xTool F1 Ultra - Shop Tested and Engraving on 3D Prints

Other music used is "Crimson" by "Vapora", used with explicit permission from the artist.

New videos published every Friday, featuring a new 3D printed functional object, how I use it, and design considerations.

The design depicted in this video is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License or other non-commercial license.

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[GeroSchkowski]

Nice that you show this selection of materials. Much better than the thousands of videos all showing the same boring tumblers and cutting boards.

[ValorArc_Designs]

The 3D print material was exactly what I was searching for. I make 3D molds and marking them with a laser will really help keeping things organized. Thank you for all the great information you put out.

[TitanDAZ]

I really love your videos! Nice to see almost a whole hour of testing and info! Lasers + 3dprinting is so fun!

[Joeythatoneguy]

For Brass, I did a challenge coin and embossing it to get it through the 2mm thickness took about 8 hours, but I was also doing embossed images. They do have some settings that make more sense for actually just cutting through. I also rigged and air assist to blow the miller brass off the coin so it didn't prevent the laser from doing its job

[jackcoats]

On batteries, the tabs are often nickel not stainless. But that material is sold in bulk spools and found easily.

[thomasbrecknell]

Loved the video as usual, I have a Diode Laser that I used once and I have it just over a year when we move house I will definitely start using it again.

[billcedarheath]

Like Vinyls, there are concerns with plastics as well.

There are safety considerations with these material which go beyond the normal aspects of laser engraving. Filters in a machine can be wholly inadequate for toxic gases released when burning with a laser.

ABS is a popular plastic material used in various applications, including 3D printing. However, when laser cut or engraved, ABS can release toxic fumes, such as hydrogen cyanide, which pose significant health risks. Lasers are different in that they take the temperatures beyond 3d printing melting points and into temperature levels which are not safe.

Risks:
Release of toxic fumes, including VOCs and Hydrogen Cyanide.

Serious health hazards for operators and potential damage to laser equipment.

Just because you can melt these material for 3D printing doesn’t mean they are safe for laser engraving or cutting.

[andrewmalaty]

I think for spot welding you would likely need much more than 100W laser. i think the commercial spot welders deliver hundreds of amps at 5-12ish volts for about 0.5 seconds. That's a minimum of 500W (probably way more). Also the nickel strips will likely reflect lot of the laser light.

[BrandonRobinson-ml]

Great video! super helpful information, but it was missing the one material I was hoping for haha. Did you happen to try PETG in white? Curious to see if it comes out better than the White PLA. I am working on some enclosures for work in white PETG and trying to see if a fiber laser to can do the marking.

[kendrakent]

I love that you show there is a way to mark up the light colors even if subtle! Your video is the best I have found so far! Do you think the xTool F1 could do the same or only the Ultra? Is there a place I could find that test file?

[spoon]

Great video and thanks for showing the affect on different filaments.

[RNMSC]

Am reminded that Clickspring published another of his videos this week, where he etched into bras using ferric chloride, and then filled the etch with Dial crayon, then cleaned it up. looking at the gear etch that you did, I imagine that this would be an alternative if you don't want to deal with ferric chloride. I'm not sure that the etching would be faster, considering how long it was taking here, but the time it would take is dependent on how much surface you etch with the laser, vs how deep you want the etch with ferric chloride. The fiber laser may produce a cleaner etch. I don't know. Looks good.

It would be interesting if the pad had an option to re-run the same job, simply switching between the fiber and the diode laser. Might be a future option where you click it once after a job to switch lasers, pause, then double click to otherwise re-run the job.

[adrianmuller]

You should try lower speeds, with that you can achieve much darker markings on metals and more. Dont be afraid to go as low as 20 or 30

[dantadysak]

I could see where this would be a great use for removing rust and fine pitting on metal that you do not want to sand. Like something that commonly gets blued so the surface is even before bluing so you don’t get dark and light spots.

[UnCoolDad]

$4200 on Amazon 😮 $3700 via your link. More than just a hobbyist tool.

[awkwardsaxon]

34:50 that actually sounds like an interesting use case for bigger machine shops too. You could save very expensive parts this way that would otherwise be irrecoverable fuck ups

[mikeycoop]

I really enjoyed your demonstration of the laser and the technology. So many creators just show making items that could be sold or given as gifts. You showed it in a more functional way. I know that is a stretch with your channel name (said with as much sarcasm as possible). My curiosity is, can you use it to mark more traditional hand tools? Plastic type material for handles would mark easily given your demonstration. Even pliers or other type metal tools seems achievable. But what about chrome wrenches or sockets? Could you use the laser to label or identify your tools? Another practical use would be taps or dies. The superficial markings get rubbed away easily or the slightest bit of rust make those unreadable.

[joell]

Thanks for sharing all the details. This has been very enlightening. 👍👍

[Rubacava_]

I wonder if it can remove layer lines from a 3d print. Would be so cool and easy method. Also can this do copper pcbs?

[ZeusJuri]

9:02 This is not stainless steel but a nickel belt. Or nickel-plated iron.