RDWorks Learning Lab 57 3D laser carving Is it possible

If you own a Chinese laser cutter this little series of videos about me learning how to use the free software provided, may solve the problem of trying to learn from a virtually unreadable manual.
I am nothing to do with RD Works, I am not an instructor and I am no expert. This series will document the essential bits of many hours of trial and error

[sergiocosta]

Good afternoon Mr. Russ! When you write a laser bible?!!! I will buy it for sure! Your work is so incredible that i dont have time to see all your great videos. Thanks a lot for all your stuff! Greetings from Portugal 👍👍👍

[powermate]

Thanks Russ, great video once again. My new tube arrived yesterday and my machine is really working well. Hope to post a video soon after some experimentation.

[thenar]

Russel, I enjoy your presentations, but I think you've tugged us astray here. The purpose of the gray engrave 256 is not to reproduce ordinary photographs. It's to employ Zdepth images which accurately trigger the proper power to literally carve the wood or other material in the round. One can google for z-depth images...they have several names...they look sort of blurry with the highest parts in white and the deepest parts in black, Clearly, it would be impossible to undercut with the laser, but you can create some remarkably attractive 3D mandalas. One can also carve complex panels the look hand carved. The secret is knowing how to clean off the burn without damaging the more delicate parts of the carving. This too can be googled.

[sotirisg]

Hi Russ, great video again. For your next experiments may I suggest you try also vector engraving reliefs using the laser beam in varying depth paths like a CNC mill cutter. It's probably more work to produce the images but the results could be cleaner and maybe smoother (and faster).
Also for raster engraving you could try using several speedy passes as laser makers suggest (Epilog p.e)

[tobiasbrinke]

Hi Russ,
as a young engineer and potential buyer of a machine, I've been following and enjoying your series quite a lot!

Though this might be quite late:
I was thinking of maybe trying a negative engraving on the image?
It seems to me, as if the image might look a lot better if you inverted black and white before the engraving process.

[clivegriffiths]

Keep up the good work Russ. Much appreciated.

[SamChaneyProductions]

Very cool stuff. I would invert the image first so that the background gets cut and the subject (the dog) is raised

[Runner]

Great video once again. I think achieving a realistic looking image will dependent mostly on the picture been used. Probably testing with a simple image such as a sphere and the applying different shading to it it may get you closer tame engraving

[hosinoxcompany]

hi, i just paused the videos at the moment where u showed the ad of your machine ( the 256 colors separation for cutting )
i think 256 colors mean the number of layers u can add in the software to put diffrent parametres like black and red for cutting and engraving

[DsbsMx]

I had the best results using Photograv (dotted image 76-300 dpi) and engraving at fast speeds and high power (400 -500 speed, 70 power), or else low speed low power (100 speed 25-30 power), almost same results but double the time. Grayscale not giving me good results, I can provide a link so you can try the software if you like, sorry for the bad english.

[yorkshireman]

Russ,
What are the copper discs you used for your mirrors.
I will; try to source some here in Perth Australia

Trevor

[faizvalli]

Hi, is it absolutely necessary to have an auxiliary rotary device, to achieve the carved effect on wood?

[raspberrypiploy]

Brilliant videos and you are easy to listen to

[robertomosca]

Complimenti per i vostri video..sono di grande aiuto!
Per favore mi sa dire come cambiare la lingua del menù della macchina..da cinese ad inglese?
Abbiamo la stessa ed identica macchina solo che a me il menù e in cinese come mai?

[volkmarhoppe]

thanks for that. if you want to test with another motive: i rendered out a real z-depth image from my 3d-program. i did it on POM. but i think my laser is a bit weak for greater depth.

[mateusz]

here:
do this graphic, it will be easy to compare with other machines because everyone is engraving this picture