Setting Up a 60 Watt Laser
For around $2,000, you can have your own laser cutter… but be prepared for a bit of setup and modification!
Over the past decade, the tools that are accessible to us for digital manufacturing have exploded. 3D printers are now a few hundred dollars, and CNC cutting machines are available in the range, along with inexpensive “K40” laser cutters. I recently obtained a 60W laser cutter with an ample 20” x 28” bed. While it’s a surprisingly well-made machine for its ~$2,000 price tag, there are a few things I had to do to get it working to my satisfaction.
First, the lid didn’t have an interlock, so those who are curious (as in curiosity killed the cat) can simply lift the lid when it's running, potentially exposing themselves to dangerous invisible laser rays. This condition was fixed with the addition of a microswitch, though for reasons elaborated upon in the video, I still use laser safety glasses when operating the machine. Additionally, I added an ammeter to the negative side of the laser tube, displaying just how much current it's using.
Actually cutting something – e.g. burning a hole in a piece of material – produces a ton of smoke, so fume extraction is a must. This is still a bit of an ongoing project, but instead of using the blower that came with it, I purchased an actual filter unit. Adapters between the laser and the filter were 3D-printed, and these as well as other printed accessories are found on the project's GitHub page. Adequate fume extraction is still something of an ongoing project, and I'm currently using the blower and filter unit together as a sort of two-stage purification rig.
Although I’m still getting the hang of actually using the device, it’s been a lot of fun to set up. So far I've prototyped several PCBs on it out of cardboard, created hooks to hang Christmas lights out of acrylic, and a variety of other doodads. While I’m not going to toss my 3D printer or CNC router any time soon, I'm excited to see what I can make with this new tool. So if you’re on the fence about getting a laser, or just want to know what's involved in setting one up, check out my experience in the video below.