Most stretched tumbler designs come from one wrong number. Set up the rotary in this order, and check it once before every new object size.
Reviewed by the Vextrify team, tested in our own laser workshops · Updated · How we test
Try Vextrify freeFirst pick the rotary type: on a roller rotary the object rests on driven rollers, on a chuck rotary it is clamped and turned directly. Then tell the software how the rotary is connected — in place of the Y axis or as its own axis. Enter the object diameter, for a roller rotary also the roller diameter, check the calibration value for one revolution, and run a test revolution.
The software converts the length of the design around the object into rotation. If the diameter or the calibration value is off, every millimetre of design turns into the wrong angle, and the result is stretched or squeezed around the object. Tapered tumblers add another variable: measure the diameter where the design sits, not at the rim.
In Vextrify's Laser Control the rotary settings are hardware-gated: they appear when a rotary axis is connected, and they are set per job. You choose whether the rotary replaces Y or runs as its own A axis, roller or chuck, the object diameter, the roller diameter, the millimetres per revolution and whether the output is mirrored, and a single test revolution checks the calibration. The settings are stored with the laser's profile.
Align the object so it runs level, mark the start position, frame the job so the head travels the outline, and engrave a short line around the circumference on a test piece or masking tape. If its length matches the design, the setup is right. Speed and power for coated tumblers come from your own test on the same coating.
Usually the object diameter or the calibration for one revolution is wrong. Measure the diameter where the design sits and run a test revolution.
Rollers are quick for straight cylinders; a chuck holds tapered or uneven objects more securely. The software setup differs, so choose the matching type.
Yes, in the desktop app with a connected rotary axis: replace Y or own axis, roller or chuck, diameters, mm per revolution, mirror and a test revolution.