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Laser Cutter/Engraver
- Thread starter jcdammeyer
- Start date
I have a home-brew 5W with 200mm x 200m working area. It's cobbled together from a Jinsoku LE-1620 device and a Quink PCB printer, running Lightburn software. I bought it in an attempt to expand on my engraving stable. I rarely use it.
5W will engrave plywood and MDF
Can't cut plywood or MDF
Reasonably good results on slate
Works well on properly-prepped ceramic tile
Give a crisp line in plywood or MDF once you get the feed rate and intensity dialed in correctly
Does a nice job on anodized aluminium, I make up aluminum business cards from cheap blanks off Amazon
Heavy or repeated passes on plywood or MDF make the workpiece look burned
Makes nice personalized Christmas tree ornaments
Because I have three rotary / diamond engravers, I find the laser isn't as much fun to use. It's more of a printer than a machine tool. Draw, load the workpiece, hit print, go do something else. This is unlike the rotary engravers which are a very hands-on procedure.
I'm all about the process, not the workpiece so I don't get as much satisfaction with laser as I get from the older mechanical engravers. It's like the difference between cranking the hand wheels on a lathe versus running a CNC machine. I need the tactile experience of making something that the laser just can't provide.
5W will engrave plywood and MDF
Can't cut plywood or MDF
Reasonably good results on slate
Works well on properly-prepped ceramic tile
Give a crisp line in plywood or MDF once you get the feed rate and intensity dialed in correctly
Does a nice job on anodized aluminium, I make up aluminum business cards from cheap blanks off Amazon
Heavy or repeated passes on plywood or MDF make the workpiece look burned
Makes nice personalized Christmas tree ornaments
Because I have three rotary / diamond engravers, I find the laser isn't as much fun to use. It's more of a printer than a machine tool. Draw, load the workpiece, hit print, go do something else. This is unlike the rotary engravers which are a very hands-on procedure.
I'm all about the process, not the workpiece so I don't get as much satisfaction with laser as I get from the older mechanical engravers. It's like the difference between cranking the hand wheels on a lathe versus running a CNC machine. I need the tactile experience of making something that the laser just can't provide.
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I did until this past weekend when it caught on fire and self destructed. Luckily I had it sitting on a table outside for both smoke and fire risk reasons.
Mine saw use mostly for gaskets. Scan the surface of whatever part alongside a scale/ruler. Then open the image in cad software, scale it based on the ruler and trace the part for gasket. Been great for this purpose but that’s pretty well all I used it for.
This past weekend I tried cutting out some 1/4” plywood to cut out some Christmas crafts for the kids to make that my wife found online. First batch the cutter didn’t 100% get through in all spots so I tried another material test to dial in settings. Made a mistake on my settings file. Started it up, walked away and came back 20min later to a fire.
I knew better than to leave it unattended but was comfortable leaving it as it was outdoors away from anything.
Mine was a 10w diode laser.
If you do get one, plan for some form of ventilation. They produce a lot of smoke.
Mine saw use mostly for gaskets. Scan the surface of whatever part alongside a scale/ruler. Then open the image in cad software, scale it based on the ruler and trace the part for gasket. Been great for this purpose but that’s pretty well all I used it for.
This past weekend I tried cutting out some 1/4” plywood to cut out some Christmas crafts for the kids to make that my wife found online. First batch the cutter didn’t 100% get through in all spots so I tried another material test to dial in settings. Made a mistake on my settings file. Started it up, walked away and came back 20min later to a fire.
I knew better than to leave it unattended but was comfortable leaving it as it was outdoors away from anything.
Mine was a 10w diode laser.
If you do get one, plan for some form of ventilation. They produce a lot of smoke.
And you build what with that? I can't even figure out where to put one but having something that cuts and or marks clear acrylic for a variety of projects is interesting.
140mower
Don
I think that he armed the Millennium Falcon with it.
Han and I are best buds!I think that he armed the Millennium Falcon with it.
I bought it mainly to make small boxes for storage. I'm now working on figuring out how to take full size wooden boat plans and scaling them down to make model wooden boats
And I use it for engraving. It will easily burn off powder coating and anodizing. So I can powder coat something and then use the laser to burn off a pattern. Thinking about how to make durable garden markers.
But what I really want to make is a metal cutting fiber laser like this:
OK. Wow!I bought it mainly to make small boxes for storage. I'm now working on figuring out how to take full size wooden boat plans and scaling them down to make model wooden boats
And I use it for engraving. It will easily burn off powder coating and anodizing. So I can powder coat something and then use the laser to burn off a pattern. Thinking about how to make durable garden markers.
But what I really want to make is a metal cutting fiber laser like this:
Actually instead of a laser cutter I should probably spend some money on a Plasma cutter and TIG welder along with a welding course at the local college. My NAIT gas welding course so many decades ago is likely not all that useful anymore.
A decent blow-back start plasma cutter can be had pretty cheap these days.
I'm noodling up plans in my head to build a bigger plasma cutter with a 24" x24" cutting area. Stay tuned.
Think of laser wattage as equivalent to spindle rpm on a mill. The higher the rpm (wattage) the higher the feed rate you can run.
A 10W diode laser will easily engrave wood. The 10W head that came with my Ortur was perfect for engraving wood but I wanted more power to cut wood thus the 40W upgrade.
1018Machine
Well-Known Member
I have a 30W Raycus Fiber laser! I use it to cut/engrave metals and aluminum for fishing reels and watch parts.
I'd have guessed more like 1500Watts. But I have zero direct knowledge. Just thinking power is power. A 100W skill saw will struggle, so I'd expect a 100W laser to struggle too. I suppose if you cut really slowly it might work though.
You can cut metal with 30W? what kind of metal and how thick? how many passes? Please post some pictures of engraving and cutting.
I can't imagine 30W is going to cut metal.
lucsimoneau
Active Member
I have the exact same router from General and I've ripped out the control to put a Mach3 board in it ... also changed the spindle. Works great but don't use it alot.