(Part 3) Top products from r/lasercutting

Having made them before I would say wood veneers work quite well. They likely need to be one sided and you will have to play with your settings because it's fairly easy to burn through. That said I've had the best results with these two:

Cedar Wood Veneer and Veneer Variety Pack

The cedar veneers are super consistent in quality. Thin enough to feel like a biz card but thick enough that they are sturdy like card stock paper. Prints well and gives a reasonable differentiation between shades of light and brown so that you can get some complex imagery going if you feel like it. The variety pack comes with a whole selection of woods of varying color and quality. Some are full of burls which don't lend themselves well to lasering over, and others have such a grain pattern that distracts to much from small imagery as used in a biz card. On the other hand some of them have beautiful sheen as well as very striking color.

Here's an example of some done with two veneers from the variety pack.

So, I have a smaller compressor at home for tools and the such, this guy
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000N5UHK0/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
and I have attached an airbrush regulator with filter
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00171BFKK/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Will these work good for air assist? I rarely use the compressor and would love to make it more useful ;)

I use my airbrush for applying anything that I can, be that paint/stain/finish etc. Aside from saving money on paint you get much better results with a bit of practice. Smoother transitions etc etc. This is especially true with laser cut projects as I will often mask whatever it is that I am making, which allows me to spray the engraved/cut parts with an airbrush, and then remove the masking for perfect results.here is an example Basically an airbrush is GREAT in combination with a laser cutter, that said, there is a cost. I'll provide you some links to my setup.

airbrush

compressor

fume hood

masking material

Also there will be a smattering of paints/cleaners/paint thinners and airbrush cleaning supplies you'll need. So you are probably looking at $300-500 investment to get a good set up. Now clearly you can spend less on the airbrush, and if you plan on working outside, you can skip the fume hood etc etc, but just know that you won't be saving money on this right off the bat. All that said I heartily recommend getting one

I use this air compressor with my H series: http://www.amazon.com/Airbrush-Depot-AIRBRUSH-COMPRESSOR-REGULATOR/dp/B0038D79DC

It is very loud, however I have it setup in my wood shop so it blends right in. I also have it plugged in to a power strip with my fan, water pump and laser so it reminds me if I haven't powered everything down. I have about 230 hours on it and run it for 5 - 6 hours at a time during busy season with no issues.

Please note that if you go with something like this it will not work out of the box. There is a quick disconnect that is on the back of the laser that you need a special connector for. I ended up getting a section of plastic tubing that fits over the whole thing since I didn't want to wait ordering it from somewhere. It has worked well so I never replaced it.

Thanks for the pics! It really is a big help. I built my own desk using this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0030T1BRE

Very sturdy, it's not going anywhere lol. I highly recommend the kit. Right now it's got my computer on it waiting for the DLS...

I see blue light on the wall.

CO2 lasers emit long-wavelength infrared. It's pure heat. Getting that in your eye is like getting a blowtorch in your eye. There is a chance to restore some of your eyesight with an operation.

Diode lasers are in the visible spectrum. It fries the retina directly. There is no way to undo that.

Take this more seriously.

The fume extraction is about right. Ideally, the extractor fan is as close as possible to the exit in order to keep most of the ducting negatively pressurized.

Use a plank, cardboard, or whatever to cover the rest of the slit.

You can also buy that kind of thing on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07R65112D/ (just the first one which popped up, not the cheapest one)

The vase is here: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B005W4OG2W/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I doubt I will post the design online, but it was created in Illustrator pretty quickly.

A connector such as like this

It looks like this one has screws to attach it to the wire, so no crimp/soldering would be needed.

If you need rubber sealant for the connectors, you want to get one that is non-conductive, and does not produce acetic acid - 'no vinegar smell'. Such as this

If you are looking for parts, or help, a sign shop that makes neon signs will have all you need

I think it should be okay, it's more than double the CFM of the fan that is used for these filters, and 200 cfm over the laser recommendations:

https://www.amazon.com/IQAir-MultiGas-Purifier-Medical-Grade-HyperHEPA/dp/B00069EGA0/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1536690079&sr=8-2-spons&keywords=IQAir+HyperHEPA&psc=1

I will have to run tests to be sure. At worst, I'll have to get a bigger fan!

Plastic polish works really well. I've been using this one by Novus

From what I understand, yes... This one is often recomended

I used an airbrush compressor, but its probably overkill. The important aspect isnt the pressure, but the volume it can pump (GPH). Though I'm not sure how much you actually need.

The air compressor I use with my laser is similar to this one. It has been working quite well so far and isn't too noisy despite what the reviews on Amazon say. My exhaust blower is much noisier and drowns out the compressor noise. It puts out enough air to keep my cutting clean, but I will probably upgrade later so I can get more airflow.

Another option for ya:

https://www.amazon.com/POWTECH-Protector-Individual-Switched-Outlets/dp/B00279QRAE/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1517876818&sr=8-3&keywords=switched+ac+outlet

It would mount to the back, not inset into the box.

This pump: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0018X2XT4/
This adapter: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AB5X28G/

3 gang box: https://www.amazon.com/Carlon-B355R-5-72-Inch-2-79-Inch-3-69-Inch/dp/B000BQOXAG

switched outlet: https://www.amazon.com/Eaton-TR274W-Receptacle-Single-Pole-Resistant/dp/B005BTA0PA

1/4 inch birch from home depot. Durablack labels, axle pegs, Gorilla glue and steel brackets. Because the laser leaves a char, glued joints are not that strong so I like the bracket / peg arrangement. To make, glue edge of each piece, knock together. When done, stick in the pegs, use a japanese flush cutting saw to whack off excess peg. DXF file is here.