How to Use the xTool RA2 Rotary Attachment

Want to make more with your xTool laser? Grab the xTool RA2 Rotary Attachment! Make tumblers, mugs, glasses, ornaments, and more with this flexible tool.

The xTool RA2 Rotary Attachment allows you to laser engrave and score on circular objects! This greatly expands the types of projects you can make using your xTool.

I’ll be honest—it’s taken me months to get my xTool RA2 Rotary Attachment out of the box so I could learn how to use it. For some reason, I found all of the pieces really intimidating and I put it off for a long time, even though I knew I could make all sorts of amazing projects with it. If you find it all intimidating as well, you’re in good company!

But I finally got up the nerve to give it a shot recently and I am so glad I did! This tool has a bit of a learning curve (pun intended!), but the results you can get with it are absolutely amazing. It really does give you so many more options when it comes to laser crafting and the detail it can engrave is pretty spectacular.

In today’s post, we’re going to go over how to make a basic straight-sided tumbler using this tool. I want you to get comfortable using this tool with an easy project. Then in future posts, we’ll talk about how to do tapered tumblers (including 40oz Stanley tumblers) and beer glasses, as well as learn how to engrave round objects like ornaments.

I’m using my xTool S1 for this tutorial, but the tool works in other xTool laser machines as well, including the P2, the M1, and the D1. While my tutorial will give you an overview of how to use the tool, you will want to research other tutorials for your specific machine. See my full xTool S1 Review & Guide for Beginners for more information about this specific laser.

Watch the Video

Want to see the xTool Rotary Attachment in action? Just hit play below! Or keep reading for a written tutorial.

Get the Free Tumbler Engraving File under L14

This fun “booktrovert” engraving file can be found in my Free Craft Resource Library. The file number is: L14.

Want access to this free file? Join my FREE resource library! All you need is the password to get in, which you can get by filling out the form below!

Supplies

Here’s what you’ll need to make a tumbler using the RA2 Rotary Attachment

• xTool laser
• RA2 Rotary Tool
• Tumbler
• Magic eraser

Straight Sided Tumblers

This tutorial will only work on truly straight-sided tumblers. I got a pack of these colorful tumblers and I really like them. Unfortunately, their products do seem to be running out and I’m not sure if they will restock. But there are other options as well.

I did get some tumblers that I thought had straight sides, but the bottom diameter was about .25″ smaller than the top. As I was testing, I found the the taper acted a bit like a screw and the tumbler moved down the rollers, which would mess up the final image. I ended up returning them.

So make sure you get truly straight-sided tumblers to make this project. The top and bottom diameter should be equal. If you want to do something with a taper, you’ll have to use the chucks, which I will talk about in future tutorial.

What’s in the Box

I have the xTool RA2 Pro Rotary Attachment. Because this is the Pro version, it comes with more pieces than the regular RA2. You can still use this tutorial if you have the regular RA2, but you won’t have as many pieces and you won’t be able to make quite as many projects in upcoming tutorials. But you WILL be able to make the simple tumbler I am making in this post today!

For this straight-sided tumbler, you will only need the cord, the large main piece with the two rollers, and a measuring tape. Everything else is for more complex projects like tapered tumblers.

Riser Base

You will need the riser base for your laser so there is enough room for your project. I talked about setting up the riser base in my post xTool S1 Accessories. Other types of xTool machines will have different ways to set up their particular riser bases.

Measuring Your Tumbler

Next we’re going to measure our tumbler. If you’re using a regular-sized tumbler, you’ll keep the rollers in the “C” position the RA2 comes in. For example, the 20oz tumblers I have are 72mm across, so they easily work with the C slot. If you have something significantly smaller, you may need to unscrew and move the rollers to the other positions:

• A position: 3mm to 50mm
• B position: 45 to 60mm
• C position: 60mm or larger

Using the RA2 Rotary Attachment

Choose the Right Cord

The rotary tool comes with 3 different cords. Be sure to select the cord for your particular machine. For my S1, I am using the cord that has one end that looks like a mini USB and a white connector on the other end.

Set Up the Rotary Tool

Place your RA2 base into the bed of your laser. Try to get it as straight as you can in the machine.

Plug In the Rotary Attachment

The USB slot for the S1 is a bit hard to find. It’s actually inside at the front of the machine. Plug in the rotary attachment—this will bring power to the tool.

Setting Up xTool Creative Space

Let’s head into xTool Creative Space to get it set up for using the rotary attachment. (note I am using the new Beta version of xTool Creative Space). Note that the red + on my canvas is the location of my laser head within the machine. This is one of the things I really like about the xTool S1!

The first thing we need to do is change our mode to using the rotary attachment instead of processing a flat object on the baseplate.

Now you’ll see that the size and shape of our canvas has changed.

Add the Tumbler to the Laser

Place your tumbler inside your laser on top of the two RA2 rollers. The rollers will turn as the project processes so you can engrave all the way around cylindrical objects.

Determine the Height of the Tumbler

Now we need to measure the height of our tumbler so that the laser will be properly focused. Place your laser head over the center of the tumbler. You want it to be anywhere along the highest point of the tumbler.

Now back in Creative Space, click the auto-measure crosshairs to the right of the distance tool. This will prompt your machine to take a measurement of the height of your tumbler.

Then move the laser head so the crosshairs are at the top edge of your tumbler in the center.

Set up the File

Now upload your file to Creative Space. I’ve sized my file to fit most 20oz tumblers, but again you may want to double check the size of your tumbler and resize as needed.

You’ll need to rotate and place your image using the red + as a guide. The top of my tumbler is where my red + is. I wanted BOOKTROVERT to read down the side of the tumbler. So I placed my image centered on that red +. Make sure your image is facing “up” (in this case, up is facing toward the right because the tumbler is sideways in the machine).

NOTE: If you’d like to use your own design, measure the height and circumference of your tumbler and make sure your design is within those measurements and align it with the red + like I did here. You can draw a rectangle and then delete it before engraving if that helps.

Change the Settings

With the image selected, you’ll see that the Object tab in the sidebar is selected. First make sure your processing type is set to Engrave.

Then I really like this new EasySet panel for selecting your settings. I played around with a few different settings and for my laser and my tumblers, I found that 75% power, 300mm/s speed, and 240 lines per cm worked really well. You may need to play around with your settings if you find that your engraving is too deep or too shallow.

Framing Your Image

Next you’ll want to frame your image. Don’t skip this step! This will visually tell you that your image is going to go where you think it should go. Click on framing at the top and you’ll get this message.

Then walk over to your laser and press the button.

Watch the crosshairs on your laser as they frame around where your image will go. The rollers will spin your tumbler. If at any point during this process it looks like your image will NOT be on the tumbler, start over.

I wasn’t really sure what I was doing when I started and when I tried to make a similar tumbler for the first time, I saw that my framing didn’t go all the way to the top. I proceeded anyway. And now I have a tumbler with a half inch of missing image at the top. Whomp whomp.

If the framing looks good, click Framing Completed in Creative Space.

Engrave Your Tumbler

If your framing looks good, you’re on your way! Make sure you are venting your laser (I used my personal filter) and if you have air assist, turn it on.

Click Process in the upper right. Your image will be processed and then you can click start. Close your laser’s lid and press the button to engrave your tumbler!

This tumbler took about an hour and a half to engrave. So not fast, but it had a lot of detail.

Your tumbler may look really charred, but not to worry. A magic eraser and some water will clean it right up! It’s actually my favorite part of the entire process!

It looks SO good! I am really excited about using the RA2 more with other types of projects. Stay tuned!