anyone use j tech lasers I’m looking to get into lasering and looking for some info on which one to get any help would be appreciated.
I’m pretty happy with my 34-W dual mode. It fits my budget, engraves nicely at the half-power setting, and is reasonably fast cutting out parts.
I have gone through the 7W, 24W, and the 64W. I have been very happy with the 64W. But as @SailorMike mentioned, budget plays a part in the decision.
All three are very easy to use, and In my opinion, learning the laser is significantly easier than learning how to cut and engrave with the spindle.
Do you have specific questions? What do you see yourself doing with the laser? What materials do you plan on using it on?
-Erik
i make a lot of dominoes boxes and custom engrave on the lids fill them with epoxy or paint just looking to expand on that thought maybe the laser would be a good choice help with lead time. also looking at cutting out like some xmas ornaments and small decorations stuff like that. i was looking at the 34w kinda mid-range laser. just wanted thoughts from people who have used them. whats a good software to use
I would say that 99% of people use Lightburn. Relatively simple but fairly powerful software. Easy to learn and there are a ton of resources and videos out there if you have a specific “how do I do this” type of question.
If you are wanting to cut things out, I wouldn’t go lower than the 34W. I have cut stuff out with all three of the lasers that I have. The 7W was prohibitively slow, but i am very stuborn so i cut 1/4 maple ornaments with it anyway. However they took about 30 minutes each to cut out.
If you have the budget available, I would recommend the 64W three-in-one laser. Its a beast and the selectivity gets you the best of both worlds. I regularly use it to cut maple ply, and engrave on anything i can get my hands on .
so invest once and get the big one? what’s the run time on lasers. 34w 64w
is lightburn a onetime buy or yearly?
That would be my suggestion if you have the cash to spend.
Run time is hard to quantify. You can run the same job on two different lasers and get two very different times and very different results. It isnt a direct relationship to twice the power equals half the time. There are a ton of variables.
I can tell you that I get very good results on the 64W cutting 1/4 ply at 450mm/min in one pass. I am also engraving most woods between 6000-7000mm/min, and engraving powder coated tumblers at 7000mm/min.
Annual. But its only $40. And I think you can run it without a license, you just don’t get the updates.
guess my question on run time is it the same as normal engraving? i know there will be variables on both.
Yeah. Sorry, didnt mean that to come off harsh.
In my experience, I am able to run the 64W mode about 60% faster than the 24W mode and get similar results.
do you do more lasering then carving?
I do actually. I bought the 7W at the same time i bought my JM (BB version circa 2022). The laser came very naturally to me. Way fewer things to go wrong in my opinion.
Now i have gotten very comfortable with 2d carving, but even then most of my stuff goes right back on the machine bed for some lasering after it is cut.
no not harsh at all im not explaining myself good enough wanted to compare laser vs standard engraving on wood.. bit vs laser engraving
Ahhh.
I havent done a ton of standard engraving, but from what I have seen, when comparing the two different methods, laser is significantly slower than v-carving or endmill engraving.
At 7000mm/min feed rate the head moves very quickly accross the material, but I am typically running somewhere between 125-150 lines per inch. So those horizontal lines add up to a lot of passes really quickly.
ok thanks. ive been wanting to invest in one just didn’t want to have buyer’s remorse. i think it would be a great tool in my arsenal.
how’s the smoke on them? do i need something for that
Definitely something to look into.
My “shop” is a 10x12 shed with a double door entrance. I have a wein air filter and a box fan mounted in the ceiling. When i run the laser I keep both doors open and the fan and filter running full blast to move smoke outdoors.
I SHOULD set up the 4" smoke extraction system that I have planned out for about two years, but i have never gotten around to it. It definitely puts out some smoke on longer runs, but I usually just set it up and keep an eye on it from outside the shed. I am usually working on another project on the makeshift workbench outside my shed while the laser is going anyway.
ok thanks thats good to know. i run my stuff in my garage.
I have the 14w and the 34w. Both are great for engraving. If you want to cut I would go with the 34w or 64w if you can.