While this page is still being worked on here is the Old Tool Tutorial

• Model: Rabbit QX1290
• Manufacturer: Rabbit Laser
• Manual: Download
• Clearance Required: Rabbit Laser Proficiency Based Clearance

The Tool Safety, Tool Care, Laser Operation, section of this guide are what instructors use to ensure that you can use the equipment according to community expectations.

Large Format Laser clearance or class equivalent is required before use.

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See the Safety Section for more information.

Large Format Lasers

Rabbit DL-XX-9060 80w

80w CO₂ Laser with Lightburn Control Software

Tool Tutorial

The Setup, Operation, and Cleanup Checklists of this guide are what instructors use to ensure that you can use the equipment according to community expectations.

A laser cutter is used to mark, engrave, or cut a wide variety of materials. They work a lot like printers do, where you send a graphic to print. Instead of ink, the laser uses heat to transfer the image onto the material.

Usage Highlights Large Format Laser Clearance or Class Equivalent Required Before Use

SAFETY CARE CLEANUP 1. Check that your material is safe to use 1. Avoid collisions with the lens carriage 1. Vacuum the interior 2. Listen for the exhaust when the laser powers on 2. Mirrored acrylic must be reflective side down 2. Recycle waste in scrap bins 3. Stay by the laser while it’s running 3. Submit a maintenance request when needed. 3. Empty bins when full

Personal Protective Equipment Face Masks & Cleaning Kits are required at all times during the Pandemic

Tool Anatomy

LASER ANATOMY

Lid - Absorbs the laser radiation and must be closed when running a job Exhaust - Allows for the efficient removal of fumes and particulate Maintenance Tag - Manually tracks the usability status with Green/Yellow/Red cards Lens Carriage - Houses the mirror, lens, and air assist Cutting Bed - 1200 x 900mm (~47” x 35”) Consists of a removable, magnetic honeycomb tray. Seated properly, it should feel stable & secure Emergency Stop - Reserved for emergencies. To deactivate and reset, you must twist the spring-loaded knob. Power Switch - Key switch turns the machine on and off Control Panel - LCD interface with commands to operate the laser

CONTROL PANEL

Jog X-axis and Y-axis Adjust Z-Axis Exit Menu/Return to main screen Select menu item Set Job Origin Trace the footprint of a job to check its size and placement Reset machine, Abort Job Pulse the laser to mark its precise location Adjust speed (mm/sec) Adjust power (0-100%) for the areas the laser approaches a node/edge Adjust power (0-100%) for the areas where the laser is mid-cut/mid line Retrieve file sent to the machine (job queue) Start job, pause job, resume job

Tool Safety

COMMON HAZARDS

FIRE TOXIC FUMES LENS COLLISION Listen for the exhaust. It should automatically turn on with the laser Be mindful of the safety of your cutting material Load material with care Vacuum beneath the cutting bed to prevent flammable build-up Avoid chlorinated plastics and other prohibited material on the list Be mindful when moving the cutting bed to vacuum Avoid foam and other prohibited material Off-gassing dangerous fumes like chlorine and cyanide is always a concern Ensure material is flat and will not collide with the lens carriage during operation Always pause the laser if you need to step away from the machine

PROHIBITED MATERIALS

MATERIAL DANGER Chlorinated plastics (PVC, vinyl, artificial leather, Moleskine notebooks, polymer clay/Sculpey) Emits chlorine gas Polycarbonate/Lexan Cuts poorly, absorbs laser, discolors, may catch fire ABS Emits cyanide gas, melts, bursts into flame HDPE (milk bottle plastic) Catches fire & melts Polypropylene foam (foam core, Styrofoam) Catches fire Fiberglass Emits dangerous fumes Coated carbon fiber Emits dangerous fumes Pressure treated wood Emits dangerous fumes Galvanized metal Emits dangerous fumes Mirrored surfaces, including uncoated metal Will not cut, reflects laser beam

PERMITTED MATERIALS

MATERIALS CUT ETCH MATERIALS CUT ETCH Solid wood X X Mylar sheet X X Plywood X X Organic Fabrics X X MDF & LDF (fiberboard) X X Leather & suede X X Paper, cardstock, cardboard X X Non-chlorinated rubber X X Cork X X Glass

X Acrylic X X Ceramic tile

X Mirrored Acrylic (reflective side down) X X Stone

X Delrin sheet X X Anodized & surface-treated metals

X

Initial Setup RASTER VS. VECTOR

Rastered data is an image that is made of pixels. Much like an inkjet printer, the laser will scan the artwork on a scale from black to white. The laser will vary the number of dots it fires depending on the tone of each pixel.

Common file formats like .jpeg, .gif, and .png are all rastered data.

Vectored data is made of paths that form lines and shapes. They contain mathematical data that allows the laser to trace the path like following coordinates on a map. This allows the laser to cut or score a line as well as etch a filled shape.

Common file formats like .ai, .dxf, and .svg are all vectored data.

SETUP CHECKLIST

Power on the laser Import your file into Lightburn Set the job origin in Lightburn Check the layer mode Adjust the speed and power settings Send your file to the Laser

LIGHTBURN SETUP

Lightburn accepts a range of file formats.

Supported vector files: .ai .pdf .dxf .svg .lbrn

Supported image files: .jpg .jpeg .png .tif .tiff .bmp

Import your file into Lightburn.

Set the job origin. Check the layer mode: fill—fills a vector shape to etch line—traces along a vector line images—will only etch and optimize for a rastered photo

Adjust the speed and power settings.

Send the file to the laser, keeping the filename “LIGHTBRN”. This saves over old job files and helps maintain a manageable memory in the machine’s job queue.

COMMON CUT SETTINGS

MATERIAL THICKNESS POWER (%) SPEED (MM/S) Bass Wood 1/8“ 50 15 Balsa Wood 1/8” 50 45 Birch Plywood 3/16” 70 10 Acrylic 1/4“ 55 12 Leather 1/16” 70 12

COMMON ETCH SETTINGS

MATERIAL POWER (%) SPEED (MM/S) DPI Acrylic 55 300 391 Anodized Aluminum 25 325 391 Cermark 50 300 362 Granite 85 150 299 Glass 12 350 462 Leather 45 325 299 Powder Coated Metal 25 325 299 Romark 12 325 254 Wood 14 350 300

Basic Operation

OPERATION CHECKLIST

Listen for the exhaust to ensure that it is on Check that your material is safe to cut Load material Focus the lens on your material Set the origin on the laser Check the footprint of your job Start your file Monitor the machine until the job is complete and cleanup

FOCUSING THE LENS

Select on the control panel

Use to align the lens carriage to the focus gauge

Select to return to the main menu

SETTING THE ORIGIN

Use to jog the lens carriage to the desired location

Optional: to verify the exact location

Select to set

Select to check the footprint (framing can also be managed from Lightburn control)

Cleanup

CLEANUP CHECKLIST Power off the Laser Reset any modified computer settings to default Vacuum the interior so material does not build up beneath the honeycomb Note any maintenance needs or concerns on the tag and at protohaven.org/maintenance Recycle waste in the single-stream scrap bins Empty the bin when full

SCRAP BREAKDOWN

There are two black scrap bins reserved for laser waste. Maintaining these is a shared, communal responsibility.

When you notice the scrap bins are full, it’s time to take it to the dumpster out back. Feel free to enlist a helping hand.

If you notice valuable material while emptying the bins, use your judgement to selectively save a few pieces or take it home for your personal use.

MAINTENANCE REQUESTS

Update the physical Maintenance Tag at the machine Green can be used without issue Yellow can be used with caution Red cannot be used without hazard to either the user or the equipment Record issues at protohaven.org/maintenance. This notifies our staff and volunteer maintenance crew of any issues

Troubleshooting

Common Issues Possible Causes Resolutions Cut does not go through the material The speed is too fast or the power is too low Use a scrap piece of the same material to make a series of tests with incremental adjustments until you find the sweet spot The lens or mirror is fogged Alert the staff or volunteer on duty to the issue Slop in the frame

The origin in Lightburn is not set appropriately Adjust the origin point in Lightburn The artwork is too large for the cutting bed: 1200 x 900mm (~47 x 35”) Adjust the overall artwork size Burn marks on the back of the material Hot debris is scorching the edges of the cut lines Lay a sheet of paper beneath the material and the bed or line it with a laser-safe vinyl free tape

Special Setups

Register your material on the cutting bed using magnets or tape when doing a production run.

Use the front pass-through door for extra long pieces.

Use surface treatments like Cermark or paint to etch designs onto metal surfaces.

Additional Resources

Lightburn Basic Features Walk-through Lightburn Cut Settings Lightburn Support Forum

Inkscape: The Basics Inkscape: Hand Trace Images Inkscape: Auto-trace images into vectors

Corel Draw: Anatomy of Vectors Corel Draw: Vector Tracing Tutorial Corel Draw: Envelope & Perspective Tool

Adobe Illustrator in 5 minutes Adobe Illustrator: Turn Images into Vectors Adobe Illustrator Pen Tool Tips Adobe Illustrator: Turn Type into Shapes Staff Use AUTHORIZED MAINTENANCE CREW ONLY If you are part of the maintenance group please log on to the #maintenance channel of our Discord server to:

Perform a Maintenance Action Request a Maintenance Purchase Review complete Maintenance Logs for each machine Generally chit-chat about maintenance

Hippocratic Oath

Start with the Manual Ask questions Do no harm Know your limits Document your actions