In moving closer to my first Laser Engraver purchase, I have thus far concluded that an odor reduction, compressor and cutting table are required items. Correct? How about a MultiMat? And lastly, is anyone using the Coaxial Air Assist with their Universal? Helpful or a must have?
Thanks again for all the great help!
Hello. Well I’ve gotten by without the air assist for 3 years. A little Pledge goes a long way to prevent the smoke damage. The Cutting Table is great. I don’t have any odor reduction - A portable dust collector sits outside and the smoke is vented directly to the great outdoors. I don’t know how well the multimat works, but some double sided tape does wonders too.
Thanks much for the reply. I just happen to have a dust collector sitting around gathering d….well, you get it. Eliminating the odor reduction unit can save around $1000 that I can put towards a more powerful laser.
I’ve not needed an odor reduction. A lot depends on location and material. Wood smells like a fireplace which most do not find objectionable, leather on the other hand smells like burning flesh. My location is industrial so the standards are lower.
I’d vote yes on the compressor, but you don’t need much. The air prevents flare ups by keeping the base heat lower. It also helps to some extent get more depth, but not much. It also helps blow the smoke away from the optics of laser. Even a small airbrush compressor is all you need. I’ve got a large 80 gallon unit which you can also use with proper water traps and filters.
I’ve got a cutting table and it works fine but was expensive. After purchasing i saw something slicker. Use a plastic grid used for lighting for drop ceilings. You can buy them at home depot pretty cheap. Unlike aluminum the plastic will get burned as you cut but not so as to destroy it. The laser will eventually nibble the grid to be useless but for less than $10.00 you don’t mind throwing a few a year away.