CO2 laser that cuts sheet metal

Step 7: Gallery

These are various items I have made with the laser.

Comments

[jnadal donoso]

Congratulations, it's a great work and perseverance sample. I would like a CNC of those at home.

[metalartpro]

This is very cool. The kerf on my machine is 1/8" running a CNC plasma torch. What is the kerf (width of cut) with your laser here?

[juampyasdf]

the last one is my favorite :D

[Cheezpaper]

What IS the last one anyway?

[Pkranger88]

I believe he/she is referring to the "Items I've Made" section with the last photo being his finger cut by the laser...

[Tommio69]

I have a 5KW CO2 laser- when cutting stainless use Nitrogen (99.5% pure) and you'll have clean shiney edges on your steel :), also do you where any eye protection?! I really hope you do, as CO2 lasers emit radition that burns away your eyes lens without you feeling it.

[Thempleton]

It is ingenuous to think protection glasses are the definitive solving panacea in protecting your eyes from hundredsW/mm² and up, reflection fluences.

It is really important to have the laser cutter inside an enclosure or to precisely study the angles of possible reflections coming out to the observer to create and set protecting panels in the correct paths.

Most people isn't aware of this and handle lasers with absolutely insufficient care.

Be aware! You have only two eyes, no spare!

[froggyman]

what kind of eye protection do you recommend, would regular safety glasses/sunglasses work or would you need smoething stronger

[askjerry]

Regular goggles won't do anything for the laser frequency... you need goggles that are designed just for that purpose... start here...

http://cascadelaser.com/safetyeyewear.html

Jerry

[surfer8]

CO2 lasers emit a 10.6 micron wave. Regular safety glasses will work fine.

[FrozenFire]

Most safety glasses filter UV. This is IR, 808nm (or 10.6micron, whatever you like).
And either way, I wouldn't bet my eyes on a cheap pair of safety glasses.
A $100 pair of laser goggles might seem expensive - until you lose your sight.
The $50 you saved won't get you back your eye.

[gordzooks]

808 nm doesn't equal 10.6 microns. That would be 10,600nm which is in the far IR band, and regular lexan blocks it effectively. A few sheets of plexglass would make an adequate enclosure.

808 nm, on the other hand is in the visible range and will pass right through anything that visible light passes through.

[Silence]

You could prolly rig a plasma cutter in a similar fashion. The laser is nice and techy but I think plasma will be in the budget range of a few more folks and you can get similar results if you know what your doing.

[manicmonday]

All this is really cool, but if you spent $27,000 on the lazer part then it's waaaaaayyyyy out of my range. I think the same can be said of most ppl.

[Demascus]

nice project, I too like the last pic.  I do a lot of blacksmithing,  swords, knives that sort of thing.  And I tell folks there is always a little bit of me in everything I make.. usually not on purpose lol

[benthekahn]

That metal dragon thing is awesome.

[Fiko_Thamrin]

You very genius man!!!!

[Evil is the name]

u need to be more careful.i like it and all just that i dont have the stuff