New laser cutter cuts HDU into signs

[J Hill Designs]

I wonder if you could make a grain screen to use in it

So will this thing cut a 3D shape if I feed a grey scale bitmap with appropriate shading?

I bet it would!

 

[SignManiac]

An old friend of mine bought a small 12" x 24" laser engraver/cutter about five years ago. He's doing stuff I never would have dreamed of. He's retired and wanted a hobby. He's working six days a week and selling a ton of stuff. I designed a quick logo for him and threw together a simple website for him. He cuts stuff for me all the time but I need a larger table and wanted it here in the shop so I don't have to go pick stuff up at his house.

Here's a link to his small gallery of stuff he busies himself with.

http://www.rslasercuts.com/gallery-2.html

 

[iSign]

sometimes I peek in here & see the same old crap...

not today!!!

I think something happened since my days as a regular...
I think father time tried to make me one of those jaded old farts...

..but I found a little joy outside of signs & whaddaya know? Now I'm seeing the joy in my craft again!
this thread & all you guys in it remind me of how I got in this trade.. Thanks!!

 

[CES020]

So will this thing cut a 3D shape if I feed a grey scale bitmap with appropriate shading?

Adrian

I don't know if your software does it or not, you'd have to check with the people that use it (is it Laserworks or RDCam?), but mainstream lasers can certainly do 3D, you can do amazing things with grain patterns, etc. It essentially modifies the power on the fly and applies varying levels of power to different shades of gray. HDU works decent for that since it has no grain. Wood, not so much because the grain in the wood varies in hardness, so the area between the grain is soft, which burns at a different rate than the grain, making 3D work less practical, but still quite possible.

Here's what the files need to look like :

http://www.gantryco.com/laser-carving-3d-256-grayscale-graphics.html

p.s. Doug, your presence here is sorely missed. I learned a lot from you, and appreciate it.

 

[signmeup]

I have RD CAM V8. It looks like it does black or white but I'll check in over on Sawmill Creek and see what they say.

Adrian

 

[SignManiac]

I ordered Photograv software that converts photos into a greyscale bitmap for engraving portraits. I'm thinking it will lead to other ideas and uses.

 

[signmeup]

I have RD CAM V8. It looks like it does black or white but I'll check in over on Sawmill Creek and see what they say.

Adrian

It does carve! I tried it and it works! I only did a square that faded from black to white but it did a good job of it. I will see what I can do with a basket weave or some such. I think with some experimentation it could be a useful feature. Maybe a self portrait...

Adrian

 

[signmeup]

I ordered Photograv software that converts photos into a greyscale bitmap for engraving portraits. I'm thinking it will lead to other ideas and uses.

I just drew a square in Corel and did a linear gradient then clicked the RDcam plugin button and filled in the boxes as to power and speed. It must be the same settings for engraving on glass and acrylic to get pleasing gradients.

Adrian

 

[CES020]

I ordered Photograv software that converts photos into a greyscale bitmap for engraving portraits. I'm thinking it will lead to other ideas and uses.

You don't need it. I laser for a living, so to speak, and we used it and sold it years ago. It was brutal to get right and you can get the same results with some steps in Photoshop, if you have that. If you have Photopaint, I think you can do the same thing. There's a guy named Rodney Gold from South Africa and he posted the method online years ago and it's known as "The Gold Method". It's just a couple of steps and you're all set.

I don't know many people with lasers that use Photograv. Everyone tells the same story I did. Bought it, sold it.

 

[SignManiac]

Thanks for that info CES, I'll do some more research on that.

 

[signmeup]

Bob,

Did you go with a Ruida controller or a Leetro controller? I went with Ruida. Can't remember the model # but it's one down from the touch screen. (I like buttons)

Adrian

 

[CES020]

Here's a piece I did a couple of years ago on granite. Know that granite is either black or white, where marble will show shades of gray. The photo in this video is blown out some (too much white), but it was a customer's wife who passed away and when I toned her skin down to make it look less blown out, he said he didn't want it done like that. He said her face was very light and that's how he wanted it engraved, so I did it how he wanted it done.

[video=youtube;8voX7ldqY3I]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8voX7ldqY3I[/video]

 

[Gene@mpls]

Hi Signmeup- not sure if you missed my question about the brand of laser machine you use? If you prefer not to share that, I understand. Thanks Gene

 

[MGB_LE]

Hi Signmeup- not sure if you missed my question about the brand of laser machine you use? If you prefer not to share that, I understand. Thanks Gene

Did we ever get a reply?

 

[signmeup]

Did we ever get a reply?

Never saw the question. I have a Baldor Laser with a RECI 100 watt tube.

 

[fixtureman]

Try Lightburn software It does more then RD or laserworks You can download a trial version to see if you like it

 

[White Haus]

Never saw the question. I have a Baldor Laser with a RECI 100 watt tube.

Are you still liking it 10 years later?

 

[Rmurray321]

So will this thing cut a 3D shape if I feed a grey scale bitmap with appropriate shading?

Adrian

Most definitely not. The depth would be adjusted by focus and power, not actively moving up and down. Unless you have a laser with 3D capabilities….and at that point get a CNC instead since it’s far superior for carving