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Can anyone recommend a home CO2 or high-wattage diode laser cutter which can cut 3-4mm ply? We run an Epilog machine at my local makerspace, but I wonder if con
by thomascountz 10d ago
Can anyone recommend a home CO2 or high-wattage diode laser cutter which can cut 3-4mm ply? We run an Epilog machine at my local makerspace, but I wonder if consumer machines have gotten reasonably good recently?
- in_cahoots 10d agoMy 50W Omtech Polar Plus (since discontinued) can do 3mm in one pass and 6mm in two passes (or one pass near max power but I prefer two for reduced charring and to extend the lifecycle of the laser). Basically any 50W Chinese laser should get you what you want. But at that price point you can't adjust the mirrors, no red dot to guide cuts, poor camera calibration etc. It's worlds away from what I expect you get with an Epilog.
- donquichotte 10d agoI bought one of the 60W Chinese Laser cutters, 40cm x 40cm, with RUIDA controls for the steppers. It's a decent machine and it runs with Lightburn. I get shocked a little bit from the HV supply when touching fluid in the cooling loop, and there is no interlock preventing the laser from firing with an open hood, but it cuts well and the mirrors are adjustable. It was about 700$ for the machine and 700$ for shipping to Europe in 2023. Just keep in mind this is not a desktop machine to run in a flat. You need some infrastructure like a cooling loop and air exhaust, so this thing best lives in a basement or hobby room.
- thomascountz 10d agoBeing in the EU, VEVOR looks like they have a 400mm x 600mm 60W CO2 laser for ~1600 EUR* (somehow with free delivery to Denmark). I've never bought anything from VEVOR though. *Back to School special, since everyone has to get a new 50W machine each school year.