Switching between CNC and laser use is trivial. Do the macros look anything like the ones I have discussed with you in our DMs? (see below)
Use Laser
$10=0
$32=1
G10 L2 P1 X-459 Y-415
Use CNC
$10=255
$32=0
G10 L2 P1 X0 Y0
The software being used by the JTech laser is within both LightBurn and the JTech control board.
CM not recognising your CNC machine quite often, strongly suggests that you need to ask Carbide 3D support to look at why their own controller does not recognise their CNC machine. It is axiomatic that you needing to reinstall “everything quite often as CM does not recognize my machine” cannot be the correct behaviour for your machine or your software.
Until Carbide 3D can be certain that your CNC machine is performing to their own specifications in the expected manner, I suspect that the issue will remain. Once it is resolved, you will be unlikely to experience any issues moving between using the CNC machine and the laser.
When you send e-mail, please wait for a response because any further e-mail from you pushes your original e-mail back to the start of the queue. Depending on the age of your CNC machine, there may be other approaches about which I am not aware. @WillAdams may provide you with much better information and guidance.
Since you posted your Lightburn Use-xxx macros - I thought I’d repost a reference to this thread
I recently had to add a change to $30 in my Use-Laser macro because something (and I suspect it was a recent version of CM) set it to 24000. Details are in that thread…but I would recommend putting your Lightburn S-Max in $30 in the UseLaser macro — and then set it back to the correct value (based on your spindle) in your UseCNC macro.
Thanks Gary. I was aware that the $30 values for S-value max in LightBurn and in the macro should match. This is a good tip and should prevent any future issues with this value. Like many users of LightBurn, I followed LightBurn’s own very clear configuration documentation for GRBL. I also read extensively about the LightBurn approach with negative workspace machines like the Shapeoko.
Yes…I’m a big fan of LB. My understanding is that the owner used to code for EA …so he has some pretty good coding disciplines…although his panels do tend to pack A LOT into a small space…and my old eyes sometimes have to work extra hard
Thanks you guys. If you all are able to get it to work without issue, I should be able to. It sounds like most of the issues come from mounting and offset. I notice there is the front mount and side mount and even one that somehow connects to the spindle so you don’t need an offset. But if offset is the only real issue, I think I can handle that. I can build and in fact would prefer to build an enclosure for the cnc anyhow. You all are great and have really helped me make my decision. Thanks everyone for commenting.
Offset isn’t so bad…with lightburn, the “zero” of your design can be anywhere on the design…so you can layout either on a known point, or put a point in a waste area and use it to align the CNC or the Laser, depending on which you cut first.
I almost went with the spindle-mounted laser - but then I realize how much “Z” distance I’d lose. You can’t burn onto anything with any real thickness if the laser is sitting under the spindle. The side mount ends up putting the laser at a level just beneath the height of the collet…so you can maximize the thickness of your substrate.
I had not thought of that. Thanks. it’s very true. I’m going to start with the Shapeoko4 & PRO All-in-One Laser and Mounting Kit Bundle 7W. And see how it goes. They looks like they are really putting the effort in on this product and making improvements and enough people are choosing it that I think it’s a good option to move forward with. I see They have a metal magnetic mount for quick switch outs and with the macros. I think it might be better then a dedicated machine plus i love the versatility. I can always upgrade the laser. (or even the cnc). I’m doing it.
Plus…as an added bonus…Jay at JTech is wonderful. He really knows his product, as well as the products that it gets used with. He responds quickly to support requests and resolves issues, even when the cause is not his products. If you have any questions, he’s your first stop - and likely your last.
You possibly missed this post of mine showing a 10mm thick aluminium side mount. This short video clip will give you a close up view of the bracket being machined and how it attaches to the laser from the 80mm HD spindle mount, which was supplied by Carbide 3D with a couple of convenient M5 holes that I used to attach the laser bracket to the spindle mount.
Your mount looks good. Is it different/better than the one from jtech?
I do like the front mount idea that @CrookedWoodTex posted as it seems less likely that I would jam the laser into the rails on the left if I am doing something stupid. But the front mount looks like it would make the bit changes more of a pain.
Thanks. I would think the purpose built one from JTech is going to be more than adequate and Jay will always give outstanding customer service if there is any problem. His item is likely to be 3D printed and my use of aluminium means I don’t have any worries about screw holes become deranged. Jay’s 80mm spindle mount is linked below and it can be used in any configuration around the spindle. So… no contest, it is much better than mine.
The original Trim Router mount on my SO3 was home to a JTech 3D printed laser support. I soon had to modify it because the threaded portion (2mm bolts) was not very long lasting. I used 3 and 4mm bolts in my modifications but eventually, I made an aluminium one that was not too different from the one in the video clip.
My issue with Jay’s original mount was that although one could mount the shroud centrally or to the left or the right of centre on his supplied fitting, it was the 50mm plus protrusion over the edge of the front of the SO3 machine that I had wanted to address. LightBurn was happy to follow my inputs so I moved the bracket (making it as thin as possible) to the left side of the spindle. In this way I could still home the machine to the back left without the laser bumping into the Y2 Rail.
Your point about bit changing does not really arise with front mounted JTech lasers because the shroud along with the magnetic link is removed completely. I never found it an issue but I wanted to reclaim the 50mm (used by the laser shroud and mount) at the front of the baseboard; which the laser occupied so it was just dead space.
Well, its better explained with photos in the linked file. The key to it is that I drilled out the bracket, from JTech, that mounts to the router “block” just the correct size to barely let the two threaded standoffs enter. These standoffs, in addition to the magnets, maintain the alignment with the bit zeros. The offset from bit zero is known and constant.
The wrenches to change the bit fit under the bracket. No problem.
