1601 Venables St, Vancouver https://vanhack.ca/ 2026-04-05T14:58:00+00:00 https://vanhack.ca/ https://vanhack.ca/_media/wiki/logo.svg text/html 2019-05-25T16:18:02+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://vanhack.ca/wiki/groups/lasercutter/aligning?rev=1558801082&do=diff 2019-May-25: This is no longer up to date and requires revision. Sometimes the last stage of the laser focus system becomes misaligned. This is usually due to vibrations from use over time. Some steps require careful timing. Please read carefully all the way through before attempting this feat. text/html 2022-07-19T21:17:10+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://vanhack.ca/wiki/groups/lasercutter/custom_chiller?rev=1658265430&do=diff Custom Chiller History A new chiller has been ordered from Lightobjects in July 2022. See -> for details From the inception of the laser until March 2016, the laser cutter was cooled with a CW-3000 radiative / forced air cooling unit (50W/C cooling capacity). This was insufficient to keep a 80W tube at a nominal cutting temperature (which we estimate needs ~600-700W cooling capacity). Consensus suggests an ideal cooling water temperature of 15C should be maintained for consistent operation. … text/html 2026-02-22T20:59:38+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://vanhack.ca/wiki/groups/lasercutter/downtime?rev=1771793978&do=diff Laser downtime checklist From time to time the laser is unavailable. Either for maintenance or because of an issue. When this happens, this is a checklist of the things we need to do. If we don't do these steps, people may come a long way to VHS to use the laser, and be unable to use it. That is a bummer. The laser is volunteer run, and there are no guarantees of usability - but if we can clearly communicate what's happening that goes a long way to being excellent to each other! text/html 2016-09-20T05:24:08+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://vanhack.ca/wiki/groups/lasercutter/identifying_unknown_polymers?rev=1474349048&do=diff Identifying Unknown Polymers The best way to identify a plastic is to: * check the sticker, * look for its recycling number, or * contact the manufacturer. But if none of those options are available, chemistry is your next best bet. I came across this reference PDF for text/html 2026-02-25T22:00:03+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://vanhack.ca/wiki/groups/lasercutter/laser_calendar?rev=1772056803&do=diff VHS Booking Calendar Book your laser session at booking.vanhack.ca - note: requires laser training. This is not how you book training. text/html 2018-12-15T19:47:44+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://vanhack.ca/wiki/groups/lasercutter/laser_focus_lens_focal_length?rev=1544903264&do=diff text/html 2019-04-04T18:42:04+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://vanhack.ca/wiki/groups/lasercutter/maintenance?rev=1554403324&do=diff List of maintenance logs text/html 2022-06-19T18:23:37+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://vanhack.ca/wiki/groups/lasercutter/materials?rev=1655663017&do=diff text/html 2026-02-16T20:01:37+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://vanhack.ca/wiki/groups/lasercutter/msds?rev=1771272097&do=diff How to get a new material approved for the laser cutter This page is a work in progress. Why? When you want to cut a new material on the laser, it will have to first be approved by the Laser Cutter Committee (LCC) to ensure the product doesn't put off toxic fumes, such as chlorine gas, and isn't overly hard on the equipment, such as excessive vaporized glue residue. text/html 2026-03-19T19:51:23+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://vanhack.ca/wiki/groups/lasercutter/operation_manual?rev=1773949883&do=diff Laser Cutter Operation Manual RULES FOR USE * Always follow any posted notices. * Do not use if there is an out-of-order sign posted, even if everything *looks* OK. * Always wear the correctly-rated laser safety glasses. * Only use materials on the text/html 2024-04-16T04:49:04+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://vanhack.ca/wiki/groups/lasercutter/parts?rev=1713242944&do=diff Component Description Source Link Price Laser Tube SPT C90 80W 1.25M CO2 Sealed Laser Tube Light Object <https://www.lightobject.com/SPT-C90-80W-125M-CO2-Sealed-Laser-Tube-P968.aspx> $350 USD + Shipping MirrorsFocus Lens High Quality 20mm ZnSe Focus Lens (F63.5mm) Light Object <http://www.lightobject.com/High-quality-20mm-ZnSe-Focus-lens-F635mm-P797.aspx> $55 + shipping Safety Glasses EC2 Frame #53 text/html 2026-03-21T21:08:28+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://vanhack.ca/wiki/groups/lasercutter/settings?rev=1774127308&do=diff VHS Laser Cutter Approved Materials Only the following materials may be cut or engraved on the VHS Laser Cutter. If the material you wish to cut is not listed, please see: How do I get a new material approved? Settings are provided here as a starting point. Always do test cuts to find optimal settings. text/html 2026-02-22T21:01:32+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://vanhack.ca/wiki/groups/lasercutter/start?rev=1771794092&do=diff Laser Cutting and Engraving at VHS One of VHS' most popular tools, our 80W CO2 Laser Cutter, and the associated filtration system, is managed by the Laser Cutter Committee (LCC). The laser cutter area is located just past the entrance to the paint and mess room, along the west wall of the space. [A photo of the laser cutter, and the laser cutter desk] The big green box is the laser filter stack, and below that is text/html 2024-12-08T01:44:24+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://vanhack.ca/wiki/groups/lasercutter/telemetry?rev=1733622264&do=diff Laser Cutter Telemetry Below are the laser telemetry initiatives for monitoring laser health and performance. The goal is to have all of this information pushed into InfluxDB for analysis. Laser access control * Monitor the power state of the overall system (is it on or off) text/html 2026-02-21T20:36:28+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://vanhack.ca/wiki/groups/lasercutter/training?rev=1771706188&do=diff VHS Laser Cutter Training Completion of the VHS Laser Cutter Training is required for anyone who wants to operate the Laser Cutter. Training is provided by members of the Laser Cutter Committee. Learning Objectives Upon completion of the VHS Laser Cutter Training, trainees will be able to: text/html 2017-03-22T21:27:09+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://vanhack.ca/wiki/groups/lasercutter/tubereplacement?rev=1490218029&do=diff Installing New Tube text/html 2026-02-21T21:05:44+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://vanhack.ca/wiki/groups/lasercutter/workflow_tips?rev=1771707944&do=diff General Software Usage Software in the Laser Cutter Operation Manual Scale Issues DXF has no concept of scale, and you have to select a scale when you export DXFs. The laser software (EasyCut) assumes a millimetre scale. In other words, a DXF will contain a unit-less dimension of 1.0; and that could be 1 inch, 1 metre, 1 foot, or 1 millimetre for all the DXF format and/or reading software knows. No scale issues have been seen when using MM for export from various CAD packages.