1

Topic: Laser Cutting Service

As the proud new owner of a 60w laser cutter, I would like to offer my services. I am still learning and would welcome the challenge to work with various materials. As of now, I only have 2-sided white melamine on hand, which looks like this:

http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0239/9287/products/Screen_Shot_2013-09-10_at_9.49.28_PM_large.png?v=1378864972

The panel is white, the edges are black. I also regularly place orders with McMaster, so I can get really any material you can come up with. Things that are OK to lasercut:

Plastics:
    ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene)
    Acrylic (also known as Plexiglas, Lucite, PMMA)
    Delrin (POM, acetal) – for a supplier, try McMaster-Carr.
    High density polyethylene (HDPE) – melts badly
    Kapton tape (Polyimide)
    Mylar (polyester)
    Nylon – melts badly
    PETG (polyethylene terephthalate glycol)
    Polyethylene (PE) – melts badly
    Polypropylene (PP) – melts somewhat
    Styrene
    Two-tone acrylic – top color different than core material, usually for custom instrumentation panels, signs, and plaques.

Woods: Basically all ok. (MDF, balsa, birch, poplar, red oak, cherry, holly, etc.)

Things I cannot cut:

Metals
Polycarbonate (PC, Lexan)
PVC – contains chlorine
Vinyl – contains chlorine
Glass
Fiberglass
Printed circuit board (FR4 and other material types)
Carbon fiber

I have a 60w laser, so about as thick as I can go is 3/8". I might be able to do 1/2" acrylic, but I haven't tried.

To start off, I am charging $0.50/minute, no minimum, no setup charges. This is very, very cheap for laser cutting - Pololu charges 5 times that and has minimums. Something like this:

http://thingiverse-production.s3.amazonaws.com/renders/3a/60/de/c9/17/sta1_preview_featured.jpg

Would be 5-7 minutes of laser time, and about $3 of material.

How it works:

1.) Email the file in question (DXF preferred, other formats ok) to [email protected]. Let me know what material you would like.
2.) I return a price, with shipping.
3.) You pay for through the Filastruder store.
4.) I cut and ship.

2

Re: Laser Cutting Service

How big of work area do you have ?
Also if you don't mind, What brand of laser did you get and how much was it?  Looking to get one myself is why I ask.

SD2 - Glass Bed, Fans on PCB and Y motor, Custom enclosure
Slicer - Simplify3D

3

Re: Laser Cutting Service

24" x 16". LG6040.

4

Re: Laser Cutting Service

Bump.

5

Re: Laser Cutting Service

Might have to bug you in the near future for some laser-cut telescope bits.
Assuming the UltraScope people get the plans out soon...

This is a crowd funding thing that I'm running: http://www.gofundme.com/bvi140 It's for pretty selfish reasons tongue

6

Re: Laser Cutting Service

No problem, but I bet they have more locally located laser cutters in the land down under...

7

Re: Laser Cutting Service

Honestly wouldn't shock me if the prices were similar... Those kinds of services tend to cost a fair bit more over here.
And in any case, I know you! and your ability to actually respond to stupid customer questions tongue

This is a crowd funding thing that I'm running: http://www.gofundme.com/bvi140 It's for pretty selfish reasons tongue

8 (edited by adrian 2014-10-20 11:49:40)

Re: Laser Cutting Service

I have a 40W'er.. but its about to move from being local to being a lot further away I'm sorry Serin tongue

If you wanted something *right now* you have about 4 weeks before its in a crate wink

And elmoret - you can do thicker, depending on the material, as you can always just multi-pass the job. The issue is some materials, notably woods, will char badly on repeated passes. Acrylic et al holds up fine, particularly when using air-assist.

9

Re: Laser Cutting Service

S'all right Adrian, not much I can do any way until the Ultrascope people release the beta files.

This is a crowd funding thing that I'm running: http://www.gofundme.com/bvi140 It's for pretty selfish reasons tongue

10

Re: Laser Cutting Service

Email sent!

A Co-Worker wants some Drum sticks engraved for her dad.

11

Re: Laser Cutting Service

Where did you buy yours at? A few thousand isn't bad at all for this. I'd love to build one but time is quite a constraining factor unfortunately.

Bowden SD3, Rumba, E3D hotend, Mk5 with RtRyder changes, Direct drive Y axis and bearings, GT2 pulleys and braided fishing line, Lawsy linear bearing conversion, M3 Z screw.

12

Re: Laser Cutting Service

Automation Technologies.

13

Re: Laser Cutting Service

You could probably do a really decent job on drumsticks but any larger cylindrical shapes may need a rotary device.  I recently priced one for my Gravograph LS100 at the office and it was $2500.  Probably will not get that.  Bummer.

If you build it they will come. Then they will make fun of it, tell you it's not worth doing and go home and try to copy you.
If a picture is worth a thousand words then being there is worth a thousand pictures.

(2) Stock Makerbot Z18s, Filastruder w/Melt Filter, Filawinder, Autodesk Inventor Design Suite 2014 .........so far.

14

Re: Laser Cutting Service

Ian picked up a rotary axis from AT, he seems to like it ok last I heard. Whole lot less than $2500!