Lazer or CNC advise

[Jeremy Yorke]

Hello
I have been reading For a while your threads before I decided to join in.I work as a driver for an Under Paid Slave company and long before that I was a woodworker for a while. the passion and desire of creating and smelling dust just won't go away. with not a lot of time at hand I have been thinking a lot about doing something that involves creativity and woodworking with quick results (sound like dream thing?:) ). well I am thinking in particular engraving or routing outdoor signs. It is here where I am at crossroad when it comes to (1)cost of about 6K budget ,(2)enviroment - single home basement, and (3)future outlook -possibly doing it after retirement. I would like your opinion on wich one would be a better avenue to choose. I thank you very much for your time and your opinion will be highly regarded

jeremy

[Keith Outten]

Jeremy,

I had to wrestle with the decision whether to purchase a laser engraver or CNC router first since I was convinced that both machines would be necessary for my work shop. I had decided to purchase a ShopBot first but got side-tracked when I saw a laser engraving demo at a local woodworking show. I bought the laser first, it is much easier to learn and thus much quicker to produce a finished product. The new benchtop lasers are about the same price as a ShopBot, $10,000.00. Either machine will fit in your basement and are reasonably easy to transport.

For large signs the router is the first choice, a laser has serious limits based on the cabinet size you purchase.

For detail work the laser has the upper hand, it can produce the most beautiful graphics in more materials than I can list.

If proffit is your main consideration my CNC router will hands down produce more income than my laser engraver. The down side is the software has a steep learning curve and you must learn to work in three dimentions. I found that I could learn to route simple shapes quickly and my router paid for itself on the very first job. It took me over two years to pay for my laser engraver, the model I purchased was 20 grand.

Together these two machines provide an awesome capability, I frequently engrave small plaques and insert them into larger signs produced on the router. The key to success is marketing. Commercial sign work has just about taken over my shop schedule now, it is the most proffitable work and I have found it to be enjoyable as well.

[Lee DeRaud]

Random observations...note that I am a hobbyist laser owner.

Either would work for that application. The laser is somewhat more versatile with respect to materials, which boosts its potential in the "creativity" area. The CNC is somewhat more versatile with respect to size, which boosts its utility for outdoor signs. For "hobby fun factor", laser wins, no contest whatsoever. For "production efficiency", depends on exactly what you're doing with it: for things they can both do, the CNC probably wins.

That said, I'm not sure a $6K budget will get you into either, unless you get real lucky in a used machine. I certainly wouldn't want to be trying to start an actual business without a bunch of reserve.

[Jim Becker]

That said, I'm not sure a $6K budget will get you into either, unless you get real lucky in a used machine. I certainly wouldn't want to be trying to start an actual business without a bunch of reserve.

There is a used machine, coincidently, in the SMC classifieds...

[Lee DeRaud]

There is a used machine, coincidently, in the SMC classifieds...I saw it, and thought it was a heck of a deal. Problem is, $8K (plus a computer) doesn't fit all that well into a $6K budget.

[Timo Christ]

Out of curiousity,
is it possible to install a "laser gun" into a CNC in place of the router?
I kinda don't see why you need two machines with a similar and expensive framework just with two different cutting tools.

[Lee DeRaud]

Out of curiousity,
is it possible to install a "laser gun" into a CNC in place of the router?
I kinda don't see why you need two machines with a similar and expensive framework just with two different cutting tools.You'd think so, wouldn't you? The actual laser is (very roughly) the same size as a router, plus (I think) some external power-supply electronics. I don't know offhand what the motion tolerances of a ShopBot mechanism are: I suspect it could handle "coarse" laser work, but probably doesn't have the same kind of accuracy/resolution as the laser. (Note that for the smaller laser machines, the laser itself doesn't move, just some mirrors and lenses.)

Biggest issue is probably safety: having the laser out in the open, so to speak.

[Keith Outten]

When they make a laser head for a ShopBot I want one :)

What a machine it would be, hopefully the laser head would be mounted just like a router motor with the lens built-in to the housing. The Z axes could provide the ability to focus and a 4 by 8 foot engraving table would be awesome. The dust collection hood could be modified to include a laser shield.

Oh Yeah!
.