A strange question(no BS please)

[Phat_Kat]

Does anyone know where to get a laser etcher. The kind that you plug in to the computer and control via vector points. I'd like to go into making steering wheels, foot pedals, guage frames, and swim steps for boats. I need precision cuts but I don't have a ton of money. Anyone know where I can get one for 10k downward. I need a minium of a 18x24 inch work space.

[Phat_Kat]

RiverDave:
Wouldn't a CNC mill be a little more effective in making those products? That'd have to be one serious damn etcher to slot 1/4 inch aluminum for swim steps.
RD well I know where to get one but it's around 25k and that's a bit tight for me. I can make it but it's still tight. I found one that can go 2 inches into steel, iron, and a few other metals including aluminum.

[Phat_Kat]

RiverDave:
Good luck on your business. :) I hope it works out well for you.
RD thanks dave,
hey what's your groups website? the op6 thing.

[MagicMtnDan]

Dude, why not outsource the work. You won't have to invest any money and you can get a couple/three companies bidding on your work which will allow you to keep your costs down. When things pick up you can use more vendors. If things go slowly you don't have to keep paying on the capital equipment.
Good luck!

[Phat_Kat]

well I want to be able to deliver the people whatever they want. I might have bids for powdercoating and chrome but that's it. Thanks for the suggestion

[Phat_Kat]

well I want to be able to deliver the people whatever they want. I might have bids for powdercoating and chrome but that's it. Thanks for the suggestion

[TPI]

Phat Cat,
Please keep me updated on the progress of your business. My phone rings off the hook for fabrication and rigging. It would be nice to have an honest local source for "Wild" computer fabbed parts. You are in the 805 or 818 right?
Good Luck
GT

[Phat_Kat]

GT:
Phat Cat,
Please keep me updated on the progress of your business. My phone rings off the hook for fabrication and rigging. It would be nice to have an honest local source for "Wild" computer fabbed parts. You are in the 805 or 818 right?
Good Luck
GT I'm in burbank,
What exactly do you do? I'm kinda confused, might be my cold. PM me if you want!

[Phat_Kat]

heres one of my ideas for an engine cowl. I was going to have it applied to my boat when I get it in a year or 2.
http://www.angelfire.com/pro/cow/images/cowl.jpg
That glassy gradient you see is just showing how the paint should react to light.

[burbanite]

RiverDave:
Good luck on your business. :) I hope it works out well for you.
RD http://www.gamers-forums.com/smilies/contrib/ruinkai/biggrinyoyoA.gif

[Phat_Kat]

burbanite:
RiverDave:
Good luck on your business. :) I hope it works out well for you.
RD http://www.gamers-forums.com/smilies/contrib/ruinkai/biggrinyoyoA.gif ???

[Phat_Kat]

They are CO2 backed laser systems that can cut or etch just about anything. They are mainly used to engrave things like knives or to computer case cuts.

[Phat_Kat]

RiverDave:
I look forward to seeing the parts when there done. :)
RD Is that a "this will never work" comment or a sincere comment as though your looking forward to it. I'm only asking because you seemed skeptical.

[burbanite]

Phat_Kat:
They are CO2 backed laser systems that can cut or etch just about anything. They are mainly used to engrave things like knives or to computer case cuts. Great for etching, not so great for producing parts.
Just my opinion.

[Phat_Kat]

burbanite:
Phat_Kat:
They are CO2 backed laser systems that can cut or etch just about anything. They are mainly used to engrave things like knives or to computer case cuts. Great for etching, not so great for producing parts.
Just my opinion. Well I will still be welding the brackets and other things like that. The advatage is that if you wanted you company logo on your foot pedal or steering wheel or something I could do it. Also the cuts are dead on with no errors every time.
[ June 05, 2003, 12:12 PM: Message edited by: Phat_Kat ]

[burbanite]

Phat_Kat:
burbanite:
Phat_Kat:
They are CO2 backed laser systems that can cut or etch just about anything. They are mainly used to engrave things like knives or to computer case cuts. Great for etching, not so great for producing parts.
Just my opinion. Well I will still be welding the brackets and other things like that. The advantage is that if you wanted you company logo on your foot pedal or steering wheel or something I could do it. Also the cuts are dead on with no errors every time. Logos/lettering are just one part of the equation, there are any number of machinists on here that can do that.
If I read you correctly, you are using this method as a substitute for a CNC? Honestly, there is no comparison, you will be very limited in what you can do. You will have nice straight lines in one or two dimensions but that is about it.
You mentioned steering wheels, take a look at one of those things, I think you might need a machine that works in several axis.
I did some research on laser etchers last year for putting part numbers and serial numbers on the pieces we make but I don't recall them being $10k, more like $40 - $50?

[Skullinator]

i can tell you from experiance there is 100's of machine shops out there that will do this for far less than you can buy the equipment for.

[schiada96]

To clean cut 1/4 alum you need 3500 watts min 17+ bar of nitrogen and a $400,000 machine. we do laser cutting/etching here I think you can find etching machines for about 70k.

[roostwear]

If you look around you can find a ULS starting at 10k, and Epilog's are quite a bit more, As far as the CNC vs CO2 laser debate, personally I feel there is more versatility in a laser for making 3d images. I have been looking into lasers to expand Roostwear's product line, and there is something to be said for subbing out production work. The break even point on in-house fab is high, but if you're into producing alot of custom work, it may be worth the capital expense. There may be special tax advantages to purchasing also.
The software available can use both rastor and vector graphics.
There's a lot more to it, but you get the idea.

[bigq]

Well this was about 11 yrs ago, but I use to run a Laser etcher at a medical tool manufacturing company. It ran off a computer and you could pretty much load any design into it and it would etch it out. We used it for serial numbers and the company logo on the tools. They were stainless parts that were etched. I am sure by know technology has changed, but it sounds like a good idea.It was as big as some of the CNC machines we had so I assume it cost quit a bit.

[schiada96]

Check with HASS cnc the have reciently expanded into low power cutting/ etching machines based on the 40/20 small size vmc.

[68campbell]

Phat_Kat,
I have a small laser engraving machine, I would be happy to produce some samples of its capabilities for you before you invest the money. They are very fickle machines with a pretty decent learning curve.
email me if you are interested.
todd303@aol.com
[ June 06, 2003, 08:19 AM: Message edited by: 68campbell ]