I am just retired and looking for a hobby I am a screen printer as a trade and wood working as a hobby. Am looking for comparable machine for this software. Cost is something I am looking at
It’s no longer obvious, but LightBurn is a great program for laser cutters/engravers. If you want an entry level machine, aim for a diode laser within your budget. You’ll be limited to material thickness and type (no acrylic, typically) but it’s a good way to get a handle on things. I started with a 5 Watt diode laser and moved to a 60 Watt CO2 laser after I realized I wanted faster cutting of 3mm plywood. Diode = 7 passes, slow speed, 30-45 minutes, CO2, one pass, pretty fast, 7 minutes!
Cost was certainly a factor, as I could use the diode laser with the purchase of a set of safety glasses, while the CO2 laser required a different set of safety glasses, external exhaust and a supplemental cooler system.
A few hundred versus a few grand!
You can’t ask for software that’s easier to use than LightBurn and the support here and from the creators is fantastic.
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Thank you sir. I love cutting on scroll saw. Look forward to even more. Thanks again/.
First you need to decide on what you want to do with a laser.
What materials you would want to use. How big of a hurry you’re in to do them.
I have a 10w optical power diode laser that works nice for me.
I typically only cut up to 1/4 plywood.
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I also recommend a 10w machine. I can cut 5/16" (8mm) bamboo cutting boards with it (made some camlock levers for my CNC mill), and bamboo is really tough to cut.
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