Cheap Chinese Laser Cutter

[Geoff S]

Robert, I wasn't intending to disparage your choice of CNC cutter, in fact quite the reverse. Having been involved with laser technology myself (indirectly, but close) I just wanted to be reassured that the suppliers/manufacturers as well as users were aware of the potential hazard.

Having said all that, I'm very attracted to the idea of being able to cut accurate parts at home and your experience is very informative and interesting. My problem is space! My band saw, scroll saw and pillar drill occupy bench space and there's not much left in my small workshop

I doubt my own skills wouldn't extend to designing and drawing them in a way that would allow me to use something like a laser CNC cutter. Are CAD designs easy to get? If so where and at what cost? I don't mind paying a reasonable amount for someone's work.

Geoff

[ROBERT BURLACE]

Hi Geoff, no problem and you raise a valid point about safety.

yes- plans are pretty widely available. The aerofred and profili websites have been my main sources so far. They are variable in quality, by there are some gems there.

There is also software that will convert a pdf to cad formats. I am yet to test, but if it works well, any model you can find a plan for would become possible. Perhaps others may be able to comment on that.

I may one day try designing something myself- I want some of my physics and engineering students to enter the payload challenge this year so it might be a good opportunity.

Rob

[Erfolg]

Which laser cutter is it?

[Andy Meade]

Great thread, thanks for adding it. I quite fancy adding one to the couple of 3d printers in the workshop too for ease of building. A link to the laser bought would be handy of course, and the Facebook group please?

[Geoff S]

I've been looking at this one. It seems to be quite inexpensive.

Geoff

[ROBERT BURLACE]

**LINK**

this is available on banggood as well. I bought mine direct from the maker and it was here within 3 days.

additional parts for the extension to the cutting area are from ooznest.com

be award that there are some imitation machines out there, particularly on eBay. Cheap and Chinese seems to have been ok so far but not sure I would trust a cheap Chinese imitation of a cheap Chinese machine!

[Piers Bowlan]

A very interesting thread Rob. I have from time to time looked at the EleksMaker laser cutters online but not taken the plunge. I am a Mac user and doubt most of the software would run on it, unless I used Parallels or Boot Camp to get it to run as a native PC - or buy a new PC.

The other problem is that I actually find cutting out parts by hand rather therapeutic (!) but I do baulk at building more complex structures with zillions of complex shapes.

Edited By Piers Bowlan on 27/09/2019 09:05:10

[Tim C]

Piers,

Inkscape is available INKSCAPE DOWNLOADin MAC OSX, its a great program, I have used it for most of my 2D vinyl cutting designs as well as general design and faffing around program, I see Lightburn is in MAC OSX as well, no experience of this though

Edited By Tim C on 27/09/2019 10:07:47

[Geoff S]

Posted by ROBERT BURLACE on 27/09/2019 07:10:36:

**LINK**

this is available on banggood as well. I bought mine direct from the maker and it was here within 3 days.

additional parts for the extension to the cutting area are from ooznest.com

be award that there are some imitation machines out there, particularly on eBay. Cheap and Chinese seems to have been ok so far but not sure I would trust a cheap Chinese imitation of a cheap Chinese machine!

I'm old enough to remember when Japanese products were described in the same way as Chinese ones are now. Cameras in particular were considered copies of European ones and then, more significantly for me, small Honda motorcycles were imported with dramatic performance claims, which turned out to be true.

There's nothing wrong with Chinese products except that we should fear their quality and inovation as threats to home industry. A friend of mine was in charge of RR opening a manufacturing facility in Xian and he had huge respect for his Chinese colleagues.

I wish you hadn't started this thread - it's a serious threat to my bank account!

There's quite a price difference between the one I was looking at (on offer at £113.88) and the Eleksmaker A3 Pro you've 'invested' in at £162.73. Both look good (the chaper one has a slightly more powerful Laser) and both have good reviews.

Geoff

[ROBERT BURLACE]

I use Mac OS and have had no issues with either bit of software. I had a cheap windows laptop spare which I run the laser off permanently now because it’s not much use for anything else. Leaves my Mac free to work on other things during long cuts.

Geoff, I can only comment on the eleksmaker. There seems to be good support for it. I do remember reading that the more powerful laser on cheaper ones is actually just being run at higher currents, which could lead to premature failure and safety issues.

[MAD Dave]

......which is the background as to why I was enquiring about laser "life" earlier in the thread

[Geoff Gardiner]

I am currently building myself a CNC/Laser Cutter combined. It is made from parts that I printed on my 3d printer.

I have started a build log here if anyone is interested.

[Erfolg]

It is not clear to me if the two links are to machines that will cut ply and balsa?

Also how can you tell if the machines can be adapted to 36" balsa wood?

Typically what will the postage be?

[ROBERT BURLACE]

Posted by Erfolg on 27/09/2019 14:52:29:

It is not clear to me if the two links are to machines that will cut ply and balsa?

Also how can you tell if the machines can be adapted to 36" balsa wood?

Typically what will the postage be?

The Eleksmaker A3 is what I use. It can cut balsa, poplar ply, liteply and birch ply.

it runs on a combination of 20mm and 40mm v-slot aluminium extrusions. These can be purchased at pretty much any length you could wish for so you could make your cutter any size you want. Mine is sized for sheets of 300x900 ply, knowing that would be the biggest i’ll cut.

i think postage was free when I ordered from eleks directly too! Banggood postage prices are generally reasonable.

[Geoff S]

Erfolg: both CNC laser cutter/engravers are postage free via Banggood.

Robert: I visited the Eleksmaker site via your link and when I went to the orders area it sent me to Banggood anyway. Not that it matters. I've always had a good experience with BG.

Geoff

 

Edited By Geoff Sleath on 27/09/2019 16:50:47

[Erfolg]

There appears to be two options, either Canada or the USA. Canada appears to be more expensive, slightly, than the USA. Why would I want to choose the more expensive option?

[James Green2]

I can only second the advice given by Robert. I had to buy a replacement control board for my machine as the first packed up. I went for the Eleksmaker and it seems good quality. My laser is a 5500mW, I don't know if this is good or bad or indifferent, but I went bigger thinking to would cut thicker wood quicker.

The trick with these machines is to focus the laser correctly, this is the secret to nice clean cuts and thus nicely fitting joints. You will have to learn to do this a lot, for different thicknesses of wood.

Robert, is that the Dave Phillpots Spitfire IX? If so, from what I have seen this is a lovely looking spitfire!

Regards

James

[Tony Richardson]

Erfojg please remember the difference between the US $ and the Canadian $ $188 Canadian is only $141 US, whereas $170US is $225 Canadian, I may have the sites wrong if so please forgive me.

Tony...

[Erfolg]

These are the adds I am seeing.

I am not at all clear as to what is normal, I thought Banggood were based in China?

[ROBERT BURLACE]

Posted by James Green2 on 27/09/2019 17:51:25:

I can only second the advice given by Robert. I had to buy a replacement control board for my machine as the first packed up. I went for the Eleksmaker and it seems good quality. My laser is a 5500mW, I don't know if this is good or bad or indifferent, but I went bigger thinking to would cut thicker wood quicker.

The trick with these machines is to focus the laser correctly, this is the secret to nice clean cuts and thus nicely fitting joints. You will have to learn to do this a lot, for different thicknesses of wood.

Robert, is that the Dave Phillpots Spitfire IX? If so, from what I have seen this is a lovely looking spitfire!

Regards

James

Yes it is- I’ve had it on my computer for a while now. Cutting the parts by hand was the only thing preventing me getting going with it. Wouldn’t have managed it by hand. The laser has done a beautiful job though. I’m away this weekend but will post pictures when I get back. I’m planning on finishing it like the silver spitfire that’s flying around the world at the moment.

I will probably go 5500mw if/when the 2500 packs up the extra power would be good for getting through ply a bit easier especially.

[Tim C]

Erfolg,

BG is indeed Chinese, there are outlets in the US , HK and EU, depending on product you may have multiple locations to choose from, use China where possible, generally carriage is free or at low cost, locations that don’t deliver to uk are usually greyed out.

I have never been hit with duties for BG goods from China, they use some pretty innovative courier routings, I have had stuff airfreighted via Bacu to Prague , then roaded to the Uk and then delivered by one of my usual delivery couriers Yodel, no idea how they do it! But always seems to work. There is always a risk of duty on items of this value. The 2500mw laser by Elkesmaker is £162 delivered at the moment, try Elkesmake in the BG search box

[Geoff S]

Erfolg: on your link simply click on CN (China, I assume, ie HK?) and the price is £105.93 with free shipping to the UK. Obviously there's the possibility of being charged duty and VAT with the delays associated with that but I've never been called on to do so.

Geoff

[Erfolg]

I decide against buying a Laser cutter.

The basis being I am struggling to build the kits (old ones) I have, due to time, commitment and repairs. I do not like cutting wing ribs and ply, where my constant desire to build this and that, is only halted by the work involved in this part of the building sequence.

If I were just 10 years younger it would be a must have in conjunction with a 3d printer.

I suspect that in future years that both will be among the tools that modelers will need to make their toys.

[Mike T]

Posted by Geoff Sleath on 27/09/2019 20:14:24:

...Obviously there's the possibility of being charged duty and VAT ...

No duty on £106 worth of imported 'machinery'. Just the VAT and the delivery company's handling/collection fee, which is usually £10 to 15. So roughly £140 by my reckoning.

Off the top of my head, 'duty' (for our kind of gear) starts at about £135 landed cost and even then its usually only 2 or 3 percent. VAT starts at £18 landed and would be levied on top of the duty (if payable). The handling/collection fee is usually fixed and varies from firm to firm. RM, e.g., is cheaper than UPS.

Like Geoff, I have yet to be charged, even on big boxes loudly proclaiming their contents!

NB:  E&OE!!

Edited By Mike T on 28/09/2019 16:51:39

[Tim C]

BG even offers tariff insurance for a couple of £, will refund charges if they get incurred!!!!!!!