Ian
Administrator
I've been interested in getting a laser cutter for many years, but until recently they have been prohibitively expensive. A few years ago, there was a flood of cheap K40 CO2 laser cutters/engravers from China - with matching cheap construction/hardware. However, it looks like the quality of these K40 machines has slowly improved over several iterations. They'll likely still need some tinkering to improve the safety/calibration.
I've got no experience with laser cutters, although I've got plenty of experience building/using 3D printers and a little general CNC experience. I often want to build an enclosure or panel and this would be an ideal workshop tool. Using a scroll saw and hand tools doesn't give as clean a finish, particularly with plastics. I could even use @(*steve*)'s box generator .
I had a look at AliExpress and found these two machines that stand out as good options:
I've got no experience with laser cutters, although I've got plenty of experience building/using 3D printers and a little general CNC experience. I often want to build an enclosure or panel and this would be an ideal workshop tool. Using a scroll saw and hand tools doesn't give as clean a finish, particularly with plastics. I could even use @(*steve*)'s box generator .
I had a look at AliExpress and found these two machines that stand out as good options:
- This one is a K40 style laser cutter, but with a few enhancements and ships directly from the UK (so no import fees): https://www.aliexpress.com/item/UK-...-Engraver-Cutter-woodworking/32810421426.html
- This one uses a 50W laser, has a larger working area (~400x400mm) and includes things like a honeycomb bed, but perhaps most importantly the build quality appears better. Of course, it's more expensive: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/spe...raving-machine-4040-DIY-Mini/32716404961.html
Last edited: