Today, we will help you by making a choice between all the different laser-cutting machines on the market, what they are used for, and why they are useful in the miniature world.
By the way, have you seen the fairy houses that I made already from these laser-cut kits? I have many very positive reactions to them and I’m so proud. Because after all, it is all about how you finish them, right?
Maybe even nicer than 3D printing, but that’s just in my opinion.
Anyway, enough about me, let’s dive deeper into the topic and into the reviews!
Updated august 23
But First, what is a laser cutter machine used for?
Laser cutting is defined to be a technology that uses a beam of light referred to as a Laser to produce very fine cuts via vaporization of the material that the laser is focused on.
Its initial applications were seen in the industrial field, but recent advances in technology have seen it get used in hospitals, architectural tasks, small enterprises, and schools.
There is a difference between laser engraving machines and laser cutter machines.
a laser engraving machine doesn’t cut through wood completely, but creates light marks by using less power
a laser cutter machine, however, cuts through many materials and therefore needs high-power lasers.
There are machines that do both, so I decided to review 5 of them. ( I suspect that a machine like that was used to cut and engrave my book-nook kit. )
How does a laser cutter work?
A laser cutter simply works by focusing a very strong beam of light using optics and a “Computer Numerical Control (CNC)” module on the material requiring cutting.
Sometimes a motion control module is incorporated to make the cutting of pattern-like and complicated cuts on a given material possible.
The material that is lasered either melts away, vaporizes, or gets blown by the use of a stream of pressurized air (Oberg Industries, n.d.). The above methods leave a fine cut noticeable by its high-quality edges (Thomas, 2012).
To understand how this technology works, we first need to understand how the laser is generated. It is generated via the stimulation of a lasing material, often using electrical lamps or, more rarely, an electrical discharger.
The lasing material can be a solid, gas, semiconductor, or even a liquid that disperses light in all directions.
This material is stimulated at increasing levels until the produced light gains sufficient energy to bounce off the enclosure compartment as a ray of monochromatic light.
Inside the enclosure compartment, there is a partial mirror that serves the purpose of bouncing the light coming from the lasing material. The escaping ray of light is directed to the material requiring cutting via fiber optic or even special mirrors.
Why would miniaturists use a laser cutter?
In the miniature world, laser cutters are mostly used for the precise cutting of DIY dollhouse kits and wooden 3D puzzles.
This is a high-performance powerful laser cutting machine. The details:
The engraving area is 410 millimeters on the X-axis and 400 mm on the Y-axis.
The device has an acrylic cover surrounding the laser module
A power supply that takes a 100 to 200 VAC is included and the output is 12V 5A ( 5.5W laser output for the US )
The software is LaserGRBL and LightBurn, and it runs on Windows XP, 7, 8, 10,, and MacOS operating systems. Supported engraving file-formats including NC, JPG, PNG, DXP, etc.
the unique laser cover helps you filter out the diffused light from the laser spot. ( but I would advise you to still wear eye protection! )
one of the most budget-friendly laser cutting machines out there
able to engrave and cut a lot of materials like: thick wood, acrylic, rubber, plywood, PCB board and bamboo. It even engraves on stainless steel and ceramic materials with ease.
no goggles are needed anymore, because off the eye-protective shield
quick to assemble
The Bad.
In the video above, the person mentioned that there wasn’t an actual manual included on how to operate it, but only how to assemble it
It has no limit switches, this means that it will not stop even if it hits the limit
doesn’t have an on and off switch
Support and Warranty.
Offers 24×7 email customer support and phone services during working hours. A 1-year warranty is given to every machine and its parts.
Beware:
It is recommended to get and use a power strip that has an on/off switch.
Also, an extra note about the belts. Make sure they are both the same relative tightness or you may have some issues with engraving.
Final Conclusion.
This seems like a pretty good laser-cutting machine for beginners, although it has its faults.
Cuts paper-board, fabric, wood, leather, felt, plastic, cloth, fruit, and more
Portable with Auto-focus stand for DIY Logo Design
The LaserPecker Pro has a 0.15mm accurate light spot and a high-quality 405nm blue-violet laser.
works with a power bank
Wirelessly Bluetooth controlled by a smartphone
Engraving range: 10*10CM;
File Formats: JPG / BMP /PNG /G-code
Option: magnetic Protective Shields: you can protect your eyes and directly see laser movements in the progress of engraving without having to wear protective glasses.
Small, lightweight and portable design/doesn’t take too much room in a small home and you can just fold it up and place it on a bookshelf, for example
User friendly
Easy setup
This device is very versatile
The Bad.
cannot engrave any gloss white material or rocks
can’t cut larger pieces, but perfect for our miniatures 😉
works best for small projects, for larger things it takes quite long
on the pricey side
Support and Warranty:
30 days free replacement parts,1-year warranty, and full-life customer service
Beware:
There is no ability to opt out of the software updates and changes to the device.
Final Conclusion.
This laser-cutting machine seems perfect for small projects, but I honestly am not sure if the price is worth it if you would like to do something more than that.
This machine has got some good quality versus the price
The Bad.
again, this device seems mainly good for smaller things and thin materials, not suited for thick wood, for example
you need to raise the motor if you want to build something thicker
Can not work on metal, iron, glass, 201/304 stainless steel, jewelry, aluminum or silver.
it seems like the carving works very slow
Support and Warranty:
12 months warranty, contact the seller on Amazon for support
Beware:
It is suggested to watch some videos on 3018 CNC machines and the software (Candle GRBL Control and Laser GRBL).
Get some PTFE dry lube and apply it to all transport rails and feed screws, frequently.
And wear eye protection!
Final Conclusion.
I would buy these laser cutting machines if I had the patience to work with them because although the price and quality are good, you do need patience to finish your workpieces 🙂
This is one of the laser cutting machines that has an in-between price. What I mean by that is that it’s not very cheap, but neither is it expensive. I thought I’d throw one in there 😉 :
Compressed Spot CNC
Has a 32-bit Motherboard LaserGRBL(LightBurn)
The engraving speed can go up to 3000 mm/min
There is a G sensor on the main board, if the machine detects unauthorized movement, the laser beam will stop
The LaserGRBL or LightBurn software seems easy to use and is the most popular
Supports Windows XP, 7, 8, 10, Mac OS and Linux
can even “draw” a photo on paper with a high-power laser unit.
no pause for cooling is necessary
very powerful laser
better than a starter laser
The Bad.
The assembly instructions aren’t too great, but there are a lot of Youtube videos out there to help you out.
There is no way to align or square up the material under the laser. There is no grid reference
May not work with your computer
Support and Warranty:
Has a one-year warranty and you can contact the seller during the warranty period.
Beware:
It is recommended by other owners/users that you should ground the laser!
Final Conclusion.
If I would personally need to choose one of the laser cutting machines, I would choose this one. (based on what it can do, the medium price, and the few problems people have with it).
Looking for a high-end, fancy-pants laser engraver? You might have found it 😉 .
Engraving Area: 400x300mm
40 Watt laser engraver (also exists in 40W)
Product dimensions : 31.89 x 24.02 x 16.14 inches
Product weight: 110 pounds
requires 1 Lithium-ion battery
Can engrave most organics or NON-metal materials such as acrylic, plywood, density board, leather, wood, double color plate, glass, cloth, bamboo, paper
Compatible with WIN7/WIN8/WIN10 system
Software: Laser engraving Plug-in CorelLASER & Seal Design Software LaserDRW (included). Compatible with CorelDraw (NOT included).
Equipped with an effective ventilation fan for exhaust smoke
Pre-installed rotary axis interface and rotary axis switch
Build-in Electric Lift-platform, One-button control.
Red light positioning system, is accurate and efficient.
The video below explains the differences between the 40K and the 60K machine:
The guy in the video above mentioned that he received Coral Draw with the machine, and that should be compatible, but he has been having issues with that.
Following this last issue, it seems really like you need to know about all this software and so on, to be able to get it to work properly
Quite pricey.
no safety unit
you can’t remove the mirrors to clean them
Support and Warranty:
You must contact the seller to know about the warranty
Beware:
Make sure you have plenty of cool water and that the pump is working.
Final Conclusion.
I don’t think that I would purchase either version of these laser-cutting machines, as replacing the motherboard would be too complicated for me.
Some more FAQs on laser cutting machines are answered for you.
In this section, I will answer some more FAQs on Google for you about laser cutting machines.
What is the best laser cutter machine for a small business?
Lots of small business owners on Etsy that are selling laser-cut DIY kits or other wooden objects, use a simple laser-cutting machine.
As far as I can see, the xTool D1 Laser Engraver is very popular amongst crafters with a small businesses. And I might review it somewhere in the future!
What is a laser cutter good for/what can you cut with a laser cutter machine?
A laser cutter machine is mostly used to cut through wood, especially for our DIY dollhouse kits, but it can also cut through:
some plastics
paper
cardboard
in some cases and more expensive machines, it can even cut through metal and very thick materials
What you can NOT cut with a laser cutter is:
Leather and artificial leather that contains chromium
(VI) Carbon fibers (Carbon)
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
Polyvinyl butyrate (PVB)
How much does a laser cutter machine cost?
It totally depends on your needs and which products you would like to produce with a laser cutter machine.
If the laser power is high, the more expensive the machine will be and cut better through all kinds of materials.
The price for a laser cutter can be as low as $100, but as high as $13000.
What are the benefits of laser cutting?
use for multiple materials: Laser cutting can be used for several types of materials, like wood (yeay to our laser-cut wooden DIY kits!), metals, plastic, and even fabrics.
High precision and accuracy: crucial for cutting out our tiny projects
Speed and thus productivity: cuts through materials quickly and so reduces production time.
Clean cuts: requires no further processing or finishing, you can easily assemble things, sometimes even without too much gluing.
Eco-friendly: laser cutting produces less waste because of its precisely
easy customization: crafters have a lot more choices for designing projects with different patterns and shapes, the possibilities are endless
Safety: as you don't come in straight contact with the cutting itself, laser cutting is physically safer than cutting by hand
What are the possible disadvantages of laser cutting?
Expensive to purchase: buying a laser cutting machine can be a barrier for small businesses. Also, regular maintenance can get costly.
Not suited for some materials. Laser cutting may not be as effective for highly reflective or transparent materials.
Harmful fumes. I would not advise using this machine inside of your home because the fumes need proper ventilation.
Limited in thickness. Laser cutting is less suitable for cutting thicker materials.
If you are interested in laser-cut miniatures then I hope that I could help you in finding a way between the laser-cutting machines out there!
Do you have any questions or would just like to chat, then please leave a message below or join me on my Facebook group or other social media channels.
4 thoughts on “5 Best Laser Cutting Machines – Some Reviews And Insights”
Hello there, Thanks for sharing this awesome article I must its one of the best I have read I a while…my company has bee looking for a good brand to get to replace ours, As its already pretty too old and out if time. What brand and type would you recommend for an electric switchboard manufacturer.
What is a laser cutting machine? I have heard of it a couple of times but I had no idea what it is. Also, what can it be used to cut? These machines are also very affordable so it is something to have around the house. Thank you for this post. I appreciate it.
Hello there, Thanks for sharing this awesome article I must its one of the best I have read I a while…my company has bee looking for a good brand to get to replace ours, As its already pretty too old and out if time. What brand and type would you recommend for an electric switchboard manufacturer.
Hello,
I wish you much luck with your search, but I don’t know anything about electric switchboard manufacturers, sorry 😉
What is a laser cutting machine? I have heard of it a couple of times but I had no idea what it is. Also, what can it be used to cut? These machines are also very affordable so it is something to have around the house. Thank you for this post. I appreciate it.
Hello,
I have answered that question before on my website: what are laser cutting machines? I hope this helps;-)
kind regards,
Lizzy