Issue link: https://nbm.uberflip.com/i/1482193
G R A P H I C S - P R O. C O M N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 2 • G R A P H I C S P R O 5 7 tumblers, wood and acrylic items – and with that comes a lot of dirt and debris. We are asked frequently why our machines have virtually no issues – and the answer is maintenance. Our cars require oil changes, tune-ups, the occasional car wash, etc., so how would lasers be any different? Because generally, bet- ter maintained = better output. Whether we used the lasers once that week or 500 times that week, they are cleaned every Monday – top to bottom, side to side, inside and out. No matter the laser type, the basics are the same. No better place to begin than at the begin- ning – here is what we are starting with. Yes, the laser really is that clean in the before pic- ture (not too bad for being six years old). (Fig. 1 & 2) As you can see, there is a bit of dirt and debris on the bed and the wheels of the rotary. And when cleaning – do not forget the exhaust ports. ey work hard for you, and the cool breeze provided by a can of com- pressed air makes everything alright again. (Fig. 3 & 4) Let's not forget what we use to clean. Zep 505 is a great all-purpose cleaner. We use it to clean our tumblers and many of the other engraved items, and we use it to clean the bed and inside of the laser. Don't use this for the more sensitive areas, we'll get to that shortly. Scrub-a-dub-dub with a little Zep and a blue shop paper towel in all the nooks and crannies, and the rubber on the wheels of the rotary. Everything sticks to them, and the smallest bits can change how a tumbler rotates – clean around and in between. Spray the cleaner onto the paper towel. Don't spray cleaners directly inside the laser bed – they will go everywhere and again, you don't want them on any of the more sensitive parts. (Fig. 5 & 6) 3 4 5 6