40W Chinese Laser - Engrave and Cut Leather - Discuss

[Jason046]

That Chinese laser is what we started on. Used for about a year then moved up. We wanted to be able to cut through 12 oz leather in one pass and cleaner engraving. It has saved us time and is more precise than the Chinese lasers

[LatigoAmigo]

On 5/22/2018 at 1:04 PM, Jason046 said:

That Chinese laser is what we started on. Used for about a year then moved up. We wanted to be able to cut through 12 oz leather in one pass and cleaner engraving. It has saved us time and is more precise than the Chinese lasers

So what did you replace the Chinese laser with? I'm familiar with Trotec lasers and what a wonderful job they can do , but from my experience it appears to be nearly ten times the price of a Chinese equivalent ($36,000 vs. $4,500). 

[Mark842]

On 5/3/2018 at 4:16 PM, chuckgaudette said:

I have the small hobby laser from Boss Laser https://www.bosslaser.com/boss-ls-1416.html

65 Watt. It's a good machine. I bought it to cut leather but found it's better for engraving. Of course, the bed is often not quite big enough. It does have pass-through doors on all 4 sides which helps. I'll attach a couple of examples 

have some questions as I've been looking at Boss laser. You state you bought it to cut leather but found it is better for engraving. Can you elaborate on this some as I would like to do both, cut and engrave. Is the 65 watt not enough power or is there another reason.  I'm looking at the LS-3655 to get the larger work area. From what I read on their site and online 65 watts is enough to cut leather but some say 1/8" and some say 1/4". I have to wonder if some of the problems of burn marks etc would be negated by using a higher watt laser that can cut through quicker and easier. I know next to nothing about this tech and I do plan on talking with whomever I buy from before buying but I would like to educate myself at least a little with unbiased opinions. Lets say I'm lacking in trust when talking to a sales person that is probably working on commission and will tell you just about anything to make the sale. With Boss lasers being in Florida and me in Utah, going onsite for a demo isn't in the cards.

 I'm also curious about your experiences with ease of use. Did you get the option with their PC so you had a dedicated PC with all the software all set up for your machine? How is their customer service if you needed it? To give you an idea of my tech level...and I can hear the laughs now...It was probably 2015 before I learned how to send a text message on a smart phone. Now I know how to do 2 things with a smart phone..oh wait, 3, I know how to charge it.

 

[chuckgaudette]

I work mostly with soft leather about 2 - 3 mm thick. The 65 watt laser will cut it but the resulting charing of the edge takes a lot of work to clean up. If you cut thinner leather than this it often shrinks from the heat. So I often just use it to score where I want to cut and then use a knife to complete the cut. At least that way I can get the exact same pattern line every time. Engraving works better but its always a lot of trial and error on each material to get it right.

 

I run my machine from my Mac using Parallels emulation software. The Laser Works software comes with the machine and works fine. When I first got the machine the water pump didn't work. Boss sent me a replacement immediately. So I have no complaints about the customer support.

 

Overall using a laser is a learning curve and you go through a lot of material figuring it out. I don’t think its actually paid for itself, but then it cost a fraction of what a Trotec or Epiloq cost.

[Mark842]

7 hours ago, chuckgaudette said:

I work mostly with soft leather about 2 - 3 mm thick. The 65 watt laser will cut it but the resulting charing of the edge takes a lot of work to clean up. If you cut thinner leather than this it often shrinks from the heat. So I often just use it to score where I want to cut and then use a knife to complete the cut. At least that way I can get the exact same pattern line every time. Engraving works better but its always a lot of trial and error on each material to get it right.

 

I run my machine from my Mac using Parallels emulation software. The Laser Works software comes with the machine and works fine. When I first got the machine the water pump didn't work. Boss sent me a replacement immediately. So I have no complaints about the customer support.

 

Overall using a laser is a learning curve and you go through a lot of material figuring it out. I don’t think its actually paid for itself, but then it cost a fraction of what a Trotec or Epiloq cost.

Have you tried any 6-7 oz veg tanned, cutting and engraving? That is mostly what I would want it for, veg and Latigo. I might do some engraving on 5-6 oz chrome oil tanned but I cut my pieces on a clicker for that.

[chuckgaudette]

no I only work with soft thin leather for bags and some wallets

[Mark842]

10 hours ago, chuckgaudette said:

no I only work with soft thin leather for bags and some wallets

Ok, thanks for the info.

[Orangeleather]

I'm keen to upgrade from the basic NEJE JZ-5 model, obviously as its classed as an introduction type machine however unsure which model.

The NEJE only has a 550x550 jpg software work area so increasing the area is just one priority, also the upgrade must have a good customer support along with easily available parts if required, and lastly a compact machine is preferred.

Budget ideally, maximum £250/€300/$330

If anyone has suggestions or recommendations, USB powered too.

I understand if my criteria is very limited, I'm prepared to increase the budget for long term investment.

 

[Northmount]

3 hours ago, Orangeleather said:

If anyone has suggestions or recommendations, USB powered too.

Will not be USB powered as it uses far more power than the USB port can supply.  It should have USB connectivity for programming and operation.

Tom

[Orangeleather]

3 hours ago, Northmount said:

Will not be USB powered as it uses far more power than the USB port can supply.  It should have USB connectivity for programming and operation.

Tom

Thanks Tom.