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[Laser cut and engrave] [How To] 3D Inner Engraved Solar System Crystal Globe — Project made with xTool F2 Ultra UV machine for Laser cut and engrave.

[How To] 3D Inner Engraved Solar System Crystal Globe

Instruction

Solar System

.xcs

Application scenario

Laser processing

Machine & module

xTool F2 Ultra UV

Material used

K9 Glass Crystal Ball

242

4740

Information

      Bring the universe home with this laser-engraved crystal globe.
A dazzling centerpiece for desk or shelf, it’s the ultimate gift for astronomy enthusiasts and curious minds alike.

P.S.: If the XCS file you downloaded appears blank, no need to panic. We’ll roll out an updated version after the official launch of the xTool F2 Ultra UV, which will support seamless compatibility. For the exclusive 3D effect, please bear with us a little while longer 🙏

Instruction

Step1: About Glass Spheres Inner Engraving

Preview

Crystal and glass spheres are curved. When a laser beam goes from air (refractive index about 1.0) into a sphere (glass/crystal has a refractive index of around 1.5), the curved surface bends and scatters the beam a lot. This makes the laser’s focus blurry or off-target inside the sphere, which messes up how precise the engraving is.

So when you do laser inner engraving on a crystal sphere, you need to soak the sphere in the special inner engraving oil. This mostly cuts down on the bending of the laser in the sphere and makes the focus sharper—so you get much finer, better-looking engravings inside the sphere.

Step2: Material preparation: K9 Glass & Oil

Material and Containers:

It is still K9 Glass, but in a spherical shape, with a recommended diameter of 7-8 cm.

For the inner engraved oil container, it is recommended to use a cylindrical straight glass container with a diameter of 10×10 cm and a certain height.

Handle with care! It's very slippery because of the oil. Be careful! ⚠️

Crystal Ball Base:
Convenient for placing after processing, beautiful and suitable for taking photos.

Alternatively, you can also prepare a crystal ball stand, which will be used during processing and can also be used for final display. This depends on personal preference and is not mandatory. Like this ⬇️

The Special Inner Engraving Oil:

Other Items:

You may also need (non-slip) gloves, rags, and a basin

Step3: Preparations before processing - Machine

Steps:

Replace the inner engraving lens
Install the riser to facilitate subsequent Inner Engraving Work Area Calibration and material placement.
Prepare 3D project files： STL, OBJ, AMF, 3MF, GLB, PLY

The lens installation process will take some time. Please install carefully.

Step4: Preparations before processing - Materials

Place the entire cup on the elevation platform, and align the bottom of the cup centrally with the elevation platform with reference to the 100*100mm marking line.

Steps：

Place the crystal ball on the base, put them together in the cup, and make sure the crystal ball and the cup are centered.

Pour the inner engraving oil slowly to prevent foaming. It is sufficient that the inner engraving oil completely submerges the crystal ball (a horizontal water surface needs to be formed). Then measure the height of the liquid surface with a ruler.

Place the entire cup on the riser platform, and align the bottom of the cup centrally with the riser platform with reference to the 100*100mm marking line.

Step5: Open xTool Studio

Preview

In the Select Processing Mode menu, choose Inner Engraving to access the Inner Engraving Settings.

Enter the inner engraving settings, change the object to a cylinder, input the sphere diameter in the D diameter field, and input the measured liquid height in the Z height field (this is very important; the liquid level height determines the refraction incident height, which will affect the quality and position of the inner engraving).

After all material settings are completed, enter the canvas preview and import all prepared 3D model files into Studio.

Measure the distance from the center of the sphere to the riser platform manually, and input it in the Z-axis height to ensure that the engraved object is at the center of the sphere.

📌 Due to the refraction of the sphere, the engraved object will be magnified. Therefore, when setting the size of the object, it needs to be slightly smaller than the diameter of the sphere. For example, the sphere I use has a diameter of 70mm, and the size of the engraved object is set to 50mm.

Inner Engraving Work Area Calibration

Step6: Processing

Preview

After adjusting the processing parameters, you can start processing.

After processing is completed, pour the inner engraving oil into a clean container, take out the ball, wash it, and place it on the base for display, and you're done!

💡 Inner engraving oil can be reused multiple times. Please keep the liquid clean, free from coloring and dust contamination.

Step7: Success!

Preview

Kindly follow the steps and choose the right materials. I know this might be a bit challenging, but please try with patience, and there will definitely be satisfying results!

The official xTool materials are recommended!

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