I have a Shapeoko 4 XL and was thinking of adding a LED Laser head. Something in the 30 Watt range. Has anyone done this that can walk me through what i would need and how big a project this is. Can I use LaserGRBL to control the machine? Can Carbide create still be used to create files. Would appreciate any input on the whole process…
If I needed a 30 watt laser, I would get a standalone enclosed laser with good burn product evacuation. With 30 watts you’re into cutting out parts and longer run times which generate extra “smoke”.
Also, I wouldn’t want my router tied up lasering at the same time I’m needing to make parts.
Also, with a standalone laser you will certainly want to use Lightburn software (lightburnsoftware.com) to create your masterpieces.
30watts total consumption? or 30watts output power?
something to consider… Most of the diodes used are manufactured to operate at 5watts. Overdriving the diode can get up to about 7watts per diode. Overdriving is not good, it will drastically reduce the useable hours of the diode.
To get 30watts output the laser should have 6 stacked diodes.
Look for “bundled” kits. A kit that has the Power Supply, Wiring, PWM Pins, Mount, Laser Control box and the laser.
Not a “Big” project. Fairly simple to install and use.
Exhaust? will be a bigger project than mounting the laser. A 30watt output will produce a LOT of smoke. More than an average vent fan can capture.
Your Eyes… If you are open to advice, start with a smaller laser, 5watts, maybe 10. run it until you are set in a routine that includes personal safety. Get used to turning your laser off when not wearing glasses.
After you have experience and a safe routine, step up to larger. You may see it as wasting the first $700 or $1,000. How much is vision worth?
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What is the purpose of a 30W laser. The Jtech 7W and up can engrave but are not strong enough to cut thicker wood. The 30W may be able to cut thinner wood but you would be pushing it. As the last two posters said a smaller wattage laser may be better if you just want to engrave. A larger laser wattage if you want to cut through wood. I also agree that LightBurn is quite good and is not expensive and is quite versatile.
So be sure you evaluate what the purpose of the laser is. You could buy a hot rod with a 454 cubic inch engine but you usually wind up in a ditch by applying too much power at the wrong time. A 350 cubic inch engine will get you where ever you want to go very fast but can still put in a ditch. So just decide what the purpose is. I also agree that powerful of a laser would be more practical as a standalone unit. You can always put it on the Shapeoko bed but then the Shapeoko is useless. The standalone laser unit is not much more than an attachment to the Shapeoko. Plus some laser mounts are kind of in the way when using the Shapeoko to cut. You usually remove the laser when not using it with the mount left in place. It is your money but just consider what will give you the best bang for your buck.
I have seen a bunch of reviews for the Xtool both good and bad. So do your research and choose wisely. I have bought products on Amazon that 75% of people give 5 stars but some give it 1 star. Read the reviews carefully because some bad reviews are because people do not know what they are doing and some 5 star ratings are initial and they have not really used the product. As in all things buyer beware.
The Lightburn seems to be quite a good laser control product The Lightburn has macros for using the laser and then to run the Shapeoko back to cutting mode. There are several gbrl settings that Lasers change and Lightburn can change them back for you when done. You can download Lightburn to try and if you buy as of today it is $60.00. There is a lot of nice features for designing your projects with graphics support and a ton of youtube videos to help support your learning curve. If you are proficient with CC then the Lightburn will be relatively easy to learn as a lot of the concepts you already possess. If the OEM laser you buy has software try it out but Lightburn supports most lasers and is a great program.
Good Luck.
Thanks for every ones input. I decided to stay with the Automstack X30 Pro I purchased a few months ago. Nice little machine for the price. As someone mentioned, I feel a dedicated Laser machine is better than trying to make a CNC machine do something it was not designed for. Still playing around with what i can do using LaserGRBL and may upgrade to Lightburn at some point. I would recommend this machine to anyone looking to get into laser engraving.
So, what’s laser engraving? I know that I know what I know, but what do you know? 
JIC you’re still waiting and have the opportunity for a refund / exchange - I think Atomstack ( and the other bigs ) all have new machines coming out that have even stronger diode stacks ( 33W-40w ) but most importantly they now have a motorized, auto focus " Z " axis. Might be worth inquiring with whom ever you have an order with.
I saw that Atomstack just came out with a motorized Auto Focus Z axis addon. Don’t know if that’s something I would use or not. Its pretty easy to just slide the laser down until it touches the focus guide. And my Atomstack is already a 33W with 4 laser diodes. So i think im good for now.
The Z axis being motorized would allow for you to do ramped cutting which is kinda game changing for the consumer laser market. If it were me, I’d be at least looking into it. Just sayin…
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