What to do with a frickin' laser

**Bro-crispy** · 04-05-2010, 10:50 PM

Hi all-

My shop-mate is a mad scientist and has a lot of cool tools. One of them is a CNC laser cutter. I'm not sure of the exact details, but to my knowledge it can cut through or engrave a 4'x4' sheet of paper, masonite or acrylic up to 1/2" thick into literally any shape in two dimensions. So I'm writing now to see what "anything" could be- for use with glassblowing that is. I'm thinking tools/jigs/ etc., but the sky is the limit.

Do you have any ideas? If I try out something that you suggest I'll mail you at least one of them, maybe many depending on what it is.

My shop-mate uses it make very complex geared systems, many of them marble-run-esque. He designs the systems on a 3-d modeling program, cuts out the gears and other structural components, and then attaches them all together. I'm sure that there are some websites devoted to incredible things made with these machines- you can get pretty out there with them. That's why I'm thinking there may be some potential for interesting new glass devices.

Looking forward to some cool ideas . . .

**Slimy-E** · 04-06-2010, 12:03 AM

crazy sandblasting stencils!

**Uriel** · 04-06-2010, 12:32 AM

strap it to your Shark!!

**faded** · 04-06-2010, 12:45 AM

you could cut perfect millie chips with it.

**Rock72** · 04-06-2010, 05:14 AM

You could also make diamond cut diffuse's.

**Deez** · 04-06-2010, 07:27 AM

Originally Posted by Rock72

You could also make diamond cut diffuse's.

^uhhhh or LASER cut......

**goldmanglass** · 04-06-2010, 07:35 AM

interesting proposition. since laser is just light particles, i wonder if glass will refract and reflect that light. I cant think of any applications off the top of my head, just made sure ya dont get blinded sticking glass in the laser.

A buddy of mine got a laser that you can light a cig with from 20 feel away. very dangerous though, as one shot to your eye can blind you, and if there are any mirrors in the room, things could get ugly. anyways, looking forward to seeing some of this mad scientist ish.

**Bro-crispy** · 04-06-2010, 08:09 AM

Sorry, I guess I wasn't clear- it cannot cut glass! Only paper, masonite (wood-fiber board) or acrylic. Cutting glass would be fun . . . but no dice. I know there are CO2 lasers out there that do cut glass, but this is not one of them. So what I'm after are precision tools, jigs or ??? cut from paper, masonite or acrylic that once cut could be then used with glass/ glassblowing/ bench organization etc. Got me?

**dew** · 04-06-2010, 08:18 AM

what about cutting graphite? maybe you could make intricate graphite molds or something.

**kage** · 04-06-2010, 09:15 AM

Originally Posted by Uriel

strap it to your Shark!!

**Greymatter Glass** · 04-06-2010, 09:42 AM

These laser cutters can't cut graphite either... tried it before. They won't even etch it.

They can sometimes etch dichro....

Mike Glass brought one to AGI a couple years ago, we played with it, but even on its' highest setting it would only crack and mess up boro.

They will etch your info onto aluminum and wood tool handles...

I would personally use it to cut custom acrylic and wood display cases and stands...

**pistolero glass** · 04-06-2010, 11:08 AM

light your bowl with it .... im workin on one of those right now!

**Rock72** · 04-06-2010, 12:20 PM

Originally Posted by kindglass1

^uhhhh or LASER cut......

oppss i thought diamond cut diffuses were made with lasers but now that you say it, it makes sense.

**GlassFreak** · 04-06-2010, 04:17 PM

i think someone said it... but crazy ass detailed etches for sandblasting would be the shit! and i think thats the kind of laser you need... but you would need some way to hook it up to an etching machine.

**Jeremy D.N.** · 04-07-2010, 05:51 AM

yeah man, i would just go wild with the stencils. just find some sweet wall paper patterns and cut out mad detailed designs. have a ball, thats really sweet

**SAWstudioZ** · 04-07-2010, 08:21 AM

I run a CO2 laser by day.

It wont cut glass though you could etch some pretty detailed imagery into flat glass. Graphite is way too dense for the laser as well. The energy of the laser is absorbed into the graphite and will not react.

I have done some stencils and displays. Made some cool slide stands out of acrylic....

as for dichro goes, I have had good results with bullseye soft glass in regards to lasering imagery though for boro I believe a YAG laser is used. Though after about 10 months of testing here and there I have got pretty close to a nice image on Boro Dichro... I will be doing some testing on a companys YAG laser later this month.

A YAG or Fiber mark laser has a different wavelength and will not even etch glass. The laser beam just travels right through. A CO2 laser will actually etch the glass....

**FredLight** · 04-07-2010, 02:47 PM

^ I beg to differ. The power/speed setting can be changed until the laser etches the dichro and not the glass. You can tinker with the focus as well, you'd be surprised.

I used a CO2 laser daily for years and when you play around a bit, you'll find you can do it.

**SAWstudioZ** · 04-07-2010, 03:20 PM

I don't disagree with you FredLight. I believe Boro to be a bit trickier though. . .

I just wonder on a production level for those companies doing them in the masses if they are using a YAG or CO2 primarily.

I am curious which one has the better results.

**Greymatter Glass** · 04-07-2010, 04:06 PM

I believe most commercially made dichro images are done with either a mask in the coating process or a chemical etching process after coating. The last boro dichro images I saw that were laser etched were from DA years ago and looked like poop.

In either case tho, a laser would probably be used to cut a metal mask.

The few times I've done custom dichro etching I used screen printers diazo or 3M Ultra Imagon, and sodium bifloride.