Skip to content Russ returns to CO₂ beam alignment after his diode-laser work and tests an alternative “up the bottom” alignment method based on a visible red pointer. Part 1 establishes his normal scorch-test method and the mechanical adjustments that make it repeatable.
Previous: Beam Setting and Alignment | Series Menu | Next: Up the Bottom – Part 2
What You’ll Learn
- How Russ performs conventional scorch-test beam alignment.
- Why mechanical adjustment of mirrors and the head matters as much as mirror angle.
- What an “up the bottom” red-pointer tool is intended to achieve.
Start with a Known Alignment Method
Before judging the alternative tool, Russ demonstrates the method he already trusts. The laser beam is pulsed at several machine positions and the marks are compared while mirror and head positions are adjusted mechanically where necessary.
The Laser Beam Is the Reference
Visible pointers can make an invisible optical path easier to understand, but Russ’s starting position is that only the working CO₂ beam can confirm where the actual cutting beam travels.
Why This Session Matters
Part 1 creates a benchmark. Part 2 then deliberately disturbs the machine and tests whether the red-pointer method can restore the alignment.
This page is a concise overview of Russ Sadler’s original video rather than a full transcript.
