Full Spectrum Muse

Full Spectrum Muse

Owner/Loaner	SSH:Chicago
Serial Number	See Machine
Make/Model	Full Spectrum Muse
Arrival Date	12/8/2017
Usability	yes
Contact	Phil Strong
Where	Fabrication area, front room
Certification Needed	yes
Hackable	no
Estimated Value	$5,000.00
Manual/Documentation	FSL Muse Manual

Description

The Muse is a 6th generation hobby laser cutter from Full Spectrum. The laser does not require a dedicated PC to work and can be operated from the integrated touch screen interface or from the web-based design software over the local network. The machine also features an integrated camera that can import a photo of the entire work area into RetinaEngrave (the laser's proprietary design and control software). The user can use the photo to visually align their design to the workpiece or to import drawn designs for lasing or etching.

Our model features an upgraded 45W laser tube, chassis riser, rotary attachment and extra focus lenses.

Safety and Precautions

1. Laser cutting may cause fumes that are harmful to humans or/and the laser cutter:
   • Never ever cut chlorinated plastics (such as PVC - releases deadly chlorine gas) or ABS (releases deadly cyanide gas)!
   • Take extreme care in selecting your work material - refer to the Consumable Material Reference (below) and Internet research before cutting.
   • Ensure fume extractor and air pump are operational before running your jobs.
2. Laser cutting presents a risk of fire:
   • Never leave a laser cutter unattended when running a job.
   • Take care to select appropriate power/speeds settings to avoid combustion. Always start jobs with lowest power if unsure.
   • Do not laser cut known flammable/combustible materials.
   • Have a plan for putting out small fires without causing damage to the machine. Be aware of where the fire extinguisher is located in case things go very wrong.
3. Ensure the water pump is operational before running your jobs. Lack of adequate water cooling will significantly reduce the life of the laser tube.
4. Do not attempt to service the machine as there is a danger of electrical shock. You also shouldn't do it because the machine is under warranty.
5. Refer to user manual and certified members for additional precautions.

Usage Instructions

Before Every Use

• Always be sure your water, air, exhaust, and power systems are properly assembled and operating normally.
• Be sure that the machine and workspace are clutter-free.
• Be aware of any material warnings and that you are working in a well-ventilated workspace.
• Check that your fire extinguisher is up to regulation and is easily accessible.
• Always follow all safety protocol.

Start-up

• Switch power strip on. This will start the water pump.
• Flip power switch on back of the laser cutter. The machine will power up and preform start-up checks.
• Press Accept when the caution message shows up on the screen. The machine will now present the operating menu and is ready to use.

Operation

Refer to the official manual and certified members for full operating instructions. In brief, the touch screen interface allows the user to operate the laser's hardware (stop/pause jobs, test fire, take photo, move gantry), edit networking settings and to start BIN file jobs from a USB storage device. The laser cutter is otherwise intended to be operated from a web browser (Google Chrome recommended) by visiting it's IP from the same network (or http://[MACHINE-NAME].local) to access the web version of RetinaEngrave 2.0.

Shut-down

• Flip power switch on back of the laser cutter to turn the machine off.
• Switch power strip off to stop the water pump.

Maintenance

Copied from the official user manual.

Weekly

• Wipe down the walls the machine with a clean rag.
• Use optical grade lens wipes to clean both sides of the beam combiner, all mirror surfaces, the focus lens, and the tube aperture. Optic surfaces may need to cleaned more often if cutting materials produce excessive residue (possibly daily).
• Clean fallen debris from the catch tray of the machine. Less excess material will reduce fire risk, and provide for better exhausting.
• Always keep rails, motors and moving parts free from excess material as it can obscure movement and cause damage.

Monthly

• Check rail lubrication. When the laser arrives, you should be able to visibly see the lubricant on the X and Y rails. These rails will not need to be re-lubricated often, but check monthly to be sure that the rails are properly lubricated and aren’t grinding or catching.
• Check your fume extractor filters. Depending on your output and the materials being cut, your fume extractor filters may need to be replaced as often as every month (or sooner).

Quarterly

• Change water in cooling system. This will keep your tube safe from unwanted debris, mold or evaporation.
• A chiller system is enclosed and will stay relatively clean and undisturbed, but it is good practice to check and change the water as needed.
• Check for wear on belts. Well lubricated belts should last, however, eventually they may wear and crack and need replacement.

Future Improvements

• Make copies of the focusing billet
• Improve the use of the Riser and rotary attachment
• Configure networking so that the laser isn't maliciously accessible by random people on the same wi-fi network

Consumable Material Reference

This section is adapted without permission from Pumping Station: One's wiki. Some dimensions and capabilities may differ.

Prohibited Materials

• PVC (Poly Vinyl Chloride): Also known as "vinyl" "pleather" or "artificial leather." Most adhesive vinyl shelf paper (e.g. Con-Tact Paper) also is PVC. Emits pure chlorine gas when cut! Don't ever cut this material as it will ruin the optics, cause the metal of the machine to corrode, and ruin the motion control system.
• Polycarbonate: Also known as "Lexan." Polycarbonate is also often found as flat, sheet material. The case cover window on some laser cutters is made of Polycarbonate because polycarbonate strongly absorbs infrared radiation! This is the frequency of light the laser cutter uses to cut materials, so it is very ineffective at cutting polycarbonate. Polycarbonate can also emit flame and chlorine gas when cut, making it a poor choice for laser cutting.
• ABS: ABS does not cut well in a laser cutter. It tends to melt rather than vaporize, and has a higher chance of catching on fire and leaving behind melted gooey deposits on the vector cutting grid. It also does not engrave well (again, tends to melt). Finally, ABS emits cyanide when cut.
• HDPE: "milk bottle" plastic. It melts. It gets gooey. It catches on fire. Don't use it.
• PolyStyrene Foam: It catches fire, it melts, and only thin pieces cut. This is the #1 material that causes laser fires!!!
• Fiberglass: It's a mix of two materials that can't be cut. Glass (etch, no cut) and epoxy resin (fumes)
• Coated Carbon Fiber: Again, it's a mix of two materials. Thin carbon fiber mat can be cut, with some fraying. However, once coated with epoxy it will emit noxious fumes.

Safe Materials

The laser can cut or etch. The materials that the laser can cut are things like wood, paper, cork, and some kinds of plastics. Etching can be done on almost anything: wood, cardboard, aluminum, stainless steel, plastic, marble, stone, tile, and glass.

Cutting

• Many woods up to 1/4" thick. Composite woods like plywood contain glue, and may not laser cut as well as solid wood. Engineered woods like MDF are okay to use but may experience a higher amount of charring when cut. Be very careful about cutting oily woods, or very resinous woods as they also may catch fire.
• Paper cuts very very well on the laser cutter, and also very quickly. Thin paper and single layer card stock and cardboard are perfectly OK. Thicker cardboard, carton, and other papers also cut very well but need to be watched to make sure they don't catch fire.
• Cork cuts nicely, but the quality of the cut depends on the thickness and quality of the cork. Engineered cork has a lot of glue in it, and may not cut as well. Cork thicker than 1/4" should be avoided.
• Acrylic (also known as Lucite, Plexiglas, PMMA) cuts extremely well on the laser cutter, leaving a beautifully polished edge. With care, acrylic material up to 1/2" thick can be cut on the laser cutter.
• Delrin (POM) in thin sheets does cut. Delrin comes in a number of shore strengths (hardness) and the harder delrin tends to work better. Great for gears!
• Kapton tape (Polyimide) : Works well, in thin sheets and strips like tape. 1/16" thick is about as thick as you can cut reliably.
• Mylar : Works well if it's thin. Once you get too far past 1/16" thick mylar has a tendency to warp, bubble, and curl. Gold coated mylar will not work.
• Solid Styrene : Smokes a lot when cut, but can be cut. Keep it thin (1/16")
• Depron foam: Used a lot for hobby, RC aircraft, architectural models, and toys. 1/4" cuts nicely, with a smooth edge. Must be constantly monitored when cutting.
• Gator foam: foam core gets burned and eaten away compared to the top and bottom hard paper shell. Not a fantastic thing to cut, but it can be cut if watched.
• Cloth (leather, suede, felt, hemp, cotton, polyester, but NEVER vinyl or pleather-- see above) They all cut well. Leather is very hard to cut, but can be if it's thinner than a belt (call it 1/8"). Also lasered leather smells like death.
• Magnetic Sheet material cuts beautifully
• NON-CHLORINE-containing rubber is fine for cutting.
• Teflon (PTFE) in thin sheets
• Carbon fiber mats/weave that has not yet had epoxy applied can be cut, very slowly. You must not cut carbon fiber that has been coated!!
• EVA foam seems to be ok, at least up to 1cm thick. If you cut it in multiple passes it can warp though.

Etching

All the above can be etched, in some cases very deeply. In addition, you can etch:

• Glass (green seems to work best) .. looks sandblasted. Round or cylindrical items can be etched with the use of the rotary attachment.
• Ceramic tile
• Anodized aluminum ( vaporizes the anodization away )
• Painted/coated metals ( vaporizes the paint away )
• Stone : Marble, Granite, Soapstone, Onyx. Gets a white "textured" look when etched

Marking

There's an expensive coating called 'cermark'. This marking compound costs $100 for a small bottle, and must be diluted with ethanol and applied to metal (not ceramics or stone) before being etched to leave behind a permanent dark black mark. Loans says it's called "Thermark" now, and it costs about $60 for a can that covers either 900 or 1200 square inches.

Certification

Member Name	Certified By	Date
Phil Strong	-
Dmitriy Vysotskiy	Phil Strong
Mike Gerges	Phil Strong
Andrew Edwards	Phil Strong
Christian McNamara	Phil Strong
Erin Scanlon	Phil Strong
Vinson Garcia	Mike Gerges
Shawn Coyle	Phil Strong
Mason Donahue	Dmitriy Vysotskiy
Sam Milstone	Dmitriy Vysotskiy
Jeffrey Carr	Dmitriy Vysotskiy
Tiangang Huang	Dmitriy Vysotskiy
Sanjin Ibrahimovic	Phil Strong
Russell Fordyce	Dmitriy Vysotskiy
Xavier Johnson	Dmitriy Vysotskiy
Andrew Rutherdale	Dmitriy Vysotskiy
John McGarey	Dmitriy Vysotskiy	2018-09-05