ComMarker B6 60W MOPA Laser Engraver Review
The ComMarker B6Â is one of the smallest, most compact fiber laser engravers on the market. And thanks to the autofocus capability, it is also one of the easiest to use. In this review, I will put it to the test to see how well does it perform in real-life.
 (use my coupon code “jtmakesit” for 5% off)
In my previous review of the 60W ComMarker B4, I have shown a lot of materials that can be engraved with this MOPA laser source. All this applies to the ComMarker B6 too, since the laser source is the same, and I will mostly not be testing everything again. I invite you to watch that review video, so you can get an even better feel of what is the ComMarker B6 also able to do. In this video, I will be primarily testing some different kinds of materials I found at Creatorally.com, which sells a lot of different materials for laser engraving.
Also, don’t forget to watch the oldest review, of the original 20W ComMarker B4, where I have shown some cool stuff you can do with fiber lasers too!
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ComMarker B6 Has Autofocus!
The ComMarker B6 has an autofocus, which works very well. Machine is projecting a red dot on the surface which is where you need to position your material for focusing. A sensor is measuring where that dot is located, and the machine can calculate the focus distance using that information.
Focusing is done by just pressing the focus button. At first, the machine quickly adjusts the height, but then it trims the distance in small steps for high precision. This autofocus system works very well on all surfaces, and I never had a problem with it struggling on any material. And you can still adjust the focus manually, without a ruler, either by using the electric lift or the manual crank handle. During focusing, you can monitor the focus distance on the screen so no need to use a ruler at all!.
ComMarker B6 Lens selection
The ComMarker B6 comes with the 170-millimeter area lens, which has working area right in between the 110 and 200-millimeter lenses that I have tested with the ComMarker B4. The larger the lens, the larger the working area and focus depth, but smaller the energy density and more power is needed for the same engraving effect. I think that this 170-millimeter lens is perfect for the 60-watt machine. But if you want different lenses, you can still buy the replacement lenses from their website, ranging from 70 to 300-millimeter area.
Software
Like the previous machine, the new ComMarker B6 also supports EZCAD and Lightburn software. I will use Lightburn in this article, as I find Lightburn to be a much better and more modern software. EZCAD on the other hand is an old, tried and tested software which is considered a gold standard for fiber lasers.
On the included USB drive, the manufacturer has also included a small Lightburn library of engraving parameters for various materials for this exact machine. Let’s test some of them to see if the settings are any good.
Engraving Raw Aluminum
First, I tested the parameters for engraving aluminum. Three different settings are included in the library. The dark setting produces a shallow dark engraving, the deep setting leaves an even darker, but very deep engraving effect, and the white setting leaves a very shallow white colored engraving. For fun I have engraved a white square over the deep engraving to see if I can brighten it up with this second pass and it came out great.
Engraving anodized aluminum in different colors
I have also tested some of my settings that I made with the older 60W ComMarker B4 MOPA. Engraving colors on anodized aluminum still works without any modifications, only the gray color is a bit lighter, because that setting was made for the smaller lens, but this can be easily fixed by increasing the power a bit.
Engraving Rainbow of Colors on Stainless Steel!
On the included USB drive I have also found a demo project for engraving colors on stainless steel. I tried to engrave it as is, and it came out way better than expected!
This machine is very good at engraving colors. You can recreate all the colors that I was able to do with the ComMarker B4 in my previous review. Color engraving is a slow process and takes a lot of experimentation to find all the colors, but it looks amazing at the end.
Engraving a Hip Flask with the ComMarker B6 MOPA
Next, I was testing some different stainless-steel finishes from the included library and decided to engrave a hip flask I got from Creatorally.com. You can get them in bulk packaging, and they come in two types of finish. A small filling funnel is also included.
Hip flasks look cool, are very cheap and they make a great customized gift when engraved. I chose the black coated flask for my test.
The flasks have a curved surface, and you need to focus the machine somewhere in the middle of the curve.
Autofocus on this machine works very well and it is very precise. First, I was skeptical about it, but it really works without issues on all the materials I have tested and makes the setup much faster.
With the first pass, I removed the coating to expose the metal below. You could already leave it like this, as it already looks very cool, but I have decided to put some colors on this to make it more interesting. Since the surface has a significant curve, the colors are not as accurate, but still look cool. The result looks interesting and with some more tweaking you could make it even better.
Engraving Stone With a Fiber Laser
Of course, the ComMarker B6 also works very well on stone. It produces deep engravings with a clean edge. Interestingly, with the right settings you can even melt the stone into glass. And it can do this with power below 40 percent! By carefully selecting the settings, you could make molten engravings. In my case, I have used too much power, and it melted a little bit too much.
Using Different Fill Settings to Make Geometrical Patterns!
One cool thing that I haven’t yet explored with laser engravers is making geometrical patterns using different fill densities, angles and number of passes. This is a cool way to make the engravings more interesting!
Engraving Colored Scratch Paper (Glows in the Dark!)
I also ordered some colored scratch paper from Creatorally.com. Scratch paper can be used in many ways. One of them is to use a laser to engrave outline of the shapes and the kids can later scrape the coating off with a toothpick to add color on some parts. This will keep them busy for a while!
The another, even cooler way, is to engrave the whole design directly like I did here. Fiber laser is very good at removing the coating. Creatorally sells this scratch paper in many colors, but this color is the best as it glows in the dark! How cool is that!
Improve Everyday Items (pocket knife engraving)
Another very useful case for fiber lasers is that you can use it to improve your everyday items like I did here with this Swiss Army Knife. Thanks to the autofocus, it was very easy to focus the laser on the blade. I made a deep etch plus a cleaning and darkening pass for a very durable and permanent marking that is easily visible at any angle.
Using Ceramic Engraving Colored Paper (Using Rotary Attachment)
I ordered this funny-looking paper from Creatorally.com. It is used for making colored engraving on materials that are otherwise tough to engrave like glass and ceramic.
First you need to soak the paper in water for 30 seconds. I will use this paper to engrave on ceramic cup and transparent glass. After soaking, the sheet becomes very soft and then it needs to be applied to the surface. Using the included scraper, you need to smooth it out and push all the bubbles away. Then it needs to dry out.
Meanwhile I have prepared the chuck style rotary that came with the machine. It looks very sturdy and stable. It also comes with a supporting bracket that can support either very long objects from below, or short spherical objects from the side. You also get a rotary roller, which has good grippy rollers. This type of rotary is easier to use but provides less accuracy like I have shown in one of my previous videos.
When engraving with a rotary, you can quickly run out of focus adjustment range. They thought of that, and you get an extension bracket to solve this issue.
Then I set up the rotary and tried to engrave a glass jar. I got the best results with very slow speed and low power. The engraving looks nice. It is very deep, similar to sandblasting. Without this paper, the laser doesn’t mark the surface at all as the beam goes cleanly through. The finished surface looks full of lines, since my rotary interval and overlap settings were not the best. With some adjustments, better results could be achieved.
Ceramic cup fell out of the rotary during the processing as I forgot to tighten it, but the engraving seems OK, although I later figured out that colored ceramics can also be engraved directly. Direct engraving leaves a nice finish, but the engraving is much shallower compared to using this paper. But the paper did clearly leave some of its color, leaving a darker engraving which is what it is intended for.
Convenient to use fiber laser engraver!
ComMarker B6 - Small, Smart and Powerful!
In conclusion, the ComMarker B6 is a versatile laser engraver that can do many things and it is very convenient to use. The autofocus system works very reliably and makes focusing a hassle-free experience. In this article I have tested it on many materials.
If you want to learn what else it can do, read my review of its older brother, the ComMarker B4 60W JPT MOPA, which has the same laser source and engraving performance. You can also check the link below to the official store where you can get 5% off if you use my discount code "jtmakesit".
Get it in the official store!Check out the official store!Be sure to also check out my reviews of newer laser engravers HERE!
This post was written by JT Makes It.
JT Makes It is an engineer, hobbyist, and DIY-er armed with a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering and over a decade of professional experience in the industry. From an early age, JT Makes It was pushed by an insatiable curiosity, spending countless hours disassembling, understanding, improving, and creating various gadgets and products. This lifelong passion led to a broad spectrum of technical expertise ranging from electronics, woodworking, metalworking, and CNC machinery, with a particular focus on laser engravers.
For the past 9 years, he has shared his expertise through engaging videos on his YouTube channel. With the last three years dedicated to scrutinizing and testing laser engravers, he also created this website and emerged as a recognized authority in the field. His expertise extends across the spectrum of laser technologies, ranging from diode lasers, CO2 lasers, and fiber lasers, paying attention to details and providing practical insights.
With JT Makes It, expect a blend of technical expertise, backed with hands-on experience, and a genuine passion for innovation and creation, making him a trusted source in the realm of DIY and laser engraving enthusiasts alike.
