Laser Cutter/Engraver

[johnnyg]

What would be a reasonable Laser Cutter/Engraver to invest in to cut and engrave panels?

[Hypnorm]

Hi johnnyg

I bought laser cutter from china.



I've had it for around 8 months now and I have to say it has been faultless so far. I ended up with a 700 mm x 500 mm bed 100W Reci Redsail laser with a Ruida controller and manual Z-axis. I bought it in an eBay 20% off flash sale so it cost me $2000 AUD instead of $2500 AUD. They are now around the $2900 mark.


It came already set up and required minimal tweaking and alignment. It had an ammeter already installed and I have been careful about overdriving the tube – I only ever run it at max 65% – which is around 24mA – this is what my research told me is the optimal setting for a 100W tube. It will cut 9mm MDF and ply in one pass. I have also cut 6mm acrylic nicely with it – I haven't need to cut anything thicker.


The wiring and interlocks are all good – I had a sparky friend look it over when it arrived. The only issues I had were the expected ones.


1. The CW3000 "chiller" which doesn't chill – it is really only a radiator – fine in winter but hopeless in summer. I supplemented this with a coiled hose in a dustbin full of water with ice to keep the temps down in summer. It worked reasonably well but chewed through the ice. Before next summer, I hope to have a better solution in place.


2. The exhaust venting. This was just like a big computer case fan and was almost useless. I replaced this with an industrial extractor I picked up on Gumtree for 50 bucks – works very well.


3. The transport costs. The eBay price included delivery to the port. After that I used an customs agent to clear it through and hired a trailer to pick it up. It came well-packed in a crate and I was very happy with how this was done. The customs agent gave me an itemised list of all the charges (including duty and GST) – this came to around $1500 AUD. I could maybe have saved some money by doing this myself, but it looked like an involved process.


In summary – I am very happy and the laser has not missed a beat. I don't hammer it, but I do use it for 5-10 hours a week.


YMMV


H

[Buddym]

Redsail 50-watt owner here. Love it. Love it. I've been using it over 4 years now. DO avoid the CW-3000 and get an aquarium chiller, it will greatly extend tube life. DO get a good exhaust fan. DO take time to align it properly. DO NOT cut any PVC, Lexan, vinyl, or other hazardous materials. DO NOT fear the "from someplace in China" factor, these are very good machines and are well supported in the forums, as well as the fact that my seller always responded to questions quickly. I can refer you to my import agent (out of Chicago) if you like. Also, there are some companies in Cali and NJ importing these and selling on Ebay with free shipping to your door. I have had a fantastic experience and would be happy assist in any way.

Buddy