT? LASER ETCH?

Yes, you can send your electronics to us for repair, or retrofit to work with either Mach3, Mach4 or LinuxCNC. You can send us an email at customerService@buildyourcnc.com to set up your appointment.

Some of the types of CNC electronics we will consider.

- We will work on electronics from other manufacturers as long as you are ok with the Mach3, Mach4 or LinuxCNC control software for your CNC machine or CNC router.

- We will repair or retrofit used CNC electronics.

- Some customers find that electronics are overwhelming to put together so we will finish these electronics wiring and assembly for you.

The cost for these includes labor cost for the time it takes to finish the CNC electronics repair or retrofit and for any parts that need to be replaced or added.

Here is an example of CNC electronics that we worked on for a customer:

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I would like to use Mach3 instead of the software for my CNC router. Can you fix the electronics for me?

Gcode or digital files are not available for our machines.

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I have the build your own CNC kit 3 Axis CNC Machine 2008, were can I get the Gcode or vector files for it ? I wanted to have it laser cut

We are able to work with many different options to provide solutions for our customers. Please send an email to customerservice@buildyourcnc.com for further assistance with this matter.

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Is it possible to integrate the shipping costs of 2 CNC machines paid separately, but same shipping address?

The blackToe 2'x4' cnc machine is sold as a kit only. We offer plans for the scratch (book) build machine that can be found here for purchase and also comes with a DVD showing the build process: http://www.buildyourcnc.com/cnckitintro.aspx and the plans for build in the book is on the CNC book page: http://www.buildyourcnc.com/Book.aspx.

You can use the same size stepping motors referenced in the book: http://www.buildyourcnc.com/category/elcombo

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I would like to build the 2’x 4’ blackToe2x4v40 CNC router. I have your book. I want to build the latest model blackToe2x4 v40. Are those the correct plans on your web book page ? Is there a bill of materials? If I use a Porter Cable 3-3/4 router motor what size stepper motors do I need?