The xTool M1 is the world’s first laser engraver and vinyl cutter collectively in a single tabletop machine! This little gem is a beast of a machine that sits correct on excessive of your desk! The xTool M1 may be utilized to create crafts by yourself residence, objects on your loved ones and mates, and even make distinctive creations in your on-line retailer and/or market days! The M1 was not solely created with home saving and affordability in ideas, however moreover the comfort of use so even primarily probably the most novice of shoppers can quickly be up and dealing!
***Disclaimer: I was supplied an xTool M1 completely free to take a look at for this overview! All opinions are my very personal, and that’s an HONEST overview! I imagine you will want to look at proper right here that I had been researching laser cutter/engravers and was 100% capable of purchase this machine or the xTool D1 on my own sooner than being supplied this in commerce for my overview!
***Hyperlinks on this submit (above and beneath) are affiliate hyperlinks which means do you have to click on on a hyperlink and make a purchase order order, I make a small price at no further worth to you! I ALWAYS admire your help in shopping for from my hyperlinks as a result of it helps me protect bringing you new and thrilling duties!***
I’ll preserve this simple, do you have to merely must know whether or not or not or not I actually like, hate, or am impartial to the machine, proper right here it is…I LOVE this machine and now that I’ve had a method of laser chopping and engraving, I’ve SO MANY PROJECTS in ideas that I must examine and check out! I’ve already crafted 4 duties to share over the next couple of weeks and I am not stopping there, I am overwhelmed with problem ideas!
When you want to know if I imagine that the xTool M1 is effectively well worth the money, which is $1500 MSRP, nonetheless you can catch it on sale correct now for $1099, the reply is YES, I utterly do! This little machine opens so many doorways to duties that I certainly not would have been able to create with my expertise alone, I am unable to make clear intricate cuts on a scroll seen to keep away from losing my life! Lol! I can nonetheless create them in Adobe Illustrator after which have this gadget help me out by making the cuts after which use these cuts as templates together with creating pleasant points merely from the machine as properly!
Counting on what you are interested in creating, you might need thought-about attempting one factor barely additional extremely efficient, or a laser cutter with out the vinyl cutter if you already have a blade chopping machine (comparable to Cricut or Silhouette) although it’s totally good to have every in a single machine significantly if home is a matter because it’s in my residence! Lol! xTool has many selections and the usual (so far) has confirmed itself to be excellent! I hope to interchange this overview periodically since I’ve solely had the machine a number of weeks nonetheless so far I haven’t had any factors to share!
When you’re keen a couple of additional in depth dialogue of what the xTool M1 is ready to, what it’s limitations are, and the place the comfort of use lies, and what might frustrate some, be sure that and skim all that I’ve prepared beneath! Sincere warning, it is loads of information, nonetheless I hope to be helpful in your decision as as to if or not this machine fits what you could be wanting to create and forestall a headache of a return and restocking fee if it isn’t!
Styles of Lasers
The one issue I must make observe of as I did not discover this as soon as I used to be laser cutters, as I acknowledged earlier, I was looking for to purchase this M1 or the D1, the first issue I wanted a laser cutter for was chopping acrylic! You *can* decrease acrylic on the M1 and D1 nonetheless in all my evaluation in a roundabout way I totally missed the reality that there are numerous sorts of lasers, there could also be diode, infrared, which embrace CO2 lasers and fiber lasers, and even others… they usually aren’t the equivalent! Lol!
Determining what you’ll want to make/do is essential to your being blissful alongside together with your purchase! So be sure that and do some evaluation primarily based totally on what you’ll want to do alongside together with your laser to look out out which machine will fit your desires and desires! For instance, do you have to truly must laser engrave priceless metals and jewelry, you will want to look additional at infrared lasers, although a diode and CO2 lasers can engrave metallic, they are not good at engraving priceless metals! xTool makes the F1 (a type of infrared laser referred to as a fiber laser) laser that matches this need biggest!
As I acknowledged, I wanted to cut acrylic, the M1 and/or D1 are diode lasers and they also work utterly excellent in case you might be okay with solely chopping positive colors of opaque acrylic (black, inexperienced, purple, yellow, orange, and brown), nonetheless I want to decrease all colors and clear acrylic which the M1 and D1 merely cannot do! The xTool P2 is a CO2 laser which could decrease any acrylic, all day prolonged nonetheless it comes with a significantly greater price tag and is a rather a lot greater machine in dimension, and one factor new I merely realized, they don’t normally last as long as a diode laser!! So many points to ponder!!
So be sure that and take all the factors into consideration when deciding on which machine to purchase comparable to what do you’ll want to make or do alongside together with your laser, what’s your value vary, how rather a lot home do you’ll want to residence the laser?
Lastly, my contemplating is one factor like this…I might need wanted to attend one different 12 months or additional sooner than shopping for the P2 over the M1 or D1 so I might need grabbed this machine anyway higher than most likely on account of I do know that I could be finding out the ropes of laser chopping, and I’ve always wanted a vinyl cutter as properly! I plan to advertise objects made with my M1 to make the money to pay for the P2 finally, nonetheless throughout the meantime there are SO MANY duties to be crafted with my M1!
BUT wait, there’s additional…seems like an AS SEEN ON TV advert, correct?! Lol! Successfully, I merely wanted to interchange to share that xTool merely bought right here out with their newest laser and it is a 40w diode enclosed laser, the S1 and now I am truly stumped as as to if I would like the P2 or the model new S1! Oy! So many selections…I assume that is such a terrific downside to have!😉
Opening the Area of the xTool M1
Let me preface this with the reality that I’ve certainly not operated any type of chopping machine, no Cricut, Silhouette, or laser cutter/engraver of any type. I will say I was barely intimidated as soon as I took it out of the sector and wanted to set it up barely bit, nonetheless the instructions had been so clear and easy to look at, it was unbelievably simple to rearrange! I had certainly not used an SVG file or any of the software program program that will study an SVG file! I was a COMPLETE beginner, and however I was able to quickly organize my M1 and get chopping inside an hour!
Inside the discipline of the M1 you’ll have the machine, exhaust hose and clip, blades, and triangle prisms, two chopping mats, and a small pack of examine provides so it’s best to use your machine immediately (sorry, I was too excited and forgot to take a picture of the inside of the sector as rapidly as I opened it)! The supplied examine provides embrace a sheet of faux leather-based, vinyl sheet, 1/8″ piece of basswood, a canine tag, and engraving paper!
Setting Up the xTool M1
As quickly as I had each half out of the sector, I couldn’t resist setting it as a lot as try it out! For individuals who solely purchased the machine, you merely can join the exhaust hose and put a blade in and get started, do you have to purchased the optionally out there air assist, this may increasingly take barely additional time! Let me straight up say, GET THE AIR ASSIST! With out the air assist there could also be loads of burning on the doorway of the material you could be chopping. The air assist blows the particles and smoke so that the very best is obvious and char free! I imagine they need to elevate the price a tad and put the air assist throughout the discipline with the M1 on account of it is that important!
Let me current you the best way simple it is to set this youngster up!
When you’re solely using the blade chopping, you do not need the exhaust hose, nonetheless in case you might be using the laser you will wish to vent it out the window on account of there is a odor when chopping or engraving!
It is super easy to clip the hose in place on the once more side of the M1, it’s normally easy to remove if needed!
For individuals who did get the air assist, you will must do a pair further steps in set-up, nonetheless they’re so worth it! First you’ll have to take away the underside plate. There are 5 small screws holding it in place, you’ll have a Phillips-head screw driver for this!
As quickly because the screws are out, increase the underside plate out of the machine!
Now you’ll have to flip the machine over, I do know, this can be nerve racking nonetheless it’s okay, it gained’t harm it, merely be careful with it!
Subsequent you will take that blade cartridge once more out do you have to put it in already! The blade has to stay out whereas using air assist! Make sure that and place the blade cartridge someplace you gained’t lose it! Whereas you’ll want to use the blade, you’ll be aware there’s a spot to retailer the air assist hose!
You may merely slide the laser housing over and out alongside together with your palms, it glides ever so simply and easily!
Unscrew the small cowl plate, there are two screws and the screw driver needed to unscrew the tiny screws is included alongside together with your air assist!
Subsequent, take away the gold ring, you will unscrew it with the supplied tweezers!
I was so scared to be messing with what seemed to be the interior components of my machine, nonetheless as quickly because it was all achieved, I noticed it was not unhealthy the least bit, and I was no the place near messing with the insides of my machine! Lol!
You may now screw this little black ring into place and make sure the “protruding tiny arms” (not the technical time interval) are parallel to the doorway of the laser, as confirmed beneath!
Subsequent you will join the air assist hose, it is a magnet so when you’ll have the hose lined up, it ought to pop into place!
Slide the laser once more over into the nook and flip the M1 correct side up!
Join the hose holders to the very best rim! They’ve 3m sticky tape on them already! I positioned the longest one on the once more throughout the WRONG spot, it should be far nearer to the nook than mine is and it causes my hose to crimp, I want to maneuver it over nonetheless I actually really feel like I’ll interrupt it if I pull it off! EEk!
The two tape traces on the air hose current the place the hose ought to take a seat on the laser housing and the place it must enter the clips on the very best! This picture is kinda blurry, nonetheless you can see the tape do you have to look rigorously!
Proper right here you can see it barely additional clearly the place the exact hose clips go! Now take into account, my excessive prolonged one should be moved over about an inch! It should be pretty dang close to the nook!
After altering the underside plate, you will ship the dampen by the use of the underside correct, there are small open areas! It goes by the use of these holes and out the side!
You may join the clear silicone piece to the tip of the hose, after which join the silicone piece to the air assist machine and he is ready to assault all the smoke and particles from getting in your problem!
The bodily machine is prepared up and capable of go!
xTool Ingenious Home
You’ll have to get hold of xTool’s software program program to utilize the xTool m1! This generally is a free get hold of and comes stocked with pretty plenty of shapes and will have all the fonts obtainable that you have in your laptop computer! As soon as extra, I’ve certainly not used any type of chopping software program program, and I was prepared to find out the best way to attenuate a type with out watching a YouTube video or one thing, merely attempting spherical and clicking on stuff!
The XCS as most people seek the advice of with it is pretty straight forward and easy to utilize, I watched a number of motion pictures later the place that they had been using Lightburn (a popular software program program for laser chopping) and it was additional like using Photoshop versus your telephones digital digicam enhancing choices! I am glad XCS is as easy and simple because it’s in order that I did not must totally be taught a model new software program program merely to utilize this new machine!
After I used to be searching for vinyl, picket, rubber, and acrylic to utilize for my duties, I found that xTool actually has a retailer that’s named xTool Chosen on Amazon and it has all of the provides that they’ve examined on their machines! I ordered their puff vinyl, gold acrylic sheets ( I don’t assume the M1 can decrease these nonetheless I’ll try…exchange I tried and it did not decrease nonetheless I’ll try a pair additional cases, LOL), rubber sheets, and the 6 piece set of white oak plywood! One thing purchased from the xTool Select Retailer has the settings pre-set in xTool Ingenious Home (the software program program used to cut on the xTool) which is extraordinarily helpful when you end up merely starting out, as I was!
First Scale back with the M1
I merely grabbed a type from the xTool Ingenious Home merely to see the best way it really works and check out all the settings. I grabbed the spiderweb type and decrease it on the dimension it was! I was using the 1/8″ white oak plywood from the xTool select retailer! Oddly enough, this was the one merchandise that for some objective did not have the settings saved! I do not know why that’s, nonetheless I chosen 3mm mahogany for my provides setting since they’d be pretty shut t to the equivalent!
I positioned my plywood throughout the bottom of the machine on the underside place…I didn’t know what the triangular prisms had been even for at this stage so I didn’t use them! Lol! Anytime you could be chopping picket, it is best to utilize the triangular prisms to keep up the once more from burning!
Shut the lid and reset the digital digicam in your laptop computer show display screen, you will then see the picket in your show display screen with the spiderweb on it, if it is not on the picket, switch it onto the picket the place you want it decrease!
Once you click on on track of in your laptop computer show display screen, it ought to take you to a special show display screen the place you’ll have to press start! Once you click on on start on the computer show display screen, you will then must press the start button on the exact M1! It is the huge white button on the doorway!
The laser head coated the spider web nearly your complete time it was chopping so I didn’t get an in progress pic! Lol!
Open the lid and check out your work…ahem, the M1’s work!🤭
It was nearly decrease all through every the place nonetheless there have been three places on the excessive that weren’t pretty decrease all through! That’s the place having fun with spherical with the settings could be pleasant in case you might be any individual who likes to find out stuff out, or it might be extraordinarily irritating when likelihood is you will waste provides because you don’t have the settings proper! ***That’s moreover why they embrace triangular prisms in your discipline! I actually really feel like they help tremendously with chopping all through and by no means charring the picket on the once more side of the plywood!
I moreover forgot to indicate my air assistance on for the first half of the decrease, and the sir assistance is adjustable and I had no idea how extreme or low to run it! Appears, you can run it on extreme for picket chopping!
It was on this second attempting on the finished decrease piece that I was SOLD on this machine! Like I merely sat proper right here and this beautiful little machine did all the work, and in 2 minutes 48 seconds, and it bought right here out BETTER than if I had labored for 4 hours on the scroll seen attempting to cut it myself! I don’t even know what magic it is they use to “laser decrease” stuff and I don’t care! It is FABULOUS!!🤣
After ending my first decrease, there was no additional hesitation, I was rocking and rolling, and NO ONE was going to stop me! Lol! I was examine chopping each half!
Is the xTool M1 finest for you?
Now that everybody is aware of how rather a lot I am in love with my xTool M1, let me present you find out how to decide if it is the machine in order so as to add to your creative arsenal!
There are three separate choices that make the xTool M1 the machine that it is and I must take a minute to level out each actually one among them intimately on account of you will want to understand the capabilities and limitations of each sooner than you identify if that’s the finest machine for you!
XTool M1 Vinyl Cutter
The vinyl chopping operate goes to look a lot similar to the widespread vinyl cutters comparable to Cricut and Silhouette, nonetheless this youngster has a backup for when the provides get too thick to cut with the blade, they’re typically decrease with the laser! You probably can decrease points like vinyl for t-shirts, dwelling decor, and tumblers, and leather-based for jewelry and hats! You probably can decrease paper for every kind of taking part in playing cards and paper crafts, and even material for stitching duties!
The decrease house of the M1 is 11.75″ x 15″, this does prohibit your design home in case you might be wanting to create large dwelling decor as you can’t feed supplies by the use of the machine, you can nonetheless, break up your design and nonetheless decrease all of it in sections which might work merely as properly for MOST designs! There’ll most likely be some that gained’t though!
I created this spooky season sweatshirt simply because I needed to take a look at this operate since I’ve watched for years whereas everyone has made cute tees and sweatshirts with their Cricut machines, nonetheless I am not an unlimited fan of vinyl on shirts because of the method it seems to be like when it is stretched! Nonetheless the xTool chosen retailer had this PUFF vinyl and I knew instantly, that was what I was using for my sweatshirt!
Merely an FYI I overheated my puff vinyl and I share additional about that beneath! Lol!
Let me quickly current you the best way easy it is to cut the vinyl! I need I had used a Cricut sooner than to have the flexibility to judge this for you all, my sister has had three variations of the Cricut and she or he truly appears to be like prefer it’s loads of work to utilize. I am not optimistic how they differ, nonetheless I did not actually really feel similar to the xTool M1 was onerous or took prolonged to utilize the least bit! I bought right here up with my design, which took the longest time, nonetheless bringing it into XCS and chopping was so fast! I had my shirt achieved in about 25 minutes!
Observe: If in case you’ve got air assist, you’ll have to take the hose off and retailer it throughout the clips, and put the blade cartridge once more in place to do your chopping!
Seize the blue chopping mat for this! The mat is sticky on either side nonetheless has plastic defending either side, be sure that and take away every of the objects of plastic so you can actually really feel the tack on either side nonetheless protect the plastic to place once more on the chopping mat when you end up achieved!
Set the chopping mat on excessive of your base plate!
I did the blade calibration which is found throughout the settings, you’ll have a clear piece of paper to do it with and I imagine it’s essential so that you just don’t waste any gives!
Subsequent you will place the PUFF vinyl (which is a heat change vinyl usually abbreviated as HTV and any HTV will most likely be positioned face down) shiny vibrant side face down! I was truly confused by this at first, nonetheless the instructions talked about to do it, so I did it…after which I totally understood why…the change vinyl is already on the very best! Anyway so place your vinyl face down!
I will share an in depth tutorial on how I decrease all the completely completely different colors of vinyl with one file, it is super easy nonetheless will need it’s private submit!
Proper right here’s the Spooky and season decrease, it’s onerous to {{photograph}} on account of it is so shiny! On a regular basis be sure that to duplicate your image when you end up chopping with it face down!
Proper right here’s the skellys all decrease out! They aren’t weeded however nonetheless let me let you recognize, I was IMPRESSED that the finger bones and toe bones decrease along with they did! No downside in any method getting them to stay on the clear change sheet! Weeding them was rather a lot less complicated than I assumed it may very well be as properly and I used the tweezers from my air assist as my instrument!
Missed taking a picture of the bats after that they had been decrease, I was too excited to decelerate and take a picture!
I will say, I was able to make use of an iron, I did not desire a flowery heat press, BUT I over heated my puff vinyl and ruined this sweatshirt! Lol! I will nonetheless placed on it for a pajama sweatshirt though, nonetheless the cotton setting was barely too extreme, the polyester setting labored utterly though!
Attempt the excellence between cotton and polyester, the phrase spooky and the skeletons had been on the cotton setting and they also further shriveled up! Lol!
Nonetheless as soon as I modified the setting this bat was utterly achieved!
So that was shopper error on my half overheating the vinyl, nonetheless the vinyl was such a terrific prime quality and was decrease so properly! I will undoubtedly be purchasing for tons of the puff vinyl!
The blade chopping operate is no doubt one of many largest property of the M1 machine and would worth you $300-500 to get a machine that cuts vinyl alone! That’s the major distinction between whether or not or not or not you’ll want to purchase the M1 or the D1, you’re going to get a additional extremely efficient laser throughout the D1 for the same price as a result of the M1, so do you have to don’t need/want the vinyl chopping operate, likelihood is you will must go along with the D1! One completely different issue to note though, the D1 should not be an enclosed laser similar to the M1 so you will must placed on glasses any time it is working!
I actually like that I can have all of it on this one machine and I don’t must retailer two machines! Storage is one factor we would not have loads of in our dwelling, and I don’t have a separate craft room or office to utilize each! So this being two in a single and by no means taking up fairly extra home than a printer is a HUGE selling stage for me!
xTool M1 Laser Engraver
Y’all I’m going to be reliable, I wasn’t truly throughout the laser engraving function rather a lot, in addition to do you have to get the RA2 Skilled, I wanted to engrave some tumblers to be like all the cool youngsters on social media! 😜 Successfully, I’ve to let you recognize, after engraving merely to aim it out, I will love this operate primarily probably the most! Okay, I don’t know, it’s a toss up nonetheless that could be a lot cooler than I assumed!
Most important issue to find out is what could be engraved with this machine! You probably can engrave picket, rubber, metallic (stainless-steel, electroplated metallic, and painted metallic), stone, glass, ceramic, cement, brick, felt, material, and leather-based. The stuff you CANNOT engrave are priceless metals, and vinyl! So the engrave operate is extraordinarily versatile and primarily probably the most broadly obtainable function!
The xTool M1 has a workspace of 11.75″ x 15″ nonetheless the truly great thing about that’s that when engraving, it might be raised as a lot as accommodate greater objects so you can nonetheless engrave a skate board although the machine cannot residence a skate board! I found this truly spectacular! It is also potential to raise the machine so you can engrave taller objects as properly, corresponding to those Stanley tumblers for instance! There is a riser set purchased by xTool to try this, nonetheless most people merely use picket blocks or tuna cans!
I took the inside of the tree cutout I used for the shadow discipline, you can see it down beneath, I painted it inexperienced after which just for testing capabilities, engraved Merry & Vibrant on it along with some snow flakes, all thrown on the tree in 5 minutes all through the xTool Ingenious Home! Oh my goodness, so stinking cute, now I don’t must laser decrease each half, I must laser engrave each half!😂
The aspect of the little snowflakes are so beautiful! Don’t ideas that I left tiny gaps between my painter’s tape as soon as I coated the tree! Lol!
I ran it by the use of on the presets that bought right here up for engraving the 3mm mahogany plywood, altering the traces per centimeter to 240 on a number of of them and leaving it at 100 on some to see the excellence! For individuals who plan on painting the engraving, don’t waste the extra time doing 240 on the traces, merely go along with the 100 it is set to robotically! I moreover used painter’s tape over the areas I was engraving so I’d merely spray paint it afterward!
Merry is engraved at 240 traces per centimeter!
& Vibrant is decrease at 100 traces per centimeter, you can see the excellence sooner than that they had been painted, nonetheless after you’ll be able to’t inform the least bit! So in case you might be leaving it because it’s engraved, go along with 240 or far more traces per centimeter.
I legit did this from start to finish in about quarter-hour merely to take a look at the engrave operate! It was very easy to do, and I LOVE the outcome, if I might need paid consideration to the place I put my painter’s tape…it might have been wonderful! Lol!
I moreover decrease some rubber and engraved the rubber to make a t-shirt stamp! Attempt the tutorial for block print shirts! (Ignore the orange ink on the stamp, I’ve already used it! Lol!)
The distressed choices are engraved and I used the preset settings for the rubber sheet in XCS to make the engravings! Labored so quickly, although the rubber chopping took some adjusting!
This was one among many first objects I decrease along with the 1/8″ plywood and the laser engraving settings for the rubber sheet was 100% power, 45 mm/s, and a pair of passes, to cut it I assumed, “oh I will sluggish the rate down barely and up the passes. I went with 100/36/4…that didn’t decrease by the use of it, so I ran it as soon as extra at this velocity! Lol!
I didn’t even discover at this stage, one the preset measurement for thickness it thinner than the material, and I must have lowered the rate pretty a bit for chopping additional like, maybe 12 mm/s is what I will try subsequent! Nonetheless I was able to merely to peel it apart, so it appears to be like prefer it was decrease all through, maybe rubber merely doens’t do like picket and “fall” out?! Lol!
xTool M1 Laser Cutter
The laser cutter *might* be my favorite part of the xTool M1! I’ve already created so many duties with this machine on account of I’ve wanted a laser cutter for AGES and had so many duties saved throughout the ‘after I’ve a laser cutter’ monetary establishment that I purchased straight to work to attempt it out!
Clearly the laser cutter has the facility to cut as a lot as 8mm picket, 3mm acrylic, leather-based, foam, material, and cardboard! Some stuff you CANNOT decrease with this laser are positive acrylic colors, picket thicker than 8mm, stone, metallic, and vinyl!
As soon as extra, the workspace of the xTool M1 is 11.75″ x 15″ and there could also be not a feed by the use of chance when chopping with the laser cutter. So your problem has to stay inside these parameters! When you want to make cuts greater than this, you will need to try the D1 or the P2!
I made a Christmas gentle discipline with some acrylic and and fairy lights! I’ll have the tutorial for you on that subsequent week!
How cute is that?! I am keen on it, and the best way easy it was to make due to the laser cutter! It might need taken me with out finish and certainly not would have regarded this good if I might need decrease it myself! Plus for anyone who does craft festivals and market days a laser cutter/engraver makes reproducibility doable and easy!
This tree was decrease from one among many 1/8″ white oak plywood objects, as soon as extra I used the equivalent settings as I did sooner than since white oak isn’t throughout the preset settings! I chosen 3mm mahogany plywood, and decrease it at 100% power, 5mm per second, 1 cross. Abbreviated it reads 100/5/1. When using the triangular prisms, it decrease utterly with no charring on the once more, it could be used each method I wanted which was truly cool!
After I decrease the first examine tree, I left it flat on the mat and it was pretty charred and as well as had a pair places that weren’t decrease all through on the equivalent settings!
Look how good that seems, so CLEAN and options so CRISP!
The tree that was left behind was the tree I engraved earlier!
And my last and FAVORITE problem so far with my xTool M1 is that this Chinese language language Checker Board! I was able to decrease three 1/4″ plywood stars and layer them to create the having fun with board, after which I was able to decrease the curves and use them as a router template for the corners in order that they could be curved! That one simple step that I was able to do with the laser cutter is what makes this entire board look so good!
I used dowel pins for the play objects nonetheless I’ll chop dowel rods down, I assumed the fluting would look cute, nonetheless because you truly can’t sand them, they didn’t take the paint very properly, it isn’t clear! Nonetheless I actually like using this instead of marbles on account of I can grasp this art work piece on the wall after we aren’t using it!
There isn’t any preset settings for 1/4″ plywood, this was common birch ply I picked up at Residence Depot! The three plywood stars had been barely troublesome to cut at first, I charred the first one large time as soon as I used 100/1/1 after by likelihood chopping it at 3mm thickness the first time spherical! OY! That was method too sluggish since I already decrease over half method by the use of it…and that mainly gave my star burn in some places, so I tried 100/3/1 and that was barely too fast and left a pair spots to cut with my Xacto knife! Nonetheless 100/2/1 labored good!
Oy, I assumed I had a picture to share of the charred one! On the underside, it was pretty unhealthy, regarded choose it was pretty close to catching hearth! I was nonetheless able to make use of it though!
Moreover, one factor to note proper right here, the auto measure works very effectively on presets, nonetheless this 1/4″ sheet was exact true measurement of three/16″ and it auto measured at .411 mm which is thinner than it actually is, and that will affect how properly it cuts as properly! It decrease biggest as soon as I set it to .575 mm although that is barely thicker than it actually is! See what of us suggest after they are saying you’ll want to fiddle with the settings! It is a ton of pleasant for me to aim to dial it in, nonetheless I understand of us’s frustration as properly!
One issue to note is settings are affected by so many points, warped picket could even throw off the decrease, nonetheless that’s with laser cutters/engravers on the entire, not merely the M1, I merely wanted to clarify that!
Proper right here’s the once more of the 1/4″ plywood as soon as I decrease it at 100/3/1…related plywood, auto measured, nonetheless this was the curves instead of the star! See how they didn’t get decrease all through. I decrease them with the Xacto knife merely on account of they’re such tiny objects hanging on, nonetheless it is so rather a lot higher after all of them merely fall out as you resolve it up from the machine!
Entrance regarded good though!
Understanding there are so many parts at play and ALWAYS run exams in your provides first! I made the error of chopping an entire Chinese language language Checkers star solely to look out out the holes had been in between sizes of dowels and wouldn’t work, plus I felt like there wasn’t enough empty home between the holes! Subsequent time I purchased wise and created my circle, took it into XCS alone, merely the circle, decrease it out on a scrap piece and made optimistic it labored with the dowels I wanted to utilize! Plus, this gave me one different various to examine settings for chopping as properly!
I plan on making full posts on how I created the duties I created along with the knowledge for you can even make the equivalent duties for those who want over the following couple of weeks!
Decreasing Acrylic with the M1
I actually really feel this can be a essential one which needed a separate half from all of the remaining on account of it baffles my ideas that positive acrylic purchased from positive places will decrease excellent, nonetheless completely different producers of the equivalent color gained’t decrease! As I acknowledged above, I was most keen about chopping acrylic with the laser! That’s truly a humorous issue, and oh so irritating at cases as properly! I will say this AGAIN, in case you might be wanting to cut primarily acrylic alongside together with your laser, GET the P2!
Rule major when chopping acrylic, do NOT use air assist! It makes it far more bubbly throughout the perimeters than when not used! The one which claims no AA isn’t any air assist, the one with AA air assist was used! Crazy the excellence when air assist works so properly on picket, I might need certainly not thought this can be the outcomes! Lol!
Let’s start with black acrylic, black acrylic all through the board could be decrease by the xTool M1 machine! It cuts good and simply! Left side I tried the settings of 65/3/3 and it barely melted the tiny components of it, so I did the next examine at 60/3/2 and the perfect one bought right here out wonderful! The black traces are so extraordinarily clear, I can’t wait to get an xTool P2 or get prime quality acrylics that I can decrease additional colors this good! It is so satisfying to get these wonderful cuts!
White is alleged to be a color that this machine cannot decrease! I seen throughout the M1 official Fb group, a girl was able to flawlessly decrease white acrylic from CMB acrylics with the settings of 100/2/6! I was EXCITED as soon as I seen the submit, and I had some low-cost white acrylic from Amazon that was going to go to waste if I didn’t at least examine some chopping on it! So I fired up my machine and commenced chopping!
For positive, her settings had been far too extreme for my thinner acrylic (hers was 3mm and mine is 1.5mm). The white decrease at these settings nonetheless NOT pretty! Lol!
Nonetheless after repeatedly attempting completely completely different power, velocity, and passes, I purchased it to the place even this low-cost Amazon acrylic was able to decrease, nonetheless as horrible as that’s to admit, I don’t actually really feel similar to the cuts had been always reproducible! For instance, I felt like 65/2/6 decrease very effectively, 58/2/7 decrease properly, and 60/2/6 and 7 decrease properly! It was onerous to pick a favorite out of those as all of them appeared pretty close to the equivalent!
Crimson, inexperienced, and yellow are talked about to cut when shopping for xTool select acrylic, nonetheless all I had available to examine was my low-cost acrylic and as crazy as a result of it was, I could not get my purple or inexperienced to cut properly! If I protect engaged on the purple, maybe I can deal with to get a transparent decrease nonetheless I am not optimistic! I did nonetheless work out the best way to do a examine grid so that I don’t must waste as rather a lot time chopping explicit particular person objects, I can decrease a bunch of settings immediately! So freaking pleasant…even when it didn’t decrease! Lol! I haven’t tried the yellow however each!
And last nonetheless not least, I went ahead and tried pink and purple just for the pleasant of it and canceled the cuts when it was effervescent straight out of the gate! Lol! I will anticipate my new order of acrylics and exchange as quickly as I’ve tried them!
Troubleshooting
As I’ve realized with all know-how, there are events it merely has a ideas of it’s private! Lol! I ran into this downside last weekend and wanted to interchange the undergo share this simply because it does happen, and it hadn’t occurred to me until about 15 duties into proudly proudly owning it!
I created these personalised ornaments that I’ll most likely be sharing with you rapidly, on account of they’re beautiful and everyone desires one! Lol! Anyway, so I had a difficulty with the engraving being off from the chopping! It regarded good on my laptop computer show display screen!
Nonetheless that’s the method it decrease them! (and this was a scrap examine on account of it had already achieved it to me two completely different cases as soon as I made up my mind to grab pictures and submit it throughout the Fb group to see if anyone would possibly help!)
I obtained so many helpful responses throughout the group, which I tried all of them, to no avail! Successfully, guess what, appears as weird because it’s, my file seemed to be the problem. If I separated the gingerbread youngsters, and rearranged them in XCS to swimsuit my piece I was chopping on, this occurred! If I launched them straight into XCS and moved them as a bunch and didn’t switch any individually, they decrease and engraved utterly excellent! So now I am investigating my SVG file that I made to see if I did one thing humorous that may create this!
I share this solely that may help you see that know-how is NOT wonderful and there could also be such a finding out curve for all of us in it and you’ll want to be up for that finding out curve or else that is most likely not a path in an effort to journey on! These machines are so extraordinarily superior however moreover simple on the same time, and for any individual who’s a novice (like me) it might be overwhelming and we have to blame the machine immediately! Lol! Merely know that you will waste barely supplies figuring out settings and decrease data and that is merely a part of it!
Final Concepts on the xTool M1
I truly and really liked testing and coping with the xTool M1 and am so excited for all of the approaching duties that I must make! This instrument ornaments my creativity in methods by which I am not able to one my very personal! I’ve utterly liked finding out the best way to create SVG data and what I can and will’t do in XCS with these data! Whole it is a finding out curve nonetheless I’ve a passion for finding out and attempting new points, and in case you’re the equivalent, I like to recommend grabbing your self an xTool M1 or one different machine that may fit your desires larger!
I’ve to current reward to xTool as I actually really feel they go above and previous to aim that may help you profit from your machine! For individuals who decide to purchase an M1 be sure that and be part of their Fb group as there are so many energetic prospects in that group ready that may help you with any questions you’ll have, and there could also be an xTool help explicit particular person capable of help within the group as properly! I would not have one other producers of machines to match this to, nonetheless I’ve to say from attempting this one out, I am comfortable shopping for completely different machines from them with out the need to aim one other producers!
So in case you might be searching for a laser engraver/cutter I extraordinarily advocate testing xTool machines on account of it would not matter what you could be searching for, they stunning rather a lot have a machine for you and I truly actually really feel you will be happy with their merchandise and help! Let me know while you’ve bought any questions throughout the suggestions beneath!
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