Custom laser cutting

**mushin** · 05-02-2005, 04:17 PM

You have a CNC laser cutter? <drool> I'm totally jealous

. Is it the Versalaser by any chance?

I may take you up on your offer, I've got some ideas bouncing around in my head.

**DashCommand** · 05-02-2005, 04:19 PM

Indeed it is.

**lastberserker** · 05-02-2005, 07:51 PM

Originally Posted by DashCommand

Hey guys!

Thought I may be of interest to you. If anybody needs some laser work done, I have a 25watt laser engraver/cutter. It can't cut through steel, but it can cut through wood, plastic, rubber, etc...It can etch plastic, burn wood, and can mark metal. It can etch glass, etc... If somebody needs some specific stuff done, let me know and I can give you a really good price. Basically I can do it for shipping plus some material costs. Considering for the most part I would purchase plastic from Home Depot or something, I don't do this as a business, so just let me know if you've got some ideas as to stuff you want done, and I can possibly help. It's a pretty cool tool to have laying around the house.

Wow, I'm impressed

Count me in for a custom bezel as soon as I get my Lilliput and keyboard.

Do you have some pictures of the laser / your projects? It'd be totally awesome to see what it can possibly do (ok, ok, I'm a picture whore, so what?

)

**DashCommand** · 05-02-2005, 08:27 PM

I'll see what I can do for ya lastberserker with repect to pictures...

**kiltjim** · 05-02-2005, 08:36 PM

Cool! I've been thinking about making some custom accents in acrylic. An amplifier cover, some capacitor tie-downs, maybe some electronics covers with some labels cut right into them. If I can get cheap prices like these I might tak you up on that offer.

What is the minimum thickness to the holes?

**DashCommand** · 05-02-2005, 08:50 PM

Here is an example for you to see. It's done with wood, not plastic, but you can see the possibilities. This was a gift I made for my wife a while back...yes cheesy, but it scored some good points! All work was done with the laser...including the construction of the box. As you can see, it has interlocking sides that were cut to a tooth style edge. Also, the actual puzzle's message was burnt on with the laser, and the puzzle was cut afterwards with the laser.

As for the question - "What is the minimum thickness to the holes?"

Well, the laser beam is I think 0.0025", so technically the smallest hole you could make is 0.0025" diameter...realisitcally anything bigger that 1/64" of an inch would work just fine. Also, that isn't really a thickness issue...

**lastberserker** · 05-02-2005, 09:56 PM

Originally Posted by DashCommand

Here is an example for you to see. It's done with wood, not plastic, but you can see the possibilities. This was a gift I made for my wife a while back...yes cheesy, but it scored some good points!

This is a very sweet present

and a great way to justify 11k piece of hardware

**Trunk_Monkey** · 05-14-2005, 04:30 PM

Thats amazing DashCommand

**SickVette** · 05-14-2005, 10:43 PM

Dashcommand......very nice work. Just so you know the "tooth style edge" is called a dovetail. Very common and strong joint used in woodworking. Very nice work. There is a place close to me that has about a dozen laser CNC machines for production work. They do piece work for me. I did not know a machine like yours was available. I am going to have to look into one.

**DashCommand** · 05-14-2005, 10:53 PM

Hello SickVette,

Thanks... I wouldn't consider the joint a did a dovetail since the joints do not actually interlock like a real dovetail joint does (Or at least I am under the assumption that a real dovetail interlocks so that it cannot come apart when pulling from one particular direction). At any rate, yes they do exist, however are expensive enough to have to justify the expense with some potential money making ideas (At least I did)...