Laser Cutter
About our Machine
[ Manual]
Laser Cutter Class syllabus and guide
Machine Info
- Frame:
- Cutting dimensions:
- Max stock height allowance:
- Laser focal distance (from lens bracket):
- Controller: RUIDA Controller
- Laser: 100W CO2
- Water Chiller
- Air compressor
- Exhaust: Fume hood attached via 6" hose
- Purchased through funds raised by members and the public in 2022
How to use
Before using the laser cutter, you must first get training through an intro class or get signed off on it by the manager
The following is a handy reference for the steps to go from a design to the GCode that will run on the laser cutter.
Running the Laser Cutter (LightBurn)
https://www.portcitymakerspace.com/wiki/index.php?title=Laser_Cutter
These are instructions for how to operate our Laser Cutter using the LightBurn interface. LightBurn is both a design program as well as a laser control program. You can use it to create or import drawings, and in the same screen determine how the laser will burn/etch/cut the features on the screen.
Updated: 8/24/2022 by Alex N
Instructions for running the Laser Cutter:
Troubleshooting
Software:
Hardware/Physical:
Other potential issues:
LightBurn Video Guides:
- Lesson #1 : First Time User
- Lesson 2: User Interface
- Lesson 3: Cut Settings
- Lesson 4: Boolean Operations
Official LightBurn documentation
Highlights from LightBurn's documentation:
Maintenance
- Vacuum the inside
- The bed of the machine should be vacuum out regularly after cutting to clean up any small pieces that fall into the honeycomb.
- Cleaning the lens and mirrors
- Ask someone to show you how to clean these before attempting yourself!
- A dirty lens can cause burnt gunk to build up and potentially crack the lens.
- Here is a video from the ATX Hackerspace on cleaning their lens - How to Clean Laser Optics
- Aligning the mirrors
- This should be checked once or twice a year. A sign of misaligned mirrors is typically the laser not burning effectively when it gets farther from the top left corner.
- A guide on aligning the mirrors can be found here.
Parts
- Laser Tube Replacement details
- Lens
- Mirrors
Laser Cutter Materials (from ATX Hackerspace)
There are a wide range of materials that our Laser Cutter can cut, etch or mark - but some simply don't work (eg metals) and some are extremely hazardous to either humans or the machine itself (eg PVC and Vinyl). It is therefore imperative that you check these lists before attempting to cut materials that you have not worked with before.
It is not always obvious which materials will work - for example: Polycarbonate/Lexan produces flames and lethal chlorine gas which will rapidly corrode this normally $10,000 machine into uselessness and which is extremely hazardous to the health of people nearby. Yet Acrylic - which looks, smells, feels and tastes just like Lexan - cuts smoothly and cleanly and is one of the best materials to use with the laser! So check and double-check what you're cutting.
NEVER CUT THESE MATERIALS
WARNING: Because many plastics are dangerous to cut, it is important to know what kind you are planning to use. Make has a How-To for identifying unknown plastics with a simple process.
- PVC (Poly Vinyl Chloride)/vinyl/pleather/artificial leather
- Thick ( >1mm ) Polycarbonate/Lexan
- ABS
- HDPE/milk bottle plastic
- PolyStyrene Foam
- PolyPropylene Foam
- Epoxy
- Fiberglass
- Coated Carbon Fiber
- Any foodstuff ( such as meat, seaweed 'nori' sheets, bread, tortillas... )
Safe Materials
The laser can cut or etch. The materials that the laser can cut materials like wood, paper, cork, and some kinds of plastics. Etching can be done on almost anything, wood, cardboard, aluminum, stainless steel, plastic, marble, stone, tile, and glass.
Cutting
- Many woods
- Plywood/Composite woods
- MDF/Engineered woods
- Paper, card stock
- Cardboard, carton
- Cork
- Acrylic/Lucite/Plexiglas/PMMA
- Thin Polycarbonate Sheeting (<1mm)
- Delrin (POM)
- Kapton tape (Polyimide)
- Mylar
- Solid Styrene
- Depron foam
- Gator foam
- Cloth/felt/hemp/cotton
- Leather/Suede
- Magnetic Sheet
- NON-CHLORINE-containing rubber
- Teflon (PTFE)
- Carbon fiber mats/weave that has not had epoxy applied
- Coroplast ('corrugated plastic')
Etching
All the above "cuttable" materials can be etched, in some cases very deeply.
In addition, you can etch:
- Glass
- Ceramic tile
- Anodized aluminum
- Painted/coated metals
- Stone, Marble, Granite, Soapstone, Onyx.
External Resources
Where to Find Materials
- Inventables has acrylic sheet in many colors.
- Laserable Rubber on Amazon
- Woodcraft in Newington - thin plywood of various sizes
- HomeDepot or Lowes - plywood, acrylic, and various other materials
- JoAnn Fabrics in Newington- fabrics, acrylic, plywood, and various other materials
Shape Generators
These can help create common but complex shapes for you to work with like boxes, gears, and more.
- Boxes.py - TONS of Box Generators
- List of Materials that can be laser cut
- Puzzle Creator by Wolfiesden
- Gear Generator
- Maker Case (box generator)
- MakeABox.io (box generator)
- Box Generator - Jerome Leary
- Open Designs - Obrary - repository of open/free designs
- Polygonia Design Suite - Pattern generator
- Joinery - a large variety of joinery options for generating parametric joints for laser cutting (or Cricut). Takes an SVG in, pops an SVG out. It is also possible to save profiles.