Fusion does both
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Sounds like Fusion is a good place to start.
Give it a go. It isn’t as bad as some say take your time don’t get frustrated. If you don’t like it there is other options.
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Oh yeah look up tin whisper on here he knows fusion well. Has done a few videos that go along with langmuir tables
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I ordered some better couplings for the X & Y axis and the parts to be able to drain so I can move the table when I want to do a longer piece & need to do indexing. I also ordered a bunch of ferrite beads to put on all the various cables to reduce RF noise potential
I tried 360 and didn’t care for it, so I use librecad (free) and sheet cam ($150ish)
Watch the Langmuir assembly videos and be patient during assembly, get everything as perfectly square as you can manage.
I read through a lot of the problem threads on this forum and got up & running first try.
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I also have the PW Cut60. Great machine! However, you may not be aware but it was removed from Langmuir’s “approved cutter” list. Why? Some people supposedly had trouble with too much variation in the voltage exiting the CNC port that comes on the machine. The result was a need to open the cutter up and wire directly to the controller (raw voltage) and use the small voltage divider box form Langmuir.
I spoke with PW and received the following feedback: it was a very few reported instances; they said they advised to use the port; but, I was free to do whichever and there would be no impact to my 3yr warranty if I chose to wire directly to the control board. I wired directly to the board:
Me personally, I like Fusion for both CAD and CAM. There are a few tricks to learn, like giving F360 you cutter info and registering the correct Firecontrol driver.
I have a 5hp 60 gal and on the small jobs I do, it seems fine.
Grounding, I use a magnetic welding grnd attached directly to work whenever possible.
I bought additive (about $180/5gal) but others on here mix their own.
Your C60 manual should have a cut chart in it. If not, email and they will send you a pdf version of the manual.
I added a pic to show my rolling table and water mngmt (farm spray tank, gravity drain, I connect a battery charger to fill). Levelling casters. I wish I had gone a bit larger on those. They are susceptible to small crap on the floor when rolling.
Pics right after I finished my setup.
I used PEX with the quick connect and flex fittings. It was a little more expensive, but I knew a day would come I’d be glad I did.
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FUSION360 & INKSCAPE:+1:
FUSION360 sheetmetal area!
I tend to start my work flow in INKSCAPE with a 2D sketch
Then off to FUSION360 to model it further or extrude into 3D
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I did look into the compatibility with the Cut60, from what I read on Langmuir’s website the issue is the pre-2021 machines didn’t have blowback pilot arc ignition, but 2021 and newer machines do have it. I know my machine was built in 2022 and has the blowback pilot arc and it’s listed as good to go on the Langmuir site now. Also on the Cut60 I emailed Gene at Primeweld and asked if they had machine torches for the Cut60 and he said they do but they won’t be back in stock for two weeks so I’ll be ordering a machine torch for it as well. I like the spray tank idea and I have a bunch of Sharkbite PEX stuff laying around the shop so that’s probably on the menu for me too. I will definitely buy plasma juice, it looks like most people here use the Green Cut or the Plasma Green. I like the expanded metal shelf you have, and large casters are going on order as soon as I have a thread pitch for those legs. Lots of good info here everyone! Thank you very much I know it’s going to really help smooth out the learning curve for me!
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All PW Cut 60 machines are blow back start. According to primeweld the only difference between the 2021 model and the 2022 model is they added some insulation and changed the location of the CNC port.
I have heard people are having good luck with the upgraded models but per my conversation with PW there were no functional changes between the two models.
I wasn’t aware Langmuir changed the status of the 2022 Cut 60. I’ll have to check it out. The last PSA the sent out they still weren’t giving them a full recommendation.
Yeah, mine is an older version. If the C60 is back on the approved list, that’s good news. Mine has been a good machine.
I’d completely recommend Fusion. The biggest learning curve I think, (depending on computer aptitude from the get-go), is going to be knowing where the functions are that you want to use. Or what they are called. There are some great tutorials on YouTube for how to draw a basic part, make it a solid, and go over to the cutting/tool path process. Get those steps memorized and dialed, and you can make a part in minutes.
On a separate note, I run Fusion on my more powerful desktop for all the drafting and programming. Then I put the NC file on a thumb drive and take it to my cheapo laptop to run on the table. NC files are super tiny and my laptop is almost empty but for FireControl. I’ve never had to restart my old Dell or anything due to computer issues.
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I am a newbie, but few months ahead of you. I also recommend F360, but it is definitely a learning curve to it. There are other easier options, but knowing F360 provides some powerful capabilities. If you want to get into…or you are doing…3D printing or machining…its good for that as well. For these reasons, I am wanting to challenge myself to be proficient in F360. There are plenty of youtube tutorials and that is what I am currently using to learn. I would have gladly invested some $$ for a weekend course on it, but can’t find anything. If you are open to spending a little more time on learning, go F360. Watching someone that knows what they are doing…to quickly create a part in F360 is VERY cool to me, lol. Can’t wait to get there.
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Just got the email, first box is on the way. It’s all happening!
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I’m downloading the software now but I’m not certain which files I want to download. My laptop specs are:
Windows 10 Pro 64bit
i7-4700MQ CPU @ 2.40GHz
16GB RAM
nVidia GeForce GTX 770M
Samsung EVO 850 SSD 500GB
I think those are all of the relevant hardware/software specs, if I’m missing any let me know and I’ll post them. My question is on the FireControl software, do I want the latest version or the older graphics compatible version? They are both labeled Version 21.1.5 but one version is labeled 21.1.5-compatability. Thanks in advance!
Firecontrol won’t do anything for you until you can connect to the crossfire’s control box. The best thing you can do is figure out what you’re going to use for CAD/CAM and start learning/practicing those if you’re not proficient already.
It will depend on what you plan to cut with the machine, signs, artwork or parts which CAD you’ll use the most. I think it’s easiest to start with simple parts as the art and signs usually involve importing SVG files etc that have all kinds of issues. I often couldn’t tell if it was me or the software when I started with inkscape for example. I use Fusion 360 mostly for my CAD and Sheetcam for CAM. I found the Fusion 360 CAM too confusing. I will probably use it more as I get more experience but there’s only so much you can learn at one time.
Start with simple parts is my advice and build on that. Don’t try that complex thing that you bought the table to do right out of the gate, it’s a recipe for frustration and wasted metal. It’s a process and you will learn it if you build one skill at a time.
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My first few cuts will be the downloadable shared files from FireShare, I figure that way I will at least know the table is setup right. Currently I don’t have any parts files or any specific parts to do but I know down the road I will be doing a lot of parts. I plan on doing signs the first year or so, with maybe a random simple part thrown in here or there. I already downloaded Inkscape, I’ve watched a lot of “how to” videos on Inkscape and Fusion and I’d like to start trying to make my own files now. I haven’t done anything with SheetCAM yet but I will start looking into that too. For now and the immediate future though signs and wall art are going to be 99% of what I plan to do.
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Sounds like you are on the right track. Nothing wrong with doing some design work before the table gets there. I had two signs designed and run through Fusion 360 before my table arrived. My first cut was a test coupon. After that I cut out a adapter plate for an old compressor tank to retrofit it with a harbor freight compressor pump. Before I cut my first sign, I cut out one of the more intricate components of the sign first. I made it a stand alone file, which by itself it was about 8x8" and I had a remnant to cut it out of so it was pretty low risk if it didn’t work out. I figured if that worked out well then I could have some confidence cutting out the 3x4 sign.
It all worked out well. I did have some interference issues which forced me to learn the run from loop and run from line commands. This also taught me to mark my zero point in case something like that happened. Its been a little over 6 months and I still learn something new every time I make a cut.
Its been a rewarding hobby for me. I am excited for you to get up and running!
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Fireshare is a blessing and a curse. There is no quality control there so you are relying on the person who posted it knowing what they are doing. I did that with a simple f-bomb and it worked ok but I later found problems in it that were affecting my cut quality. Again less is more so if you grab a file off of there make it a simple one. I think this is the best one for a first cut and I used it several times after getting confused by the messed up f-bomb. Test Card | FireShare | Langmuir Systems
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I’m having an issue with Inkscape right now, the Makerbot Unicorn gcode extension is only for the older versions of Inkscape and I downloaded the newest version 1.2. Do I need to download an older version of Inkscape or is there a different gcode extension to add to 1.2? Also will Sheetcam allow you to import a picture and bitmap it the way Inkscape does?
No SheetCAM wants to see a *.DXF or *.SVG.
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