Anybody have and use the laser cut/engrave accessory ?

[buildswithbrian]

Hi all, wondering if anybody in this forum has the laser cut / engrave
accessory attachment Axiom has.
I saw it at their show-room while I was there, but they didn't demo it for me.

wondering how well this thing works, and if it can actually cut ?
the do not have specs. listed on the website about materials & thickness'es ?

the $1000 bucks this thing costs could be well worth it if it actually works

not expecting miracles here, but if it can cut 1/4" thick wood and acrylic it could
be helpful in my shop.

any experience with this ?

here is link to the laser on axioms website

www.axiomprecision.com/jtech-4-2w-laser-kit.html

[stevem]

It's a diode 4.2W from J-tech. Made for engraving not much for cutting. You could probably cut 1/16 material or possibly something like cardboard and cork, but not much of anything else. J-tech offers a 7w and a kit for a cnc frame kit for about $1,500. Even 7w doesn't cut much.
I have a friend that got a Epilog 40w laser. Works great, but $8,000 is the going rate for something like that. There are cheap Chinese laser's in the 40-60w that sell for less than $1,000. From what I have read, they don't offer much in software and there is a big learning curve to get them to work.
It just depends on what you intend to use it for.

[uzumati]

Engraving yes wood burning yes don’t see it cutting very thick without scorching the material. For what I use it for, wood burning scenes on to live edge lumber and clock faces it works great. Remember though it is not a variable power laser (on/off only) so grey scale images are not possible.

[RT]

I have used it for over a month and I love it! JTech called me at 9:30pm to help with an issue I was having. As far as cutting....I have cut 1/4" oak taking about 20 passes to get thru. Still working on the clear acrylic side though. But it is with out a doubt the best laser out there and the tech support (Jay) is excellent!!!

[buildswithbrian]

thanks for the info guys...
after having had the Epilog laser guy demo me one of their machines last year
I just can't get the laser "craving" out of my head.
but I realized now the Axiom attachment just doesn't have the power I need.

[stevem]

The big thing is the Epilog laser is at least a 40w minimum with a price tag of eight times more than the Axiom one.
It does more, costs more and is much better because it's not a diode laser and lasts longer.
What I don't like about the Axiom laser is every time you use it, you have to take the dust boot off the spindle.
Cutting oak and running at 20 passes seems like it would take forever to cut anything just to cut 1/4" material.
With a 40w laser 1/4" could be cut with 1 or 2 passes.
The Axiom is really for engraving and things like that not really meant to cut anything thicker than about 1/8 or less.

[buildswithbrian]

Dec 9, 2018 10:09:31 GMT -5 stevem said:

The big thing is the Epilog laser is at least a 40w minimum with a price tag of eight times more than the Axiom one.
It does more, costs more and is much better because it's not a diode laser and lasts longer.
What I don't like about the Axiom laser is every time you use it, you have to take the dust boot off the spindle.
Cutting oak and running at 20 passes seems like it would take forever to cut anything just to cut 1/4" material.
With a 40w laser 1/4" could be cut with 1 or 2 passes.
The Axiom is really for engraving and things like that not really meant to cut anything thicker than about 1/8 or less.

yep, those Epilog lasers are beasts.... the guy that demo-ed (? is this a real word) one for me last year
test cut some acrylic parts I make, it was fast! and I would have pulled the trigger and bought it had my
one customer committed to enough contract parts (they wouldn't) so no deal.

plus I do some work with Kydex, which unfortunately can't be cut with a laser (toxic, corrosive fumes)

Epilog is still on the wish list though  

[redwood]

I think the Epilog is on the wish list of a lot of us. I'm probably not going to get it in this lifetime though, maybe the next.

[Deleted]

Even the 10W and 20W lasers from www.endurance-lasers.com/ are limited in comparison to CO2 ones. It isn't hard to find 40W+ lasers ranging from a few hundred dollars from China to tens of thousands but there are definitely higher end ones lower cost than Epilog such as the new Laguna one. As for the China ones, quality ranges but there are many upgrades available specifically for them from American sources that can turn them into quite useful machines for less than $1K so there really isn't a point to laser diode based upgrades when comparing cost vs functionality.

[Richard Burren]

I am wanting to laser engrave plate glass on my Axiom CNC with a 4.5w J tech laser. Can anyone set me in the right direction for a learning video on setting up tool path and settings for the laser.

[gerry]

Jun 24, 2020 19:16:21 GMT -5 Richard Burren said:

I am wanting to laser engrave plate glass on my Axiom CNC with a 4.5w J tech laser. Can anyone set me in the right direction for a learning video on setting up tool path and settings for the laser.

Glass Etching with J Tech 3.8W/4.2W Laser


Be VERY CAREFUL of laser reflections.

[joshuag]

Dec 8, 2018 8:45:21 GMT -5 buildswithbrian said:

Hi all, wondering if anybody in this forum has the laser cut / engrave
accessory attachment Axiom has.
I saw it at their show-room while I was there, but they didn't demo it for me.

wondering how well this thing works, and if it can actually cut ?
the do not have specs. listed on the website about materials & thickness'es ?

the $1000 bucks this thing costs could be well worth it if it actually works

not expecting miracles here, but if it can cut 1/4" thick wood and acrylic it could
be helpful in my shop.

any experience with this ?

here is link to the laser on axioms website

www.axiomprecision.com/jtech-4-2w-laser-kit.html

I previously utilized a laser engraver from a different brand, but upon trying Monport, the overall experience improved. In case of any concerns, the customer service is quick to respond, and it comes at a very reasonable price. This is why I suggest giving it a try! monportlaser.com?sca_ref=5031521.ka374VZjm3

[joshuag]

Jan 16, 2024 2:35:43 GMT -5 joshuag said:

Dec 8, 2018 8:45:21 GMT -5 buildswithbrian said:

Hi all, wondering if anybody in this forum has the laser cut / engrave
accessory attachment Axiom has.
I saw it at their show-room while I was there, but they didn't demo it for me.

wondering how well this thing works, and if it can actually cut ?
the do not have specs. listed on the website about materials & thickness'es ?

the $1000 bucks this thing costs could be well worth it if it actually works

not expecting miracles here, but if it can cut 1/4" thick wood and acrylic it could
be helpful in my shop.

any experience with this ?

here is link to the laser on axioms website

www.axiomprecision.com/jtech-4-2w-laser-kit.html

I previously utilized a laser engraver from a different brand, but upon trying Monport, the overall experience improved. In case of any concerns, the customer service is quick to respond, and it comes at a very reasonable price. This is why I suggest giving it a try! monportlaser.com?sca_ref=5031521.ka374VZjm3


Considering your requirements, you might want to explore the Monport laser. It's highly regarded for its quality, ease of use, and affordability. While I don't have specific information about Axiom's laser attachment, the Monport laser could be a great alternative. It's capable of cutting various materials, including wood and acrylic, up to 1/4" thick. Plus, its user-friendly interface makes it suitable for both beginners and experienced users. Check out the Monport laser product on monportlaser.com/collections/co2-laser-engravers/products/monport-40w-lightburn-ready-12-x-8-co2-laser-engraver-cutter-with-fda-approval?sca_ref=5031521.ka374VZjm3 for more details.