Laser Cutting

Shop Information

Shop Name	Laser Lab
Shop Manager(s)	Martino N. Kate W. & Alex G
Shop Discord	#Lasers
Shop Email	laser@tcmaker.org

A shop focused on cutting and engraving with lasers.

WARNING! Fire hazard!

Materials in the laser cutter can burst into flames at any time. Even materials that you have cut in the past with no ill effect can suddenly ignite.

You must remain at the laser at all times. No exceptions – if you must leave the laser cutter, make sure that any running jobs have been paused or stopped before you step away. Failure to follow this rule will result in an immediate ban from the laser cutter. Both lasers have a red emergency stop button if the laser nozzle is tearing through the laser bed, or in case of fire.

Materials

The laser cutter can etch and/or cut a wide range of materials – but some materials don’t work well, and some materials are extremely hazardous to the machine and nearby humans. Check the list of Laser Cutter Materials before placing anything in the laser.

Training Required

Both machines require an orientation before gaining access. You'll need to email it@tcmaker.org to request a general login for the computers before attending the orientation.

Laser Calendar

Laser time can be booked through Booked Scheduler.

Reservation etiquette

It helps if you use your name as the reservation title so we can contact you if the laser is down and save you a trip.
If you reserve a laser and can't make the appointment, you can cancel in the scheduler so someone else can use the laser.
Reserve a reasonable amount of time. What’s reasonable? That depends on the time of day and the day of the week. 8 hours from midnight to 8am on a Tuesday is reasonable, while noon to 8pm on a Saturday is not. Remember to be excellent to each other, and share the laser cutter with your fellow members.
Please arrive no later than 15 minutes after the start of your reservation.
Be aware of who’s coming in after your reservation.
Try to plan ahead, and don’t start long jobs that will put you over your end time if someone else is coming in.

Paying for your usage

The laser costs $5/hour to run. We are relying on your honesty and good will to keep track of laser usage and fees. When you use the laser cutter:

You may pay online at the TCM maker website;

or

Put the proper dollar amount in the happy pay box next to the laser room door.

The honor system has been working very well for us so far. Let’s keep that going – good will is far more reliable than some technological solution that will inevitably break down when you really want to use the laser.

Member Storage

We have temporary storage for your materials on marked shelves. Mark your materials with a Parking Ticket. Please be mindful that it is not long term storage. Items left in laser storage after 2 weeks from the parking ticket date will be removed.

Tools

Thunder Nova 51 100w 51 1/8" x 35 1/4" x 8 3/4" drop
Thunder Nova 35 100w 35 3/8" x 23 5/8" x 8 3/4" drop

The usable width quickly shrinks the higher engraving movement speed you set.

4" Lens Head
Rotoboss Rotary attachment: For engraving Tumblers and other cylindrical objects.

Rotary setup video

Laser Settings

Thunder laser's website has recommended settings for various materials to give you a starting point. You should perform material tests often, there can be many variables that will affect the quality of your cut or engrave. Laser Settings

Software

The Thunder Lasers use LightBurn to provide the print driver and to allow you to print from the compatible software of your choice.

You can use the vector graphics editor of your choice to create your files at home, as long as you can export to compatible files like SVG, PDF, or DXF. Many users use Inkscape.

If you would like to use Lightburn at home, you can get a discount code that drops the price to $50 which Lightburn has provided to Twin Cities Maker members.

Cleaning up

Users are responsible for cleaning up after themselves.

There is a shop vac in the room that you can use to suck up the pesky small bits on the honeycomb bed.

There is a key in the side of each laser that you'll use to open the front panel to slide the bottom trays out, materials collect in the trays and create a fire hazard, please vacuum after each session.

Leave the Lasers and tables free of clutter and mess for the next person.

Maintenance

The lasers are maintained by the laser committee. If there is an issue with the laser, send an email or Discord message to one of the managers to fix this issue.

Users should not attempt to align the optics!

Do you want to learn how to clean the optics, vacuum out all the goo, re-level the bed, align the laser? Send an email to laser@tcmaker.org, and we’ll talk!

Tutorials

Lightburn Tutorials

How to change between 2 and 4 inch lens head

How to clean the mirrors

Tips

Move tab - Set speed to 120mm per second
Window - Filled/Smooth
Preview window for time estimate, cut path, and starting in the middle of a job.
MM to In: Laser tools - Device settings - Untoggle "Link control and design units"
Frame continuously: Laser tools - Device settings - Basic settings - Toggle On
User origin - Cut selected

Acrylic:

Cast Acrylic is great for engraving and gives off very little smell.
Extruded Acrylic has a more melty engrave and gives off a strong smell, as well as VOCs.
Do not cut acrylic produced with chlorine, that will result in toxic fumes being released.
4" Lens Head can be used to cut through thicker materials, it requires a 10mm focal distance.