Recommend a marking laser setup please.

[Fiddleback]

I'm looking to add a laser for marking blades and handles. Do y'all have any recommendations?

 

[oldschool45]

I don't have a wide experience with them but the xtools F1(regular not the lite version) has been working nicely for me since November. Steel , leather & wood. It gets a lot more use with my wife's crafting than me just marking blades and sheaths. The interface is really easy to use and the price is reasonable.

 

[Linus Knives]

I also have the Xtool F1 and use it for all my blades plus countless other uses

 

[Lorien]

whatever tool it is that you choose, make sure you buy Lightburn and learn how to use it. If I could go back in time, I would've started off learning how to use the software, and then chose my machine.

 

[Ken H>]

I'm looking to add a laser for marking blades and handles. Do y'all have any recommendations?

What is your budget? Do you desire anything other than making marks on metal? A 20 watt fiber laser ($1200 or so) will make marks on the metal better than anything.

"IF" you want to mark wood, leather, etc as well as metal then perhaps a diode laser would be the best choice for <$1k - perhaps even $400 or so? My 10 watt diode makes nice marks on metal, but takes longer than the fiber does. Here's a sample of what the 10 watt diode laser will do:

 

[AdamSmith]

For what it is worth, I love my xtool f1. I have lightburn, but I use the xtool software, haven't really felt the need for lightburn.

Laser marking changed my (knifemaking) life. I used to photoetch, but I never got the process 100% under control. Would work fine for months, and then I'd have an emulsion lift prematurely, be back to grinding and polishing, then re-etch. Insanely frustrating.

(Edit to correct: I wrote f2 when I meant f1)

 

[Linus Knives]

For what it is worth, I love my xtool f1. I have lightburn, but I use the xtool software, haven't really felt the need for lightburn.

Laser marking changed my (knifemaking) life. I used to photoetch, but I never got the process 100% under control. Would work fine for months, and then I'd have an emulsion lift prematurely, be back to grinding and polishing, then re-etch. Insanely frustrating.

(Edit to correct: I wrote f2 when I meant f1)

Same here, I never bothered using Lightroom because the xtool software does everything I need it to.

 

[Taz]

I have a laser setup with an 11w and 20w diode and a 2w IR. IR does the blade etching and the diodes cut wood, leather, engrave wood or leather, remove aluminum anodizing, engrave painted tumblers, etc My work area is just under 2' x 2', so I can do larger odd ball. projects, too. I can cut leather patterns with it, blade templates, knife stands, etc.

 

[Ricky-O]

I also got the F1 for knives, and as time goes on I found many other uses for it. The F1 works great for knives, but if you're wanting to do a lot of other stuff, I'd look at a more powerful machine, such as the F1 Ultra (but way more expensive).

 

[Fiddleback]

Thanks guys!

 

[vikingGoalie]

I'm really wanting a f2 ultra but it's salty at 6k. (Will use for a lot more then just steel etching). Is the extra cost compared to the F1 ultra worth it?

 

[Linus Knives]

I'm really wanting a f2 ultra but it's salty at 6k. (Will use for a lot more then just steel etching). Is the extra cost compared to the F1 ultra worth it?

I don't know for sure. I'm sure that the upgrades are worth it in some ways but what is the huge difference? The UV engraving feature? I personally wouldn't need that so for the extra cost it would not be worth it to me.
-Not that I wouldn't like one- I just couldn't justify that cost on it...

 

[AdamSmith]

I don't know for sure. I'm sure that the upgrades are worth it in some ways but what is the huge difference? The UV engraving feature? I personally wouldn't need that so for the extra cost it would not be worth it to me.
-Not that I wouldn't like one- I just couldn't justify that cost on it...

The f1 does UV engraving, burns straight into the steel. I the ultra is a lot more powerful, so maybe use it for some laser cutting. The f1 would not be practical for cutting (other than maybe thin foils or something).

as a benchmark, my larges/longest running maker's mark takes a bit over six minutes (most are 3-4 minutes). Probably the ultra with the extra power could do it faster. At six minutes I thought I died and went to heaven the first time I used it, compared to photo-etching.

 

[Linus Knives]

The f1 does UV engraving, burns straight into the steel. I the ultra is a lot more powerful, so maybe use it for some laser cutting. The f1 would not be practical for cutting (other than maybe thin foils or something).

as a benchmark, my larges/longest running maker's mark takes a bit over six minutes (most are 3-4 minutes). Probably the ultra with the extra power could do it faster. At six minutes I thought I died and went to heaven the first time I used it, compared to photo-etching.

Oh, I thought the f1 only does Infrared and diode...
I'm sure its a nice upgrade either way!

 

[AdamSmith]

Oh, I thought the f1 only does Infrared and diode...
I'm sure its a nice upgrade either way!

I'm sorry, you are quite correct. The plain f1 is infrared and blue diode. f1 ultra has a 20w fiber and diode.

 

[Linus Knives]

I'm sorry, you are quite correct. The plain f1 is infrared and blue diode. f1 ultra has a 20w fiber and diode.

No worries. I have a plain F1 myself and it work for me but im sure all the ones above mine, esp the ultras would be a lot nicer.

 

[Forrest Taylor]

XTool f2.
Used electro-chem etching when I got back into knife making. Never again.
The laser is fantastic. Pretty much if you can dream it up it will etch it crisp and clean.
I etched someone's initials onto a 3/16" handle pin.

 

[oldschool45]

I etched someone's initials onto a 3/16" handle pin.

With my F1 I used a cursive font to sign the spine of a few thinner than 1/8" blades. The hardest part was the alignment under the laser and the focus.

 

[Drew Riley]

Personally, I ended up with a GM30 from Monport Laser which is a 30W integrated fiber laser. At the time I believe they were running a sale and it seemed like one of the better bangs for the buck. I was also able to package the Lightburn software with it at a pretty steep discount, which was also nice. I later added an exhaust fan (Vevor 750cfm inline duct fan, running into a dryer style vent outside of my shop) and also a rotary attachment.

Just a few tips I've learned from experience:
I bought my rotary off of eBay and put my own aviation connector on it, and was able to get basically the exact same setup that Monport offers for about half price. Depending on who you buy your laser from and what kind of accessories come with it, or what kind of package deals are available, you might look into doing something similar if you're wanting to stay within a certain budget like I was.

Lightburn is well worth the price of admission, and they update it pretty regularly which is nice. It's also a one time licensing fee, unlike a lot of other modern day software that wants to charge by the month.

They also have a feature known as a Materials Library. You can create your own as you go, or depending on your make/model of laser, you can likely find one that's already put together and buy the download from various sellers online. It's well worth the price and takes a lot of guesswork out, even if it's just a starting point for dialing in your own settings.

Make a focal length gauge, or better yet, get a focal length chain. Instead of lining up two laser dots to set your focal length, this makes the process a lot faster. I know that some of the newer lasers actually have an autofocus that does this automatically, but if you don't have that feature, a focal length gauge or chain is the way to go.

If you buy an integrated laser (which means the power supply, controllers, head unit etc... are all one unit) then you may want to drill and tap some additional holes in your base for mounting accessories like a rotary, or you might want to make a riser to place next to your base, as a rotary takes up a lot of real estate and depending on how large (or long) your pieces are, you may have a hard time lining everything up. That's if you even end up getting or needing something like a rotary attachment. If you're just marking blades, this is a moot point.