As shown in the instructions the laser tube that was used was a different model which had the metal end, compared to our full glass tube models we currently ship with the machines.
So there is no difference besides appearance between the two tubes.
The focus lens should be placed in the laser nozzle assembly and not on the laser tube itself.


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I bought a blacktooth laser from you about a year ago.. I am finally getting around to installing the laser tube and I noticed that my tube does't have the metal end on it like all the pictures I've seen. is this a focus lense and can I purchase one?

We have the image at that size to encourage the purchase of the kit from us. This helps to keep buildyourcnc alive and allows us to fund development of other awesome low cost machines.

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could you make available a larger size picture of the exploded view of the BlackTooth laser cutter? I would like to use for reference when building my laser cutter, but it is too small to be really useful.

There is some variation in the outward appearance of laser power supplies due to sourcing through different vendors. However, the basic wiring requirements are the same in each case. For the unit with integrated laser controller, follow the diagram found here: https://buildyourcnc.com/blackToothLaserCutterAndEngraver.aspx#prettyPhoto/0/. The terminals on the signal side will have a 6 connection terminal block -- these are the ones labeled 5V, IN, G, P (or WP), L (or TTL-L), and H (or TTL-H). The High Power side will have 3 inputs for AC power, one high voltage lead, and one return line. Connect these as shown in the diagram as well: the return line goes on the "front" (beam exit end) terminal of the laser tube, the high voltage lead goes to the "back" terminal of the tube, the FG terminal (or G) receives the earth ground wire of the AC power cable, and the two AC terminals receive the line and neutral wires of the AC power cable (it doesn't matter in this case which wire goes to which terminal).

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I purchased the blackTooth Laser Engraver with integrated Laser Control Unit and have been following your instructions. I noticed that the laser tube power supply is different that what is shown in your instructions. Do you have any better wiring guides that I can follow for the version that I received?

Stepper motors are known to make noises while function, however this does not affect accuracy or job function. However we recommend to check your wiring for solid connections, and for good connectivity!



On a personal note, here is one cool video dealing with making songs with stepper motors!

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I bought and built the Blacktooth laser cutter. It works, but one of the stepper motors makes a loud static hiss a second after the CNC power supply is turned on or off, and makes loud tweets and twirps when running. It seems to operate fine otherwise. I was wondering if it was "going bad" or if that is normal?

To verify, you are still getting the laser tube to fire, but the laser beam is weak and cannot cut or engrave any materials correct?

Have you checked your tube's tungsten post terminals to make sure they are getting good contact?
The Laser tube and laser power supply both have manufacture warranty, please email customerservice@buildyourcnc.com for further assistance.

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Hello, I have a blacktooth laser cutter, the machine has 10hrs of work, suddenly in the middle of a job the laser beam lost all power, I can still se the purple plasma beam but with no power or intensity, the tube is fine, water is running through and there is no arcing to the chasis or some other part. I think it might be a faulty PS how can I test it, Do I have a warranty on it?

Yes, if you need a replacement part on your machine please call us at 281-815-7701.

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I have a blacktooth laser engraver. The Y Axis stepper motor needs to be replaced. Can you please provide me with the information I would need to replace this motor.

Dealing with glass co2 laser tubes, it is difficult to accurately tell if it is going out or loosing "oomph". The laser will loose its co2 levels, which will cause it to loose cutting strength.
We have noticed that the laser at its "strongest" or new state fires a purplish/reddish color laser through the tube, and when it is loosing its cutting strength it turns to a faded red orange/orange color.

Using a ammeter will only measure the current going to the tube. The PSU will not know when the tube is losing its cutting strength, so it will constantly flow the same voltage and current.


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How many dots should come out of the laser

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What is a clear indication of a failing/failed laser tube? I know that laser tubes eventually "wear out", but how does one determine if the tube is loosing its "oomph"? My 40W Blacktooth laser tube return goes through an ammeter, so is the ammeter reading proportional to the beam strength, or can the beam die and still draw the same amount of current?

We have one in the works. It is a 4'x8' machine that will house the 80w laser tube on the gantry. The machine is bout 2 months out as of 1/7/2014.

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Do you have a larger kit for the Blacktooth Laser? I need a laser with at least 80watts of power.

You can test the power supply, but you will need to take extra special care since the voltage on the high tension line can be lethal. Go to this instructable to see all the step on testing the power supply:

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-test-and-set-a-Chinese-China-made-CO2-Laser/?ALLSTEPS

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I am building the Blacktooth laser cutter. What is the safest and most accurate way to test the output of the laser power supply WITHOUT connecting the laser tube? Can I use a standard multimeter and measure the voltage output of the laser power supply?

Sure, we can send you a replacement LED indicator. Just send an email to customerservice@buildyourcnc.com, include your address and we will send it poste haste.

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The LED Status indicator on the front of my Blacktooth laser is not working any longer. I'm looking to get a replacement but can't seem to find them on your website. Do you sell replacements? Thank you.

The on/off laser control for the blackTooth laser system is controlled by software. Software controls a digital trigger on the laser power supply that turns the laser on and off.

Our blackTooth works more like a CNC machine where g-code is used as the instructions to cut and engrave. Generally, CNC machines have a z-axis that moves up and down. When the z-axis is moving down, the end mill (cutting tool) is penetrating the surface of the material to be cut. We use this same technique to control the laser on and off. If the z-axis is in the down state, the laser is on. If the z-axis is in the up state, the laser turns off. All of this is automatically generated in the g-code when the machining operations are created in CAM software. This eliminates the need for an expensive laser controller board; however, a traditional laser controller board can be used with our system.

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I am looking at purchasing a blacktooth laser system but after reading some of the post I am unsure if laser power is under software control. Is laser power ( on/off) directly controlled with the off the shelf hardware and software

Yes, I was intending to design a medium sized laser cutter and engraver but the project was put on hold. I will start the design in a few weeks (around mid Dec 2017).

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Do you think you would want a horizontal machine, or a slanted, more vertically oriented machine?

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For the work I plan to do, I would need a horizontal bed. I will be doing some work with cutting small pieces and can not afford to have any drop during a raster or another vector cut.

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Ok. Thanks.

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Can you design and sell a laser that is medium sized? The Black Tooth is too small and the XL is too big. I need about 36" x 24" cutting space minimum. 60x40 is ideal.

What is the model number of the laser controller?

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Hey - the model number on the laser controller is
AWC708C
S/N:708014243

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Do you need any additional information here? I really want to get going on it this weekend!

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Sorry about that. If you are referring to the CN1 and CN2 connector, I don't believe it is needed if it didn't come with the connector. The components that we send to the customer is the same package that is sent from the manufacturer of the product. I would try connecting it to the CN1 connector of both units and test the interface (control panel).

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The manual for the AWC 708 shows the two ports CN1 and CN2 connected, but that may just be for thorough documentation if the CN2 is needed for some reason. Do you have a copy of the manual or know where to find it? If not, I will put the document link here.

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my 40w blacktooth laser kit with laser control unit only came with one controller connector, but the unit has two controller ports. Should I have two wires or do I just use controller port number one?

If you already have our motors and interface controller, it would be best to run all motors with our drivers. You would not be compelled to replace all of the drivers, but it may be advisable for future issues.

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I originally bought 4 Sainsmart ST4045-A1 Drivers. One failed. Can I replace the defective one with one of yours? Or should I replace all 4? I have bought your NEMA24's and BOBs. Learned my lesson. Newbie mistake, I admit. Thanks.

For the integrated computer for the blackTooth, the hard drive doe not need to be formatted, but will require an OS (operating system) to be installed. Ubuntu Linux can be installed with the CNC integrated software from Linuxcnc.org. Windows can also be installed.

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I am building the Blacktooth with integrated computer, which consists of a motherboard and hard drive. Does the hard drive need to be formatted or any form of OS loaded onto the integrated computer?

Your question caused me to make a quick video to understand how the pokeys57CNC controller works with a THC.

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[596] Would you help with the Hook up and the Configuration and whether it is in the Plugin or mach 4 control configuration that needs to be set. I decided to use the ultra fast encoders connector pin #8, 12 and 13 for Arc ok, UP and Down. Please advise what setting to set to make it all work. Thank you very much for your help!

What laser controller model number do you have?

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Hey - the model number on the laser controller is
AWC708C
S/N:708014243

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Thanks for the model number. I am going to fabricate the parts and put it together myself to see the issue. We made this modification to the blackTooth laser cutter to better house the new laser controller that we wanted to add to the laser, but that may have been for the AWC608. If there is an issue with my assembly, we will create a new part that will correct the issue and send it to you.

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Thank you for the update!

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Have you had a chance to duplicate the issue yet?

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There are no instructions on how to assemble the laser control unit housing that came with my 40w blacktooth laser kit. How can I get instructions for how to assemble the control interface housing? Every configuration I try blocks the wire connection ports.

Modifying the Z-axis to accommodate a larger motor will be a worth while task and is possible, however we have not calibrated the z-axis therefore using the 1600 Steps-per inch in the motor tuning on our machine in our shop. We have not noticed any significant depth increments from not calibrating the z-axis but only from zeroing the z axis too close to the material. Also in your design did you specify the actual depth and the length of tool (end mill/ bit) that you are using?

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I bought a Blacktoe 2 x 8 three years ago and have always had a problem with the Zid axis. No matter how tightly I've calibrated the axis it always cuts to deep. Can I put a larger Stepper motor on Z-axis using the same motion electronics that came with the original machine.

I can send you a new license. All you need to do is email me at customerservice@buildyourcnc.com and state the name the license is under and I will send you another license.

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I bought and downloaded about 2 years ago, recently my PC that I use for my CNC crashed and now have to reinstall Mach3 but the license download has since expired. What I need to do to activate the software?