equipment:laser_cutter_50w_tutorial
This is an old revision of the document!
Table of Contents
How to Use the 50w Laser Cutter
Note: You must be trained to use it before handling it alone.
Please contact James Pittman to set up training on it.
Specifications
- Effective cutting space is 24“x12.5”, or 18“x19.5”, depending on how you orient things.
- The laser is capable of cutting up to 1/4“ thickness.
- Software is called RDCAM/LaserWorks.
- Machine home is typically upper lefthand corner.
Accepted Materials
Cutting
- Wood
- Fabric/Cloth
- Leather
- Acrylic
- Paper
- Chipboard
- Cardboard
- Rubber
- Solid Wood
- Plywood
- ABS Plastic
Etching
- Wood
- Acrylic
- Glass
- Tile
- Leather
- Coated Metals
- Ceramics
- Stone
- Chipboard
- Cardboard
- Plywood
- Solid Wood
- ABS Plastic
- Rubber
Banned Materials
CUTTING & ETCHING
- Polycarbonate (Lexan)
- PVC
- Vinyl
- Fiberglass
- Printed Circuit boards
- Carbon fiber
- high-density polyethylene
- Nylon
- Treated Lumber
- Mylar/Polyester
- Depron Foam
- Polyproylene
- Teflon
- MDF
Cutting Only
- Metal(with the exception of coated metals, i.e. powder coated or using Thermark)
- Glass
- Stone
- Ceramics
Settings
Here are suggested settings for different materials:
- Cutting power should never be set above 80.
| Material | Etch/Cut | Power % | Speed (mm/s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corregated Cardboard | Cut | 80% | 25 |
| Plywood (3/16” thick) | Cut | 80% | 12 |
| Glass (clear, rotary) | Etch | 80% | 500 |
| Acrylic (0.093“ thick) | Cut | 80% | 17 |
Tips and Tricks
- The harder the wood, the more power/less speed it will take to cut.
- Plywood takes more power/less speed than solid wood of the same thickness.
- The kerf of the laser is often around .5mm. Keep this in mind if cutting pieces that are designed to fit together. (Kerf is the amount of material that is removed by the cutting element. With saws, it is the thickness of the saw blade.)
equipment/laser_cutter_50w_tutorial.1418161860.txt.gz · Last modified: 2022/05/29 16:01 (external edit)