Metal laser cutting

[Busted Bricks]

Hi All,

At the moment I have two lasers that will cut wood and plastic but I'm contemplating purchasing a fiber laser that will cut metal. I work with a local designer to create various decorative items but there would also be capacity to make garden railway related items. 3mm thickness is likely to be the limit.

Are there any items you can think of that you would like to see, cut from either mild or stainless steel?

Michael

[sstjc]

What would be the bed capacity.
Thanks
Barry

[Busted Bricks]

130x250cm - should be plenty for garden railways

Shipping something that size might be an issue though.....

[tuppenced]

Mr Brix, the answer to your question is "Lots" :-)

But here is a sidestep and a distraction from it that might solve someone's problem but should probably fork off to another topic.

I'm using a night-school wood cutting laser to cut thin metal.
- coat metal with paint
- coat reverse side with gaffer tape to hold it together.
- laser through the paint down to bare metal
- etch through the metal without attacking the paint
- scrub off the paint.

These 0.25mm aluminium alloy squares are 3mm across with 1mm diameter pits. Grooves are nearly through so I can just snap them apart with my fingers and push out the pits with a pin.



While the detail isn't super-smooth under this cruel magnification, it's actually a lot smoother than a 300dpi letterpress half-tone image.

But if you forget your job and seriously over-etch right through, the resulting undercutting and trapped bubbles look Really rough under the microscope:



yet, once 'rusted' with ferric chloride, those apparently 'ruined' parts (now separate, but still stuck to their gaffer tape) are perfect square washers for an ancient structure:



David

[Busted Bricks]

Mr Brix, the answer to your question is "Lots" :-)

Bring it on.

Metal cutting lasers consume assist gas like there is no tomorrow. However they also cut incredibly fast in thin sheet so the cost per part is quite reasonable.

[Maple]

Con rods, valve gear, rivet template, signs, fences, water tanks, fuel tanks, side frames, body work, METAL TUB WAGONS

So many possibilities

[Busted Bricks]

I suspect finding time to design all the parts might end up proving a challenge.  :D

One-of parts will still be on the expensive side but I hope to bring down the cost of small batch runs. One of the reasons I'm looking into buying a fiber laser is that I myself struggle with finding suppliers of parts in small(ish) quantities. Many are not interested at all.

Because there are no metal laser cutters in the country, prototyping becomes a lengthy and costly process. I work with a local designer and as is nearly always the case in a creative process there are tweaks to be done before the final product is ready.

[Busted Bricks]

My new laser arrived today. Hopefully the next one will be one that cuts metal. It only took 15 minutes to get it out of the crate and into the workshop and then we spent 2 hours drinking beer and chatting

[Big Jim]

Very civilised.

[tom_tom_go]

Beer bottles next to the emergency stop button (guessing here), like your style...

[Busted Bricks]

Beer bottles next to the emergency stop button (guessing here), like your style...

Indeed. However this is the last time beer will come anywhere near the machine. It is now up and running. Still have to tweak the alignment a bit but it's already earning money.

BTW, one of the guys who helped move the laser into the workshop is the chairman of the parliament. Who said politicians are useless?

[Busted Bricks]

I'm now 99% sure I will have a metal cutting laser. The question is: How big/powerful.

I have a potential investor who will make up the difference between the machine I had in mind and a larger machine with a higher power laser source (1-1.5kW). He is currently having parts cut in Denmark and is very interested in being able to source them locally. Whether it comes to fruition depends on whether I can find a suitable workshop. The larger machine will not fit in the current workshop in the basement of our house.

[Busted Bricks]

Things never seem to go to plan. The investment fell through - I had a very good meeting with the guy but in true Faroese style he never bothered to give me a response. It's been impossible to find a place to house the workshop. For that and many other reasons we decided to relocate to Denmark. I had enough money saved up to buy a fiber laser. Unfortunately it turned out to be very hard to get a mortgage as we are relocating to a rural area so I ended up having to fork out 60% of the propery price out of my savings. At least I now have room for the workshop (app. 130sq.m.) but not quite enough money left over to buy a fiber for now.

One positive about settling in a rural area is that I can seek a small business development grant from EU so if I am granted that, the laser purchase might be on the books again. Anyway, have to move first. We take over the new property in January '18.

[markoteal]

Nice big garden that looks fairly flat - result!

[Busted Bricks]

Nice big garden that looks fairly flat - result!

It's in Denmark - the whole country is flat. At least compared to where I live now

The property is 1.6 acre so plenty of room for a railway.

[IrishPeter]

I have a little joke about my native Lincolnshire that it is so like Denmark in geography that when they came over they wouldn't go home! Denmark is one place I would like to visit, but Norway is higher on the list according to the wife. Her ancestors came from either southern Norway, or from Fyn. The two of us now have a side line in mystifying Virginians, who are not used to reserved Northern folks.

It sounds like the Faroese were a bit like island-folk everywhere - a bit uncommunicative.

I hope you enjoy the new place.

Peter in VA

[tom_tom_go]

It looks great, good luck.

Make sure you stay in touch on the forum

[bazzer42]

Wow! Lovely house, what an incentive to move. Hope it all goes smoothly.

[Busted Bricks]

Cheers guys. Houses in the North of Denmark can be had very cheap. This one was on the market for over 4 years. Cost less than £50K. When we lived in Harpenden a single car garage was on the market for £25K!!