$2000 Laser Cutter Suitable For Leather

[Tejas]

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/02/15/slice-and-carve-the-next-wave-in-computer-aided-creativity/?_r=0

The page also has a video.

"The wave of new machines is bringing a new level of precision to people who make physical objects — from leather wallets to lamps to circuit boards — as a career or hobby."

" ... he placed a piece of cowhide inside the Glowforge and sent a design for a cover for a Moleskine notebook from an iPad to the machine. Pulses of light began to glow inside the laser cutter as it burned stitch holes into the leather, followed by a rectangular cut that formed the outer edges of what would become the notebook cover. "

[Studio-N]

I LIKE it. The industry definitely needs some competition to keep things at a good price.

They didn't mention power but engraving leather only needs about 20 watts. Cutting

thru does require more. Cutting chrome-tanned leather requires even more so.

[veedub3]

"The machine, which costs $2,199, weighs about 16 pounds, so it can be carted around in a car." I have a laser cutter on my next big purchase list but I would need to know the specifics of this machine before I even consider it. Specifically, what is the bed size - how large an item can it cut.? They don't give much information on it at all and Google don't have much information on this machine either other than several links to the same article you linked to. I did go to Glowforge's website and this thing is not even on the market yet. I subscribed to their email list for them to notify me when they launch, I just hope it's before I buy the one I have been currently looking at.

Karina

[Matt T]

Anyone know if discoloration along the cut edge is a problem? Particularly on lighter colored leathers.

[simontuntelder]

Anyone know if discoloration along the cut edge is a problem? Particularly on lighter colored leathers.

I've only tried it once for fun, and natural veg tan does burn a bit around the edges. Latigo does it a bit less - probably due to the wax and content.

I was thinking about trying it a bit more. If I did so, I would probably add 1mm excess material, and sand the burnt edges off, which I almost do already, when I burnish.

[ClaireAshton]

Er, should I pack up? What is the world coming to? Next thing will be Machines that can stitch leather instead of by hand.......

[TwinOaks]

No, Clair, those new-fangled "sewing machines" are just a fad. They'll never really get going.

The laser is listed as "about as wide as a large suitcase". The table top milling machine thingy is the one that's listed as 16lbs.

The idea of an inexpensive laser table is intriguing but I have to wonder about it's power as well as the scaleability of it. If it can handle a 24x36 inch piece, I'll definitely be in line for one. I don't view the addition of laser tech. to leather crafting to be a bad thing. Laser cut edges still require finishing, and I'm not going to be using laser cut stitch holes. However, I'd really like the option to design some graphics in something like Illustrator or Inkscape, push a button, and have a faint image burned onto the leather instead of having to deal with transferring the pattern manually. Hmm...need business cards? Load up a tray full of scraps, and have the laser burn in your name, logo, and info, then give you a border to cut along...done. I guess I'm seeing a laser as something that will augment my leather working, not replace ME, or the handmade aspects of my work. It's just one step further along the path. How many of us print a pattern and transfer it vs. drawing a pattern...twice....and transferring it? Or to go another step back, how many of us draw a pattern on the leather, carve it, then use that as a tap off or the other side (for mirror images). NOTE: I'm not saying that these are bad things, just using them as examples of processes.

Yet, I'm sure there will be things that are way overdone with a laser. I can see the companies that put together the craft kits using a laser to put the carving pattern directly on the leather instead of a printed sheet of paper. Why not? That sheet probably costs ~$0.50 (large quantity economics), so if they use a $5000 dollar laser machine to 'print' the pattern they break even at 10,000 units. If you think about that scale, we're talking about refilling all the Tandy store craft kits ONCE. It may be even more economically attractive as once the laser is being used, there's no longer any ordering, shipping, and storing of the reams of paper....in different sizes. The end result is that the little hobby and starter kits will have pieces of pressed and plated leather that will look like the pages from a kid's coloring book. That is where I think it's gone too far.

[ClaireAshton]

Found this on youtube...

Wrap Wallet - The best wallet in the world, made in the USA:

[TwinOaks]

Wow!....for ONLY $999 he'll make a wallet for me out of <$25 of Stingray??? WHERE DO I SIGN UP??????

[Tempestleather]

I would like to know about the bed size too, and when they will get one on the market!

[cgleathercraft]

Wow!....for ONLY $999 he'll make a wallet for me out of <$25 of Stingray??? WHERE DO I SIGN UP??????

LOL I thought the exact same thing.

Joking aside i'd be interested in a laser cutter for leather. Can't afford it now but it would be really nice to have around and would allow for more customizations to be done to projects or items that customers would bring in. The bed size is huge consideration for me.

[danshapiro]

Thanks so much for your interest, all! We're planning to bring Glowforge to market in December. It's great for lots of materials, but leather is probably my favorite. I can't even imagine what all of you will be able to do with it - as amateur leatherworkers, we've only just scratched the surface of its capabilities in the medium.

We're not being terribly public yet with specifications and full capabilities, but I am looking forward to being able to share all of that with you when we get a little closer to launch.

Dan Shapiro

CEO, Glowforge

[SantaFeMarie]

Dan, if using this for leather, does it have to be vented to the outdoors or a fume hood?

[camano ridge]

Not if you like the smell of burnt dead cow.

[jwt]

I use lasers to cut a lot of leather. The edges do char but a quick wipe with a damp cloth takes off most of it. To further cut down on charring, just soak the leather in water for a couple minutes before cutting. Wetting the leather is not a great idea for engraving. It works, but poorly (at least for our needs). Do not cut or engrave on dried out leather that's been sitting around your shop for months or years as it will burn and I've never been able to get rid of the char short of sanding all the burned areas off.

Laser-cut leather will smell terrible for at least a few days. We let all our laser-cut leather air out for at least a week before handing it over to the customer. For suede we wait two weeks.

You need to properly vent any laser cutter to avoid smoke build up in the cutting chamber as it reduces laser efficiency and with some materials (waxier leather) there is a real risk of damaging the laser optics. And yes, you really need to vent that out of the room you're working in -- preferably outside. I've never tried a fume hood.

[lolly]

I just returned from a trip to India where I visited a manufacturing facility that uses a laser cutter to cut their patterns out of leather. They can then employ women with minimal skills to sew their satchels by hand using an awl sewing method (which still takes considerable practice and skill in my opinion). They can produce a very high end product this way. They use leather from a local tanner who employs more environmentally friendly practices to produce a dark veg tanned hide. I got to see this in action and then sit with the women as they sewed. It was an incredible experience, one that has me investigating this option for my own leather products here! The name of the business is The Loyal Workshop, they are just getting started but I believe they have so much potential. Anyway, I'm very interested in this discussion even though I realize its a few months old....

[chuckgaudette]

One thing to be aware of with the Glowforge laser is that it requires both WiFi and an Internet connection to run. Your computer file goes up to the cloud and then back down to your machine. So unlike a more expensive machines where the software is installed locally, if your internet connection goes down you will need to wait for it to be restored before you can continue to work.

[Nuttish]

Anyone know if discoloration along the cut edge is a problem? Particularly on lighter colored leathers.

Yes, it's a big problem. Ideal settings will still char the inside edge and all the way down the kerf, leaving you to spend extra time sanding even if you paint your edges. You'll be spending a lot of time tuning speed vs. power to achieve an acceptable compromise.

See if there's a hackerspace in your area you can join to fuss with a laser engraver before you start thinking they're a great idea.

[SmokeyPoint]

I bought a CNC laser machine a year ago thinking I could cut some parts and pieces with it more efficiently. I still cut those parts and pieces by hand, and my wife bugs me about how much I spent on a machine I don't use much. I'm not happy with the:

1. Time it takes to create cut files
2. smell
3. discoloration of the kerfs
4. slowness
5. waste
6. idea of not being completely hand made

My next task is to try to make the thing cut acrylic templates for me so I can get perfect templates to make my completely hand-made leather items. Then at least it'll earn its keep.