Lasers Ftw

[arfink]

OK, so a while back I made up a post fantasizing about starting some kind of self-made business operation involving me slicing up stuff with lasers. You can read all about it here and become depressed about accounting and marketing and investment and stuff like I did: [url="http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/topic/119957-small-business-dreams/"]CLICK[/url]

Anyways, enough about planning. I'm very likely gonna do this. I'm very close to having raised the money I need for equipment, and nothing will be done with loans. Equipment will be purchased cash-only. What I need now is for people to pipe up about stuff they want to see me making and/or selling. I guess this is considered to be marketing or something...

Here is a list of stuff I have considered making and/or selling in no particular order:

-Key chains (amesome & catholic-themed, or just amesome themed)
-Custom saint medals (not metal, but made of laser-engraved plastic)
-other awesomely intricately laser-engraved religious stuff (please specify)
-picture frames
-art engravings (for, ya know, just looking at)
-small robot parts/chassis bits
-cellphone/ipod/whatever custom engraving or marking
-business cards (extra fancy! wood, heavy card, intricate lacy paper cutting, plastic? perhaps with embedded electronics for the thick ones?)
-kapton stencils for spray painting/screen printing/PCB making
-and if I made stencils, would you like to seem them used to make tshirts?
-decals for your car/laptop/bus stop/whatever

Here are pictures of stuff that's been made with lasers:

skateboard:
[img]http://nkurence.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/05_nk-deck.jpg[/img]

electronics enclosure
[img]https://hackadaycom.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/laser-cut-bendable-wood.jpg[/img]

iThing with engraving
[img]http://www.neublack.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/laser-engraving-1.jpg[/img]

Aztec calendar table top
[img]http://metalworkingmachine.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Useful-guide-to-the-laser-engraving.jpg[/img]

Intricate wood cutting
[img]http://hitec-ams.com/images/cutting1.jpg[/img]

"Art" or something
[img]http://inhabitat.com/images/petrachair_copy.jpg[/img]

Clock escapement
[img]http://www.customlaser.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/laser-cut-Clock-Gears-005.jpg[/img]

Tongue depressors with very intricate cuts (someone was testing his laser out for kicks)
[img]http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs39/f/2008/314/1/3/Laser_cut_Tongue_Depressors_by_savageworlds.jpg[/img]

precision parts
[img]http://www.jenivox.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/IMG_58866.jpg[/img]

[Archaeology cat]

Those look amesome!

[cmotherofpirl]

Its amazing. I would like a religious woodcut of something Celtic.

[CatholicCid]

Looking at the art, would religious statues be too difficult?

Also, I think custom saint medals would be amazing.

[Lil Red]

my husband is into trains....we've been finding out how cheap it is to make stuff, then resell at a higher price. if you need cash flow, consider something about that?

[BigJon16]

How about Catholic themed engraved tie clips, lapel pins, and cuff links?


Or if I was to send you my breviary and you could engrave my name on the cover? Can you do stuff like that?

[arfink]

[quote name='Lil Red' timestamp='1335228267' post='2422423']
my husband is into trains....we've been finding out how cheap it is to make stuff, then resell at a higher price. if you need cash flow, consider something about that?
[/quote]

About trains?

Or about selling stuff?

[quote name='BigJon16' timestamp='1335230292' post='2422436']
How about Catholic themed engraved tie clips, lapel pins, and cuff links?


Or if I was to send you my breviary and you could engrave my name on the cover? Can you do stuff like that?
[/quote]

I have not seen leather done, but maybe?

[quote name='CatholicCid' timestamp='1335224646' post='2422397']
Looking at the art, would religious statues be too difficult?

Also, I think custom saint medals would be amazing.
[/quote]

If they are flat...

[Tab'le De'Bah-Rye]

What about human toe and finger nails ? This would be semi-permanent because nails grow right? Possibly a bit hardcore, but if you could get the laser depth exactly right than it could be easily sand filed off and less hardcore and you have some kind of hand mould that can be whipped up real quick at your store that holds there hand still so you don't engrave there flesh and possibly there wrist strapped incase the person panics,i don't know my idea is incomplete and dangerouse,possibly one could refine it some how and make it more safe, you would be the 1st in the world arfink. Which gives me an idea,engraved Clip on ultra thin metal nails, a large varity of metals.

[arfink]

[quote name='Tab'le Du'Bah-Rye' timestamp='1335232234' post='2422448']
What about human toe and finger nails ? This would be semi-permanent because nails grow right? Possibly a bit hardcore, but if you could get the laser depth exactly right than it could be easily sand filed off and less hardcore and you have some kind of hand mould that can be whipped up real quick at your store that holds there hand still so you don't engrave there flesh and possibly there wrist strapped incase the person panics,i don't know my idea is incomplete and dangerouse,possibly one could refine it some how and make it more safe, you would be the 1st in the world arfink. Which gives me an idea,engraved Clip on ultra thin metal nails, a large varity of metals.
[/quote]

Umm, lasers not so good on flesh/toes.

Think horrible, nasty, permanently disfiguring burns and/or blindness if you get exposed to it.

[Tab'le De'Bah-Rye]

but it is the nails arf not the flesh

[brianthephysicist]

[quote name='arfink' timestamp='1335223889' post='2422387']
OK, so a while back ...

[/quote]
This is amazing. I can't prop this enough. Arfink, you never cease to amaze me.

All of your ideas sound wonderful, with my especial favorites being the picture frames and BigJon's idea about the engraved [font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][size=4][color=#282828][background=rgb(247, 247, 247)]tie clips, lapel pins, and cuff links[/background][/color][/size][/font]. Also, the idea of business cards made me think of fancy nametags (the kind you wear clipped into the pocket of your shirt) and nameplates (like the little piece of wood that says your name and sits on your desk).

[Laudate_Dominum]

I totally dig it, bro. YES!!!

[arfink]

[quote name='Tab'le Du'Bah-Rye' timestamp='1335232337' post='2422450']
but it is the nails arf not the flesh
[/quote]

Ever had something very hot against your nails? No? I have. It's incredibly painful.

Trust me. It doesn't matter if the nail is in between you and the laser. The focal point of the laser can approach 600 degrees Fahrenheit, and even a stray reflection of the invisible laser beam is enough to tear a gaping hole in your retinas. It's why the beam is helpfully enclosed inside the machine, for your safety.

Now, on the other hand, I don't see why I couldn't do, say, stick on nails. Except that I probably won't bother. But I digress.

Thanks for the feedback guys. Keep it up!

[Maximilianus]

That is coo[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]l[/font]. I wouldn't know where to start, I'd want to make all kinds of things at once. If I ever get my hands on a CNC, it's over.

Edited April 24, 2012 by Maximilianus

[arfink]

[quote name='Maximilianus' timestamp='1335235770' post='2422472']
That is coo[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]l[/font]. I wouldn't know where to start, I'd want to make all kinds of things at once. If I ever get my hands on a CNC, it's over.
[/quote]

I feel I'd be the same way with a CNC. For me it was an extremely hard call between the laser and the CNC, I really would love both. The laser has the advantage of being a kind of one-stop solution for making certain kinds of things, wheras the CNC is not so much. The laser can be pretty quick and efficient for small runs all on its own, but with a CNC you're basically retooling for each task. A jewelry CNC would be extremely nice though for making positives, and then molds, and then finished products from the molds. I know how to make pro-grade plastic and metal pieces with that method, though I obviously lack the CNC machine.

But yeah, TL;DR the laser is quicker and easier to make something salable, even if I'd ultimately like a CNC.