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How to Use a Laser Cutter

by StumpChunkman on March 25, 2009

Table of Contents

How to Use a Laser Cutter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Intro: How to Use a Laser Cutter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Step 1: Materials - Part 1 - The Machine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Step 2: Materials - Part 2 - The Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Step 3: Materials - Part 3 - The Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Step 4: Cautions! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Step 5: Power And Speed Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Step 6: Frequency Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Step 7: Vector vs. Raster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Step 8: CorelDraw X4 - Part 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Step 9: CorelDraw X4 - Part 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Step 10: Placing Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Step 11: Focusing The Laser Cutter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Step 12: Test Cut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Step 13: Laser Cutter - Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Step 14: Laser Cutting Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Step 15: You're Finished . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Advertisements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Use-a-Laser-Cutter/
 Author:StumpChunkman

Intro: How to Use a Laser Cutter

The laser cutter is one of the most useful tools in a modern shop. Laser cutters work by directing a very powerful laser beam, at a precise focal length, onto a material
which they either cut or etch, depending on how the laser cutter has been set up. Laser cutters cut materials similarly to other computer controlled tools, only they do so
using a beam of light as opposed to a blade. When laser cutters are set up to etch something on the surface of a material, they operate like a printer, literally using their
laser beam to etch an image onto something.

This Instructable is meant to be a resource to anyone who is looking to do some laser cutting for the first time, learn a bit more about how laser cutters work, or just
explore the wonderful world of laser cutters.

Image Notes
1. Vector Cut
2. Raster Cut

Step 1: Materials - Part 1 - The Machine

The first thing you're going to need to use a laser cutter, is the laser cutter. Though, chances are if you don't have one yet, purchasing one may not be within your budget.

Epilog recently released a line of budget laser cutters that come in just under $8,000.00. With that in mind, I'm going to explore other ways of getting your hands on a
laser cutter.

First, there's always local colleges. Community colleges are fairly cheap for classes, and it can't hurt to see if they offer any classes in art or engineering that involve laser
engraving. Less then a hundred dollars (depending on cost per credit) for a class, and you should have access to a laser cutter for a whole semester. Going about it this
way, you not only get cheap access to a laser cutter, you also get to learn some tips and tricks, plus constant hands on experience.

If you just want your design made and don't have the cash for, or want to buy, the machinery, you can do some searches in your local area for businesses that will laser
cut for you. There's a lot of places that make a business of laser cutting items for other people. You can also try to find places that use laser cutters, and see if they
wouldn't mind helping you out.

Another way to get your design made without buying a laser cutter is with a company like Ponoko , who will cut whatever design you send them, and send you back the
finished product. There is an excellent set of Instructables on doing just that.

If you really want your own laser cutter and just don't have the money for it, there are a couple of options. You can go to manufactures websites and see if they have an
option to purchase pre-owned models , or go to a site like ebay and hope that what you buy is what you get.

You could also treat it as you would a car, since it costs just about as much, and lease-to-own.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Use-a-Laser-Cutter/
 Image Notes
1. Computer - Important for Printing.
2. Laser Cutter - an important tool when laser cutting.

Image Notes
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Use-a-Laser-Cutter/
 1. Turn on the air compressor for vector cuts only.
2. Turn on Exhaust Fan for All Cuts!

Step 2: Materials - Part 2 - The Hardware

Now that we have (or know how to go about getting access to) a laser cutter, let's move onto what materials we can cut, and basic things we can do with them.

Cast Acrylic - can be etched and cut (has a nice frosted appearance).
Extruded Acrylic - can be cut (does not frost when etched).

Laser safe plastic such as ABS and polycarbonate - can be both etched and cut.

(PVC and vinyl are not laser safe - see step 4)

Anodized Aluminum - can be etched (Black anodized aluminum provides best contrast out of all anodized aluminum)

Brass - un-coated brass can not be etched with a laser, it needs to have some kind of coating (such as paint).

Glass - can be etched. This includes bottles (both full and empty) drinking glasses, and plain flat glass. Requires a more special technique to etch well.

Wood - can be both etched and cut

Too High of a power can distort engraved images.

There are also several materials that places won't tell you you can cut, such as:
Skin
Cake
Chocolate
Gingerbread
Meat
Pancakes
Finger Nails
Card Stock
Paper
Stamps

Image Notes
1. Acrylic (Glass looks pretty much identical). If getting Acrylic make sure you
have the correct type for what you plan to do.

Image Notes
1. Plastics! Yay!

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 Image Notes
1. Brass. Ensure you have something coating it (like paint) or you won't be
able to etch it.

Image Notes
1. Anodized Aluminum

Image Notes
1. Yep..it's wood!

Step 3: Materials - Part 3 - The Software

The final thing you'll need, in addition to your laser cutter and materials you plan to cut, is a computer with some form of vector graphics software loaded onto it.

For the purpose of these instructions I will assume you have CorelDraw X4 .

If you prefer to use something else, there are several other Instructables that can assist you with those programs.

Inkscape :
Laser-Cut Jewelry Using Free Software
Homemade Holiday Decorations

SketchUp & Inkscape :

SketchUp, Inkscape, and Ponoko Laser Cutting Part 1
SketchUp, Inkscape, and Ponoko Laser Cutting Part 2

Illustrator :
Stencil Letters
Laptop Tatoo

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Use-a-Laser-Cutter/
Step 4: Cautions!
Acrylic, Wood, Paper, Plastic, Laptops, and a whole host of other things are flammable, so please don't walk away mid cut, you may come back to more then you hoped
for.

Aluminum, as is true of most metals, is quite reflective. It has the potential to send the laser beam back from whence it came, damaging the laser diode. When cutting
reflective things, never have the reflective side facing upwards towards you and make sure you don't use too high a power.

In addition to all the bonus things no one tells you you can cut, there are several things you should try to avoid cutting. PVC and Vinyl create a corrosive chlorine gas that
will not only harm you, but could permanently damage your machine and void its warranty in the process. If you can stay away from these two materials, I would highly
recommend it. If you want to check for chlorine, the folks at Burnination put together a great instructional video to help you out !

Never be too quick to etch something. If you assume the power and speed settings are correct, and cut straight into your project, you may cut farther then you planned
(which is never good for things like laptops). If you start a little light, you can always reprint multiple times over the same area, or increase the power as you see fit.
Having a sample piece to test on is always helpful.

Never lean on the honeycomb bed platform inside the machine. I can tell you from experience trying to reach stuff in the back of the machine, the honeycomb platform is
not strong enough to support body weight.

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Step 5: Power And Speed Settings
The Power setting determines exactly that. You can control how much power will be applied to the laser while printing. The more power- the more heat, and the more
heat- the greater the chance of fire.

Experiment on whatever you have. Everything is going to be a bit different. Each type of wood is going to be slightly different then the next. A slightly thicker sheet of
Acrylic might need just a hair slower speed or a smidgen higher on the power. Test each thing out, and when you find out what works for that specific thing, write it down!
Whenever you use that specific thing in the future, you know exactly what to set it at.

It also doesn't help that different laser cutters have different wattage settings, varying what the same power level would do between two machines

The speed you choose, determines how fast the laser will travel while cutting. The slower the speeds, the longer the laser sits in each spot, which yields more heat...and I
think you see where this is going. It also means that the slower the speed, the deeper the cut or engraving will be.

In several Epilog manuals, I've found they recommend the following balances.

Acrylic etching - high speed, low power (easy to cut) High power has the potential to distort the acrylic.

Acrylic cutting - low speed, (relatively) high power.

Anodized Aluminum etching - high speed and low power.

Painted Brass - high speed, low power (doesn't take much to get rid of paint)

Glass - medium speed, high power (experiment as there is a wide range of glass)

Plastic - experiment on your type of plastic

Wood - experiment and figure out for each type of wood separately.

Two of the following images are excepts from the instruction manuals available on epilogs website. As you can see, speed and power differ from machine to machine
even when you're using the same watts. So please test your material first.

Image Notes
1. Make the choice of Raster or Vector Cut
2. Setting when working in Vector
3. Auto Focus (we'll cover this later)
4. Settings when working in Raster

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Use-a-Laser-Cutter/
 Image Notes
1. From the instruction manual on the Epilog Zing, available from Epilogs
website.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Use-a-Laser-Cutter/
 Image Notes
1. From the instruction manual on the Epilog EXT. Available from the Epilog
website.

Step 6: Frequency Settings

When cutting material with vector, there is an additional setting beyond the power and speed. The frequency setting controls how many laser pulses are applied to the
piece you're cutting, every inch.

When the laser cutter is working, it doesn't leave the laser on for the duration of the cut. In raster mode, it acts similar to an inkjet printer, and prints thousands and
thousands of dots per inch (dpi). Depending on how dark the area you want etched is, the more dpi will be applied.

Vector however goes in a straight line, that will etch much like a knife will cut. To accomplish this, you use slower speeds at equivalent or higher powers then you would in
Raster, and turn the laser on and off a bunch of times every second, to the point that your eyes can't tell it's even doing it.

The frequency can be set between 10 and 5000 pulses per inch (ppi). Since these pulses are traveling along the same line as the laser (it is the laser), they end up
creating the impression of a straight cut in which the laser is on for the entire duration.

There are some reasons to change the ppi though. The higher the ppi is set, the hotter the material gets. So if you're working with wood or something else
flammable/burnable, you may want to lower the ppi. This is also useful for lessening the charred/burnt look on what you're cutting (like wood).

If you're cutting acrylic, and you want sharp corners, a low ppi may be useful for you. But if you want to have nice rounded corners, and a smooth edge, a higher ppi will
help achieve that look, by melting the edge of the acrylic where the laser is cutting.

Test out a few different settings on a practice piece to get a feel of how exactly the look changes your material.

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 Image Notes
1. Ensure Vector is selected
2. The all important Frequency setting.

Step 7: Vector vs. Raster

There's two different cutting techniques you can employ when using a laser cutter, vector and raster.

Raster tends to be used for engraving things, while vector is much more adept at cutting things out.

Raster engraving is quite akin to a normal printer. I hope anyone intending on using a laser cutter, has used either an inkjet or laser printer sometime in the past. Printers
print on a page from top to bottom, while printing from left to right. They don't start printing in the bottom right corner, then the top left and continue on to the middle of the
page. Raster cutting works in the same manner. When you hit print in whatever program you decide to print from, the laser cutter will start at the top of the piece you're
working on, and proceed down to the bottom, while the laser moves from left to right on whatever you're engraving. The laser turns on and off in rapid succession at
whatever points a normal printer would and wouldn't shoot out ink.

Vector cutting is a little different if you've never experienced it before. It will start at a point on your image, leave the laser on (kind of, see Step 6: Frequency Settings for
more info), and continue on the line, tracing the entire image before turning the laser off. This is why it tends to be used for cutting instead of etching.

Perhaps videos of each would help make sense of it all.

Raster Cutting Your Skin
Vector Cutting A Bansky

When using Raster, you can try any type of image you like, and see how it comes out.

When using Vector, you should make the outline of whatever you're cutting 0.001-inch (0.025mm) so the laser has a clean line to trace.

Image Notes
1. Vector cutting cuts all the way through the material. You can see the cut going
the entire way through the acrylic.

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 Image Notes
1. Raster cut, doesn't cut through the material. It only etches into it.

Image Notes
1. Make the Choice of Vector vs Raster.
2. Your Raster Speed and Power settings.
3. Vector settings for speed, power and frequency.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Use-a-Laser-Cutter/
Step 8: CorelDraw X4 - Part 1
(Warning! I am skipping the test cut! I all ready know the settings for what I'm cutting. If you're cutting on a new material, use the following instructions on a test piece of
material. Just make whatever your printing small enough to fit on your test piece of material.)

Get on a computer and start up CorelDraw X4. (If you want to learn CorelDraw in more depth, I would suggest you search Google for tutorials. There are a lot of sites out
there that offer really useful techniques and tips.)

Open a file that you would like to print. (It could be a picture from a camera, a painting or anything else you want to etch/cut)

Resize your image area to fit the bed of the laser cutter (This will help in placement of your materials later).

Move what you want to print to an easy location to get to. (I placed my image eight inches down and twelve inches over)

(There's a step that can help with the above. If you grab the top left of the image, where the rulers meet (there's a corner there), and drag the dotted lines down to the
corner of the printable image area, the rulers will reset to your image area, making it easy to place things. (see the fifth image notes below for slightly more info))

Once everything is in place and ready: File -> Print

In the print dialogue, we're going to click properties. Choose either Raster or Vector depending on what you plan to cut and set the speeds accordingly. If you're doing a
test cut, you can take the Resolution down to much less DPI, for much faster printing. (Do not print in Vector unless your image is formatted correctly! See next step.)

Image Notes Image Notes

1. Open CorelDraw X4 1. Yay! It's open! This is the basic screen that comes up. Select File->Open
and choose an image you want to cut.

Image Notes Image Notes

1. If you zoom in on the picture you can see the current page area layout. This is 1. Updated number to match the bed of my laser cutter.
represented by the rectangle (shaded) behind the robot. 2. Printable area has been updated to reflect the number in the upper left.
2. The top of the outline of the printable area. 3. Now it's time to find a useful place to put him.
3. My print image.

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 Image Notes Image Notes
1. If you click along this ruler and try to drag it down, you'll get a dotted line to use 1. File -> Print (menu)
as a reference (make sure you hold down the mouse button the whole time)
2. If you click along this ruler and try to drag it across, you'll get a dotted line to
use as a reference (make sure you hold down the mouse button the whole time)
3. If you click the corner, and drag diagonally you can choose where you want
your rulers to start from. I would suggest dragging it to the upper left of your
printable area, then it should match your laser cutters rulers.
4. Aligned to my markings.

Image Notes
1. From the File->Print menu, select properties to bring up this very important
window.

Step 9: CorelDraw X4 - Part 2

For printing Vector image, you need to make sure all of the lines you're going to print are a hairline thick.

I used the add text function to type "INSTRUCTABLES" in the program. It was auto set to vertical and since it fit well, I opted not to rotate it to horizontal.

INSTRUCTABLES is way to thick to print in vector as is, so there are some things we're going to do to edit it.

First, right click on the text, and select "Convert to Curves".

Then, after it's been converted, select the trace tool (in the upper right of the menu bar on my screen), and click "Hairline".

Finally, on the right side of the page, where the color swatches are, are the fill settings. Click on the white box with an X through it, which means no fill, and behold, your
letters are ready to cut!

Once again, go to Print, and select Preferences, and adjust as needed.

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 Image Notes Image Notes
1. Normal text block, flipped vertically. 1. Right click the letters, and select "Convert to Curves." Once this is done, you'll
no longer be able to edit the individual letters as text.

Image Notes Image Notes

1. Selection for the outline you want on your image (it's no longer letters since 1. These are your color selections for fill. The clear box with the X in the very top,
we converted to curves). You want to select "Hairline." gives you no fill. Click this, and you should have a nice thinly outlined word.
2. Highlight that box over there.-->

Step 10: Placing Materials

Once you're ready to print, it's time to prep the Laser Cutter. So lets turn it on!

Once on, open the case, place your material where ever you plan to cut. This is where the rulers from the image come in handy, hopefully the laser cutter you're using
has built in rulers to help you situate things. (If you're placing something in the upper left corner, and the bed is raised to high, do the following step first).

Once everything is placed (or before if you're feeling frisky), you may need to adjust the bed. If you look on the front control panel of the Laser Cutter, there should be a
focus button. If you push that, and then the down arrow, you should see the bed lower. Keep lowering the bed until you have enough space that the laser will not come
into contact with your materials. Extra space here is fine, we're going to let the machine focus itself later.

Every laser cutter I've used, won't print with the lid open, so it's a good way to do a test run on your piece.

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 Image Notes Image Notes
1. Laser Honeycomb Bed 1. Rulers
2. Laser Focus 2. Rulers
3. Laser Focus
4. Honeycomb Laser Bed

Image Notes
1. Epilog Control Panel. We'll be using this a lot.

Image Notes
1. I opted to print on Acrylic for this, it just seemed easiest.

Step 11: Focusing The Laser Cutter

Now that everything is placed, let's do a test run.

Leave the lid open! If you close the lid, you may get more then a test. If you're unsure whether or not it'll cut with the lid open, try it first on your test piece.

Set the preferences of the File -> Print to 100% speed, and a low power (it shouldn't matter, it's not printing. If you want to double ensure, you can set it to 0 power).

Also in the Print Preferences, click the "Auto Focus" button. This will ensure the laser is the proper distance away from whatever you're cutting to get the most accurate
cuts.

Save your preferences and print the file. The status screen on the laser cutter should update that it's received a new job. Push the "Go" button when you're ready, and
the printing should start.

On the control panel there is also a "Pointer" button. If you click this, a red laser will turn on, and show you were the laser cutter would be at any given time. It's a useful
way of seeing around where the cuts would be.

Before the printer starts the printing, it should hover over your material, and adjust the height of the bed to be in proper focus. If it doesn't, double check that you had
"Auto Focus" selected in File->Print ---> Preferences.

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 Image Notes
1. Tells you what job number you're on.
2. Pointer - Displays red laser to follow along where the actual laser is cutting.
3. You can use this button, with the arrows to the right to adjust the height of
the bed.
4. Starts the job listed in the display window. You can use Job button below and
arrows to cycle through previous jobs. Image Notes
5. Stops current job, resets laser. 1. This is the pointer, this is not the cutting laser. You won't be able to see the
6. Resets laser in case it ends up in a weird space. cutting laser...well, you'll only be able to see the flames where it's cutting.

Image Notes
1. I told you this was an important window. Make sure Auto Focus is selected.

Step 12: Test Cut

Before the actual cut, you may want to ensure that your print area is contained within the space you're hoping for. There are a couple of easy ways to do this.

If you tape over your print area, or tape a sheet of paper over the area you intend to print (make sure you cover more then just intended print area, in case you're
measurements are off, this is what makes a test cut useful), you can etch into the paper or tape, and make sure the laser is only going to cut the areas you plan.

Print at a high speed, and a low power. It doesn't take much to cut through paper, I think I've used between 10-15% at full speed. With tape I use around the same.

If you plan to use tape, I recommend blue painters tape. It doesn't tend to stick as much when pealing off, and it doesn't leave sticky tape backing on whatever it was
stuck to. But again, I would highly recommend you try it for yourself on whatever material you plan to use it on first. Always test first!

When test cutting, ensure you have the exhaust fan turned on, you wouldn't want to start a paper fire.

The images I'm using for this step are from an older project I did, etching a laptop. I'm using these for obvious reasons, even though it goes away from the acrylic I'm
using for all the other steps.

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 Image Notes Image Notes
1. Test run on tape. It looks blurry, because this picture is after the second pass of 1. Pealing the tape off, being careful not to let the laptop move.
the laser. The S was going to run off the side of the computer and we could not
have that!

Image Notes
1. Make sure it does not move when you are pealing tape, or you are going to be
very sad.

Step 13: Laser Cutter - Printing

When you're all ready to cut, it's time to take off the tape or paper, close the lid, and hope everything turns out okay.

Go back onto the computer, in the File -> Print ---> Preferences menu, select Raster or Vector depending on what you plan to cut.

Once that's selected you can, choose the Power and Speed settings that would be most suitable for your piece. If you're cutting in Vector, don't forget the Hertz setting.
Hopefully you wrote these down from when you did your test cut.

Once everything is selected, and properly placed, click OK to start printing from the computer.

On the laser cutter, make sure all of your tape/paper/anything else is removed. Make sure whatever your cutting hasn't been moved. Ensure the lid is closed, and make
sure a new print dialogue has come up on the print window of the forward control panel of the laser cutter.

If everything looks okay, turn on the exhaust fan.

If you're doing a Vector cut, turn on the air compressor.

One final check to make sure everything is set right, and click GO on the laser cutter control panel.

Now sit back and watch it print. You want to hang around while it prints to make sure nothing catches fire, and nothing weird comes up that would require you to halt
everything.

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 Image Notes
1. Midway through the raster cut of the robot.

Image Notes
1. Turn on the air compressor for vector cuts only.
2. Turn on Exhaust Fan for All Cuts!

Image Notes
1. After popping out all of the letters in the vector cut.
2. If you click for a larger image you can see the large difference in what the
cuts look like.
Image Notes
1. I removed the backing before I did my vector cut. This is the final product.
Picture taken before I moved the acrylic (when I picked it up, two letters fell out).

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Use-a-Laser-Cutter/
Step 14: Laser Cutting Cleaning
For cleaning, ensure you have all the proper cleaning materials:
Lens Cleaning Paper
Cotton Swab
Liquid Lens Cleaner
Something to hold your Lens Cleaning Paper (we have plastic scissor crimps)

There are two mirrors and one lens that direct the laser beam. One of the mirrors and the lens are located on the part that moves around and cuts your material, the other
mirror is on the far right end of that arm. (See the second photo notes below)

You need to clean all of these after each use or your laser will not keep in good condition, and won't cut as well each consecutive time you have to use it.

To clean the lens, fold some Lens Cleaning Paper carefully. Ensure that whatever part of the paper you intend to clean the lens with, you never touch. Crimp in into your
holding tool (we use plastic scissor crimps). Drop one or two drops of your liquid lens cleaner on it, and wipe the lens off. If the paper comes out dirty, get a new piece of
paper and repeat the process. When your paper is no longer dirty, your lens is clean.

You can use the cotton swab for your mirrors. Just brush off your mirrors with it, and check the swab for dirt. If you see dirt, the mirror isn't clean, you need to get a new
swab (or rotate the one you're using) and repeat the wiping until no more dirt/dust comes off.

The mirror that's far away from the lens doesn't need to be cleaned as often, as it's not in direct line of the cloud of material smoke being created by the laser.

Whenever needed, you can remove the honeycomb bed and vacuum out any scraps that have fallen below.

Image Notes
1. Lens Cleaning Liquid
2. Cotton Swab
3. Lens Cleaning Paper

Image Notes
1. Lens, and one of the two mirrors. The dirty mirror.
2. The other mirror lives here. He doesn't need to be cleaned every time...but it
never hurts to clean.

Image Notes Image Notes

1. Not touching this part 1. Still not touching this part!
2. Awesome plastic crimp scissors

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 Image Notes Image Notes
1. This part is so clean! We can add liquid to it, and use it to wipe off the lens. 1. You don't need to push too hard, but you can push. Make sure you wipe it, and
check it for dirt.

Image Notes Image Notes

1. Cleaning the mirror. 1. Cleaning the other mirror.

Image Notes
1. Honeycomb removed to vacuum the underpart for stuff that's been cut in the
past.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Use-a-Laser-Cutter/
 Step 15: You're Finished
Hopefully now you have your very own laser cut (or etched) thing.

Whether you decided to etch into clear Plexiglas to make an LED Sign, your computer so it looks that much more awesome, or your hopefully these directions where
helpful.

If, on your journey to etch and cut things with laser, you find anything here confusing, or you think I'm missing something important, please let me know, and I'll add it
right away!

Some interesting sites I found in my quest for laser cutter knowledge, that I wasn't really able to include in the step-by-step:
Adding Perspective to Text
3d Text Effects
Sample Club (provides many different examples on different surfaces, most of which provide speed and power settings)
Technical Library (Lots of useful information)
Wikipedia Entry for Laser Cutting (tons if info on exactly how it all works)

If you have any really useful links that have good technical/helpful information on laser cutter, feel free to leave a comment, I'd love to check it out!

Image Notes
1. After popping out all of the letters in the vector cut.
2. If you click for a larger image you can see the large difference in what the cuts look like.

Related Instructables

Laser Etching Reusable

Laser Etched / Anodized Acrylic 3D
Laser Cut Laser Etching How to make a Printing ACRYLIC
Aluminum by
Business Cards Macintosh jig for the COOKBOOK
techshopdude Epilog laser Baseplate by STAND - NOW
by velogirl Powerbooks. by
etcher/cutter. by chalker7 WITH MORE
saul
thor LASERS by
HandmadeByDroids

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Comments
50 comments Add Comment view all 54 comments

makermike says: Oct 4, 2012. 9:14 AM REPLY

I just took the Laser Cutter class at San Jose Tech Shop last night, and this is a really good tutorial! Can't wait to start using the machine!

ljandueza says: Mar 10, 2012. 12:36 PM REPLY

Excellent.

Thereyouhaveit says: Mar 13, 2011. 9:32 AM REPLY

its ... HUGE .

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Use-a-Laser-Cutter/
 txmcse says: Apr 18, 2011. 7:35 AM REPLY
TWSS

LaserMartina says: Feb 28, 2011. 5:00 AM REPLY

I found an affordable laser cutter right here: Trotec Speedy 100
It's an entry level laser system at high quality.

psbatra says: Feb 24, 2011. 4:54 PM REPLY

FANTASTIC tutorial - I always wondered about the process...I. Really. Really. Really. Want. One! I think I will get a large piggy bank and start filling it up with
change...one day it'll be enough.....

thepelton says: Feb 14, 2011. 10:41 AM REPLY

If you are going to laser engrave glass, be prepared to run the focusing equipment manually. I found that the glass reflection can confound the auto focus.

ShadowJesus says: Apr 7, 2009. 8:18 PM REPLY

Awesome... now only if i could afford a $8,000 dollar laser cutter:p

thepelton says: Feb 14, 2011. 10:38 AM REPLY

They can be bought used, but that doesn't mean dirt cheap. Be prepared for a big bill anyway.

lunastyx says: May 12, 2009. 8:46 PM REPLY

It seems to me that a laser cutter is something that a group of folks could buy together and share. Like a snow blower in the South. One person might not
use it enough to make it profitable. But divided among 4 people?

Revolverkiller says: Dec 21, 2009. 10:01 AM REPLY

3 friends and I are planning on buying a Epilog Mini this next year. Gonna start a engraving business, might even take orders offa the internets as
well

M4industries says: Dec 20, 2009. 2:45 PM REPLY

TECHSHOP FTW!

hintss says: Nov 28, 2010. 4:50 PM REPLY

ponoko FTW. hackerspaces FTW.

M4industries says: Nov 29, 2010. 1:55 PM REPLY

Agreed. But there are more specialty tools in general at TechShop.

hintss says: Nov 28, 2010. 5:26 PM REPLY

IIRC, the autofocusing happens at the first point where the laser will be on, right?

StumpChunkman says: Nov 29, 2010. 7:33 AM REPLY

Yes, but I find it can be a little difficult to determine what point that will be on larger images. I think you have to be very aware of which line is on top of all
the other line segments in your vector image.

thepaul1993 says: Apr 17, 2009. 9:05 PM REPLY

was that the EEE 900HA?

StumpChunkman says: Apr 18, 2009. 4:34 PM REPLY

It's actually the 1000 model (got it before they started releasing ones with suffixes).

thepaul1993 says: Apr 20, 2009. 1:21 AM REPLY

cool. Anyways it reminds me on what i want to do one day. I want to get i really old laptop (that runs windows 3) and put an EEE or something like
that in its shell. Just for something to do..

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Use-a-Laser-Cutter/
 hintss says: Nov 28, 2010. 4:55 PM REPLY
?

also, I wish they had linux drivers

SinAmos says: Apr 7, 2009. 8:05 PM REPLY

HOW TO BE RICH ENOUGH TO AFFORD A LASER CUTTER, so all these instructables don't go to waste. These teases irk me. I want a laser cutter.
Waaaaaah.

hintss says: Nov 28, 2010. 4:54 PM REPLY

step 1: be rich enough to get a 3D printer
step 2: print 3D printer parts until you're rich enough to get a laser cutter

lunastyx says: May 12, 2009. 8:43 PM REPLY

Me, too. I so want a desktop cutter and yet...so out of reach I think...big sigh

Oroka says: Apr 8, 2009. 2:19 PM REPLY

OMG! I was thinking the same thing! I am going back to school in Sept, when I am done and in my job, first thing I buy is a laser cutter! Damn thing is
worth more than my car :(

microman171 says: Apr 7, 2009. 10:26 PM REPLY

Same here! But $8000...!

SweetTea says: Dec 20, 2009. 2:44 PM REPLY

What is the purpose of this instructable?

If someone spent 8K on an Epilog Laser, shouldn't they have the initiative to RTM?

hintss says: Nov 28, 2010. 4:51 PM REPLY

but trust me, the manual dosen't cover everything.

same goes for the manuals for MRI machines. apparently, they're not to be used in explosive environments*.

*I actually found that in a manual for an MRI machine

acornstu says: Jun 22, 2010. 7:24 PM REPLY

Hey! Great tutorial. Sadly my budget for laser machines is running about $8,000 short. Would you be interested in erching some arcrylic for me? Please
email me at acornstu@gmail.com. thanks!

hintss says: Nov 28, 2010. 4:49 PM REPLY

ponoko

ah-el says: Oct 25, 2010. 3:23 PM REPLY

tanl you merci

knektek says: Mar 26, 2010. 12:53 PM REPLY

gonna use a laser cutter @ school for my own bookend project.

kcls says: Mar 24, 2010. 3:05 PM REPLY

Oh how I want a laser cutter...

thepelton says: Dec 21, 2009. 10:43 AM REPLY

Make sure that you DO NOT use any plastic that contains CHLORINE, or says PVC on it, or any other chlorine related chemical. That will VOID THE
WARRANTY on your laser, and screw up the lenses in the process.

srlbeln says: Nov 11, 2009. 10:59 AM REPLY

what brand and model are those exhaust fan and air compressor?

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Use-a-Laser-Cutter/
 noahw says: Nov 12, 2009. 8:51 AM REPLY
The compressor comes directly from epilog - but anything that can output a steady stream of air at 30 psi will do. The exhaust fan is a 1 HP Delta dust
collector motor that pulls around 650cfs.

CrabTerl says: Nov 2, 2009. 9:51 PM REPLY

OpenOffice.org 2.4 Draw works fine too

thepelton says: Apr 8, 2009. 10:14 AM REPLY

Using certain varieties of plastic in an Epilog laser will void the warranty.

thepelton says: Apr 9, 2009. 1:13 PM REPLY

One of the Warranty killers I beleive is Polyvinyl Chloride.

robomaniac says: Apr 9, 2009. 8:34 PM REPLY

Yes, everything with chloride is not laser safe.

The fume created by the plastic will damage the lenses. I think it fogs the lenses .

You can know if the plastic your using has Chloride.You take COPPER and heat it up so it is RED with a torche. I took copper wire, 12 gauge.

Then touch your plastic to get some plastic residue on the copper wire. Then put it to the flame, is you see GREEN in the flame, it is chloride, do not
use with laser!

Dave at Solarbotics.com teach me that.

thepelton says: Aug 8, 2009. 12:42 PM REPLY

So you couldn't laser engrave a salt crystal. Didn't intend to anyway.

thepelton says: Aug 8, 2009. 12:48 PM REPLY

They also put recycling instructions on a lot of plastic items that should say if they containt Chlorine.

melasers says: Apr 8, 2009. 1:39 PM REPLY

I have one so if anyone needs some work done we are reasonably priced. I have a mechanical engineer with over ten years experience that runs it. I just sell
the jobs. He does some really cool work though.

thepelton says: Aug 8, 2009. 12:46 PM REPLY

I have one. I can be contacted at donaldpelton@gmail.com 8>)

lunastyx says: May 12, 2009. 8:41 PM REPLY

How can I contact you about some cutting work I need done? You may email me at marionwilhelm@gmail dot com. Thanks. marion

SinAmos says: Apr 8, 2009. 3:41 PM REPLY

Make that money, Melasers. Haha. So, I want to make some models in Maya. Then I will export them as OBJ's and then I want you to cut them out of
metal. Is that how it works?

melasers says: Apr 12, 2009. 6:39 AM REPLY

we have a nonmetalic laser. it does now cut metal. it is 75 watts and cutls lots of other things. thanks

melasers says: Apr 8, 2009. 4:18 PM REPLY

this one is non-metallic so it does not cut metal

mman1506 says: Apr 18, 2009. 6:00 PM REPLY

what is the cheapest laser cutter there is that can cut more than paper

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Use-a-Laser-Cutter/
 t.rohner says: Apr 13, 2009. 1:49 PM REPLY
Interesting, to see a instructable of what i have to teach my customers, when they buy one. In step 4 you write, reflections can damage the laser diode. Do
you mean the visible red aiming diode? Because the power infrared (10,6 micrometer wavelength) comes from a CO2 lasertube. You also seem to blow the
fumes and dust just out the window. We'd be calling for trouble, doing that here...(enviromental codes) The units we carry are more expensive, but also more
sophisticated. Lately i had the chance to "inspect" ultracheap chinese built crap. The bigger unit sold for 10k$ with a size of 60x50 inches and a 110W tube
went up in flames. The smaller unit for 2k$ is about in the size of the unit shown here, but it was dead on arrival... So if you think about buying one, think
twice before you buy one of those. Tubes for them are between 300-500$, but they live only about 300hours. Whereas American made Coherent tube make
3000hours.

robomaniac says: Apr 9, 2009. 8:37 PM REPLY

That is the old driver, I got a other one that was more user friendly for saving and other small detail in the colour mapping. The design is more "blueish" and
more esthetic.

view all 54 comments

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