Wife: I’ve got some Christmas gift ideas on stuff you can make with your CNC.
Me: To do that requires more precision then the smallest bit I can run. I’ll need a laser to do that.
Wife: Well then buy a laser.
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Me to my wife two days ago: “…and you could hook up a plasma cutter to it, or a laser!!!, but I read that looking at a laser for less than a 1/10 of a second could permanently blind you, so I would have to contain it, but should be doable.”
Wife to me: “You cannot have a laser in this house with our two kids”
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You just need a couple of kid-sized filter glasses!
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My son likes the red tinted safety glasses more than the clear ones!
A 40W and 60W CO2 laser and everything needed to make it cut is already on my Amazon wish list. If I’m dropping a grand on the 60W CO2 laser though, it will probably be running something with better guaranteed precision than EMT conduit, or even construction grade steel.
I’ve seen what an Epsilon 40W CO2 laser did when it was misaligned. I’ve got a pretty healthy respect for that.
Diode lasers are a lot safer, but also much less powerful.
Your wife is a keeper.
While definitely on the wish list, those are a little steep for a hobby unit now. Budget was $100. Just picked up a “30 watt” diode head from Ali Express to mount on the Primo. Actual optical output power of 7 watts. Ad says it’ll cut through 4mm plywood in one pass, but I’m skeptical. It’ll do for what we want to do for now.
As for safety, I’ve read some horrer stories about some of the cheaper import co2 lasers failing. I think the lowest I found when searching a while back was around $8k for a decent one.
Ahh well, maybe someday😴
can you provide the link to the one you got?
https://m.aliexpress.com/item/4001289672427.html?spm=a2g0n.productlist.0.0.76dc22a1oSZ2xq
Just ordered it a couple days ago, so it’ll be a while until its in my hands. I’ve heard the laser sages in these forums using NEJE lasers so I figured I try one out.
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In my cart. Should I wait for you to report back or pull the trigger?
Well, that’s up to you. Tracking says it hasn’t even left the vendor yet, so it’s anyone’s guess when it will be here. I’m still waiting for some lead screws I ordered on the 8th, latest tracking says they are in Cleveland at least. This would be my first laser so I’m not quite sure what to expect.
Just got the laser last week. Ran some tests and its working well. Don’t know if you sourced one already. Here’s a link to my build post with some tests. Primo Upgrade Medina, OH (Now with lasers!)