Laser Engravers/Cutters
Discussion
Thanks for the replies. Am looking to set up a small business making personalised items from plywood, acrylic, etc. Also looking at engraving glass, coffee mugs with a rotary attachment. I use a laser at work, but in education so use educational software, but I can export what I have already produced as a dxf or svg file. I have used many different materials ranging from slate to cotton and would like to do the same. What software does everyone use, LightBurn or LaserGRBL?
Any other advice, hints and tips would be much appreciated.
Any other advice, hints and tips would be much appreciated.
you do need to do more research then as different laser types will cut / engrave different materials - so if you use a standard Diode laser like mine - you can't cut or engrave transparent acrylic -you need to select laser type to go with the products you plan - so do you need CO2 / diode / fibre / etc.?
You also need to consider the financial aspect - are you doing this for fun (selling items to cover the cost of buying the laser?) or to build a business - in which case it is all about speed / process / time and cost per item - in which case you may be better off having several cheaper ones v. 1 expensive one...
If you are wanting to build a business it is also worth doing some research into who else is offering similar products (etsy is one place to look) as it will be important to understand your competition / market... and it is worth noting that commercially you are behind the curve - those who had the best opportunity commercially were doing this a number of years ago - some of whom have built strong niches (e.g. there is a chap who builds router templates and then produces them from clear acrylic on his laser - he has cornered that market) - or who just have good customer bases on etsy and elsewhere...
as I mentioned above there are a lot of videos on youtube (many American - but still valid) on setting up a business as you describe - it would probably be most valuable to go there and just sit and watch through them to build up an idea of what is best...
You also need to consider the financial aspect - are you doing this for fun (selling items to cover the cost of buying the laser?) or to build a business - in which case it is all about speed / process / time and cost per item - in which case you may be better off having several cheaper ones v. 1 expensive one...
If you are wanting to build a business it is also worth doing some research into who else is offering similar products (etsy is one place to look) as it will be important to understand your competition / market... and it is worth noting that commercially you are behind the curve - those who had the best opportunity commercially were doing this a number of years ago - some of whom have built strong niches (e.g. there is a chap who builds router templates and then produces them from clear acrylic on his laser - he has cornered that market) - or who just have good customer bases on etsy and elsewhere...
as I mentioned above there are a lot of videos on youtube (many American - but still valid) on setting up a business as you describe - it would probably be most valuable to go there and just sit and watch through them to build up an idea of what is best...
I agree - we bought the X1 to engrave anodised aluminium front panels - and it looked like the 10W Blue laser would do a perfect job. What actually happened was absolutely zilch, not a single mark - honestly, if the ships were in Star Wars were made of anodised aluminium everyone would have given up and gone home!
We then ended up building the 2W IR laser (which is lower power than the standard) and it does a brilliant job.
If you are in the kent area, you are welcome to pop in and try it
We then ended up building the 2W IR laser (which is lower power than the standard) and it does a brilliant job.
If you are in the kent area, you are welcome to pop in and try it
Not Creality no, but one of the bigger 60W Chinese jobbies. An absolute b
h to get running to the point it's at now, but it does run sweet.
Adobe Illustrator .dxf to the rubbish software provided with the laser, but that's only just to convert the .dxf to what the laser can see.
Christmas is a great time to focus on, so get your designs done early. amongst some other good paying projects, the Christmas stuff paid for a good chunk of the laser. Although tubes are quite pricey.
Do NOT underestimate the level of smoke some types of wood emit
h to get running to the point it's at now, but it does run sweet.Adobe Illustrator .dxf to the rubbish software provided with the laser, but that's only just to convert the .dxf to what the laser can see.
Christmas is a great time to focus on, so get your designs done early. amongst some other good paying projects, the Christmas stuff paid for a good chunk of the laser. Although tubes are quite pricey.
Do NOT underestimate the level of smoke some types of wood emit
Edited by Racing Sparrow on Thursday 24th April 18:44
I have a Creality Falcon2 Pro 22W. It does everything I have needed so far:
Plywood/MDF up to 3mm
Occasional 6mm solid beech.
Leather
3mm Dark Acrylic
0.8mm black ABS
felt.
It will cut thicker wood ( 12mm plywood ) but it doesn't cut cleanly and there is a lot of soot.
I have the exhaust piped through the shed wall, but a small amount of detectable fumes are still escaping the enclosure.
The enclosure also has the benefit that additional eye protection isn't required.
Plywood/MDF up to 3mm
Occasional 6mm solid beech.
Leather
3mm Dark Acrylic
0.8mm black ABS
felt.
It will cut thicker wood ( 12mm plywood ) but it doesn't cut cleanly and there is a lot of soot.
I have the exhaust piped through the shed wall, but a small amount of detectable fumes are still escaping the enclosure.
The enclosure also has the benefit that additional eye protection isn't required.
Again, thank you for all the great replies and advice. It's looking like an xTool P2S is the way to go. It looks easy to set up and can be used on a variety of materials as it has a CO2 laser.
I'm just going to be setting up something small to start with as I have a job already and will see how things progress.
I'm just going to be setting up something small to start with as I have a job already and will see how things progress.
Did you buy one in the end?
i'm looking to dabble with these as a hobby doing personalised engravings on glasses, wood picture frames, key rings (wood and coloured acrylic), ceramic mugs, water bottles, Xmas decorations, etc) and there's an overwhelming amount of conflicting info out there especially around the capabilities and powers of the more budget friendly diode lasers. In the most recommended lists, one that seems to come out top a lot is the ComMarket Omni 1 5W UV laser for its versatility, speed and accuracy, but it's currently a smidge under £3k which probably puts it outside "just a hobby" territory and a couple of the owners have mentioned concerns about the longevity.
So with my use case, what else should I be looking at and can it be done at a more sensible budget (let's start at <£1000) or will I just be wasting money and I should go bigger straight away? Expecting to budget on top of that for Lightburn and a rotary attachment unless there are bundles.
Thanks, Chris
i'm looking to dabble with these as a hobby doing personalised engravings on glasses, wood picture frames, key rings (wood and coloured acrylic), ceramic mugs, water bottles, Xmas decorations, etc) and there's an overwhelming amount of conflicting info out there especially around the capabilities and powers of the more budget friendly diode lasers. In the most recommended lists, one that seems to come out top a lot is the ComMarket Omni 1 5W UV laser for its versatility, speed and accuracy, but it's currently a smidge under £3k which probably puts it outside "just a hobby" territory and a couple of the owners have mentioned concerns about the longevity.
So with my use case, what else should I be looking at and can it be done at a more sensible budget (let's start at <£1000) or will I just be wasting money and I should go bigger straight away? Expecting to budget on top of that for Lightburn and a rotary attachment unless there are bundles.
Thanks, Chris
Ended up with an OMTech k40+ as an entry level CO2 laser (rather than a diode) which can engrave and cut the materials I’m interested in and also has a big hobby following and plenty of ideas for modifications! So far have been very impressed at how easy it was to setup and use on various woods and acrylic and looking forward to playing some more!
Chris
Chris
Ah you got a proper one with the chiller too 
Ironically I’m having to heat my bucket of “cooling” water to get it to the right operating temperature.
What’s the heritage sign made of that’s come up very nicely. My latest playing is coupling chat gpt with photos of friends and family that can go on coasters.
Still trying to work out the best finish for them. Have matt and gloss clear lacquer which darkens the cork and enhances the contrast but is pretty much invisible on lighter ply wood.
Have also played with etching shot glasses (in a jig I designed and made with the laser engraver!) but still getting to grips with how to get the best result.
Task for the weekend is to start creating Xmas decorations for the tree and personalised presents for the family.
Ironically I’m having to heat my bucket of “cooling” water to get it to the right operating temperature.What’s the heritage sign made of that’s come up very nicely. My latest playing is coupling chat gpt with photos of friends and family that can go on coasters.
Still trying to work out the best finish for them. Have matt and gloss clear lacquer which darkens the cork and enhances the contrast but is pretty much invisible on lighter ply wood.
Have also played with etching shot glasses (in a jig I designed and made with the laser engraver!) but still getting to grips with how to get the best result.
Task for the weekend is to start creating Xmas decorations for the tree and personalised presents for the family.
ScoobyChris said:
Ah you got a proper one with the chiller too Ironically I m having to heat my bucket of cooling water to get it to the right operating temperature.
What s the heritage sign made of that s come up very nicely. My latest playing is coupling chat gpt with photos of friends and family that can go on coasters.
Still trying to work out the best finish for them. Have matt and gloss clear lacquer which darkens the cork and enhances the contrast but is pretty much invisible on lighter ply wood.
Have also played with etching shot glasses (in a jig I designed and made with the laser engraver!) but still getting to grips with how to get the best result.
Task for the weekend is to start creating Xmas decorations for the tree and personalised presents for the family.
I've not looked much at finishes yet. The heritage sign is made from 1.5mm laser laminate that I bought from Kitronik. It took a few passes to get it looking right. Ironically I m having to heat my bucket of cooling water to get it to the right operating temperature.What s the heritage sign made of that s come up very nicely. My latest playing is coupling chat gpt with photos of friends and family that can go on coasters.
Still trying to work out the best finish for them. Have matt and gloss clear lacquer which darkens the cork and enhances the contrast but is pretty much invisible on lighter ply wood.
Have also played with etching shot glasses (in a jig I designed and made with the laser engraver!) but still getting to grips with how to get the best result.
Task for the weekend is to start creating Xmas decorations for the tree and personalised presents for the family.
I've not used it this week, so will be interesting to see what the chiller does.
Good luck and keep learning.
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