Originally Posted by
FandZ
As long as your table isn't flammable, any cnc would do AFAIK. Since your not concerned with cutting forces, it doesn't have to be built like a tank. You will want some speed though.
When I was researching it though, I dropped the idea quickly. Lasers with power enough to cut beyond a few mm get expansive very fast. The only ones I saw with the power I would have wanted were in the 10 to 20k range. I've seen a couple of laser builds here on the zone. You may want to search forums. I haven't seen any DIY builds where they were cutting anything beyond cardboard though.