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LASER CUTTER LEVEL 1

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Housekeeping

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  1. Land acknowledgement
  2. Personal intro and pronouns
  3. Waivers
  4. Structure
  5. 30 min presentation
  6. 15 min demo
  7. 2:00 workshop time
  8. 15 min clean up and recap
  9. Bathrooms

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Program Overview

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To provide you with the confidence to independently output files on the laser cutter

  1. General Expectations
  2. What is a laser cutter
  3. Laser Safety
  4. File types (Raster vs Vector)
  5. How to find/make files
  6. Personal Use of the Laser

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GENERAL EXPECTATIONS

General Shop Expectations

What is a Laser Cutter

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Laser Safety

File Types

How to make/find files

Personal Use

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End of session expectations

  • Allow enough time to clean up!
    • Organize your offcuts
      • Cut them into rectangular shapes to ease storage
    • Reorganize tools
  • Leave the space better than you found it
    • Look for general cleanup tasks that need to happen
    • Don’t clean for yourself, clean for the next member

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PPE

What PPE is required?

  • Glasses (Polycarbonate)
  • Fire extinguisher

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Other Considerations

  • Tie back hair
  • No loose clothing

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WHAT IS A LASER CUTTER?

General Shop Expectations

What is a Laser Cutter

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Laser Safety

File Types

How to make/find files

Personal Use

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CO2 Laser System

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LASER SAFETY

General Shop Expectations

What is a Laser Cutter

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Laser Safety

File Types

How to make/find files

Personal Use

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Laser Identification

Class 1: Safe under all conditions of normal use.

Class 2: Considered to be safe because the blink reflex, this will limit the exposure to no more than 0.25 seconds.

Class 3: Hazardous if the eye is exposed directly, but diffuse reflections such as those from paper or other matte surfaces are not harmful.

Class 4: The highest and most dangerous class of laser. By definition, a class 4 laser can burn the skin, or cause devastating and permanent eye damage as a result of direct, diffuse or indirect beam viewing.

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File Types

General Shop Expectations

What is a Laser Cutter

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Laser Safety

File Types

How to make/find files

Personal Use

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File Types - Raster vs. Vector

Vector

  • Uses mathematical points to create infinitely scalable text and graphics.
  • Laser can follow the line to cut or fill
  • Common Programs: Illustrator, InkScape

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Raster

  • Uses blocks of color on a grid to create shapes
  • Laser cutter can only etch these file types
  • Common Programs: Photoshop, Canva

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Cut

  • Laser follows a single path moving along that line to the speed and power you set

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Etch

  • Laser moves like a typical printer firing small pulses making dots to create of raster like image

Cut vs Etch

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How to Make & Find Files

General Shop Expectations

What is a Laser Cutter

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Laser Safety

File Types

How to make/find files

Personal Use

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Way of Finding Files

  • Google It!
    • “Dog with a hat vector”
    • “Free vector files”
    • “Laser cut box maker”
    • “Laser cutter ready designs”
  • Etsy

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Program Flow

InkScape

Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Photoshop

Canva

LightBurn

Laser Cutter

OPTIONAL

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LightBurn Tutorials

https://lightburnsoftware.com/pages/tutorials

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Personal Use

Of the Laser

General Shop Expectations

What is a Laser Cutter

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Laser Safety

File Types

How to make/find files

Personal Use

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Honesty system - track your minutes!

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  • Member rate = $1.50/min + 30 mins free each month
  • Non-members = $2/min

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Pay for your minutes here OR scan the QR Code next to the machine: https://app.amilia.com/store/en/create-makerspace/shop/products/20167147

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Cost

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Membership at CREATE

Members get 75% off LightBurn!

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AS A SPECIAL THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY

Take 10% off a Membership or Punch Pass, if you sign up today, to get you started making!

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(See our front desk after the class for more details)

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Member Projects Google Drive

  • Member Projects
  • Drop your files into the folder from home

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Free Consultation

  • Free 30-minute consultation on your laser project
  • Book through this link
  • To be used within 30 days of class

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ANY QUESTIONS?

Laser Cutter Level 1

General Shop Expectations

What is a Laser Cutter

Laser Safety

File Types

How to make/find files

File Flow