How to CUT Aluminum with a Fiber Laser | Halloween Keychains and Stickers

In this super fun fiber laser tutorial we're cutting stickers and keychains from aluminum business card stock! These projects are super inexpensive and you can do these on literally any fiber laser, any wattage. I provide sources for the vectors and fonts, all the settings, and insight on the finishing touches that take it from experimenting to a sellable project you can make money with. Hope you enjoy the episode, and thanks for watching!
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0:00 - Intro - Overview
0:55 - Vector Source
2:07 - Font Source
4:00 - Installing Fonts
4:49 - Finishing Artwork
9:08 - Offset Cut Outlines
15:29 - Sticker Adhesive Prep
18:42 - Cutting Jig
22:04 - Sticker #1 EZCAD Setup
22:49 - Sticker #1 Mark
24:00 - Sticker #1 Cut (Experimental)
28:22 - Sticker #2 EZCAD Setup
30:02 - Sticker #2 Cut (Final)
31:14 - Sticker Review
34:08 - Keychain #1 EZCAD Setup
35:40 - Keychain #1 Mark
35:55 - Keychain #1 Cut
38:47 - Keychain #2 EZCAD Setup
40:31 - Keychain #2 Mark
40:47 - Keychain #2 Cut
46:19 - Keychain Review
48:59 - Keychain Final Touches
50:38 - Final Thoughts
51:27 - Outro - Supporting the Channel
Listen up! Laser engraving machines are inherently dangerous. The content this channel is for educational purposes only. Laser Everything LLC can not be held liable for any harm caused to any individual or personal property related to settings, activities, procedures, techniques, or practices described in whole or part on this KZbin channel. By watching this video you agree that you alone are solely responsible for your own safety and property as it pertains to this content. Do your own research before purchasing machines, materials or accessories. LE is viewer supported and probably earns commission when you buy stuff we link.

[@shedlight369]

Holy Sheeeeeet! Alex, my brother from another mother, this video contains the solution to a problem I have been having. I was ready to give up and look for an alternative solution.....THEN, this video. 🤯🤯🤯. Thank you so so much for ALL YOU DO!!

[@LaserEverything]

Excellent! Glad it helped! :D

[@tracybest5790]

I just ordered a 60W fiber from Ali. Ive also spent months using Ai and trying to figure out an easier way to do MINS 10-13 and WOW! this video was well worth THAT section!!! Im saving to rewatch and learn! Ill def be subscribing and watching more.

[@plankie1965]

You are the best teacher on fibre lasers that I have found. You’re a genius. I haven’t found a video on all the jigs and accessories that you use to speed up your processes. Things like the level, clamps, jigs that you have made etc. A video like that would be great if you can. Even down to the type of texta you use. Thanks again for the awesome content.

[@LaserEverything]

That's awesome Phil I'm glad it's working so well for you. We can definitely focus on that kinda stuff in a future episode. I'll keep it in mind! Thanks for watching! PS: Check out this video if you haven't seen it already, I think it will help you: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rnPGk2eseqp0kKs

[@BigMikesOutpost]

Man Alex you hit this one out of the park! I have been struggling with some of these items on the prep of the art that you covered in this video and this has been a tremendous help thank you!

[@LaserEverything]

Awesome, thank you! Appreciate you man, glad you liked it!

[@boomiedave]

Such an amazing idea. Ordered supplies to try this. Thank you for this. 👍❤️

[@LaserEverything]

Heck yeah! Good luck, have fun!

[@kylegustaveson5345]

metal stickers is such a cool idea. super premium and wont fade like a typical paper sticker, i like! great work alex thanks for sharing

[@LaserEverything]

No problem! Thanks for watching!

[@jjchen330ci]

Alex, what a great video, loads of information, amazing!!! thank you so much.. I need to get busy experience what I learn here!!

[@LaserEverything]

You can do it! Thanks for watching, good luck and have fun!

[@FrancisZerbib]

Excellent video. Thank you

[@LaserEverything]

You are welcome! Glad it helped!

[@Tabyaoui]

Thank you

[@drjmunguia]

thanks for sharing, have you ever tried cutting vinyl pu or htv with fiber laser? It is a textile material that is used to make logos on caps and clothing. It gives a 3D look to letters and logos.

[@Alasdair-Morrison]

I must have missed this episode, Cutting those thin *Alu-min-ium* cards can be tricky at times. Nice work :)

[@chrishanson8972]

Maybe I missed it. What power laser are you using in this video? Thanks!

[@imajeenyus42]

Awesome work! And it makes me realise how I HAVE to learn Illustrator ;-) That offsetting stuff you were doing around 12:00 or so - being able to offset multiple objects and combine them afterwards. Damn. In Rhino you can only offset one curve at a time, so there's a heck of a lot of trimming and joining afterwards.

[@LaserEverything]

Definitely get on it if you can afford it. It's expensive but it does a lot of great stuff. Honestly I'd probably move to Affinity Designer or something but I've been using AI for soooooooooooo long. I just know it - so I keep paying for it - and it's good at what it does.

[@imajeenyus42]

@@LaserEverything Affinity Designer looks cool, I'd never heard of it before! One more thing to check out ;-)

[@junkpilenolonger-vq8qn]

Good instruction My 60 watt is still in the pickup truck Going to be a good year

[@jarnehofmans5822]

Would it be possible, or well, worth it to cut the adhesive in a CO2 laser using a jig for the cards?

[@mikechavez7844]

How many watts do you need in your fiber laser to cut aluminum?

[@ToBeeOrNotToBeHoney]

For the warping and fallout could you place some sacrificial supports (i.e. some thicker bars or a plate under the work piece)? This is what I would do using most other CNC type machines...

[@LaserEverything]

Smart, good tip!

[@Djraven831]

What is that holder you're using? was it an accessory or did you make it?

[@jamesshelton9126]

Nice work, couldn't you use a pin bed and lay the metal on that to cutout?

[@LaserEverything]

You could but that won't prevent warping. When aluminum gets hot it will start to bend. Because aluminum loses heat so quickly it bends back and fourth really fast which appears as a wobble and will effect your final cut line (even happens in the video quite a bit) the best solution is an actual cut bed which grips the metal on each side so that it cannot flex. This effect would be Even worse on something like a pin bed because it would be nothing holding the metal down at all so just be bouncing around on top of the pins. I'm sure there's a way you could get something like that to work maybe some magnets or something to hold it in place? You'd have to mess around with it.

[@Hospitaldosrelogios]

Any tips for cutting without hurting the edges? Make the edge as perfect as possible? Maybe not use the wobble?

[@tracybest5790]

Ive watched this video a hundred times. At 24:56 I have mine set to 20 and 30 passes. and mine ONLY ever does 1 pass. I have all my parameters set to the same. Any help?

[@denysepope7600]

Hi Alex, been watching your videos the last couple of weeks. So informative! Yet to get a fiber laser but getting very close to ordering. Just wondering, given the issues cutting cleanly through the aluminium,, could it be laid flat on a base board e.g. wood?

[@LaserEverything]

It could, but I would be concerned about the wood catching on fire. Wouldn't recommend.

[@denysepope7600]

Thanks Alex, I hadn't thought of that as I know fiber lasers aren't designed for engraving wood, so figured it wouldn't have a big effect. Will steer clear of this option!

[@denysepope7600]

BTW, congrats on the 2nd channel, and shutting up shop. I'm sure now you can focus full time on the various channels etc, you'll be helping many more people 😀

[@paulcardamone]

Which machine are you using in this demo?

[@shoguncustoms]

Another great video. I'd love to make these with my logo on them.

[@LaserEverything]

Please do!

[@shoguncustoms]

@@LaserEverything once I actually get a laser. Still trying to learn all I can on your discord and KZbin

[@LaserEverything]

There's a lot :P you'll be well prepared though!

[@shoguncustoms]

@@LaserEverything I believe that. All your stuff is good. Especially for dummies like me lol

[@mitzinewman3238]

Love this video. cute Idea. I working through doing all this in inkscape. Any tips for doing this in inkscape? im still using inkscape as I am not at a point to purchase software or pay a month subscription. Love watching and then going back and doing the process in inkscape. The Expanding has been my first hiccup so far, determined to figure it out. Thanks for sharing!

[@LaserEverything]

We have an entire beginners lesson on Inkscape for Laser which you can watch here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bpisdH93nq9_kLs Hope that helps :)

[@mitzinewman3238]

@@LaserEverything found it. Thanks for the beginner video! It helped so much!

[@sohighifly2373]

How are you not cooking the adhesive? I have to tackle this a completely different way and it sucks! Thank you!

[@LaserEverything]

I don't know! LMAO, I thought it would cook too but lucked out with these settings. Might just be that specific 3M adhesive type. Who knows? Weird right?

[@violentcrumble6720]

Hey dude! great idea. Can't wait to cut some ally on my new fiber laser! Just a pro tip for you. I make ALOT of stickers with my Mimaki eco solvent printer and they actually have an illustrator plugin that makes all this 10x easier and it is completely free. It is called Rasterlink plugin. Check it out :) in one click you can add an outline, can trace inside and outside and set the offset. Can also trace and add outlines to pictures!

[@LaserEverything]

Thanks for the tip! I'll check that out for sure!

[@rmilne7]

Speaking as a sign guy Alex, would it not be easier to simply set the decal/keychain metal right on a sacrificial plate? That would eliminate the dropping from the fixture and any potential issues with the laser still in motion. With the adhesive attached, it should eliminate the burn on the edges as well.

[@LaserEverything]

I'm more concerned about the damage the backside of the keychain would get when pressed up against another piece of metal with the heat of the laser.

[@rmilne7]

@@LaserEverything Possibly. What about just on 2 "stick" - or even a piece of plywood. Theoretically that should act as a heat sink (or yeah - use an old square computer heat sink!). Just spitballing - I have a 3 axis CNC for my business so I have to think about ways to keep things steady.

[@absoltd7490]

@@rmilne7 Or just left 3-4 small 0.2 mm bridges uncut to hold the piece in place...

[@lapampalaserdisenoycortela7381]

hi alex.. ur machine is a 30W? and for this video ur lens is 110x110? or 200x200?

[@LaserEverything]

This was done on a 30w LP JPT laser with a 110mm lens

[@adaplazermarkalama-adaprek1280]

Hi Alex (My English is not very good so I will use google translate. forgive my mistakes) First of all, it's a very good video. Health to your hands (good wishes in Turkish) The method and settings we made in aluminum cutting are almost the same as yours. When quantity a lot of (50-100 copy), 3 or 4 copy paste (dublicate) shape. 1. line (350s, 75p, 20khz, 0,3 thin, %50 frequency)+ 2. line (500s, 85p, 22khz, 0,25 thin, %30 frequency) + 3. line (200s, 95p, 25khz, 0,35 thin, %80 frequency) x 5 pass. This method trick different value very fast change and pulse values are not so important. It is important to remove chips close to each other and without melting the aluminum. Figures may vary depending on the structure of aluminum. Because when cutting aluminum, melting is matter. But if i want marked aluminim, i want melting aluminum. so it is must grey. High power, slow speed and medium frequency.. sample 90p 200s 30khz. Only 1 pass.. 1 pass very importand. Because 2.nd pass is cleaning surface.. i want grey surface.. and i use QuickMark application and 20W fiber. i not sure ipg or maxphotonic or other..

[@adaplazermarkalama-adaprek1280]

Second idea.. for this video sample.. if aluminum dark painted surface, I want the aluminum to shine from the bottom surface. Fast speed, low laser, low frequency.. 2 or 3 Pas 45 angle.. 750s 20p 20khz.. hatching may 0,085 mm..

[@LaserEverything]

All amazing information :D Thank you so much for sharing with us!

[@sd8213]

Would iy not be faster to laser a full sheet then do thr cutting on the cnc ??

[@LaserEverything]

I mean yeah if you had a giant aluminum sheet laser cut by a fabricator and then engraved the cut outs that'd be faster but that wasn't really the point of the video.

[@betobeto7903]

Help! looking for a good fiber laser. I have a small marketing sign shop, do not have the cliental for this type of work but at the same time would like to have the power to do what I can without any setbacks on potential projects. What would you recommend?

[@LaserEverything]

The 50w JPT LP machines are very versitile all around machines that can tackle most projects. Highly recommend them, especially from Mactron who stand behind their product and take care in building their machines. Link in the description.

[@steinbierz]

@@LaserEverything I am in the market also but man, shipping of a Mactron is no joke!

[@jasonhumphreys261]

I’m watching your wobble setting, is that essentially a kerf width setting? Does it cut faster the larger the kerf? Will it cut with a very small kerf?

[@LaserEverything]

Essentially, but not actually. What it's doing is instead of the laser moving in a straight path it's spiraling. The larger the diameter the bigger the spiral. Wobble is very useful because it keeps metal that you're cutting from basically welding back together as you're cutting through it.

[@jasonhumphreys261]

@@LaserEverything that makes sense, thanks for the response! If I needed to cut some 1mm thick aluminum with a great deal of precision and a narrow kerf, do you think a 50w galvo fiber machine would handle it or should I research other methods?

[@LaserEverything]

1mm is pretty thick. It's not going to cut like a gantry cutter would obviously. But those are 30k. Still, should do the trick.

[@phantienhung93]

Hi where do you get the vise? It look great

[@LaserEverything]

linked in our buying guide: www.lasereverything.net/buyingguide

[@davidvelasquez1563]

Hi, regards from Colombia, I have a question about Fiber Laser machine with 50W Raycus, ..when i work cutting aluminium 0.5mm, with power 80%, Speed 300 and Frecuency 35, wich will be a life time laser source? ..... factory Warranty 100.000 hours. But working power 80% 3 or 4 hours at day, maybe this machine life time will be 10.000 hours. Thats correct or you have another opinion. Thanks for you help

[@LaserEverything]

These machines are designed to be used. I don't think continuous operation for well built machines is going to lower the life expectancy. As long as it's designed well and your passive cooling is doing it's job for both the galvo head and the laser source there's no reason why you shouldn't be able to surpass your warranty

[@davidvelasquez1563]

@@LaserEverything Thanks..ok..., but in my work I give a fiber laser support and fix this machines, but many customers call me when his machines fails after six months, or one year working (less of 5.000 hours working) and many times, i found spent laser source ...... different customers explain me that they ever works a machines with 80, 90 or 100 power to engrave on steel images, pictures or any things.... my conclusion is same like a car engines, when you drive for all city on first gear for hours, produces wear and tear on his parts...after fail engine. I see that many times in my work....laser sources spent for high power levels when engraving. When i open laser source cases to found the problem, the laser diode dont work, and fiber optic wire be fine. Only solution, change the laser source.

[@LaserEverything]

Yeah I usually cap my machines around 80% and only very rarely surpass that.

[@123bugness]

I love your vids, but I have a huge problem with EZCrash - literally 90% of vectors will only open as scribble lines or not at all, or it crashes. Any words of wisdom?

[@LaserEverything]

What software are you using to create your vectors?

[@LaserEverything]

Save your AI file as an AI Version 8 file and give that a try. Inkscape is a horrible pain in the ass to get it to play nicely with ezcad. Some people have had luck with SVG 1.1 others export as DXF. I rarely use inkscape but you can probably get a straight answer if you ask around in either our discord or Facebook groups. Lots of people on inkscape in those communities.

[@AndreyYampolskiy]

Hi! Are you using 30W fiber laser here?

[@LaserEverything]

Yes this was done with the 30w mactron machine linked in the description and a 110mm lens.

[@leiteramos7047]

Hi, I know your channel a few days ago and I'm enjoying it a lot! I'm from Brazil and I work with silver jewelry, all done in laser, I would love to talk to someone from another country about it, if you can, answer me my friend. Thanks Sorry I'm using translator....

[@LaserEverything]

Join our discord server Leite! discord.gg/tCSw7ghQ

[@giladshneor2523]

​@@LaserEverything is this discord server still active? Can I please also get an invite😃

[@paultsoi4918]

What power of fiber laser are u using ？20w or 50w？

[@LaserEverything]

This video was recorded with a 30w laser and a 110 lens.

[@betobeto7903]

Sorry, now I am really confused! What can a UV laser do what a Fiber cant or vice versa? Would it be wiser to spend the extra $ to get a UV laser?

[@LaserEverything]

A UV laser can mark anything on the surface but can't keep engrave metal like a fiber laser can. UV laser can mark synthetics organics and inorganics including wood acrylic glass metal etc. Fiber laser is really only designed to work with metals but can deep engrave and ablate well into the metal, hopefully that makes sense. So different tools for different jobs.

[@betobeto7903]

@@LaserEverything You are too awesome! LOL. Thanks!

[@LaserEverything]

Here to help 🙂

[@gajahmada415]

Hai Laser Everything ❤, I'm Your Subcriber. Can I Ask Something? I Have Old Ezcad2 Fiber Laser Mechine. Still Run in Windows 10. But My Laptop Always Notif Me Goes To Windows 11. I Always Reject it. Can Old Ezcad 2 App Can Run In Windows 11 When I Update? Thank You, I Hope You Reply Me..Thank You So Much..Healthy Always Sir..❤

[@gajahmada415]

I Very Worry If I Update to Windows 11. I Can't Laser Again..

[@ukdnbmarsh]

put something under the jig so that the item cant fall down near the end of the cutting

[@LaserEverything]

Yeah that would help.

[@SimonEarly]

this sounds like a really manual labor intensive way of doing things. Can you automate this with a script or something?

[@LaserEverything]

Ezcad does have some limited complicated scripting capabilities but I haven't messed with them personally to know. You certainly once you have your settings dialed in can set up the mark and cut all in one file so they run all at once which is pretty easy.

[@brianwaayenberg3099]

Try a much higher frequency for cutting the sticker. I cut cardboard shapes with my 50w jolt and 300khz works well with little fire flare ups. Oh, and you ever considered a digital read out (dro) sliding scale for setting your laser head height? They are cheap (around 50). I use one and LOVE IT. Set the scale to 0.00 at the table base and just ist crank to the height of the part I toss under it. No guessing not messing and set to 0.001” of the perfect height quick! Also helps with “off focus” engraving for different effects ad you know exactly/accurately where it is I really Love the content by the way!

[@brianwaayenberg3099]

50w jpt ***

[@LaserEverything]

So glad you're enjoying it. Yes, the DRO project is high on my list for producing an episode on. Maybe early 2022 we'll get after something like that! :D Glad you're enjoying the show!

[@brianwaayenberg3099]

@@LaserEverything looking forward to that episode, ill be curious how you attach it, mine came with some useless looking brackets, so just tapped it on and and been working great for 6 months shockingly. its funny, i got a cnc mill bu tnever have the time to mke stuff like brackets for myself, lol. looking forward to checking out the content on your academy :)

[@VegasMadMikey]

Hi, can you tell me what DRO you are using and how you mounted it to your fiber laser? Sounds very interesting. Thanks!

[@brianwaayenberg3099]

@@VegasMadMikey honeslt any el cheapo on amazon will work! for mounting i simply electrical taped the slide to the height adjust worer and taped the screen where i could see it. with a dial indicator i see about 0.01" movment of the taped slide when i chang direction as the friction pulls it. its a laser not a cnc. im not bothered by the little loseness. all of my parts are cnc'd dimentional do i set zero at the build plate and whenever i toss a new part under i just lift to the known dimention. for rotory work i get the height value on the first one and record it so when that part comes through again i just go to the known height and blast away. now all i need is a more accurate locator on the table, som kinda quickpoint system so i can drop known parts down and just hit burn.

[@justincredible4406]

Would cutting this on glass work?

[@LaserEverything]

No unfortunately. You'd need a gantry co2 or a UV laser to engrave glass

[@justincredible4406]

@@LaserEverything i Know, I meant to stop the cards warping as the laser would pass through the glass keeping cuts in place?

[@user-hamza.515.]

How powerful is your device?

[@LaserEverything]

This was a 30 watt

[@nin1ten1do]

BEST way to cut trought is set 2 same vector then make one bigger to make betwen them 0,2mm space.. then mark them both and create hatch with 0,1mm stepting and rotate angle every cut 10degree set laser to 42kHz power from 30-75% (depend on your laser and set speed to 1200mm/s.. trust me i cut this way also silver, inox and etc.. :) enjoy clean cut with no need to clean path with no much lose of material :) (dont use woble it work werry badly path get smelted and it not work at all....) You not noverheat your material like this at all.. (specialy plastic and inox can be werry painfull to work with when heat it up.) EDIT you will be need like 30-300 path repeat depend on thickness and material and lenth of lence focus..

[@LaserEverything]

Good tips. Sounds really slow, but I'll give it a try some time.

[@nin1ten1do]

@@LaserEverything No worry is actualy not slow.. the axis mowement is mosly just X+ X- and then shuffle in Y+ Y- instead of werry hard galvo WOBBLE cyrcle-ing.. What give you advantage in speed a lot.. and trust me, you can cut trought anything like that.. i found out this method co'z *direct* one line (outlay) cut on galvo not work at all, you get overheating material (colorization, burning, bending), you can't cut reliable one drag more like 0,33mm, co'z cutt oxidation and lack of direct air in cutting vector, angle of beam and energy wasted on re-burning/welding oxidation in cut.. ENJOY and thx.. it was werry kind :)

[@suneelleo1402]

@@nin1ten1do your idea worked(1mm anodised aluminium 4 cm round only 3 passes) !!!! thanks .

[@niejelkent]

watts of your machine?

[@LaserEverything]

30w for that machine.

[@robertmoran9225]

Correction - 0.05 wobble, 0.1 size, using Lightburn

[@swflscratcher5893]

But what image mode? Dither? Or what? I have a 50 watt and it’s taking 500+ passes

[@LaserEverything]

No image mode in my case, these were all vectors, not raster images. We did this in ezcad, but in lightburn it would just be a fill layer for art and line for cut type instead of an image for the artwork. It's hard to give advice without knowing lens size (since that will affect how much power is needed to compensate for dot size, etc). You may need to make adjustments for your cut line, try out using wobble for the cut, and that should help. The starter settings are available on our site, and you can also try the settings converter to adjust for your wattage and lens size. If you're stuck after those tips, join one of the communities and make a forum post, that way the issue can be dug into more thoroughly. Hope that helps!

[@swflscratcher5893]

@@LaserEverything nah, I’m just an idiot I had it in image mode like a photo

[@robertmoran9225]

I have a 20WCommaker B4. It will cut 0.8mm aluminum at 1000mm/sec, 100% power, 0.1 wobble, 0.05 size, 30 passes

[@Hospitaldosrelogios]

I'm having trouble cutting it without leaving the edges bruised, it's getting irregular, it looks like the paint on the card is burnt. Any tips?

[@robertmoran9225]

The thick cards, at least the ones I buy from Amazon, are anodized so there is no paint burning problem. On the thinner cards, I use a high speed (10,000mm/min) and few passes, only two for 0.2mm cards, 9000mm/sec, 12 passes for 0.4mm cards, 0.05 wobble, 0.1 size). Unfortunately, there seems to be nothing that can be done about the rough edges that I am aware of, except a bit of very light filing.@@Hospitaldosrelogios

[@robertmoran9225]

The thick cards I buy from amazon are anodized so the edges don't brown. The edges are not smooth - nothing I know of can be done about it. except a light file. For 0.2mm cards, I use two passes at 10000mm/min 100% Power, wobble 0.05, 0.1 (Lightburn), 0.4mm cards 10 passes at 9000mm/min 100% power, wobble 0.05,0.1. For the 0.8mm cards, I use 1000mm/min, 100% power, 30 passes, wobble 0.05,0.1 Also, I do not try and make the kerf wide enough and run so many passes the cutout just falls out. Just enough so it will easily push out. Another thing - the cards tend to warp when heated which can give you a bit of cutting error on multiple passes, particularly for the 0.8mm cards. After botching one attempt on a thick card, I started pre-heating the card by engraving two 6mm diameter circles in an area outside the area I want. 10 passes, 1000mm/sec, 100% power, wobble 0.05, .1. This "pre-warps" so the card doesn't move when you start the cut. I've made some cutouts in 0.8nn cards with some fine cutouts (not engravings), like the feet and feathers on a parrot. I hope this is some help. I spent quite some time figuring out settings that worked so I could cut complex shapes and fine detail from aluminum cards, in particular 0.8mm cards. I found that the wobble settings made a huge difference. @@Hospitaldosrelogios

[@robertmoran9225]

One other thing I forgot - I made a fixture from layers of 6,3, and 1.75mm plywood to hold the cards level and securely. I found this to be necessary to get consistent results. I have a Lightburn file for this but I don't know how to securely post it.

[@Hospitaldosrelogios]

@@robertmoran9225 Thank you very much for the class. I will do all the tests you suggested, if you have WhatsApp and it's not inconvenient, I can contact you to learn more from you.

[@shadowliving6858]

You are such a “cut up”😂

[@LaserEverything]

lol!

[@antonioquarta3606]

it would be nice if there was tradition in other languages

[@pierke110]

Not 10 power. 90 power and 10 speed.

[@LaserEverything]

yes thank you.

[@Q5Grafx]

i use 50 and 100 watt galvos all day long. try just using something that sits under the keychain you want to keep . you can use a plumbers putty or clay to hold it to allow the cut off to drop away from the saved keychain. in addition aluminum is dangerous to lase with a galvo due to its shininess when lasing. it can easily damage the laser from reflecting the beam back to the lens. we use them to mark knife blades in several different steels and handles made from titanium to anodize them. as far as cutting goes you want to make a few passes then lower the z axis then a few more passes until the material is cut through. even a few thou can be a determining factor on speed and quality of the cut. so cut a thou and lower the laser a thou obviously this is easier to do with a controlled z axis. cool idea though. also use layers in freecad to hold the outline and switch between them for the cuts instead of setting up the engrave then the cut its all done already in the second layer.

[@M.Elyami]

Hi! Then you're they guy who's gonna tell me which fiber laser machine (wattage wise) I should get cause ai never used one, I need to mark/etch and engrave metal and plastic (pvc) [leather would be nice too 😅] and I would like to cut metal as well, I was thinking 60w jpt mopa m7, they have the 20w mopa m8, and they can't tell me which is better, m7 or m8, they actually said m7 is better 🙃 anyways, if you can help, I appreciate it, thanks 🌸

[@kylegustaveson5345]

@@M.Elyami​​⁠​⁠​⁠pvc releases chlorine gas when marked with a fiber, which can immediately destroy the surface of any metals that it comes in contact with, and incredibly fatal if inhaled since when it combines with the moisture in the lungs, becomes hydrochloride acid, and history tells us that’s a pretty crap way to die. Not recommended. Get a UV if marking that is a primary requirement. M8 is also too new for most companies to really have much data or testing, so you’re not likely to get anything other than a guess or speculation about those sources for a while until they become more available and less expensive.

[@M.Elyami]

@kylegustaveson5345 Thanks for saving my life? 😅 I mean it but the emojie is because you scared me 😄 thanks a lot I really appreciate you teaching an ignorant man about this, I was.. as we say, "gonna bring the holidays" 😅 much appreciation man! 🌸🌸🌸

[@kylegustaveson5345]

@@M.Elyami always happy to help. Anytime you put something new under the laser that you haven’t done before, look for an MSDS for it. Look for what happens when it burns, essentially that’s what you’ll be doing with the laser.

[@M.Elyami]

@kylegustaveson5345 will do, thank you so much!