Laser Cutter
Safety
- Use of the laser cutter is not permitted before you have received training
- Members can usually get laser cutter training during project night
- Lasers can produce burns and damage to eyes. NEVER operate the laser with the lid open or disengage the door interlocks
- NEVER cut a material you can't definitively identify or that is not included on the authorized list
- ALWAYS watch your work, no matter how long your job takes. The danger of fire is ever-present. If you must leave, pause the job
- You should always expect the possibility of a fire when using the laser cutter
How to use the laser cutter
Training
Online training materials (work in progress)
The training covers:
- Which materials you can/can't use
- Fire control and prevention - how to use the extinguisher
- What to do in an emergency
- Designing your work for cutting
- Turning on the machine
- Uploading your designs
- Turning on the laser tube
- Ensuring the water is running
- Ensuring the air assist is running
- Ventilation
- Calibration of the z axis
- Checking the boundary of the design
- Starting the cutter
- Monitoring during cuts, staying with the cutter at all times
- Cleaning after use
- Logging laser time used
Materials
WARNING: Using unapproved materials can result in damage to the machine or unsafe operating conditions. For example, cutting chlorinated plastics such as vinyl and PVC releases hydrogen chloride gas, which corrodes the optics of the machine and gasses are toxic. One of the most common plastics, ABS, releases hydrogen cyanide gas when laser cut. Other materials, such as many metals, reflect the laser beam and can damage the machine. Materials of unknown origin cannot be used with the laser cutter. If in doubt, do not use it!
Safe materials
We have a full list in our training manual which is linked in the description on our training events. Mostly people cut wood, acrylic, paper. 100% natural fiber fabrics like cotton can be cut, along with some synthetic (plastic) ones but not all of them and it can get tricky. Natural vegetable tanned leather is safe, but not chromium tanned leather or synthetic (usually PVC) leather. Also note that on online marketplaces many sellers may use acrylic, polycarbonate, and other names interchangeably for clear plastic even though they are very different plastics.
Materials you can NOT use
| Material | Reason Not to Use |
|---|---|
| Food (Chocolate) | Since the machine can produce toxic vapors, food will be contaminated |
| Vinyl | Contains chlorine; will produce hydrogen chloride gas which is harmful to you and the machine’s optics. |
| PVC | Contains chlorine; will produce hydrogen chloride gas which is harmful to you and the machine’s optics. |
| Foam core board | Contains chlorine; will produce hydrogen chloride gas which is harmful to you and the machine’s optics. Risk of flash fires. |
| Styrofoam | Risk of flash fires. |
| Polycarbonate; also known as Lexan | Does not cut. Many plastic stores sell both polycarbonate and acrylic. Maker sure your buying acrylic. Plexiglas is another name for acrylic. |
| PETG | Does not cut. Can look very similar to polycarbonate and acrylic. Make sure you know which material you are buying. |
| ABS | Will produce hydrogen cyanide gas which is very harmful to you and to the machine’s optics. |
| Polymer clay | Contains chlorine; will produce hydrogen chloride gas which is harmful to you and the machine’s optics. |
| Fiberglass | |
| Unpainted or unanodized metals | This type of laser will not cut metals well but can engrave steel or cut very thin (maybe 0.1mm or .004") steel - See [RDWorks Learning Lab 100 Etching Stainless Steel](https://youtu.be/jP9ncWksEGw) for details. Aluminum, Brass, and most other metals are too reflective to mark. |
Misc resources
If for some reason the cutter reverts to Chinese, here's how to get it back to English.
The RDWorks Learning Lab videos use a nearly identical machine and software and have lots of good information about using the laser cutter.
Everything you ever wanted to know about firing lasers to cut things.
Last edited by Ed at 09:22pm on 15th of July 2026