V Carve laser add on

[_Michael]

I have the Vectric laser module and I honestly don’t think it was worth the cost considering the alternatives. J Tech has made a post processor that eliminates the Z moves for using a laser.

You can also just make a fake tool to use the laser as @gwilki describes.

Hybrid laser/router projects

@Phildo Here are two screenshots of my “fake” tools - one end mill and one vbit. Re: the end mill. The diameter of .005 is the spot size of my laser using the 3 element lens. I suspect that yours will be similar, but Sienci will have those specs. Speed = power. I don’t the use the $30=255 setting recommended by Ikenna. I use 1000 recommended by Lightburn. That way, setting to fractions of full power is very simple. In the laser_end mill attachment, the speed is shown as 500. That is 50% power…

I agree with @Spamming_Eddie that LightBurn is superior to Vectric for most laser uses with the notable exception of using the ‘Project onto 3D Model’ feature which requires Z moves to laser on the contours of a model.

If you want to use Vectric and LB in the same project I have come up with a technique for alignment of the laser part. On various projects I have cut some shape out of wood and then exported the profile vectors as an svg file. I then use LB to burn the profile onto some thin paneling/plywood clamped to my spoil board. Since there aren’t any forces applied the wood can then simply be placed by eye using the profile you burnt. You just need to place the profile and ‘work’ burns correctly in LB and use the same start point for both burns, only a Z adjustment is needed. I only clamp the paneling so I can’t accidentally move it when placing the work piece on the profile.

My outline method is not so good for circles with existing work on them and may not offer any advantages in a planned project but it works great when you decide to add laser etching later in the project as an afterthought.