Metal cutting laser cutter

Well, Boxford’s are now doing a laser cutter capable of cutting metal for £12k. Not out of the realms of possibility for us?

Ooooh! Pretty! (-Non directors hat)

(compressed O2 might be a problem for us though - sad boring directors hat)

I thought only flammable gases were an issue?

Formally yes, I still wouldn’t want to be in the same place at the same time as fire and an O2 cylinder though…

As a complete side point, has anyone ever approached boxford on behalf of the space? @unknowndomain @directors?

They should have a pressure relief valve built in??

Milling is still much, much more versatile, and several orders of magnitude more precise.

Not as quite as quick though! That thing is really fast for thin materials. Although looks like you still need to finish the edges smooth so that would offset the benefit somewhat ?

problem is enhanced levels of oxygen cause relatively non flammable stuff to become far more flammable.

What about a plasma cutter? Cheaper and can cut more range of metals - e g http://www.r-techwelding.co.uk/r-tech-cnc-plasma-cutting-machine-system-4ft-x-4ft/?utm_source=google_shopping&gclid=Cj0KCQjw9afOBRDWARIsAJW4nvw3rcF3X6Oip8uEPBchZHqIuToiQkDlMJWEy7XmjOvWPb9oBWUjM4AaAp2mEALw_wcB

No we havent.

I don’t want to put a damper on the fun here, but where are we going to fit a CNC machine and or laser cutter, and how will we afford it?

The flammable material rule prevents us from having one

You don’t need anything flammable - just compressed air+electricity. But I reckon project tormach is more important first.

By putting it where the lathe is, and by selling the lathe. I am being (slightly) facetious, because cost and place of a reasonable CNC aren’t the issue here.

Crikey, they’re cheap too!

The Boxford would cut other materials too, not just metals, so would be a second laser cutter as well.

All theoretical until we get more space.

Selling the lathe? Did I miss something?

I don’t think there’s the space but I knew someone who built a CNC plasma cutter and it was awesome. 15mm or so thickness etc. Based it off this instrucable.

To be honest the metal working area is super limited (mainly because of physical size, I’m sure). Hopefully one day a second arch/space with a whole load of metal tools would be ace. Metal lathe, bending, welding sort of thing.

No we are not selling the lathe

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Oh good grief.

I’m going to have to make one of those now…

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