[Lab] cheap laser cutters

Mon Aug 31 15:46:33 EDT 2015

There are many pay services in Ottawa.  Just need to dig for them.  Many
sign companies will cut on their lasers.  I own a Full Spectrum 5th Gen.  I
imported it myself through Ogdensburg when the dollar was much better.  In
total at the time after shipping, upgrades and exchange I think I paid
around $4,500.  I love the controller software, it is amazingly simple.  I
have the 45 watt tube which can be a bit week for some things but overall
it is pretty decent.  It is water cooled which is a bit of a pain and a bit
of a worry but I can overcome that given the price point.

There is a lot to be said about pressing print, turning your chair and
whipping out a new idea or design.

There is also a few CNC machines around town, like Darcy's community
machine project which can do most things I use my laser for which is
something to keep in mind.  Depending on what you are looking to cut you
may want to talk to him about the possibility of contirbuting to his
project which is located at MakerSpace North right now.

On Mon, Aug 31, 2015 at 10:33 AM, Jason Cobill <jason.cobill at gmail.com>
wrote:

>
>    The Imagine Space laser cutter is booked nearly 3 months in advance
> sometimes - it's amazingly popular. I'm in there often and it's ALWAYS
> running.
>    I don't know how to make it more fair - maybe book a "happy hour" where
> people can scramble to get quick jobs done in off-peak times?
>    I think this speaks highly about the Epilog cutter - it's a great tool
> and it's easy to use (and robust enough to stand up to 24/7 nonstop
> cutting).
>
>    The uOttawa Maker Space had an Epilog delivered right before they
> closed for the summer - when they open again in a week or so I hope that
> takes some of the overflow from the other laser cutters in town. :)
>
>    I'm surprised that with all of this demand nobody's taken the bull by
> the horns and set up a for-pay cutting service in Ottawa.
>    Even at just a couple of bucks an hour, an entrepreneur could be
> swimming in wedding invitations, ukuleles, and wooden gear requests.
>    I guess you'd be competing with online services, but the turnaround
> time could be much faster than waiting for a shipment from China.
>
>    -Jason Cobill
>
>
>
> On Mon, Aug 31, 2015 at 9:46 AM, Andrew Szeto <andrew.szeto at outlook.com>
> wrote:
>
>> Also on another note, how crazy busy is the library these days? I try and
>> look for bookings and it just seems booked solid...
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>> From: andrew.szeto at outlook.com
>> To: steve at envirolaser.com; lab at artengine.ca
>> Date: Mon, 31 Aug 2015 13:44:00 +0000
>>
>> Subject: Re: [Lab] cheap laser cutters
>>
>> Wicked! Thanks a ton for all the feedback guys and sorry for the late
>> response (was out in bear country all weekend)! with projects on the go,
>> $12k is out of my budget these days unfortunately :( . Any timeframe on a
>> reply from epilog? Also willing to pitch on the fix when it's determined!
>>
>> Cheers!
>> A
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>> From: steve at envirolaser.com
>> To: lab at artengine.ca
>> Date: Fri, 28 Aug 2015 12:30:15 -0400
>> Subject: Re: [Lab] cheap laser cutters
>>
>> As the Ottawa rep for Full Spectrum Laser & Epilog, I’d say that each
>> company has their pros and cons when it comes to their equipment.
>>
>> If you are looking for low cost and excellent cutting capabilities, the
>> Full Spectrum Laser Hobby and entry level Pro series products are an
>> excellent value.  If you are looking for the highest quality engraving
>> capabilities and “extras” as standard equipment, then the Epilog tends to
>> have an advantage.
>>
>> Of course, the exchange rate will cause an increase in price for both
>> manufacturers.  However, Full Spectrum Laser’s equipment is still
>> relatively inexpensive.  For instance, a H series 20” x 12” with all the
>> upgrades (90 watt, extra lens, extra warranty, etc) is still only around
>> $12,000 + HST.
>>
>> As to troubleshooting the Zing 24, I did a full cleaning and mechanical
>> check of the device earlier this summer.  I am still waiting for a reply
>> from Epilog, but it appears that the problem could be either with the
>> sensor board, a cable from the sensor board or the main control board.
>>
>> Stephen Burke
>>
>>
>>
>> *From:* Henri Kuschkowitz <henri.kuschkowitz at gmail.com>
>> *Sent:* Friday, August 28, 2015 11:55 AM
>> *To:* Darcy Whyte <darcy at inventorartist.com> ; Andrew Szeto
>> <andrew.szeto at outlook.com>
>> *Cc:* lab at artengine.ca
>> *Subject:* Re: [Lab] cheap laser cutters
>>
>> Ditto what Darcy said.
>>
>> I used the laser 2-3 weeks ago and the focus was fine. Just the whole
>> coordinated issue was still there.
>>
>> Do we have a reference for all the troubleshooting that has been done up
>> tot this point somewhere? Mind you, I am aware of the wiki page with the
>> temerity solution.
>>
>>
>> Cheers,
>> Henri Kuschkowitz
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Fri, Aug 28, 2015 at 7:58 AM -0700, "Darcy Whyte" <
>> darcy at inventorartist.com> wrote:
>>
>> Don't disassemble... there are a lot of problems because of people taking
>> it apart...
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Darcy Whyte
>>
>> Art+ inventorArtist.com <http://inventorartist.com/> | Aviation
>> rubber-power.com
>> Contact: darcy at inventorArtist.com | 613-563-3634 by appointment (no text)
>>
>>
>> On Fri, Aug 28, 2015 at 10:55 AM, Andrew Szeto <andrew.szeto at outlook.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>> I usually try and clean the optics as best as possible with the q-tips
>> and solution, but that may just be the tip of the issue i'm guessing.
>> should we be trying to take the lenses apart?
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>> From: darcy at inventorartist.com
>> Date: Fri, 28 Aug 2015 10:48:59 -0400
>> Subject: Re: [Lab] cheap laser cutters
>> To: andrew.szeto at outlook.com
>> CC: tom.i.burns at gmail.com; lab at artengine.ca
>>
>>
>> Are the optics clean? Are the optics undamaged?
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Darcy Whyte
>>
>> Art+ inventorArtist.com <http://inventorartist.com/> | Aviation
>> rubber-power.com
>> Contact: darcy at inventorArtist.com | 613-563-3634 by appointment (no text)
>>
>>
>> On Fri, Aug 28, 2015 at 10:31 AM, Andrew Szeto <andrew.szeto at outlook.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>> Hey Guys!
>>
>> Soo maybe a bit late on this one, but anyone know why or have a fix for
>> the out of focus printing at m76? I was considering those full spectrum
>> hobby lasers, but they are pretty damn pricey with the exchange rates these
>> days...
>>
>> Thanks!
>> A
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>> From: darcy at inventorartist.com
>> Date: Tue, 25 Aug 2015 11:16:24 -0400
>> To: tom.i.burns at gmail.com
>> CC: lab at artengine.ca
>> Subject: Re: [Lab] cheap laser cutters
>>
>> One thing to consider is the purpose of the purchase. Is it for a
>> specific project? Is it just for fun?
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Darcy Whyte
>>
>> Art+ inventorArtist.com <http://inventorartist.com/> | Aviation
>> rubber-power.com
>> Contact: darcy at inventorArtist.com | 613-563-3634 by appointment (no text)
>>
>>
>> On Mon, Aug 24, 2015 at 3:17 PM, Tom Burns <tom.i.burns at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> Hi,
>>
>> Does anyone have experience with these cheap chinese laser cutters?
>>
>>
>> http://www.ebay.com/itm/40W-CO2-USB-Laser-Engraving-Cutting-Machine-Engraver-Cutter-woodworking-Crafts-/121734293301
>>
>> Interested in your experience, what you cut, how did it go.  I had no
>> clue these were available under $500.
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Tom
>>
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