Laser fun at at AGI

[Mike Glass]

Hi All,
As Tom has posted, I'll be bringing my small laser to AGI this year.
It will be my first time attending the event and look forward to meet you all.

I wanted to start a thread about things that can be done with the laser so that people are prepared to use it. In other words, bring your artwork!

If you have ever tried to rent time on a laser you know it goes for about $60.00 an hour, it will be your to use free of charge so I'd like people to make the most it.

The last thing you want is to be kicking yourself in the ass for not bring your artwork or logo to engrave into a piece you made at the event.

Have a question or comment?
Please ask!
Mike

[Mike Glass]

Can someone fix the title. I stuttered!

[Glass Pyro]

WOW. That is awesome Mike.

[willyoung]

Please elaborate.
I would love to know more about the applications possible through the use of a laser. I will be attending this year and would love to be prepared for the opportunity.

[JANKYglass]

can i givbe hasslenutz a laser circumcision?

[Mike Glass]

Where to start!
You can engrave any image, clip art or photo into a piece of glass. It's very much like sandblasting but instead of sand it uses the laser to blast the glass away.

You can do what is called "color mapping" very useful.
For example your logo is A.G.I. and when you made the artwork you make the "A" blue, the "G" red, the"I" green and the dots black.

You assign each color a different value (Wattage) and when the logo is engraved each letter will be a different shade. The higher the value the deeper the cut.

Another example, You apply a few layers of different color frit to a tube then make a jar or a cup out of it. Lets say there's three colors over clear.

Using color mapping you can cut through one color to reveal the color under it so you can engrave a image that is three different colors, 4 if you count the clear and countless shades in between.

You can engrave on any flat surface or place the rotary attachment in the cabinet and it takes up the Y axis and turns round objects as it engraves.

It's a lot easier then it sounds!
Trust me. I'm no rocket scientist!
Mike

[Mike Glass]

can i givbe hasslenutz a laser circumcision?

It all depends on if you hold it still!

[themoch]

how big of a surface can you do this on? because i'll be bringing the laptop and photo editing gear... also, what's the "dpi" on this sucker? i want to know how detailed i can get with it.

you can believe me i'll be carving the hell out of a lot of things.

also, does it have to be flat? or can you do around the sides of a tube or something?

post a pic or model # of your lazzzZzzor?

[Greymatter Glass]

I'll bring my lasers :P

if I can find one that works... I always burn out my green diodes.

[Mike Glass]

The moch,
The laser has a 12" x 24" bed and will go to 1200 DPI and is 25 Watts.
Here's a link to newer new model, but it about the same as my TT model.
http://www.epiloglaser.com/mini24_overview.htm

I also have a EX 32 this is also a link for a newer model as well.
http://www.epiloglaser.com/ext_overview.htm

I bought the TT in 2003 and the EX 32 in 2005, but don't think I'm some rich guy! I cut model airplane kits by hand for a year before I could afford the first one. So both machines where bought and pay for with model airplanes.

As for round objects, I have this http://www.epiloglaser.com/rotary_attachment.htm

The TT was pretty nasty inside from years of cutting lite ply. I took it apart over the weekend and cleaned and adjusted it so it would be nice and pretty for AGI.

I'll get up some pictures,
Mike

[cheng076]

Will it do designs on or into Dichro? If so can an individual design about 0.5 to 0.75 in. be replicated into or onto a largher sheet many times or should I do that in the artwork here? What formats does it like or take? Or should I print it out on paper?
PJ

[Mike Glass]

Hello,
I play to do a Dichroic tutorial later on tonight that will include artwork and print it on the laser. Once your artwork is in Corel draw you may copy and paste it as many times as you like and the laser will engrave them all at once.

I use the Color mapping as well to cut the pieces out of the sheet after there engraved. Well it doesnt really cut them out, but it will make a cut deep enough to snap them out of the sheet.

Mike

[Mr. Wonka]

We plan on having Mike demo the laser Monday afternoon / evening in the main building, so we can hook the computer into the projector and everyone will see what’s happening on the screen.

After that, we’ll probably move it into the “Wonka” building, since it requires its own ventilation.

** Mike- can you reduce the power of the laser so you can just remove the dichro coating without etching the glass?

[Mike Glass]

Hi Tom,
Yes you can control the power setting, but even when you etch the glass during the engraving process with a frosted finish. It glazes over and disappears as you work it into your piece.

Sorry folks,
I ran out of time tonight. Gotta be at work by 5:00 am.
We will continue tomorrow,
Mike

[Mike Glass]

Here is a simple clip art tutorial for generating artwork for the laser.
Tell me what you think? Do you understand it so far?

Mike

[UmaJulz]

Yeah, that works, but what format and what resolution do we want the image to be? Should we bring it on a memory stick? If people bring a paper copy, does someone have a scanner to convert it?

Andrew, you bringing PS? Tablet? If people have a digital photo of some art, that can be dumped into PS and outlined, etc. to make it laser friendly. I can bring mine too, in case there's a rush. :D

[themoch]

I"m bringing the photoshops. i'll be bringing my laptop outfitted with some graphical things.

I wasn't going to but i'll bring my Wacom tablet too. so we can draw some stuff in.

the laptop isn't the fastest, but it does it's job, in time.

[Mike Glass]

Here is a list of file types,
http://support.corel.com/scripts/rightnow.cfg/php.exe/enduser/std_adp.php?p_sid=lNNKLP9j&p_lva=&p_faqid=207467&p_created=1029774985&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9ncmlkc29ydD0mcF9yb3dfY250PTIyM jAmcF9zZWFyY2hfdGV4dD1pbXBvcnRpbmcgaW50byBjb3JlbCB kcmF3IDExJnBfc2VhcmNoX3R5cGU9MyZwX3Byb2RfbHZsMT1_Y W55fiZwX3Byb2RfbHZsMj1_YW55fiZwX3NvcnRfYnk9ZGZsdCZ wX3BhZ2U9MQ**&p_li=

The resolution is subject to what you are doing. The dancing devil is very low resolution, but comes out great when done in a 1" circle for a pendent.

[Greymatter Glass]

Julz... to answer the question without knowing the machine: Any format is fine as long as you can open and view it on any computer. yeah. Stay away from proprietary formats like .raw (often has weird header info), .psd and .dwg and stick with .gif, .tif, .jpg, .bmp, .png, etc.


Mike... The question isn't what software to use, the question is what format does the lasers processor accept natively?

The question relates to data formats, not software.

I understand you use Corel Draw, but what do you output to the printer?

I'd guess it's either .tif or a proprietary format that has a Corel Draw plug in.



Can't wait! laser Graal!

-Doug

[x947]

where can I find some pictures of glass projects done with this kind of laser ? finished work ??

[Mike Glass]

Let me try to explain it this way.
The artwork has to be imported into Corel Draw and formatted for the bed.
The laser has it's own print drivers that work with Corel Draw.

As I said,
I'm no rocket scientist!

[themoch]

http://www.etchedbydesign.com/glass-laser-etching-thumbnails.htm
http://epiloglaser.com/glass_engraving.htm

laser etching is the end all to perfection glass etching...

[UmaJulz]

So, since I haven't used Corel Draw in like 15 years, what formats will it import? .pdf , .tif , .jpg , PICT ?

I don't want to spend too much time while at AGI working on graphics. I'd like to have it done here, and just have it on a thumb drive to make it super easy to import to Mike's machine.

Andrew, I'll tuck my laptop in also, with tablet just in case. But like I said, I'm going to get my graphic done at home. :D

Thanks Mike!

* found this on the Epilog site:
Let's say you're currently using CorelDRAW or Photoshop for your graphics and you have a logo in an .eps format (or .jpg, .gif, .cdr, .psd...it doesn't matter!) You can import that image into your software and print it to the laser in a matter of minutes. Engraving with the laser actually works through the print driver, so most any software will print easily to the laser!

[Meerkat]

Not to deviate too far from the subject, but something I have been wondering for a long time is how those 3D images in glass cubes are made. The image is constructed out of dots (spheres) that have been burned into the interior of a cube of glass, making up an actual 3D image. I always assumed there must be something like 2 lasers that are not powerful enough to etch the glass but when they cross beams they are ???

[themoch]

most of the time it's lucite and not glass... then they take two lasers with varying wave lengths (or off set the wavelength) and shoot one from the front and one from the side so they cross, then it causes a super tiny fissure where they intersect.

[senz1]

sounds really coolll!!!!!! How did it work out for you guys? any pics? piece thanks

[Greymatter Glass]

The laser worked great for everything we put in it except boro....

boro kinda etched, but it took a lot of power and time going over it in multiple passes.

The lasers work on glass by exploiting glass's insulation properties and thermal shock properties. In soft glass the laser makes enough heat to blast away the glass, in boro it just wasn't hot enough.

A bigger laser, or maybe on dark glass, would have worked better.... boro is hard stuff, it certainly wasn't a shortcoming of the laser.

I etched my cell phone, my wallet, some tools (it etched graphite very slowly, but it worked), paper, tape.... that's about it.

As for the driver, it's not mandatory to use Corel, as it's an independent print driver - but Corel is what we had on hand and it worked fine.

I am looking to buy one similar to what we used, but the best deals i can find are 5k+ and I know i have seen ones in worse shape than new, like what we used at AGI, for $1500 or so.

-Doug

[themoch]

for anybody looking to get a laser like this one i suggest renting for a few months or leasing the machine. it will cost you less and you can upgrade when your contract is over.

you need to be doing a lot of laser stuff to make it cost effective.

[schmoinkel]

Does your wallet now say "Bad Ass Mother Fucker"?.....maybe it should.


Scott

[Greymatter Glass]

no, it says " $$ BLING $$"

and "PROPERTY OF DOUG"

[GeraldOs]

Thanks for the links, TheMoch because all I could find about laser engraving (http://www.ulsinc.com/) were those machines and I doubt that any glass would stand that procedure. :)