Meet the Lasers!
Maker Works now has three lasers!
If you’re new to lasers, it’s hard to know which one is the “best”. Unfortunately, there’s not really a “best” one… that’s why we have three.
Which laser is the best for a particular project?
The short answer:
Most projects belong on the 80W Epilog Edge laser. It’s great for wood, acrylic, paper, leather, fabric, glass, and more.
Want to engrave bare metal, like a brass tag or a knife blade? Use the F1 Ultra laser.
Want to cut precise parts out of sheet metal? Use the MetalFab laser.
(Honorary mention: the Plasma Cutter is not a laser, but it also cuts sheet metal.)
The long answer is everything below!
| I want to... | Use this machine |
|---|---|
| Wood, acrylic, paper, fabric, or leather | |
| Cut out shapes from plywood, MDF, or acrylic | 80W Epilog Edge |
| Engrave a design or photo onto wood, acrylic, or leather | 80W Epilog Edge |
| Cut paper, cardboard, felt, or fabric | 80W Epilog Edge |
| Engrave glass, stone, slate, or tile | 80W Epilog Edge |
| Engrave a glass or a powder-coated tumbler all the way around (rotary attachment) | 80W Epilog Edge |
| Engrave a big batch of small items, like 50 wooden keychains | F1 Ultra |
| Metal | |
| Engrave or mark bare metal: stainless steel, brass, aluminum, titanium, silver | F1 Ultra |
| Add color to stainless steel with the laser | F1 Ultra |
| Engrave anodized aluminum or painted metal | F1 Ultra or 80W Epilog Edge |
| Cut small, detailed parts out of sheet metal with clean edges | MetalFab |
| Cut metal parts bigger than 24" x 24" | CNC Plasma Cutter |
| Cut steel thicker than 3/8" | CNC Plasma Cutter |
| None of these fit | |
| Cut wood bigger than 24" x 24", or thicker than about 1/4" | ShopBot CNC Router (not a laser) |
| Weld metal | MIG or TIG welder (not a laser) |
Some materials should never be lasered, such as PVC, vinyl, or any other plastic with chlorine in it. Lasering it releases a gas that’s harmful to breathe and corrodes the machine. If you don’t know what your material is, ask staff before you put it in any machine.
“Why don’t you just get one really awesome laser that does everything?”
A laser only works on a material that “soaks up” its specific “light” (wavelength). Each type of laser makes a different kind of light, and each material soaks up some kinds much better than others.
CO2 lasers (like the 80W Epilog Edge) produce wavelengths that wood, paper, leather, fabric, acrylic, glass, and stone soak up well. Bare metal reflects it, so the Epilog can only mark coated or painted metal.
Fiber lasers (the F1 Ultra and the MetalFab) produce wavelengths that metal soaks up well. The F1 Ultra’s fiber laser is 20 watts, which is enough to mark metal. The MetalFab’s is 1200 watts (60 times stronger), which is enough to cut all the way through steel.
(Plasma isn’t a laser, it’s a jet of very hot gas that carries electricity through the metal. That’s why it only cuts metal and why the plasma cutter can cut thicker sheets that would take a laser much longer.)