Suitable but cheap Laser Printer or Alternative Required

[davedoublem]

I'm looking for something that can cut 4mm plywood shapes and nothing else at this moment. I don't need to engrave or anything else as I print directly onto wood. All I need to do is cut out relatively small shapes ranging from 10mm up to say 100mm. Some shapes can be fairly detailed ie the shape of a dog.

I have no clue about laser Cutters but have watched a few videos and see the xtool range seems to be a preferable option but the cost at this moment is too much just for what I need to do. At the moment I'm outsourcing my jpeg shapes to someone else to cut out but have no clue what they use to cut out.

If anyone can give a heads up as to if there is anything on the market more suited to just cutting thin wood that is relatively inexpensive and simple to use for a beginner it would be greatly appreciated.

 

[paulrbarnard]

I'm looking for something that can cut 4mm plywood shapes and nothing else at this moment. I don't need to engrave or anything else as I print directly onto wood. All I need to do is cut out relatively small shapes ranging from 10mm up to say 100mm. Some shapes can be fairly detailed ie the shape of a dog.

I have no clue about laser Cutters but have watched a few videos and see the xtool range seems to be a preferable option but the cost at this moment is too much just for what I need to do. At the moment I'm outsourcing my jpeg shapes to someone else to cut out but have no clue what they use to cut out.

If anyone can give a heads up as to if there is anything on the market more suited to just cutting thin wood that is relatively inexpensive and simple to use for a beginner it would be greatly appreciated.

A cheap diode laser cutter is all you need for 4mm ply, provided it is laser cutting compatible. The glues in some ply can be problematic unless you have a powerful laser. I’m actually cutting 3mm ply at the moment for boxes to hold screws. I had a 3D printer so just added a diode laser to that. I’ve no idea about commercial options at the moment though.

 

[davedoublem]

The wood I've been consistently using from my wood supplier is birch plywood 4mm. To be honest I don't know where to start when it comes to laser cutters and what to go for. I see so many pros and cons when watching videos but the vast majority are required for engraving onto metals aswell as wood and considering I only need it for cutting purposes I havent seen any specific videos for a cheap cutter just solely for this purpose.

I'm also limited with space and would probably have to have this stationed in my garage which has very little ventilation and that's another area I'm unsure about regarding fumes etc from cutting. Do cutters come with a pipe or something that can be placed through a door or hole somewhere in a wall?

 

[paulrbarnard]

The wood I've been consistently using from my wood supplier is birch plywood 4mm. To be honest I don't know where to start when it comes to laser cutters and what to go for. I see so many pros and cons when watching videos but the vast majority are required for engraving onto metals aswell as wood and considering I only need it for cutting purposes I havent seen any specific videos for a cheap cutter just solely for this purpose.

I'm also limited with space and would probably have to have this stationed in my garage which has very little ventilation and that's another area I'm unsure about regarding fumes etc from cutting. Do cutters come with a pipe or something that can be placed through a door or hole somewhere in a wall?

Cutting wood certainly creates fumes. You are burning it. I have my laser in an enclosure with an extractor fan pipe outside my workshop. I wouldn’t consider cutting wood without active ventilation.

 

[Superduner]

The title of this thread is a bit misleading, isn't it?

 

[davedoublem]

Feel free to explain how I should of written the title? You mean because it's got the word cheap. Maybe I should of used the words inexpensive and something that does the job if that sounds any better. I think people reading understand what I mean rather than look for faults in the title.

 

[akirk]

Feel free to explain how I should of written the title? You mean because it's got the word cheap. Maybe I should of used the words inexpensive and something that does the job if that sounds any better. I think people reading understand what I mean rather than look for faults in the title.

I suspect he is referring to your term 'laser printer' which is a box sitting in an office that prints on A4 paper
you are after a laser / diode laser / laser cutter.

There are a range of lasers out there, and fundamentally most are Chinese and are very similar - it will be down to their quality control / instructions / etc. which will differentiate rather than their specification per se.

I think I missed it if you mentioned a budget, but you are looking probably at around £500 for a 10w diode laser / £1000 for a 20w etc.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/ATOMSTACK-A10-Pro-Engraving-Fixed-Focus/dp/B09VB5V8BW/ is just over £400

xtool (I have their 20w machine) has a clearance sale on at the moment, but their base 5w machine is only rated up to 3mm wood, so is a bit under spec.
their 10w is a bit more expensive than above - but I think 10w is the minimum you need

 

[Superduner]

I suspect he is referring to your term 'laser printer' which is a box sitting in an office that prints on A4 paper
you are after a laser / diode laser / laser cutter.

There are a range of lasers out there, and fundamentally most are Chinese and are very similar - it will be down to their quality control / instructions / etc. which will differentiate rather than their specification per se.

I think I missed it if you mentioned a budget, but you are looking probably at around £500 for a 10w diode laser / £1000 for a 20w etc.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/ATOMSTACK-A10-Pro-Engraving-Fixed-Focus/dp/B09VB5V8BW/ is just over £400

xtool (I have their 20w machine) has a clearance sale on at the moment, but their base 5w machine is only rated up to 3mm wood, so is a bit under spec.
their 10w is a bit more expensive than above - but I think 10w is the minimum you need

Exactly that.

 

[llywmog]

It's probably outside of what you want to spend but I highly rate the Gweike Cloud Pro 55W that I have. There certainly was a learning curve involved but I've now got to grips with everything about it i.e. cutting speeds and power, properly calibrating the camera, use of Lightburn etc. What I especially like is the fact that it's already enclosed and comes with an exhaust fan, so no faffing about (time and money) to sort out exhaust fumes (apart from cutting out an exhaust point for the fan).