I have a 40W CO2 laser and it takes 3 passes at full power. Am I doing something wrong or do I need to upgrade?

Tried dry moly lube, mustard, Cermark, and laser bonding spray. Here's my honest comparison after 6 months of testing on various SS grades.

Started as a one-off for a friend, ended up doing 100 orders! Learned so much about batch production and file organization. Happy to share my workflow.

I've been keeping a spreadsheet since I got my first laser. Sharing all my settings for MDF, ply, acrylic, leather, felt, and cardboard.

Budget is around $800. I mostly do wood engraving and some acrylic cutting. The S1 seems amazing but the K40 has a huge community. Thoughts?

Got tired of fumes. Used 20x20 aluminum extrusion, polycarbonate panels and a 4" exhaust fan. Total cost: $118. Plans available if anyone wants them.

Edge-lit 3mm clear acrylic with a RGB LED base. Client wanted their business logo. They ordered 12 more after seeing the first one.

If you're getting horizontal bands on your tumbler engravings, here's the fix: it's almost always your rotary roller speed not matching the linear speed. In LightBurn: go to Device Settings > Additional Settings and set "Rotary Scale" based on your tumbler's circumference. Formula: (360 / tumbler_circumference_mm). Once I got this right, zero banding.

Cutting 600x400mm pieces from 6mm ply and the corners always lift. I've tried tape but it's not enough. Any tips?

Replaced the stock MDF with a custom piece that has T-slot channels every 50mm. Total game changer for workholding.

Started selling personalized cutting boards on Etsy 4 months ago. At $45–$85 each with 3-4 hours work including laser time, it's decent side income. My current workflow: 1) Find good end-grain maple boards at restaurant supply stores (~$12). 2) Engrave family name + design on Glowforge. 3) Sand to 220, finish with food-safe walnut oil. 4) Box and ship via USPS Priority. I've done 60+ orders now. Happy to answer questions.

After 2 years of LightBurn I found some settings most people miss: 1) Enable "Cut Inner First" to avoid warping on small pieces. 2) Set "Overcut" to 0.1mm on closed shapes — eliminates small tabs at start point. 3) Use "Flood Fill" for large engraves over 100x100mm — 30% faster. 4) Ramp length 5mm on cuts over 3mm material. 5) Enable "Remove Overlapping Lines" before any cut job.

Spent 3 weekends on this commission: a 2m x 1m decorative panel for an outdoor garden wall. 3mm mild steel, cut on my HypTherm 45XP. Post-processed with angle grinder, hand paint in matte black, clear coat for weather protection. Client is thrilled. Sold for $1,200.

Was fighting Z inconsistency for months. Turned out to be a loose eccentric nut on the Z-axis wheel. Sharing the fix because I couldn't find it documented anywhere.

I design quick 3D-printed positioning jigs for repeat jobs. Cut 20 identical pieces in half the time. Anyone else doing this hybrid workflow?

Cast acrylic vs extruded acrylic behave completely differently. Here's how to tell them apart and the settings for crystal clear edges on both types.

Just got my first diode laser (xTool D1 Pro). Total beginner here. Is Lightburn worth the $60 or should I start with the free option?

Post your latest CNC projects here! I'll start: just finished this oak serving board with an inlaid walnut geometric pattern. Used the v-carve inlay technique, painted with food-safe mineral oil. Took about 4 hours of machine time across 3 sessions.

Bamboo cutting board + 2 hours of engraving work = one very happy bride. The detail you can get on bamboo is incredible.

I love FreeLaserFile but I always want more options. What are your go-to sites for free DXF and SVG files? Specifically looking for geometric patterns and nature/animal designs for a series of wall panels I'm making.