laser
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| laser [2025/07/12 18:42] – add another list of danger by material type to safety section 8c244b37-0747-c193-0a4e-0967254778dd | laser [2026/02/16 14:14] (current) – ef2d127d-e37b-942b-aad0-6145e54b0c61 | ||
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| TheLab has a few different laser machines which can cut and engrave wood, acrylic, foam, steel, aluminum, etc. Each machine is better suited for different tasks. See the machine list below. | TheLab has a few different laser machines which can cut and engrave wood, acrylic, foam, steel, aluminum, etc. Each machine is better suited for different tasks. See the machine list below. | ||
| - | ---- | + | **Discord Channels**: |
| - | + | ||
| - | - **Area Coordinator**: | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | - **Discord Channels**: | + | |
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| ---- | ---- | ||
| - | ## Safety Considerations | ||
| - | The laser machines are a little different from most machines found in TheLab. There are no obvious sharp spinning blades that catch ones eye as being dangerous. The danger from the lasers is not so much the motors running as it is the silent high intensity, mostly invisible laser light. If it can cut/engrave solid material it will do major harm to human flesh. | ||
| - | |||
| - | Be sure to read this safety discussion before burning your first project. | ||
| - | * [[#A Word About Safety| A Bit About Safety First]] | + | ## Software |
| - | ---- | + | Lightburn is used to drive all lasers at TheLab, with the exception of the Glowforge which uses proprietary software. |
| - | ## The driving software | + | |
| - | The various laser machines may use different software to actually drive the machine mechanism. Some may use a locally installable 3rd party product, others a proprietary cloud driven product. To date we have: | + | |
| - | ### Lightburn | + | |
| - | Lightburn is used to drive the Trogdor (CO2) and Shockwave (OmTech Galvo diode) lasers | + | |
| * **[[lightburn_basic_instructions|Lightburn Basics in TheLab, in progress]]** | * **[[lightburn_basic_instructions|Lightburn Basics in TheLab, in progress]]** | ||
| + | ---- | ||
| - | There is a Glowforge proprietary cloud product that drives the Glowforge laser | + | ## The Machines |
| - | ??? is used to drive the Calcifer (XTool diode laser) | + | ### Trogdor 100 Watt CO2 |
| - | ---- | ||
| - | ## The machines | ||
| - | ---- | ||
| - | ### Trogdor 100 Watt CO2 | ||
| Discord channel: trogdor | Discord channel: trogdor | ||
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| {{: | {{: | ||
| - | ---- | + | ### Omtech LYF-30 Galvo Fiber |
| - | ### Omtech LYF-30 Galvo Fiber | ||
| Discord channel: shockwave | Discord channel: shockwave | ||
| Line 74: | Line 58: | ||
| - | ---- | + | ### Glowforge 40 Watt CO2 |
| - | ### Glowforge 40 Watt CO2 | ||
| Discord Channel: | Discord Channel: | ||
| Line 93: | Line 76: | ||
| {{laser: | {{laser: | ||
| - | ---- | ||
| ### Calcifer - Xtool D1 Pro Laser | ### Calcifer - Xtool D1 Pro Laser | ||
| + | |||
| Discord Channel: calcifer | Discord Channel: calcifer | ||
| Material to be added | Material to be added | ||
| - | ---- | + | |
| ## A Word About Safety | ## A Word About Safety | ||
| Line 126: | Line 109: | ||
| * [[https:// | * [[https:// | ||
| - | #### Some local safety glasses information: | + | #### Some local safety glasses information |
| Be sure the glasses are certified for the frequencies used by the laser you will be operating. | Be sure the glasses are certified for the frequencies used by the laser you will be operating. | ||
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| OmTech (Shockwave) 1064 nm | OmTech (Shockwave) 1064 nm | ||
| \\ | \\ | ||
| - | Xtool D1 Pro (Calcifer) | + | Xtool D1 Pro (Calcifer) |
| TheLab makerspace tries to keep a set of laser safe safety glasses available for use. If you cannot locate them please post a note to the “laser-general” discord channel or purchase a set for your personal use. | TheLab makerspace tries to keep a set of laser safe safety glasses available for use. If you cannot locate them please post a note to the “laser-general” discord channel or purchase a set for your personal use. | ||
| - | **NOTE: | + | **NOTE: |
| - | The current lab glasses | + | #### Diode/Fiber laser safety |
| + | |||
| + | The following should be adequate for the Omtech Galvo and certain other diode machines whose laser wavelengths fall within the following ranges: | ||
| \\ | \\ | ||
| 190-420 nm & 850-130 nm OD6 | 190-420 nm & 850-130 nm OD6 | ||
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| 200-450 nm / 800-2000 nm/1064 nm OD6 | 200-450 nm / 800-2000 nm/1064 nm OD6 | ||
| - | TheLab' | + | TheLab' |
| \\ | \\ | ||
| {{: | {{: | ||
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| + | #### CO2 laser safety glasses | ||
| For the Trogdor, Glowforge and Xtool D1 machines, the laser light should be contained by their respective enclosures. The laser “should not” fire if the access doors are open. It is imperative that one does not defeat/ | For the Trogdor, Glowforge and Xtool D1 machines, the laser light should be contained by their respective enclosures. The laser “should not” fire if the access doors are open. It is imperative that one does not defeat/ | ||
| - | Safety glasses may be purchase | + | TheLab' |
| + | \\ | ||
| + | \\ | ||
| + | 9000 - 11000 nm OD6 | ||
| + | \\ | ||
| + | {{: | ||
| + | \\ | ||
| + | \\ | ||
| + | Safety glasses may also be purchased | ||
| + | \\ | ||
| \\ | \\ | ||
| **Be sure the safety glasses you choose are certified for the frequencies used by the laser you will be operating. Your vision may depend on it.** | **Be sure the safety glasses you choose are certified for the frequencies used by the laser you will be operating. Your vision may depend on it.** | ||
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| There is a fire extinguisher located next to the large red Trogdor machine. | There is a fire extinguisher located next to the large red Trogdor machine. | ||
| + | |||
| + | * If a fire has started immediately turn off the laser main power switch. This should allow the fire to extinguish, if not you will need to resort to using the fire extinguisher. It’s a CO2 extinguisher so should not damage the machine. | ||
| + | |||
| + | * Immediately notify TheLab discord channels and put a note on the machine to not use until it gets checked over for damage. | ||
| #### Cutting/ | #### Cutting/ | ||
laser.1752345761.txt.gz · Last modified: 2025/07/12 18:42 by 8c244b37-0747-c193-0a4e-0967254778dd
