Easy Rotary Alignment
Use a small piece of tape!

Stick-On felt feet work great also!



Safer Plug Pulling Tip
Pull on the connector not the wires!
Use an automotive fuse puller.
It will pull on the connector not the wires. Details and Demo in Video



USB Cord, USB Cord, USB Cord

Unshielded cables will allow interference and things will just 'weird out'. If yours ran good then all the sudden starts doing something weird, check your cable. You moved something or dropped something off the table onto the cables, or just kicked the cables. You can bet the USB cable got moved somehow.

Make sure you have a good quality, shielded cable and isolate your USB cable as much as possible. Definitely route it away from any power cords.

If you do work on or reroute your cable, be sure to do a cold restart of both your program and the D1.
Turn them both off and restart them both like you normally would.

No one wants to believe something so simple can cause so many issues. Do yourself a favor and check your cable. The sanity you save may be your own.

ADDED NOTE: IF you have done a Firmware Update trying to fix your issues, there is a good possibility that the Firmware Update was corrupted also and your machine will never run right until it gets a clean update. Run a USB cord directly to your D1 if you have to just to do the update. Make sure it has a clean mind to work with.
When the update is complete, Restart your D1 and your program then run a test with the patch cable still in place.

There are instructions for doing a MANUAL Firmware Update in the 'Problems with D1 Updates?' video.


These are some of the things I use to help me.
Not one of these are paid endorsements!
I like them and use them. Bought them on my own dime.

Want Straight Cross Hairs?
2pcs Transparent Scotch Tape Will Fix It!.

The crooked lines are from the reflection on the orange shield. A couple pieces of transparent Matte finish Scotch Tape on the inside of the shield will cut the glare and your lines will be straight.
Click on the image to see how the tape is applied.
 		Mount your feet to your board.
Lowes has 2 items you can use,, Cheap!

These brackets will easily mount to your spoil board.
If you are doing any precision positioning or precision work, mounting your D1 solid in place is a must.
3/4" Foot Mount
SharkBite $6.48 10-Pack
HoldRite $6.48 10-Pack

Diameter Tape Measure
Diameter and US Std. tape measure
Komelon Touch Lock $6.69 Amazon
A Diameter Tape Measure would help dial in your cups on the rotary. There are a variety of them available and range in price. I would search and see what you find. A metric or fabric one might work better for some people and applications.
I used this one back in my construction days.
 		Simple WebCam Mount
Easily Add an Observation WebCam

Save your eyes! Watch your work without looking right at it. There are a lot of cams available and you could watch your cam from anywhere. I'm using a generic WebCam and it works just fine.
Just use a File Clip to attach
your WebCam to the front rail.
This mounting Will Not work
for a Digitzing cam.

Self-Stick Mouse Pads
Most versatile material around.

A roll of Self Adhesive Chalkboard Material will go a long way and has plenty of uses. I use a piece on my desk for a mouse pad that I can take notes on. I like the texture and the look and will be covering the entire top of the new roll top desk with it.
 		Non-Slip Feet for D1
Don't laugh until you try it!

Just had a landmark birthday and got these for a joke. Joke was on me. These things stick like glue and slip on and off. Work great on the small table I'm using. Haven't had a foot slide off since.

Trying to use WiFi with your D1?
Forget about it! Get this Free App instead.

The D1 runs best on a USB connection, but does have restrictions on the length of the cord you can use.
The solution is
TightVNC Software

Setup a PC/Laptop near your D1 and you can connect wireless to it without any problem. TightVNC is a Virtual Desktop. You can run the desktop of one computer on another. You can run your D1 from anywhere. They even have a phone app you can run your D1 with. There are plenty of videos and tutorials on youtube.

 Milwaukee InkzAll Marker
One marker you won't loose!
You will kick the Sharpie to the curb.
Try one of these and you won't loose it. The fine tip keeps it's shape and lasts forever. You won't loose them. Pictured is a new one I purchased over a year ago for back up. It has been in a drawer ever since.

Gray Scales
These are the tools I use the most. I use them to test my heat and speed.
I use all 3 of these for various things and depending on the space available.
You can read more about these and download other
useful items on the Downloadables page.


I am currently using a D1 - 10w Laser from





D1 Wire Management
Clean up your cables.

A couple minutes and a few bucks could safe weeks of downtime.

D1 Height Guage Tip
An Easier Way to Pull It Out.

Plus a possible bonus fix to your rattle.

~ NEW USERS ~
Having trouble with head not moving?

Under the beam, behind the head
make sure the belt is in the clip shown.

Problems with D1 Updates?
Try flipping the switch.
If you missed it in the firmware update screen, there is a 'Write Protect Switch' you need to flip.
- MANUAL Firmware Update Demo -
Included in this video.

Replacement Belts
X Belt is 2GT 1040
(Also labeled 1040-2GT)

Y Belt is 2GT 1110
(Also labeled 1110-2GT)
Rotary Cable
Modified/Beefed up - No latch
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CBV8DVZ

Direct Replacement - With latch
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08CY3R8GF
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