Laser Engraver

Kroars

Well-known member
Happy Friday!

Ive been considering purchasing a laser engraver but I don’t know much about them, which ones would be appropriate for pedal artwork etc. Curious if anyone uses one or knows which would be the most appropriate for the job. I’d prefer to keep it under $500 (preferably $300-$400) but I don’t want it to be crap.

As I’m looking around the ol interwebs I figured I’d start here.

Thanks!
 
I have the Neje Master 2. I think it was 250 shipped to my door. Canadian dollars!

It works great. The top was spray paint and the purple one was a Gorva special run (also painted). It works equally well on powdercoated boxes. It’s all about experimenting with the settings which I use the back plates for. Usually I do one pass at 65% power and another at 75-80, both at pretty slow speeds.

Word of caution, it fucking stinks and is toxic as all get out so you need proper ventilation/shop space.

93051BC2-9656-49D1-9C7E-BD619454C565.jpeg
96FA2737-3F70-471A-951B-7278FD3D18A4.jpeg
 
Word of caution, it fucking stinks and is toxic as all get out so you need proper ventilation/shop space.
That's my issue... My "workshop" is a side bedroom. I could hack together a ventilation system for it. But I still don't know if I can really afford the space it would take up with everything else I have in here. But i've been really interested in the idea of using spray paint as a mask for chemical etching and a laser rather than toner transfer.
 
If you’re handy enough to build a sealed acrylic case with a vent out of it I’d go for it. I’m lucky to have access to a big empty shop on the weekend but if I didn’t that’s what I’d do.
 
I have the Neje Master 2. I think it was 250 shipped to my door. Canadian dollars!

It works great. The top was spray paint and the purple one was a Gorva special run (also painted). It works equally well on powdercoated boxes. It’s all about experimenting with the settings which I use the back plates for. Usually I do one pass at 65% power and another at 75-80, both at pretty slow speeds.

Word of caution, it fucking stinks and is toxic as all get out so you need proper ventilation/shop space.

View attachment 16120
View attachment 16121
Thank you! I didn’t even think about the fume issue, definitely something to take into consideration. Very much appreciate the heads up!
 
I have the Neje Master 2. I think it was 250 shipped to my door. Canadian dollars!

It works great. The top was spray paint and the purple one was a Gorva special run (also painted). It works equally well on powdercoated boxes. It’s all about experimenting with the settings which I use the back plates for. Usually I do one pass at 65% power and another at 75-80, both at pretty slow speeds.

Word of caution, it fucking stinks and is toxic as all get out so you need proper ventilation/shop space.

View attachment 16120
View attachment 16121
Slick oroborous bruh.
 
Not something the marketing fellas were itching to use as a bullet point in the ad eh?
 
Depends on what you're planning to do with it. If all you want to do is engrave, any diode laser (I recommend at least 5W) should do fine. Going too low of power may mean you'll need to do more than one pass to cut through the paint/powdercoat, so something to keep in mind there.

If you think you might like to get into cutting acrylic or wood then you should look for a Chinese K40 laser. It's a CO2 laser so more work, but way more power and more options. Also nice steel enclosure with an exhaust fan that you can vent outside to keep the fumes out. I run mine in my garage which doesn't have windows, so I cut a hole in the wall and put in a dryer vent there to send fumes out.
 
Depends on what you're planning to do with it. If all you want to do is engrave, any diode laser (I recommend at least 5W) should do fine. Going too low of power may mean you'll need to do more than one pass to cut through the paint/powdercoat, so something to keep in mind there.

If you think you might like to get into cutting acrylic or wood then you should look for a Chinese K40 laser. It's a CO2 laser so more work, but way more power and more options. Also nice steel enclosure with an exhaust fan that you can vent outside to keep the fumes out. I run mine in my garage which doesn't have windows, so I cut a hole in the wall and put in a dryer vent there to send fumes out.
Thanks for the response! I really can’t see me using it for anything other than pedal art. I like the idea of building a little box to house it in (I can certainly do that) with a vent exhausting outside.

I’m assuming you would use in conjunction with a PC or laptop?
 
Thanks for the response! I really can’t see me using it for anything other than pedal art. I like the idea of building a little box to house it in (I can certainly do that) with a vent exhausting outside.

I’m assuming you would use in conjunction with a PC or laptop?
Yup, I have a mini desktop PC that runs the laser and a CNC machine, but depending on your needs and what controller the laser has you may even be able to run it from a Raspberry Pi.
 
Back
Top