08-31-2025 — Even Laser Later
Howdy all. Weather, no change. CO2 Laser, no changes. Well, that’s all for now. Nah, there are few items that matter about the no change to CO2 laser.
For example, setting the Z axis (actually focusing the laser), is not that difficult. And since I will be either using 3mm wood / acrylic or 2mm acrylic, I shouldn’t need to reset it often.
Many of the other issues will be fixed by using a different software. I was watching a bunch of YouTube videos on using LaserGRBL with this box, and getting more and more frustrated by how crappy and complex it was. Shoot, this is the software they give you, and tell you is great. Not so. Anyway, after a half dozen videos, I got offered a video titled something like, “You can learn to use LightBurn in 37 minutes”.
I had purchased LightBurn to use with my Diode laser, but after seeing how easy XTool’s Creative Suite was to use, didn’t bother to set it up.
Well, using LightBurn with the OMTech K40+ is going to be a breeze compared to LaserGarbage. I now know where XTool got most of their software design ideas. LightBurn is like Creative Suite’s bigger and better brother.
Watching the tutorial video, I intuitively knew what icon or pulldown was going to be used to do the next process. Setting the bed size was in the setup, as was the initial X/Y home. And if your project was going to be placed in just a small area of the build area, you can easily move the laser head to that spot, and click an icon to have that be home for the project.
In addition, the ability to resize an image, or move it, is inherent to the software. Shoot, just like with XTool, you can build or alter an image right there.
Another wonderful feature is the ability to get default setting (speed, laser power) for the material to be burned, from a built in table, with just a couple clicks. Or, save a custom setting profile into the table, for a new material.
Yes, I had to go to Etsy and purchase the “custom” LightBurn table for an OMTech K40+, and I also purchased the one for my XTool S1 40W diode too. They cost all of $3-$4 for each machine. Digital downloads are inexpensive.
Oh, that power limit button.. Now I can set it at the maximum of 70%, and then never touch it again. The software can handle the rest.
Another item on my annoyance list, was the USB cable from the laser to the laptop computer that I have hooked up to a couple monitors as a desktop machine. To reach from one to the other, I had to use a 20 foot USB A to USB C cable. Well, that is longer than normally allowed for USB data transfers without loss. The suggested maximum is 15 foot. And this 20 foot cable just barely made it to the ceiling, and draped over the door, and flopping around to the laptop. I have Roomba vacuums that would choke on that cable if it were on the floor, and I would likely trip over it myself.
Today I searched for longer alternatives. The possibilities were, Wireless USB, Active USB Cables, or Fiber Optic USB Cables. Wireless USB would mean having powered boxes connected to both the laser, and the laptop, and then have the data use the house’s WiFi. Ugh, expensive, annoying with all the wiring and power needs, and likely have data failures all the time. Active USB Cables were slightly better. But they still need external power supplies to be able to do the job. I don’t need to be using more electricity in that room. And Active, while being the lowest cost of the three, it wasn’t exactly cheap either. That left Fiber Optic USB. Well, Fiber Optic cable can be stretched out up to a mile or so, which is great. But, it doesn’t do “charging” like a USB Data cable can. But that is okay. Only data is being transferred (bidirectionally) between the laser and the laptop. Its major downer is the price. A 30 foot cable could run as much as $100. Double or triple UGH. This time Amazon came through. A lightning sale for one was happening and I got a 33 foot one for only $45. That is about the same as a similarly length Active cable. It will be here Saturday. I could have gone next day delivery, but Saturday will get me another $3 digital savings. I use those to watch movies that are either still in theaters, or just out.
I had plenty of time to go upstairs and do most of this today, but just didn’t. I’m blaming my lack of motivation on the headache that has been going on since late yesterday. It is just now easing up. (6:30 pm) And it has left me even more exhausted than normal.
Not exactly the best way to Enjoy Life