What would you make with a laser cutter?
- Thread starter Zlurpo
- Start date
gyoung2993
Sr Member
well ,if it cuts acrylic,...heres a few ideas, you could make several bases for resin and plastic model kits .....BSG, Star Trek, Star Wars,or even bases for prop guns as well.......just a thought....if I had one or the knowlege to operate one, I would be making hundreds of those.....
love:thumbsup
google laser cutter projects.. or go to some laser cutter vendor websites and check out some of the stuff they have posted.
endless!!!
and a large format one is even BETTER!!! what watt laser? brand?
Not like REALLY large, but 2'x3'. Big enough for anything I can come up with!
It's an Epilog 36ext, I think. I'm not sure the watts, but I think 120.
xl97
Master Member
AWESOME lase cutter!..
2ft x 3ft is pretty big compared to these.. Im looking at a 9.5 x 12.5 or (more likely) a 20 x 12 cutting area one.. (and thats breaking the bank!) lol
but good thread for these ideas!
let see:
1.) prop stands of all kinds (blaster, light saber, one-off stands)
2.) plaques/name tags
3.) holocron/tesseract type cube props
4.) acrylic pieces to help buildup guns/blasters.. (thought I saw a DREDD gun being build up using laser cut acrylic pieces not too long back)
5.) Star Trek PADDS
6.) PCB etching for props that require them (you want to add electronics to)
2ft x 3ft is pretty big compared to these.. Im looking at a 9.5 x 12.5 or (more likely) a 20 x 12 cutting area one.. (and thats breaking the bank!) lol
but good thread for these ideas!
let see:
1.) prop stands of all kinds (blaster, light saber, one-off stands)
2.) plaques/name tags
3.) holocron/tesseract type cube props
4.) acrylic pieces to help buildup guns/blasters.. (thought I saw a DREDD gun being build up using laser cut acrylic pieces not too long back)
5.) Star Trek PADDS
6.) PCB etching for props that require them (you want to add electronics to)
drknotter
Active Member
And if you're into Pepakura:
7.) Cutting out pepakura templates
You can even score the fold lines with the laser.
Seriously though, you could probably build up almost any type of "flat" prop with a good enough set of templates. The possibilities are endless!
I have been trying to justify the expense of a laser for years. I currently farm out my laser work to polulu and even though I do a bunch of orders with them, I have not found a single item that would pay for a laser. It is all about having many many items to justify the cost.
I spent about 3k on my CNC milling machine 9 years ago and it has paid for it self many times over because I use it every day for 4-5 hours a day. But laser cutters are not only expensive initially, but the laser tubes get weaker over time and then need to be replaced. So you have a big on going cost.
If you can figure out a way to pay for the laser 1 time over every month or 2 then you will most likely be successful in using it. Most people I know who have purchased them end up using the giant laser as a place to stack stuff in there shop.
I spent about 3k on my CNC milling machine 9 years ago and it has paid for it self many times over because I use it every day for 4-5 hours a day. But laser cutters are not only expensive initially, but the laser tubes get weaker over time and then need to be replaced. So you have a big on going cost.
If you can figure out a way to pay for the laser 1 time over every month or 2 then you will most likely be successful in using it. Most people I know who have purchased them end up using the giant laser as a place to stack stuff in there shop.
TheSt.LouisKid
Sr Member
Made on a laser cutter.
Unpainted Klingon badge.
MetroKab badge
Miskatonic lapel badges(unpainted).
The grille and text plate are laser cut/engraved on this replica 1930's replica ribbon microphone.
About 75% of this knife is made from laser cut parts.
Laser cut master pattern parts for a LIS 1st season gun.
Laser cut/engraved plate detail.
A wee house model made from laser cut parts.
I made a bunch of the parts for my proton pack on a laser cutter.
Unpainted.
And finished.
Unpainted Klingon badge.
MetroKab badge
Miskatonic lapel badges(unpainted).
The grille and text plate are laser cut/engraved on this replica 1930's replica ribbon microphone.
About 75% of this knife is made from laser cut parts.
Laser cut master pattern parts for a LIS 1st season gun.
Laser cut/engraved plate detail.
A wee house model made from laser cut parts.
I made a bunch of the parts for my proton pack on a laser cutter.
Unpainted.
And finished.
Haha that's because burning PVC releases chlorine gas.
