What would you make with a Laser?

So, if you had unlimited access to an industrial automated CNC Laser, what would you make?

I'm talking about a pretty versatile XYZ axis setup that could cut/ etch/ or engrave to varying depths in great detail both cutouts and photographic images (vector and raster drawings).

Types of materials include wood, metals, acrylic, granite, glass, plastics, leather, bronze, stainless, carpet, paper in sizes up to 4'x8' panels. Could be enormous wall murals in multiple pieces, or tiny intricate detailed parts

Signage? Granite monuments? Auto parts? Corporate give aways? Awards? Marilyn Monroe's face the size of a garage wall? Engraved baseball ball? Wine glasses with your wife's name on them? Wall tiles with your grandkids pictures? Gun stocks? Racing Yugo gaskets? Wedding portrait etched into stainless steel? Custom Iphone case?

Be creative. Break it down into 3 areas:

1- Something cool and unique you'd want for yourself personally

2- Something you could make by the hundreds (or thousands) to re-sell

3- (For business owners) A unit, part or component you wish you could make if you had such manufacturing capacity because you know there is a need

I'm curious what creative minds would use such manufacturing capability for.

Slightly different question:

What other automated industrial equipment do you wish was easier to access? CNC Plasma? Robotic? CNC Mill? Water Jet? CNC router? Other?

What great idea would you love to pursue if the manufacturing capacity was easily available to you?

My family has a nice little cottage industry laser company, they cut a lot of grommets/foam washers etc. for electronic applications.They also do a little engraving, mainly for other family members (cell phones, humidors, toy chests).

I would try to come up with something as stupid yet phenomenally lucrative as those silly bands (bandz ?)

I'm familiar with those smaller units.

I'm talking automated industrial variety.

Assuming I had the knowledge to program cnc magic I would use a cnc mill to carve out an absurdly sturdy inline 4 cylinder engine through which to run nitromethane.

• huge bore/tiny stroke
• two valves per cylinder
• horrible old mechanical injection
• no water jacket
• velocity stack intake with no throttle butterflies - use headlight dimmer switch as throttle

holy crap! Were you wearing your monkey suit for that response?

I did ask for creative!

If I had access to a laser, all would bow before me!

Then I would go into the monument business (gravestones/headstones)...laser or water jet.

Golf course markers, historical sight markers, landscaping etc.

If I had an industrial laser, I would not expect My. Bond to talk, I would expect him to die (I wouldn't stick around for it, though, because I have to get to Chili's for 2 for 1 frozen margaritas before 630pm, though. I'm sure it will still go fine, though).

jg

A few people have seen my flame ball keychains

From MoFoSale

I would make another run of these with better details and a logo.

If you can actually manufacture, I can put you in touch with my Grandpa who needs some serious AMC stuff built for his business...

Otherwise, I'd get heat-resistant phenolic material, make throttle body spacers, and petition the SCCA to allow them in the ST category

SVreX wrote: Be creative. Break it down into 3 areas: 1- Something cool and unique you'd want for yourself personally

etched wood dash inserts with custom graphics (brand logo, team logo, hot rod flames, etc.) After clear coating the wood, you could make something that looks upscale and classy, but totally unique.

SVreX wrote: holy crap! Were you wearing your monkey suit for that response? I did ask for creative!

Penguin suit, and yes, yes I was.

John Brown wrote: A few people have seen my flame ball keychains From MoFoSale I would make another run of these with better details and a logo...

...and one of the flame's spaced to act as a bottle opener. ;)

Gravestones is a good one.

I would attach the laser to a shark.

I'd attach the laser to a 747 and use it to shoot down ballistic missiles.

Run_Away wrote: I would attach the laser to a shark.

Dang it you beat me to it.

with a laser and a good programmer and operator, there really are no limits to what you can make...

when i operated a cnc laser on night shift, we made all sorts of neat things in spare time between actual orders.. there were programs floating around for Harley Davidson signs, Punisher skulls, and a few other fun things. we made a program to cut out Metallica logos all by ourselves and i made me a cool logo out of 3/4" steel plate with 20 gauge perforated steel welded to the background ..

playing with these programs, we were able to learn how to scale things up and down in size and cut them out of different thicknesses of metal. the Harley program was set up to be about 10" across and cut out of 12 gauge stainless- but i was able to scale it down at the controller to less than an inch across and cut out of 22 gauge stainless steel so one of the welders could make a ring out of it and i made me a 2 layer Harley sign that is about 3 feet across out of 14 gauge steel that i'm going to paint up some day and hang on a wall...

we were trying to think of cool stuff to make on the tube laser that cuts 3D shapes into pipes and round or square stock- that one also had the most potential for use as a military weapon...we did figure out how to shoot a hole in a piece of 1/8" steel from 3 feet away with it...

Novaderrick:

Can you tell me more about the specs of your machine? Size, capabilities, power level, software, programing ease- whatever. I'm interested in what you did.

Javelin wrote: If you can *actually* manufacture, I can put you in touch with my Grandpa who needs some serious AMC stuff built for his business... Otherwise, I'd get heat-resistant phenolic material, make throttle body spacers, and petition the SCCA to allow them in the ST category

Pardon my ignorance- What is AMC other than a Javelin or a movie theatre?

We are installing manufacturing capability. The goal is to bring some larger industrial capability to smaller businesses and individuals who can not usually afford it to enable them to be able to expand the products they offer to their customers. Equipment will run smaller run creative projects during the days, and larger quantity more automated runs on the back shifts. Product can be shipped anywhere.

Currently subcontract stuff out, soon to have own equipment.

So, yes, I can actually manufacture. I'd be interested in talking with your Grandfather.

But petitioning the SCCA is a great idea!

PORSCHE engraved center tail light sections for 90-94 964 in some lightweight material that doesn't crack and peel. The originals retail for $500+ and mine is cracked and leaking. My "homebrew" replacement was a curved piece of .40 aluminum, painted flat black.

Funny you should mention this.....

Here's the rundown on my project for next week:

I have a Toyota Tacoma pickup. Tacomas have a pair of rails that run along the top of the bed and they all come with a set of four adjustable tie downs.

Toyota sold a set of cargo bars that went across the bed and attached to the tie downs. They're listed in the 2010 accessory catalog, but they have been discontinued. Here's a pair of hotlinked closeups of the end of the bars:

My plan was to hand cut a set of four "Y" shaped brackets that would allow me to bolt a pair of Thule load bars to the factory tie downs.

You couldn't make a zillion dollars with it, but there are a bunch of guys on the Tacoma forums looking for used sets of the factory cargo bars. With a set of the "Y" brackets, they could easily make their own.

i'd make a death ray and use it on those who anger me.

then after i was done with my list, i would use it to cut any kind of bracketry i can think of that is not already made, or costs too much because places like march only make it out of billet and charge a fortune. sell brackets = profit.

There are a couple relatively simple model kits I think could be cut from flat sheets by someone that knows what they are doing (not me). There are a couple truck trailer and bus kits I'd like to get cut out. There are already people doing flat trailers like this, I hae a few others i'd like to see too.