Laser engraving

[scrollerpete]

Debating about purchase of laser machine, wonder how difficult is the learning curve and what would be a good machine to start with. Any suggestions and experiences from this great community will be really appreciated 

 

[Sycamore67]

This is just my opinion. I bought an Ortur LM3 last year and have learned a lot.  It is not just a plug and play device.  I had to assemble mine but that is a good thing because you learn about the machine.

You will need an enclosure as they give off a lot of smoke.  You also need protection fit your eyes.  My enclosure has orange tinted windows.  I would also recommend an air pump for the laser.

I am using Lightburn to control the laser.  It was $60 I think.  And no you need to use it.  Fir every material you need to find the right combination of speed and laser power and other things to get the best results.

Bottom line is I really enjoy my laser but it takes time and effort to get it working well.

[kmmcrafts]

Like with everything else.. you get what you pay for, LOL...

In my opinion you might want to ask yourself what you plan to do with said laser.. are you wanting to just do some engraving or cutting too? Cheap lasers work pretty well but most come with no added features.. such as Larry mentioned above that he had to put his together and build a enclosure etc. You can dump a lot of money into a cheap laser and by the time you get it where you like it you have as much money wrapped into it as you could have bought a larger better machine so do a lot of research to find what will work for the type of stuff you're wanting to do. 

There are different types of laser machines.. diode lasers as I understand it do a little better at engraving but lack the power to do much cutting.. C02 lasers have a lot of power but don't engrave quite as well supposedly.. and I know very little about fiber lasers but I'm sure those are not in a price range for a beginner LOL. 

I have a K-40 CO2 type laser and it was pretty much ready to go out of the box for engraving.. to do cutting you need to add air assist or burn down the shop, LOL.. They've came a long way with this since I got mine and some now are equipped with air assist etc. depending on what you shop around for. This is what I have and boy have the prices jumped up..https://omtechlaser.com/products/40w-co2-laser-engraver-cutter-usb-032b-us as I only gave $350 for mine.. though that was 6 years ago and this is probably improved over what mine is. Though by the time I've added the many modifications I've probably got around $1000 into it.. some were mistakes I've made so I had to replace parts because of it or lack of, LOL.. 

There is quite a few groups on FB for specific laser types and user tips and tricks.. 

Edited April 1, 2024 by kmmcrafts

[OCtoolguy]

Last year I wanted to sort of jump in to the laser engraving thing but with zero knowledge. I found a great used Neje laser on eBay and bought it. After watching a couple of videos on the subject I set it up, and following all the steps managed to connect my phone and an old laptop to it and within a few minutes I did my first burn. I still haven't purchase "Lightburn" software for it but at this point I may not ever need it. I just wanted a way to sign my work. My wife pitched a fit about the "burn" smell in my little room where I had it set up so I put it away until I can figure out a way to use it outside. Women!

[OCtoolguy]

6 hours ago, Sycamore67 said:

This is just my opinion. I bought an Ortur LM3 last year and have learned a lot.  It is not just a plug and play device.  I had to assemble mine but that is a good thing because you learn about the machine.

You will need an enclosure as they give off a lot of smoke.  You also need protection fit your eyes.  My enclosure has orange tinted windows.  I would also recommend an air pump for the laser.

I am using Lightburn to control the laser.  It was $60 I think.  And no you need to use it.  Fir every material you need to find the right combination of speed and laser power and other things to get the best results.

Bottom line is I really enjoy my laser but it takes time and effort to get it working well.

OMG! I do so envy all you folks who have room to do this stuff. I'd love to be able to set mine up with an enclosure and all that you have done. It's a beautiful setup for sure. Might I ask whether you have the plans for your enclosure or did you just wing it?

 

[Sycamore67]

I looked at what some other people built and the features.  I wanted switches with pilot lights for the laser power, air pump, exhaust fan and inside lights.  This was the most difficult for me. 

For almost all projects, I draw up pretty detailed plans and cut diagrams.  Wood has gotten expensive so minimizing waste is important.

I also built the cart underneath the enclosure and is great for storing the various materials and computer stuff.  

[Fab4]

9 hours ago, OCtoolguy said:

Last year I wanted to sort of jump in to the laser engraving thing but with zero knowledge. I found a great used Neje laser on eBay and bought it. After watching a couple of videos on the subject I set it up, and following all the steps managed to connect my phone and an old laptop to it and within a few minutes I did my first burn. I still haven't purchase "Lightburn" software for it but at this point I may not ever need it. I just wanted a way to sign my work. My wife pitched a fit about the "burn" smell in my little room where I had it set up so I put it away until I can figure out a way to use it outside. Women!

Hi Ray:
You gave me a great chuckle after I read your post.  Just teasing you on this one
Just as a reminder for you, there is something out there that will do a much quicker and neater job to sign your work
it's called a BIC pen.  Has been around for years and still work great today. If you really want to get serious
about signing your work you can always upgrade to a Sharpie marker, they come in different colors
Have a great day
Fab4
 

[scrollerpete]

Thank you for all the good informations, I just want a laser to do some engraving, no requirement for cutting at all I have a scrollsaw for that LOL

[kmmcrafts]

Then all you need is a cheap diode type laser. I have one but don't use it because the time it takes to not only set up but to do the engrave is a lot, they aren't fast.. though they've come out with some higher power ones that are much faster than some of the lower powered ones and some will even do some cutting with multiple passes. I've only hung onto the diode laser I have because of the worksize of it as it'll do a 2ft x 2ft engrave and if i wanted to tile the drawing it'll do 2ft. by however long I want it to go provided it'll fit though the machine and not hang outside of my shop, LOL

You don't have to build an enclosure but you need some sort of smoke extractor.. I've thought someone could place a range hood exhaust over a workbench and maybe that would extract the smoke out. Probably the enclosure idea is the better idea but with some creativeness there is probably some cheaper ways to extract the smoke.. Might be a good idea to have a fire extinguisher handy when using a laser too.. you never know when something might malfunction and set your board on fire..