[Noisebridge-discuss] Large(r) format Laser Cutter for Noisebridge...

[Martin Bogomolni]

 I would love an OS X driver with a native interface (with support for
everyone else's platform of choice too)...

I'd love that too, but frankly that's a snipe.   It doesn't exist out
there right now, and I have my solid doubts that NoiseBridge members
would have the attention span for a long-term development project like that.

I know it sounds harsh of me, but I'm using what I've experienced over
the last few years as my guide here.

I think the best we can expect, for a solidly working machine with
predictable and reproducible results, will likely be a windows machine
and driver.   InkScape has proven "good enough" for design though, so
we can probably avoid Illustrator and/or Corel Draw unless we go with
an Epilog or Universal laser cutter.

-M

On Tue, Feb 12, 2013 at 11:13 PM, Chris Murphy
<chrisnoisebridge at gmail.com> wrote:
> If we were to get another laser cutter, I'd love to correct some of these issues...
>
> The software on our current machine is hideous. I would love an OS X driver with a native interface (with support for everyone else's platform of choice too).
>
> The present laser cutter has an uneven platform and the laser can be driven into the sides of the machine (is this a feature?). The list of problems don't end there. I'm grateful to have it and occasionally use it, but I wouldn't recommend this machine to a friend.
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Feb 12, 2013, at 17:01, Martin Bogomolni <martinbogo at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> What's the reliability, software, and workflow look like for that laser?
>>
>> -M
>>
>> On Tue, Feb 12, 2013 at 1:54 PM, David Rorex <drorex at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> AMT's laser is ~47"x32" 80W, total final cost was just a few hairs under $7,000
>>>
>>>
>>> On Tue, Feb 12, 2013 at 11:00 AM, Martin Bogomolni <martinbogo at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> Taylor,
>>>>
>>>> Lets stick to what we can accomplish.  A $79,000 gantry style laser
>>>> cutter is a -bit- outside the power, weight, and financial
>>>> capabilities of NoiseBridge at the moment.
>>>>
>>>> ----
>>>>
>>>> I will come in to Noisebridge tonight for the meeting, and see if we
>>>> can build both consensus and start a fundraiser to get something like
>>>> a 32" x 18" laser cutter, with whatever wattage laser we can afford.
>>>> My preference would be a used RF excited + Air cooled laser (easier to
>>>> maintain) such as the Universal, or Epilog laser cutters.   However,
>>>> if raising money becomes an issue, we could swing for laser cutter
>>>> similar to what Ace Monster Toys has ( Water cooled, 100W ).
>>>>
>>>> -M
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