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geekhack Marketplace => Classifieds => Topic started by: legodt on Thu, 09 January 2014, 00:27:58

Title: US Laser Cutting Services
Post by: legodt on Thu, 09 January 2014, 00:27:58
Hey Geekhackers, I'm a long time laser cutting enthusiast with full time access to large bed, high resolution laser cutters and really want to help out the community.
I am willing to laser cut just about anything that can be shipped in the US and will try charge as close to the materials/shipping costs alone to save you guys money.
So if you are looking for acrylic cases, GH60, are anything else strange and laserable, feel free to post in this thread or shoot me a PM so we can work something out.

Mods, if this is the incorrect place to advertise this, please let me know so I can rectify the situation!
Title: Re: US Laser Cutting Services
Post by: Wildcard on Thu, 09 January 2014, 00:34:43
Awesome, thanks for doing this.
Title: Re: US Laser Cutting Services
Post by: AKmalamute on Thu, 09 January 2014, 00:42:43
Colors of acrylic you know you can get, just now? What other materials can you cut through? What filetypes do you accept? (.svg, .png, .dxf, (if so what versions as I've run into that too much, so far) .dwg) Where would you be shipping from?

I don't have the links handy but MOZ posted a phantom case that included feet, somewhere ... about seven layers. I'll look for that sometime tomorrow and post the link if you haven't found it; I'd be curious what it would take to get that.
Title: Re: US Laser Cutting Services
Post by: legodt on Thu, 09 January 2014, 00:50:57
I can do any acrylic color, there is a great store near me that carries most of the goods. Clear/opaque, no issue.

The laser cutter can take any material except for metal and chlorinated plastics such as polysterenes, ABS, vinyl, ETC.

Accepted filetypes are DXF, SVG, and AI.

Shipping from Philadelphia, carrier of your choice
Title: Re: US Laser Cutting Services
Post by: legodt on Fri, 10 January 2014, 23:31:35
Update: laser engraving caps is now out of the question. I only deal in acrylic and wood (with premium on labor) now.
Title: Re: US Laser Cutting Services
Post by: HoffmanMyster on Fri, 10 January 2014, 23:42:20
Update: laser engraving caps is now out of the question. I only deal in acrylic and wood (with premium on labor) now.

No steel or aluminium?
Title: Re: US Laser Cutting Services
Post by: legodt on Sat, 11 January 2014, 00:36:55
Steal and aluminum can only be engraved by laser cutters, and even then they must be coated sheets for proper engraving as you do not want your beam to disperse across the surface of the material. Cutting these materials requires either a waterjet or plasma cutter
Title: Re: US Laser Cutting Services
Post by: JayKthnx on Sat, 11 January 2014, 00:47:20
How much for a plate like this?

[attach=1]

I would like to get one for a lubing station, so acrylic is fine. Thanks in advance for your time.
Title: Re: US Laser Cutting Services
Post by: damorgue on Sat, 11 January 2014, 00:50:28
Steal and aluminum can only be engraved by THESE laser cutters, and even then they must be coated sheets for proper engraving as you do not want your beam to disperse across the surface of the material. Cutting these materials requires either a waterjet or plasma cutter

Added an underlined word which makes for an important difference so that people don't get confused. You make it sound like there aren't any laser cutters capable of cutting metals.
Title: Re: US Laser Cutting Services
Post by: legodt on Sat, 11 January 2014, 01:08:19
Whoops, sorry.

I guess I should clarify that these are not hard industrial grade tools for my specific shop.
Title: Re: US Laser Cutting Services
Post by: legodt on Sat, 11 January 2014, 01:09:31
How much for a plate like this?

What color would you like it in? If it's only one piece and you choose a non-esoteric color, I can't see it going over 10-15 bucks plus shipping
Title: Re: US Laser Cutting Services
Post by: JayKthnx on Sat, 11 January 2014, 02:32:08
Matte white would be nice.
Title: Re: US Laser Cutting Services
Post by: AKmalamute on Sat, 11 January 2014, 12:00:35
Okay, so Hellerbarde converted (http://geekhack.org/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=48007.0;attach=49185) the file that MOZ uploaded in this thread (http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=48007.0), and I'd be interested in it, but I'll be getting a metal plate elsewhere. Although I think just picking the "without plate" option would be enough to make that work, but the top spacer plate, if I'm seeing it right, would need to fit between the PCB and the metal plate, so 1/16th inch at the thickest ... and as many other layers as there are below ... its probably the same for those too.

 Eight layers, let's for the sake of this in-thread public quote assume a different color for each layer, and your thinnest acrylic for the job. What, at first guess, would it cost to get it cut?

 I'm not sure at what point you'd want to inquire about a 'vendor' subforum, but if this gets popular, you might want to do that rather than have a continually bumped thread in the classifieds. </shrug>
Title: Re: US Laser Cutting Services
Post by: legodt on Sat, 11 January 2014, 14:58:21
What thickness are these layers supposed to be?
Title: Re: US Laser Cutting Services
Post by: AKmalamute on Sat, 11 January 2014, 15:54:30
What thickness are these layers supposed to be?
It's never actually been mentioned specifically, so far as I can tell. But counting the thin 'feet' layer, the PCB, and the metal plate, using 1/16th acrylic should result in a case that's 5/8ths of an inch thick not counting keycaps sticking up or those feet stacked below.

 Normally any single layer of acrylic is double that, or 3mm / one-eighth-inch, but I'm pretty sure for this many layers there's no need for that much material. The uC will be clear with just the 1.5mm stuff because there's several layers, which will act to strengthen the otherwise brittle acrylic.

 So if I were to ask for this design (and I guess I am ;) ) I'd say sixteenth inch per piece.
Title: Re: US Laser Cutting Services
Post by: legodt on Sat, 11 January 2014, 16:19:04
I will get quotes for both of you guys on Monday, hold tight!   :thumb: