Subject: Re: Cutting Lasers (?)

From: [email-masked] (Edward Haas Jr)
Date: 10 Jan 1995 02:43:13 GMT

Glenn H Knauss ([email-masked]) wrote:
: I'm currently using light stock steel tubing and cutting compound angles
: using a bandsaw.  This works fairly well but it is slow and I need to be
: very careful to be accurate.  Does anyone know the practicality of using
: a laser to cut this metal.  Who makes these devices and what are their price
: range?  Thanks for any leads .

: Glen
	--Laser-cutting is expensive and the lasers themselves are 
*outrageously* expensive. Unless you're doing something fairly wierd, I'd 
suggest investing in a cold saw with a good vise. If you can wait a 
month or two and if you're within striking distance of Los Angeles, plan 
on going to WESTEC this year, (where you can talk to the smart folks what 
sell us those neat machines) and get tons of free advice. Once you know 
what kind of machine you need, get a copy of Machinery Journal or Punch 
Press News and buy a used one... 

--
"Steamboat Ed" Haas		:	Co-founder of the 
Voice: 805-968-7534		:	    SBSMEEBBQ
FAX:   805-JOB-TWAT		:	-Call about our Newsletter!
	--------Decks a-wash in a sea of words!!--------

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From: [email-masked] (BILLG63475)
Date: 10 Jan 1995 01:31:20 -0500

Dont know much about lasers, but you might investigate plasma cutters.
They will be readily available from your local welding supply shop, and I
believe they are much cheaper than lasers of the power rating you would
need.

Good Luck

Bill

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From: [email-masked] (Daryl Bender)
Date: Tue, 10 Jan 1995 16:54:24 -0500

In article <[email-masked]>, "Glenn H Knauss"
<[email-masked]> wrote:

> I'm currently using light stock steel tubing and cutting compound angles
> using a bandsaw.  This works fairly well but it is slow and I need to be
> very careful to be accurate.  Does anyone know the practicality of using
> a laser to cut this metal.  Who makes these devices and what are their price
> range?  Thanks for any leads .
> 
> Glen

Unless your Howard Hughs lasers are big bucks. We have one here at work
which you can download IGES files to. If I remember right it was
$500,000-1,000,000 7 years ago. I think its capacity is around 1/4". But
let me say this, what a beautiful way to cut metal. No deburring &
extremely fine detail. I here that it has some trouble with copper though.
If you find a cheap one let me know 8^)

Daryl
-- 
Working, but not speaking for BNR.

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From: [email-masked] (Bruce Holder)
Date: Wed, 11 Jan 1995 17:05:10 GMT

Glenn H Knauss ([email-masked]) wrote:
: I'm currently using light stock steel tubing and cutting compound angles
: using a bandsaw.  This works fairly well but it is slow and I need to be
: very careful to be accurate.

  You don't say what kind of volume you need to cut, but if it low
enough, you might consider filling the ends of the tubing with one
of the low melting point alloys and then machining it as solid stock.

  MSC and Brownell's (both in the FAQ) are two sources that I know of.

Bruce