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DIY Laser Cutter?

 
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LaughingCheese
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Joined: 24 Mar 2008
Posts: 138

PostPosted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 10:24 pm    Post subject: DIY Laser Cutter? Reply with quote

I was just wondering about the feasibility of building one's own laser cutter?
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spektr
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Joined: 07 Jan 2008
Posts: 425

PostPosted: Fri Aug 14, 2009 6:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Howdy..

You can make one for a lot more than you can buy a decent one. Been there, looked at that.

Scott.
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LaughingCheese
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Joined: 24 Mar 2008
Posts: 138

PostPosted: Sat Aug 15, 2009 9:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

spektr wrote:
Howdy..

You can make one for a lot more than you can buy a decent one. Been there, looked at that.

Scott.


I see, thanks. Kind of figured that, after watching more about them. Laughing
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daisyrutter



Joined: 18 Apr 2011
Posts: 1

PostPosted: Mon Apr 18, 2011 1:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

When I started this project I set a goal to be able to build a laser cutter for less than $1000. Was I able to do it? I definitely had less than $1000 invested by the time I was able to cut a shape with the laser under CNC control. I was not starting with an empty shelf though. I already had a lot of the cheap stuff like nuts, bolts, wire, terminal blocks. I used cheap surplus things like stepper motors, etc.
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dinner buffet harrisburg
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Fredo
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Joined: 21 Mar 2007
Posts: 251
Location: Kingdom of Nye Area 51

PostPosted: Mon Apr 18, 2011 11:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Daisyrutter????, are you real?, or just another bogus poster answering a 2 year old post? The unrelated link does raise that question for me...If I'm wrong, I'll say I'm sorry. If not, pass me the hammer and nails Rolling Eyes ...............Fredo
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If someone has a gun and is trying to kill you,
it would be reasonable to shoot back with your own gun...The Dalai Lama..Seattle 2001
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jdougn
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Joined: 18 Mar 2009
Posts: 714
Location: Louisville KY area

PostPosted: Mon Apr 18, 2011 7:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Has a business link in the sig.
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DougN - Just in case you're wondering, I got my "rating" legitimately... by posting aimless drivel, useless advice, and pointless questions.
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trapperdale
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Joined: 07 Jun 2009
Posts: 106
Location: fresno, california

PostPosted: Wed Apr 20, 2011 12:22 am    Post subject: lasers Reply with quote

Fredo,

yes it can be done
back in my college days lasers were my thing...
Axel flow 100 watt co2 lasers run at 10 to the 6Th wave length and
will cut coke cans in half No Problem! just do not do it at school on the football field...i did and it hit the fan big time!

Lasers are easy to build! you can use neon light tubing and related parts.
the main cost in lasers are the mirrors and optics!
optics needed to collimate the beam are the guts of a laser
think out side the box...as i did
i wrote letters to the major manufacturers for help.
Specifically the R&D devisions and the head Prof or engineer....
most educated people can remember being a starving student!!!!
( yes i am that old!)snail mail was something we did before the internet!
well i was very lucky
every one of the companies i contacted helped me out
heck the best things came from
Lawrence Livermore, optical coating labs,reliant optics, and many more
these institutions end up with sub standard goods from time to time.
and out dated safety equipment and so on
I even got invited to come play with the star wars laser.

(not from the movie-----the missile defense program!)
the engineers
were all set up to show it off for a TV show. we used the laser to shoot metal Frisbees into the air 100s of feet.
very cool toy! all that money for a box trailer 16' long
sorry i keep digressing.

my X,Y machine was a dot matrix printer(showing miles again!)
so with todays tech i believe one of you lads could build a fine unit for cheap!
but much harder than a vacuum form machine.
just remember safety first
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Fredo
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Joined: 21 Mar 2007
Posts: 251
Location: Kingdom of Nye Area 51

PostPosted: Wed Apr 20, 2011 8:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I wasn't questioning the feasibility of rolling your own laser cutter on the cheap.. I'm not quite sure how you got that from my post? I was questioning the legitimacy of the poster. It seems as of late, most, if not all, first time posters who leave their profiles blank and add one or two unrelated links are here for that purpose only. I for one would love to see a project such as this laid out in a thread..........Fredo
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If someone has a gun and is trying to kill you,
it would be reasonable to shoot back with your own gun...The Dalai Lama..Seattle 2001
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trapperdale
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Joined: 07 Jun 2009
Posts: 106
Location: fresno, california

PostPosted: Thu Apr 21, 2011 2:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

sure thing fredo

i do not feel he was for real either!
he is spam!

i was just trying to keep a few posts alive...
not many folks stopping by the site lately
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