An 80 watt laser can cut plywood up to 1/2 inch thick. Make sure to use a high pressure source of air to knock out all of the charring during the cutting process so the laser can work efficiently.

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I have a Chinese 80W laser. Just finished a cut test with 1/2" plywood. It cut through at 95% power 7-4mm/s with significant charring after two passes with no refocusing done between passes.

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That's great information. What is your PSI of the air assist on your laser? What focal lens distance do you have? And where did you place the focus of the lens (at the surface, or within the material)?

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What is the max thickness of material that the 80W laser can cut in plywood?

Please keep my order in place. I have found that it is a physical part not a plan. So do not cancel the order. Thank you

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Please keep my order in place. I have found that it is a physical part not a plan. So do not cancel the order. Thank you

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I thought I was ordering a part. I did not want any schematic or plans. Can you cancel my order?

We don't have a laser kit to retrofit another CNC router other than ours, but we can create one. Some things that may help:

- You are located close to use so we can work closely with you to implement to retrofit,
- or you can provide very detailed drawings or measurements so we can use them to create the necessary parts for the kit.

Other things that you need to understand:

- A laser has a number of parts that will bulk up the head of the CNC router causing a bit more inertia which may require lowering the acceleration for smooth ramping up and down of the velocity

- The bulk of the parts required for the laser may restrict the travel of the x and/or y axes.

- The nozzle of the laser will be offset from the end mill of the spindle.

Can you tell me the brand of the CNC router that you would like to stick a laser on? (you can answer by submitting additional information.

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Can I put a laser on my cnc router that I didn't purchase from buildyourcnc?

Yes, we can provide a laser attachment for the long Z version of the greenBull 4x, 5x and 6x. Please call us to get more information and pricing for the laser attachment.

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I have a greenbull 5x with the long Z. Is there a laser kit that I can get for that model?

It will be very soon. We are developing a mount for a 40W laser tube for the blackToe, blackFoot and greenBull. This will be available within 2 months.

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I would like to add laser option to my cnc mill. Is this possible?

Yes, the vertical laser XL (VLXL) can use a laser tube with a higher wattage than 80 watts. The maximum wattage depends on the length of the laser tube. As the wattage of the laser tube increases, the length of the laser tube also increases. The inside clearance of the Vertical Laser XL will allow a 130-watt CO2 laser tube to be used.

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[510] Can this machine use a bigger laser tube than 80W?

Sure. You will need the proper mount for the laser tube and a mount for the power supply in relatively close proximity to the laser tube. If you have one of our greenBull CNC machines, you can use the laser/spindle head that we offer.

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Can I just purchase a laser head to replace my router when all I choose to do is print or copy a photo

These antibacklash nuts are right-handed acme threads with 5 starts.

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[365] I had ordered 3 and they appear to be left handed threads. I did not see a specification when ordering. Is this mentioned somewhere?

When you purchase the blackToe 2'x4' CNC machine kit, you determine the length. The 4' is only the suggested length unless you purchase the optional table. Just construct a table that is 8' long similar to what this customer did:
https://www.buildyourcnc.com/markgottschalks2x8cncmachine.aspx

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is there a option I can purchace the black toe 2x4 in a 2x8 format?

We offer a 4'x8' laser system that uses an 80 watt laser tube.
Vertical Laser XL 4'x8'

Our blackTooth 24"x20" laser uses a 40 watt laser tube due to the internal size constraints and that the laser tube is mounted on the gantry for ease of aligning and maintaining better power at the cutting end.
blackTooth 24"x20" Laser

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can I purchase the 2' x 4' laser with an 80 watt tube?

You have multiple options to run the laser but if you want us to install a OS system,you will have to buy the windows 7 license and mach3 license to run the machine with the parallel BB/if you would get the USB BB you will need to get planet CNC, you can also go with a free system Linux and have emc run the cnc machine.

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what operating system comes with the laser (Integrated Computer) Option

We already have a system that meets those needs:
https://buildyourcnc.com/images/machineConfigurations/greenBullV2_size_04x08_angle_flat_f1_no4thaxis_f2_wilasergantry_f3_nolaser_f4_wilaserready_.png

You can find that machine on the home page. It's the first machine on the page and all you need to do i click on the "Add A Laser" button at the top left of the image.

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Good day to you! We haven't communicated in quite some time! I am still wanting to pursue a 4 x 8 CNC spindle and 80kw laser system! Please respond so we can put this together!

The laser mount for the greenBull is designed and suited for a 40W tube only. The 80W tube is too large to mount on the gantry.

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The laser adapter for the greenBull can host laser tubes more powerful than 80W?

If you take the standard parallel cable BoB (Break Out Board), then you will need control software (Mach 3 or EMC2) and CAM software to make your G-Code (such as CamBam). Personally I use CamBam and Mach 3, they work beautifully but don't expect to turn them on and know how they work out of the box. Give yourself a few weeks to get familiar with the basics. CamBam is VERY powerful software for it's price. I'm surprised how much I keep learning on what I can do with it...I highly recommend it if you want as much control as possible.

Mach 3 + CamBam as a bundle costs $310. EMC2 will give you a free replacement for Mach 3 and is exclusively for Linux.

If you use the USB BoB, it will cost an extra $75 + $75 for the software. This is an all-in-one package so no need for Mach 3 or CamBam.

For etching rasters (jpeg, bmp, tiff, non-vectors, photos), I highly recommend PicEngrave. It has been a labor of love for the past 9 years and John has done a wonderful job with it. It easily compares in quality compared to software that is in the $200-$300 range. John's software runs $40 and can be found here: http://picengrave.com/ (don't let the modest website fool you, this stuff can do amazing things). DotG and the Mach3 engrave plugin are two other options and instructions can be found on Dustans page in the gallery on buildyourcnc.com website.

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WHAT SOFTWARE CAN BE USED WITH THE BLACKTOOTH LASER CUTTER?

The greenLean machine comes with the entire structure and features a 4'x8' cutting area. You will still need some hookup wire to connect the electronics and silicone tubing for the water to and from the spindle.

greenLean Machine: https://buildyourcnc.com/item/cnc-machine-greenLean-v1

Thanks for answering my last question. So I have two follow-up questions from the response. The green leaf stands vertical is it designed for the material to be cut without falling free once it is cut through? And second question: you metioned water running to the spindle is this a cooling system for the spindle?

You would use holding tabs to keep the parts from falling out of the cut areas. Holding tabs are generated as part of the CAM file. Yes, this is the way the spindle is cooled. This is far superior to air cooling. Air cooling will blow the chips all over the shop.

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I am loking for a kit that can cut 4x8 material and would be ready to cut when assembled. plus what computer and software are needed to be ready to cut?

There are three options on the blackFoot product page.

Two options include either electronics that use the USB interface, or parallel interface. Both of these options include stepping motors (two 425 oz-in and one 651 oz-in), motor drivers (two 3.0 amp and one 6.0 amp), power supply and either a parallel breakout board, or USB breakout board. The USB interface must be used with the planet-cnc software. The parallel interface can be used in a wider variety of control software but will require a parallel port on your computer. If a parallel port doesn't exist, you can purchase a PCI parallel port adapter (for desktop computers only).

The other option does not include electronics. This option is if you already have electronics, motors and drivers that will work with this machine, or you wish to purchase the redLeaf or redSprout assembled and plug and play CNC electronics and computer system.

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What electronics configuration is included with the blackfoot if I choose that option?

If you are getting the "Communicating Unsuccessful!" error when you are trying to communicate between LaserCAD and the AWC608 Laser Cutter and Engraver controller (after you have already tried installing the USB driver from the LaserCAD setup procedure), these are the steps you will need for a successful communication:

- Open the Device Manager window (right click on the start menu and select Device Manager)
- When you plug the USB cable from the AWC608 Laser Cutter Controller (USB Type B connector) to the computer, you should see a new item in the Device Manager, possibly under "Ports (COM & LPT)", or under "Other Devices". It may show as an item under "Other Devices", possibly FT245R and has an "!" in a yellow triangle.
- Download the latest FTDI drivers from: http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/D2XX.htm
- Unzip the files to a folder that can be easily browsed.
- Right click on the item that appeared in the Device Manager when the cable was plugged in between the Laser Cutter AWC608 controller and the computer.
- Click on update driver
- Select the procedure to manually install the driver and browse to the folder containing the FTDI driver and follow the step in the driver installation wizard.
- The item should now be located under the "Ports (COM & LPT)" and should be named "USB Serial Device (COM#)". The # will be the number you will use in the LaserCAD software.
- In the LaserCAD software, click the "Select Mode" at the far top right of the Laser CAD user interface.
- Make sure USB mode is selected.
- If the Machine name with the correct COM number is listed, select it and exit the dialog window. Otherwise, click on "Add" and fill in the details with the new COM number.

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Communicating unsuccessful

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Communicating unsuccessful

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I get a "communicating unsuccessful" when using LaserCAD and the AWC608 Laser controller

The term cGy (centigray) is a unit of absorbed dose of ionizing radiation such as x rays or gamma rays. Cell phones do not emit ionizing radiation. They emit nonionizing radiation, namely radiofrequency (RF) energy. Absorption of nonionizing radiation in the body is measured in terms of the specific absorption rate (SAR) in units of watts per kilogram. Both ionizing and nonionizing radiation are forms of electromagnetic energy. The difference is that ionizing radiation has sufficient energy per photon to cause ionization of molecules. Nonionizing radiation does not. It is the ionizing effect of ionizing radiation that has been linked to increased risk of cancer. For more information on cell phones and health check out a Medical College of Wisconsin website. For more information on ionizing versus nonionizing radiation check out a University of Michigan website. Gary Zeman, ScD, CHP Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

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MY QUESTION THAT KNOW CANCER CAN BE CAUSED WHEN OUR BODY EXPOSED TO DOSES OF 50 CGY OR HIGHER. WHAT DOES STAND FOR? DO EMIT?

Yes, the Mach3 USB controller will work with the latest Windows version and in 64-bit mode. The 32-bit mode is only relevant for using the parallel port driver if you are using a parallel port breakout board. Since this controller is connected via a USB cable, the 64-bit state will work fine.

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mach3 not showing in device manager

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[575] I have a 64 bit Windows 11 laptop. Will this interface board work with this? If not is there an option you can suggest.