Laser engraver/cutter

[Greenman]

I think I need one, just haven't figured out why. Of course the youtube guy's all make a thousand bucks a day burning holes in plastic. My goals are somewhat less grandiose.
One of you must have one, any tips on what to do with it other than burning holes in plastic?

 

[Greenman]

Pushed the wrong button here. Maybe something I should think about before messing with a 40 watt laser...

 

[BoomerD]

Go for it...what's the worst that could happen?

 

[Micrornd]

Go for it...what's the worst that could happen?

Yeah, it's not like you're gonna be holding something on your lap to engrave it, eh? 👍

 

[GodisanAtheist]

Monogram your steaks before you cook em

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

Go into business cutting up stainless steel credit cards.

 

[Greenman]

Yeah, it's not like you're gonna be holding something on your lap to engrave it, eh? 👍

A laptop laser engraver. You may have just kicked off the next industrial revolution.
Once I'm rich from this idea I'll be sending you a check.

 

[lxskllr]

You could engrave your tools. Maybe burn wood.

edit:
By coincidence, I just ran across this thread on another forum. What are the odds? Wood oriented, but it may give you some inspiration...

Laser engraving

Laser engraving

forestryforum.com

 

[Greenman]

You could engrave your tools. Maybe burn wood.

edit:
By coincidence, I just ran across this thread on another forum. What are the odds? Wood oriented, but it may give you some inspiration...

Laser engraving

Laser engraving

forestryforum.com

Good thread, thanks for the link.
The fellow is running a 60 watt CO2 laser, those are serious machines with a serious price tag. The pics of his work could all be done with a 10watt diode machine.
I'm looking for a 20 to 40 watt diode laser, a fraction of the price of a CO2 machine and all I can ever see myself needing. It would just be one more handy tool in my already reasonably well equipped shop.

Up till now it's all been my wife showing me a picture and saying "build me this", but she's running out of things for me to build.

 

[BoomerD]

Good thread, thanks for the link.
The fellow is running a 60 watt CO2 laser, those are serious machines with a serious price tag. The pics of his work could all be done with a 10watt diode machine.
I'm looking for a 20 to 40 watt diode laser, a fraction of the price of a CO2 machine and all I can ever see myself needing. It would just be one more handy tool in my already reasonably well equipped shop.

Up till now it's all been my wife showing me a picture and saying "build me this", but she's running out of things for me to build.

Send me her contact info...I'll give her some project ideas for you...

 

[Greenman]

Send me her contact info...I'll give her some project ideas for you...

So far:
Installed a utility sink in an alcove next to the garage door.
Built and installed a custom coffee bar in the breakfast nook.
Built and installed a 12' entertainment center in the family room.
Built and installed a bench and backboard in the entry.
Installed a tile backsplash in the kitchen.
Built and installed floating shelves in 4 different locations.
Built a white oak headboard for the master bedroom, from rough sawn timber.
Built 2 simple desks. So simple they almost don't count.
Built a couple of wall hung display cases.
Installed 2 ceiling fans.
Built shelves in the attic.
I also assembled my shop, but that was minimal, built a couple work benches and a router table. Some wiring for equipment.

I still have to landscape the back yard, screen in the covered patio, vent the kitchen hood, rebuild the pantry, install pullouts in all the base cabinets, and replace the ugly ass shoe molding with proper base shoe. I'll probably go ahead and repaint all 3 bathrooms as they were done with flat wall and it doesn't hold up well. I may disconnect one of the water heaters and keep it in place as a spare, we have no need for 100 gallons of hot water.

So yeah, she doesn't need anymore ideas.

 

[BoomerD]

So far:
Installed a utility sink in an alcove next to the garage door.
Built and installed a custom coffee bar in the breakfast nook.
Built and installed a 12' entertainment center in the family room.
Built and installed a bench and backboard in the entry.
Installed a tile backsplash in the kitchen.
Built and installed floating shelves in 4 different locations.
Built a white oak headboard for the master bedroom, from rough sawn timber.
Built 2 simple desks. So simple they almost don't count.
Built a couple of wall hung display cases.
Installed 2 ceiling fans.
Built shelves in the attic.
I also assembled my shop, but that was minimal, built a couple work benches and a router table. Some wiring for equipment.

I still have to landscape the back yard, screen in the covered patio, vent the kitchen hood, rebuild the pantry, install pullouts in all the base cabinets, and replace the ugly ass shoe molding with proper base shoe. I'll probably go ahead and repaint all 3 bathrooms as they were done with flat wall and it doesn't hold up well. I may disconnect one of the water heaters and keep it in place as a spare, we have no need for 100 gallons of hot water.

So yeah, she doesn't need anymore ideas.

How about a swimming pool, hot tub, and outdoor kitchen?

 

[Greenman]

How about a swimming pool, hot tub, and outdoor kitchen?

I'm to old to dig the hole, and to poor to buy the parts.

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

Go into business cutting up stainless steel credit cards.

'Send me your expired, your worn, your crumpled masses.'

 

[Greenman]

It's interesting to look into the things people make and sell. Esty is lousy with engraved cutting boards, coasters, stemware, and metal business cards. Based on pricing, I couldn't see how anyone was making a profit. So I checked Alibaba, and sure enough that's where the blanks for all that stuff comes from. Buy in lots of a thousand and bamboo cutting boards are cheap as firewood.

 

[Greenman]

'Send me your expired, your worn, your crumpled masses.'

I'm going to steal that and put it on a trash can. If I ever make any money off of it you will be receiving a check.

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

I'm going to steal that and put it on a trash can. If I ever make any money off of it you will be receiving a check.

Modify it closer to the original:

'Give us your worn, your expired, your crumpled masses.'


Put it on t-shirts, caps and other wearables and on bumper stickers and logos for trucks and dumpsters for a trash hauling company.

 

[Greenman]

Modify it closer to the original:

'Give us your worn, your expired, your crumpled masses.'


Put it on t-shirts, caps and other wearables and on bumper stickers and logos for trucks and dumpsters for a trash hauling company.

If you're not in marketing, you missed your calling.

So I picked up a 20 watt laser at a reasonable price. Works fairly well, though I quickly discovered that it produces a great deal of smoke. So I built an enclosure with a fan and a duct to the outside, problem solved. My wife asked if it could cut leather and fabric, I said yes, and now I've started my new career cutting leather and fabric for purses, wallets, and purse/water bottle/wallet combo things that are fairly complicated to assemble (I don't do any assembly).

 

[IronWing]

Can you share the model info?


Of the laser, not the wife.

 

[Greenman]

Can you share the model info?


Of the laser, not the wife.

The laser is an Ikier 20 watt. It's $1200 on amazon, $700 on the Ikier website.
Be careful when you shop for laser engravers, some manufactures list the input power, not the output power. So what they call a 20 watt laser is 5 watts of output. It's crooked as hell.
You'll also have to buy a grid for cutting on, and a copy of LightBurn to run it. Don't even think about running it in your house, way to much smoke.

The wife is an early 60's model, no longer in production.

 

[IronWing]

The laser is an Ikier 20 watt. It's $1200 on amazon, $700 on the Ikier website.
Be careful when you shop for laser engravers, some manufactures list the input power, not the output power. So what they call a 20 watt laser is 5 watts of output. It's crooked as hell.
You'll also have to buy a grid for cutting on, and a copy of LightBurn to run it. Don't even think about running it in your house, way to much smoke.

The wife is an early 60's model, no longer in production.

Thanks, this is really interesting. Have you tried engraving on stone? I wonder if it would work? Tell me about cutting speed for leather and fabric. Could you post a pic of a typical cutting job and the time it takes to cut it? My wife also works leather and fabric.

Two more questions: can it cut copper or steel sheet cleanly?

 

[Greenman]

Thanks, this is really interesting. Have you tried engraving on stone? I wonder if it would work? Tell me about cutting speed for leather and fabric. Could you post a pic of a typical cutting job and the time it takes to cut it? My wife also works leather and fabric.

Two more questions: can it cut copper or steel sheet cleanly?

It will engrave stone, though I haven't tried it. Cutting speed for leather will be around 300mm per minute, depending on thickness. I was cutting fabric at 1500mm per minute.
I'll have to cut something and time it, but right now my garage is a wreak from building my pantry. Generally speaking, cutting isn't fast. Very thick material will require several passes. It won't cut steel, it's only 20 watts of output power. A 60watt CO2 laser might cut very thin steel, but those start around $4k. I don't know if it will cut copper, but I doubt it. You can get a UV laser that will engrave steel in different colors, I don't know what sorcery makes it happen, but it apparently does work.
Before you buy check out facebook marketplace, I see them there every now and then at very reasonable prices.

I had originally thought about getting a CNC router, but two things stopped me, learning Fusion360 and noise. Those things scream, and you need a dust collector going at the same time. Way to loud for me and my neighbors. The laser is very quiet, you can here the steeper motors and fan, but both are pretty quiet.

 

[iRONic]

To cut steel and any other metal like that you'd want a plasma cutter or a water jet. They are mad expensive.

 

[IronWing]

Any updates? Still like it?

 

[Greenman]

Any updates? Still like it?

I do. Haven't been doing much lately as I've been tied up putting wainscot in my hall, creating a storage area in what was a dead space under the stairs, and had to make a trip back to California on business.

I've been experimenting with using powder paint to fill in the etched area, it works fairly well. Used the laser to cook it, then discovered that a heat gun does the job just as well in a tenth of the time.
Just picked some epoxy resin and colorant to use s filler as well, haven't tried it out yet.
I've been eyeballing 3d printers thinking there is a way of combining the two processes to create something unique, but the inspiration is eluding me.