CO2 Laser

Introduction

A low-cost laser cutter ($1-2k) can be made using laser engraver parts.

• The CO2 laser tube - $500 for 80 Watts
• Laser tube mount
• power supply
• focus lens - $65 at [1]
• lens mount
• reflection mirror
• mirror mount

Design Rationale

The enabling point of a practical, low-cost laser design is the ability to do significant cuts (1/8") by performing multiple passes over the cut pattern. If each cut does 10 thousandths of an inch in steel for an 80 watt laser - then 12 passes give you a 1/8" cut. This is sufficient, for example, to laser-cut a 20" Sawmill blade

From [2]:

Resources

• Extensive and comprehensive description of CO2 laser build - [3], including poeple who have built them - [4]
• Understanding CO2 Lasers paper
• Encyclopedia of laser physics - [5]
• Excellent resources for homebrew lasers - http://planetstephanie.net/hi-tech-fun/lasers/
• Here's an Instructables laser cutter for thousands of dollars - [6]
• Not CO2, but still a homebrew laser engraver for $60, 1/4 watt - [7]

Suppliers

• American supplier of tubes and components - [8] - but pricey at $4k for 80 watts
• 100W RF laser from Synrad

Professional Consultants

• Laser Kinetics
• Sam's Laser
• Zach Radding, made a CO2 laser cutter featured in Instructables

Independents

• Number of contacts for people who have build high power lasers from scratch - [9]
• Sam Barros' PowerLabs