Tool Tutorial

Rabbit Large Format Laser

~~(Link~~A laser cutter is used to ~~PDF~~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.

Do not use any of the prohibited materials in the laser (see below)

Stay by the laser while it is running!

Tool Tutorial)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

Inspection

Before you start using the tool you are expected to do an initial inspection and assess its readiness for use.

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.

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 Cut Settings

Material	Thickness	Power(%)	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

Operation

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 Z (Control Panel 2) to change to bed height control.

Use ↔ (Control Panel 1) to align the lens carriage to the focus gauge (Right raises bed, left lowers)

Select Esc (Control Panel 3) to return to the main menu.

Setting the Origin

Use the directional arrows (Control Panel 2) to jog the lens carriage to the desired location.

Optional: Press Pulse (Control Panel 8) to verify the exact location.

Select Origin (Control Panel 5) to set the Origin

Select Frame (Control Panel 6) to check the footprint of job. (framing can also be managed from Lightburn control)

Cleanup

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.

Troubleshooting

Problem	Likely Cause	Potential Solution
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
Cut does not go through the material	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
Slop in the frame	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
No visible cutting happening	Lid safety switches not engaged, or software issue	Confirm the lid safety switches click when the lid closes. Turning the machine off and on again may also help if that isn't the problem.

Special Setups

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

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