Hey guys
I'll apologise, I've seen you get asked this a lot (and I've tried to find out as much as I can just by lurking), but realistically, how decent are Chinese lasers for a complete newbie to the laser scene?
I'm interested in slowly making my own workshop - for hobby/friend use, not as a source of income. I'm keen on building stuff, or making things where possible. (e.g. considering making a makerbot thing-o-matic further on down the line) I don't think I want to start with a cutting laser as my first project though! :drowning: lol
I don't have a huge budget for a laser cutter (as much as I'd like an Epilog or something equally as advanced, it costs more than my car did! ) so my budget kind of forces me to consider the 30-40W CO2 ones on eBay in the £500-£1500 price range. So the equivalent of a Rabbit 40, or similar (perhaps the next model up, if it's got a bigger laserable area - since the size of the 40's bed limits some of my ideas for it)
What's realistic in terms of materials to use with one? I've read some of the posts, so I know it can cut and etch acrylic and rubber and card, and the thinner MDFs/plywoods.
Could I say, etch a mac or an iPad with one? (assuming it fits into the laserable area) and, more importantly - will it actually look reasonable, or would it just be a waste of time & anodised aluminium trying?
Similarly, would it be able to do glass? Googling told me no, but I did see some posts further back that implied it was possible. Glass isn't a deal breaker - again though, it's just getting an idea of what's possible with one.
Sorry for all the questions, very new to this, very excited to get one and start turning some ideas into reality, but I wanted to do my research and not just buy something without knowing what's actually feasible with it!
Cheers all,
Andy