ShopBot

[MikeD]

Has anyone ever used a CO2 laser on a ShopBot system?
Thanks,
MikeD

 

[MikeD]

I sent an inquiry about this to the folks at ShopBot yesterday and haven't heard back yet.
Does anyone here use one with just a plasma or router?

 

[fixtureman]

I was wondering the same thing about a laser

 

[rjssigns]

I don't have experience with a laser equipped ShopBot.

What I do know is it would only be good for vector work because of the slow X & Y travel speeds.
Dedicated lasers are extremely rapid when doing things such as photos. On the best units you will not see the head traversing the material.

 

[letterman7]

I'll admit I have one with a router attachment. Not the quickest, but that's ok. I can set it and forget it (for the most part) while I go do something else in the shop. Hop over to the ShopBot forums off their main site - lots of guys running plasma cutters off theirs. SB themselves I think stopped selling plasma kits some time ago, but that doesn't mean they can't be rigged to work.

 

[synergy_jim]

have you ever seen how the optics, mirrors, and focus work on a laser and where the beam originates from? I can not see any way this would be adaptable to a shop bot.

 

[MikeD]

we run a bunch of lasers; lots of different constructions, but all CO2. We have an onsite guy that makes and maintains them. Some point down and travel, some are horizontal, don't move and use additional mirrors. I want a system for personal use and it just seems like ShopBot overall is the most user friendly based solely on what I've seen on the net. I have very little hands on experience with the systems but thought it would be a cheap entry level machine I could put my plasma cutter on. If it could handle a laser then I might be able to convince my boss to buy one instead of me

Thanks for your insight!
MikeD