Laser engraver/cutters

[Rainmaker]

I'm about 80% positive I'd like to get a laser engraver/cutter. I've been researching today, and looking mostly at diode laser modules, in the 5W output range. The goal would be to be able to engrave and cut up to 1/8" plywood. So far, i've read this is possible with a blue diode laser, but not ideal. But my absolute max budget is ~$500, so I'm really not looking at a CO2 laser at the moment.

I remember there was a thread on the old MCB, but I can't remember who all had hobby laser engravers. Any advice for a newbie?

[Carp]

I'm about 80% positive I'd like to get a laser engraver/cutter. I've been researching today, and looking mostly at diode laser modules, in the 5W output range. The goal would be to be able to engrave and cut up to 1/8" plywood. So far, i've read this is possible with a blue diode laser, but not ideal. But my absolute max budget is ~$500, so I'm really not looking at a CO2 laser at the moment.

I remember there was a thread on the old MCB, but I can't remember who all had hobby laser engravers. Any advice for a newbie?

Azzy is one, you might get some insight from! He was laser burning leather CC patches.


Edit... One of the Scavengers did some stuff. Possibly bellicose ... 🤔

[DocsMachine]

I have one, a typical Chinese K40, with modifications. It's a fun little unit, though I got it for a project that has yet to pan out, so I don't have much time on it.

If you have any questions, just ask.



That said, I did originally buy a blue diode, intending to fit it to my Shapeoko router. I was strenuously warned against doing so, however, as the blue diodes are extremely non-eye-safe. It's basically an ultraviolet wavelength and even just reflected light can be dangerous. If you're going to run a blue diode, you basically MUST buy some quality, preferably name-brand goggles to protect against that specific wavelength.

The CO2 lasers, conversely, are considerably safer- the IR frequencies are absorbed by damn near anything, including glass and acrylic. That is, conventional shop safety glasses or even regular eyeglasses are often suitable protection. You still need to practice safe use, of course, but it's considerably safer than the diode lasers.

Doc.

[ChoSanJuan]

I totally agree with DocsMachine on all the safety things to keep in mind.

What kind of 3d printer do you run. It's easy enough to print a laser harness, add some JST connectors to your fan and have a swappable tool head. I use this setup on my MPSM v2 with inkskape to get all my pews done. Granted, my build plate is small so I can't get anything larger than 135x135 on my laser projects. Most times, that's enough. In time, I'll add the same setup to my Ender 3.

[boarder2k7]

I have a 50W Triumph TR-5030 and love it. Gives me a (roughly) 500x300mm working area, with around 225mm of depth to fit larger objects inside. 50W will process 1/4" material at 4mm/s.

I'd strongly recommend a CO2 laser over a diode if you want to cut material rather than just etch it, even if all you can afford is a K40. They're in that price range you talk about.

A K40 will require substantial upgrades to make it safer/better from what I've read, but that's more of an investment in time and knowledge than it is money. Make sure to check your current through the laser tube as factory adjustments on Chinese machines tend to be crap and can burn your tube out. My machine came "calibrated" to not go over 75% power, so I assumed they checked and set that limit accordingly. I was wrong, 75% power was overdriving my tube to around 24 mA, lowering my max to 50% and running the tube at 19 mA actually resulted in me being able to double my cut speeds due to the better beam pattern of the tube not being overdriven.

If at all possible, I'd also recommend finding something that is compatible with Lightburn as it is a very friendly software compared to what comes with Chinese machines.

All that said, diode lasers can be better for fine etching due to the lower power and faster on/off times of the diode. I halfway plan on adding a diode head to my CO2 machine if I ever need to do more detailed engraving on a regular basis. My controller can handle dual laser source so it would just be a matter of offset to the second laser source and I'd be ready to go.

Major eye safety issues as Doc said though. IR is "friendly" because even if it does hit your eye, it gets absorbed in the cornea/vitreous before it hits the retina. The cornea is "replaceable" as far as vision goes, so if a nasty mistake is made, you at least have a chance of not being permanently blinded. Other wavelengths, such as the "UV" diode lasers, are focused and passed by the lens, and will just cook a hole in your retina. If I do go ahead and add a diode to mine, I'm just going to run it with an opaque sheet over the top and monitor it with the internal camera.