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?

The blackTooth uses CNC software for its control. You will need either LinuxCNC (free) or Mach3 to control the blackTooth. There are various methods to use this control, such as using a .dxf (can be created from SketchUp) and a CAM software like CamBam. The CAM software will be used to provide machining operations, like profiling for the polygons and lines. Use a tool diameter of near 0.

The z-axis direction controls the laser on and off, so make sure that your material thickness is very thin (like .001") so there is no time delay for the laser turning on.

If you want to engrave photos, Mach3 has a plug-in for this purpose.

We will help you every step of the way, so keep posting questions, or give us a call during business hours.

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I'm still unclear about the necessary software for the Blacktooth laser cutter. I just ordered the Blacktooth laser cutter with integrated computer. Does that mean I won't need the Mach3/EMC2/CamBam types of software? I am proficient with Google Sketchup so I have the design software covered, I just can't determine from the product description what else is required in the software department.

It is most common for the laser tube to go out, after about 1000 hours of work time!
It is strange that the new laser tube will not fire!
We would recommend to check the tungsten leads, if they are making good contact!

Also here is a link to a instructables page where they have tested a laser power supply!
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-test-and-set-a-Chinese-China-made-CO2-Laser/?ALLSTEPS

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Hello - I have had some years of good use from my Blacktooth CN Laser, but had to reduce the speed on jobs over the last year to get satisfactory cutting. Recently, on a long job, the laser beam weakened and disappeared entirely over about 30 seconds (guess). I fixed a new tube, but this won't fire either. How can I safely test the output lead to see if it's dead or partially so?

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?

We have been quite busy during the Holiday season which is normal. This may result in extended lead times. If you would like to speak to a representative about your order please call 281-815-7701 or email customerservice@buildyourcnc.com and someone will advise you when to expect your order.

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How long does processing typically take before a Blacktooth laser cutter ships? I see a week on a lot of the answers, but my order is pushing two. Since bad luck tends to follow me around, I just want to make sure I'm still in the realm of normal processing time.

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?

Wiring diagrams for the Laser Power Supply will be mostly the same with the updated power supply. The main difference is the newer power supply contains a secondary green terminal block on the front of the power supply next where the hard leads are connected. This differs from the older power supply which had contact points on the back of the power supply. Please refer to the tutorials section for updated information and if you have specific questions please email techsupport@buildyourcnc.com

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I am assebling the Blacktooth CNC laser 20x24" with what appears to be an updated power supply. After refrencing the wiring diagram on line and the totorial, may I ask for an updated diagram or totorial, the current version do not appear to match match the configuration provided. I do not feel confidant in the educational guess, that I have. thanks

The mxl 0.08" pitch is fine for moving the weight of a gantry that contains a 40 watt laser tube and optics. I would not advise this timing belt for CNC applications that need to move heavy items such as spindles, routers, and heavier structures that are required to move these spindles and routers around.

The mxl 0.08" pitch timing belt is also great for 3d printers.

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Originally bought the Blacktooth Laser kit, but the upgraded laser tube size and needed a larger casing. With that I need to upgrade the belts to a 36" run. Can you advise whether the mxl.08" timing belt is sufficent or do I need the .2"in.

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?

As long as you have enough air blowing at the cutting location, you shouldn't have a problem with charring. A 40 watt laser should be able to cut through 4 ply chipboard.

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is the 40W blacktooth laser cutter strong enough to cut through 4 ply chipboard with out horrifically burning/charring the edges? If you havent tried mabye you could as this is a must for anyone who will be using it to build architectural models. I would rather have this pre-verified before I give $2100 to have you build one

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?

VCC is the same as 5v. I will clarify on the instructions.

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In the BlackTooth instruction the concluding sentence suggests connecting a wire from the right terminal of the pot to the VCC on the Laser Supply. There is no VCC on the power supply for the Laser that I can find. So, does this wire go to a different terminal on the power supply, or somewhere else where VCC exists, such as either stepper motor control?

Make sure to check your supply lines. Air flow is especially important.

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hi, I atacched a laser system to my modified book machine. it worked fine for a few trials but for some reason has lost power and is not cutting through any more, it does engrave thou. what can I check for? I´ve tried everything I can think of.

Yes. The VFD (Variable Frequency Drive) has a large set of parameters that can be modified. This is typically called "programming" the VFD. The parameters can be accessed using the front control panel of the VFD.

Since the VFD is the mechanism that control the allowable current draw from the spindle, there is a parameter that assigns the motor rated current; however, it is probably better to match the rated current of the motor and "up" the circuit breaker current instead. If the current limit is set too low, then there is a possibility that the spindle will cause a current overload error on the VFD and cause the spindle to stop.

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With your 120v drive systems for your 2.2kw spindles, do you do something to limit the output to the spindle so that the current draw doesn't exceed the 80% limitations of a 20a circuit? I have a dedicated circuit for my router and I am considering a spindle upgrade, but I am curious how the configuration matches the math.

Decreasing the speed of acceleration in the cutter? Meaning of your router/spindle?, To modify the speed of a router will be going to the router itself and modifying the speed, but if a spindle is being used modifying it will be done either manually in the VFD (VFD Setup:
Change PD001 to '0' (source of run commands)
Change PD003 to 300 (main frequency - Hz)
Change PD004 to 300 (base frequency - Hz)
Change PD005 to 400 (max operating frequency - Hz)
Change PD006 to 2.5 (intermediate frequency - Hz)
Change PD008 to 220 (max voltage - V)
Change PD009 to 15 (intermediate voltage - V)
Change PD010 to 8 (minimum voltage - V)
Change PD011 to 100 (frequency lower limit - Hz)
Change PD142 to 7 (rated motor current - Amps)
Change PD143 to 2 (motor pole number)
Change PD144 to 3000 (rated motor revolution))<- make sure these are your settings in the VFD. If the spindle is wired to the breakout board and is working through Mach 3 then the modification will be done in your CamBam/Feed rate settings.

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How can I decrease the rapid acceleration of the cutter from a completed cutting operation to a new location so that the stepper motor will not lose its steps and mess up the machine zero settings? I am using CamBam and Mach3 on my machine with a chain drive. what is the best way to reduce accleration

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

These connectors are not necessary and they are not included in the kits anymore. I have revised the step to reflect this change. The connectors are actually an undesirable addition since that is a point at which the hoses can be disconnected during the machine operation and cause water to drop into the driver electronics.

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In the Blacktooth instruction 90 A pair of coolant hose connectors are to be installed. These didn't come with all the other parts, and aren't on the packing list. Are they really necessary? Could not the tubes just exit through these holes and go to the pump, bucket, or water container?

It generally does not matter if it is longer at the other end as long as the lead screw provides the desired travel for that axis. The lead screw will only need to be long enough for the travel, plus any structure and lead-nut positioning.

For example:
- The motor that will turn the lead screw will need to be mounted at some position (generally at one end of the axis). In many cases, this positioning will be mounted where some of the lead screw will not be used (the lead nut will not be able to moved close to the coupling of the lead screw to the motor shaft). Add some of the length of the lead screw to be inserted into the coupling.

- If the lead screw will contain bearings at either end of the travel, that portion of the mechanical assembly will need to be considered in the lead screw length.

- The lead-nut will need to be mounted in a position on a structural member of the part that is to move. The distance from the part of the structure that will extend closest to the motor will have some distance to the position of the lead nut. This distance will need to be added to the lead screw length.

Add these discrepancies to the length of the lead screw and the travel length and you will have the final length.

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How to determine lead screw length needed. My Thomson 1 1:4 rails are 60 inches long roughly for the router I’m building. I know I have to have it long enough to couple up with the stepper motor of course but does it matter if it’s a little long on the other end

Since the nozzle is getting warm, much of the laser energy is not exiting the aperture and is hitting the inside of the nozzle. You need to align the laser's final mirror to direct it out of the nozzle's aperture and you will have more than enough energy to cut 1/8" acrylic efficiently.

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I've been unable to cut through acrylic or wood at a thickness of 1/8" or less with the BlackTooth. Even with multiple passes (x10) and full power, a clean cut cannot be accomplished. Based on videos I've seen something doesn't seem right. I noticed that the nozzle gets very warm, almost untouchable during even short runs.