It's been almost a year now that I've had the ROBO router/engraver. The machine has given me fits at times, but I've learned all of its little quirks. The machine is great for small delicate work, like the critter shed. It's not as rigid as a commercial router, but for hobby work like what I'm doing it works fine. I had made a cutter holder utilizing a cutter and cartridge from the Cricut Die Cutting machine. Today I received the laser for the machine.



Here's a description of the laser, "Comgrow 48W Double Ultra-Fine Compressed Spot Laser Module,10W Optical Power, Fixed-Focus Laser,10mm Wood High Energy Laser Cutter, Compatible with Most Laser Engraver Cutting Machine". My hand gives a size comparison.

So now I have three different ways to produce parts, route them out, cut them out using a knife, and now cutting/engraving with a laser. From left to right, cutter, laser, knife.



When I went to mount the bracket that holds the laser to the machine, I noticed that the screw wouldn't hold the bracket securely. The screw was not tightening down all the way. I removed the back cover and discovered that the screws were about .062" too long. Had I forced them it probably would have damaged the board underneath.



I ground the screws down level with the back of the board and remounted the back plate. That fixed that problem. I probably could have ruined the board in back.



Laser mounted to the machine. It just clips on in front of the cutter motor. Wires are label to where they connect. I won't be trying this out till I do some research on how it's used. Also need to download a program called Light Speed to run the laser. Too many projects going right now to play with this new toy. I'll post an update when I start working with the laser.



Bernd

I used Meshcam when I first got my Sherline CNC mill. I later found CamBam 1.0 from a British company. I use that for the Robo and Sherline. CamBam has a free version that allows you to do 40 fully functional evaluation sessions before having to purchase the program. I think I paid around $150 for it and it's well worth it in my book. I've tried 360 Fusion and even bought a faster newer computer system to run it. I do all my CAD work with Draftsight 2D and export it to CamBam for the CAM. Another free 3D program is DesignSpark Mechanical. Not as powerful as Fusion but is a good program for getting used to do 3D design work. Design Spark outputs in an .stl format.

Right now my CAD work is on "slow" speed with the summer months consuming other activities.

Enjoying your input on this subject.

Bernd

I tried using Fusion 360, but my computer’s graphics card was not up to par. In fact, it’s not even that great for Alibre Design, but it works good enough though the more complex designs take longer to render.

On a somewhat related note, I placed an order for the Comgrow Comgo Z1 10W laser engraving machine on the 18th that is scheduled to arrive this Saturday. I’m looking forward to cutting thicker materials, those in the 6mm-8mm range. The working area for this machine is 15.75” x 15.75” (400mm x 400mmm). This will be large enough to do projects from N to G!

Thanks for the rundown. I had not heard of Lightburn. I use Fusion 360, and will probably have to write a post processor when I get the laser completed. F360 exports .stl files that the Lychee slicer does a nice job with on the Elegoo resin printer.

Jim

Hi Jim, I tried 2D scribed siding on the shed, and it turned out alright. I’ll definitely have to refine my process to get the correct relief. Oh, and diode lasers don’t really like scribing on white mat board or card stock. It will though, but there always the chance for some reflectivity.

CAD is Inkscape, CAM is Lightburn. I also use Alibre Design Pro for the 3D stuff, and cannot wait to incorporate the router and printer (Elegoo Mars 3)! CAM for Alibre is Meshcam (of which I have yet to figure out) and the much user-friendly Estlcam.

Smoke problems? Yes. I don’t have an enclosure for the machine, so I keep a fan on and the garage door open!

Donnell

Donnell, Will you do the scribed siding and shingles using 2D and then assembling, or do 3D cuts with the laser? What CAD/CAM software are you using?

Jim

looks great !

Unbelievable how nice a job that little laser will do and at a good price to boot. Looks very nice.

Did you have any smoke problems?

Bernd

Here’s an n-scale mock-up of the backyard workshop where eventually all these tools will end up! This was cut from 2-ply (.036”) mat board. The next iteration will be more complete with scribed siding, trim, and shingles!

Great to hear all is good.

I used the laser to cut a desktop/tabletop mini module to mount a straight section of Kato Nscale Unitrack from 1/8” basswood. The module was 248mm long by 90mm wide, and the laser cut all of the parts beautifully. However, I didn’t know about the “squareness” issue at the time, so when I went to assemble the pieces, much to my surprise, the module developed a severe twist!

So, I took of the bottom plate and flipped it over, sure enough the twist was gone. I thought I had bumped the machine and misaligned the cut somehow, but it turned out that the machine was out of square.

Honestly, I took for granted that the machine was setup correctly from the manufacturer, and this was largely based on all of the positive reviews I had seen on YouTube for this machine. Plus, it really is a great deal with all that you get for just over $200!

Anyhow, the machine seems to be okay now.

Hi sd80mac,

Somebody on the ROBO Facebook page was having the same problem. His wasn't the machine but the something to do with the part. It wasn't very clearly explained in the post. I haven't check for squareness on my machine. You got me curious now.

Bernd

Hello Modelers,

So, after a week of tinkering, I found that my machine was not cutting square. I ended up removing the gantry, loosening the frame screws, and making adjustments to square up the frame. After a while, I finally got the machine cutting as square as I could find acceptable. I only hope that this carries over to the routing when the time comes as I want to use this machine to help upgrade the generic 3018 cnc.

Thanks for the pictures.