Doubling your Laser Power for Free*
After doubling our power, and quadrupling our cooling we were excited to test-drive our new laser and push the limits… and it wasn’t that far beyond our old laser cutter. Which seems wrong – it should be twice as good! So we started tinkering with the other variables, and we discovered that the volume of introduced air plays a huge part in how efficient the cut is. Too little air – like our current airbrush compressor – and we wouldn’t clear the soot from our cut. Then we tried too much air, and learned it would burn massive gashes through our material. But between 15-30psi the laser cuts so well it feels like cheating. We should have done this literally years ago. * Technically, it’s Free Air is free. We unplugged the cheap air-brush compressor that came with our laser, and connected the air line straight into our shop air compressor. While an air-compressor isn’t free, every shop should have one, they unlock so many options. If you have a laser cutter and no air compressor, forget about upgrading your laser, buy an air compressor. It is a supremely versatile tool, enablin