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  #1  
Old 12-28-2017, 09:39 PM
olDave olDave is offline
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Default Home/Hobby Laser Cutters?

Anybody have any experience or insight into what sort of machine to look for?

I started to get all excited the other night when I saw some laser cutters available in the $100-150 price range. Then I looked closer and saw they only had work tables around 30x30....millimeters. I was hoping to find a 5x5 inch (or even 6x6) but it's starting to look like I am gonna end up spending $500 to 1K.

If that's where this is going, can anyone out there make some recommendations? (or some "stay-away-froms"?)
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Old 01-02-2019, 12:48 PM
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Feyd Feyd is offline
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I just bought an Eleksmaker A3 Pro 2.5W laser engraver/cutter
for about $300 and you can get them on sale for less. I've been
having a lot of fun learning its ins and outs.
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Old 01-02-2019, 01:34 PM
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ratchetman ratchetman is offline
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Is it Dremel that's supposed to be releasing a hobby/craft laser cutting unit this year?
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Old 01-02-2019, 06:27 PM
Les Les is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Feyd
I just bought an Eleksmaker A3 Pro 2.5W laser engraver/cutter
for about $300 and you can get them on sale for less. I've been
having a lot of fun learning its ins and outs.


What can you cut with only 2.5W??
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Old 01-02-2019, 08:29 PM
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Feyd Feyd is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Les
What can you cut with only 2.5W??


Up to 3mm at least. There's a form I'm on which discusses all this stuff. Benbox laser forum.
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  #6  
Old 01-03-2019, 12:08 AM
vcp vcp is offline
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And of course there is the generic K40 - lots of suppliers on ebay but I can't suggest a specific one. They are cheap-cheap-cheap but what you get is surprising for the price. They generally work, but the included software is always crap. Tons of upgrade ideas for it by searching 'k40' on Thingiverse and Hackaday. Google 'K40 Whisperer' to get software that makes it work easily and immediately.
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  #7  
Old 01-03-2019, 01:47 PM
TNmike TNmike is offline
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Watched a video on the Dremel...thought OK, it should be fairly reasonable. $5K...not going to be in everybody's tool kit.
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  #8  
Old 01-05-2019, 09:33 AM
chrism chrism is offline
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A lot of the laser cutters are spendy. Here is a link to an electronic cutter that may prove useful:

https://www.micromark.com/Silhouett...ic-cutting-tool
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Old 01-05-2019, 09:57 AM
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astronwolf astronwolf is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chrism
A lot of the laser cutters are spendy. Here is a link to an electronic cutter that may prove useful:

https://www.micromark.com/Silhouett...ic-cutting-tool

I couldn't cut fins and centering rings out of 1/8" plywood with this machine. It is a good machine for what it does. I'd use one for cutting vinyl decals. But it's not a laser cutter, and it's off topic for this thread.
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Old 01-05-2019, 10:02 AM
chrism chrism is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by astronwolf
I couldn't cut fins and centering rings out of 1/8" plywood with this machine. It is a good machine for what it does. I'd use one for cutting vinyl decals. But it's not a laser cutter, and it's off topic for this thread.


I posted the reply to show that this could be used in some cases as an ALTERNATIVE to a laser cutter. Please explain how this is off topic?
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