I bought an Aufero Laser 1 with the LU2-4-SF laser early last spring. I haven't used it much because I don't have a good way to vent the smoke and fumes, but I might have a solution. I just haven't had time to really test it yet.

I'd love to find a written instruction guide for Lightburn. Trying to learn it through YouTube is incredibly frustrating. That might just be me though.

Before using mine for projects, I mounted mine on a piece of plywood and burned a square on the wood outlining the work area. That makes it easy to place and align workpieces so that the image is burned where I want it to be.

Attached File

I mean there is not alot to say.

Those low wattage laser attachments are not really good for much more than burn/engraving and possibly cutting very thin wood.

Also, any unenclosed laser is not all that safe to use. You have the potential for the beam reflecting and hitting something it shouldn't, like your eye and causing serious damage. If/when there is a fire there is nothing to contain it. Then there are the fumes/smoke, lasers make alot of these, and there is not really a good way to vent them with out an enclosure.

This is interesting. I have been looking at the Sovol laser because it is -$200 but I am pretty sure I will be disappointed. I really want it for marking cutting boards etc. some extra pizzaz for my wood projects. Probably would not use it nearly enough to justify it. Even at that price point.

Link.

I have a fair bit of experience with Co2 lasers, both RF excited US made and DC excited Chinese made.


None with diode lasers, tho.

Honestly, for the money I don't think you have much to lose.   Even if it's slow and completely unsuitable for any kind of business use, still probably worthwhile from a hobbyist perspective.

I would take the power ratings with a huge grain of salt, tho.    Unless they're testing the literal power expressed in the laser beam applied to a meter, it don't mean shit.

Can confirm that lightburn is the way to go.    I use Lightburn to control my chinese Co2 laser.


As for wavelengths... there's IR and then there's IR.   Co2 lasers produce IR light at a wavelength that is suitable for glass, leather, wood, stone, rubber... and kinda sorta on some plastics.   Fiber lasers produce a beam at an IR wavelength that is suitable for metals and more plastics.   Oversimplified but there you go.

If you're looking at a diode laser that is advertised as IR, get the actual wavelength specs for it.   For example, this JPT M7 fiber laser source (popular source for metal engraving lasers) emits 1064 nanometer light
https://en.jptoe.com/product/m7-20w-30w-mopa-fiber-lasers/

By comparison, your typical co2 lasers emit between 9.6 and 10.6 micrometers light aka 10,600 nanometers.

If you're shopping for a laser to do metals, be sure it emits light in the wavelength suitable for it.

If they could come up with a 20W 1064nm IR laser diode, you could put it on a galvo scan machine and have something pretty damn decent for alot more affordable than a fiber laser.

Another thing... you could build a better system by getting one of those diodes and getting an older dead Co2 laser cabinet and mounting the Diode where the Tube went.   Bounce the beam over to the head through the same mirrors the Co2 tube did.

Slinging that big diode around directly mounted to the head is pretty heavy and will have alot of inertia.  Translates to slower speeds, I think.

I've got an older Epilog with a very weak synrad tube in it.   Been contemplating whether or not I want to spend the money to get it recharged.   Hmmmm

If you scroll down, the specs show this

Product Name1064nm Infrared Laser Module
Machine Power120W
Laser Electric Power 84W
Laser Optical Power 2W
Laser Spot0.03mm*0.03mm
Wavelength1064nm
Peak Power15KW

I don't think it will "engrave" at that power and the pics/video I saw it was doing anneal marking.   Which is still useful and very cool at that price.   But at 2W effective power, don't expect actual depth engraving on metal.

I've got that laser and it works (after assembly) out of the box.