Instructables - DIY CO2 Laser

Everything Else
1

I have seen plenty of home made laser builds, but this one that just popped in my inbox I felt was worth sharing. This 17 year old put a lot of thought into the design…

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2

Well I’ll be applying for my refund now :stuck_out_tongue:

That kid is awesome, even his first build. He could kick start it and blow Muse out of the water. I hate to think about what I was doing at 17 …

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Looks like Marius Hornberger has some serious competition! Utterly amazing. What a writeup too!

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Wow. It’s really well done. But. If his comment about the cost is accurate (1900 euros) and he didn’t count labor costs or 3D printing cost, then he’s already well up in commercial territory.

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And here in the US, most 17 yr olds think the moon is bigger than the sun or couldn’t pass a basic algebra test (yet they still graduate…) :sob:

note: I don’t mean for this reply to sound rude - just seeing and hearing from a lot of young kids today I can’t help but wonder what our school systems are doing…

Back on thread - that build is amazing!! would blow a baking soda volcano out of the water at the science fair :grinning:

7 Likes
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Glowforge Basic territory without the bells & whistles and software magic but with a bigger bed :slight_smile:

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That kid’s going to make a good living as an engineer. Well, or CEO of a Glowforge competitor.

For ~$2,000 USD though, I’m glad I spent a little more to get the software and support. But if I was a little more savvy and had the time to do this, it’s an amazing thing!

4 Likes
8

isn’t it always expensive to build the first one though?

9

Not really. When the idea is to build only one, you choose methods and materials that facilitate building one.

Yes, it is more expensive to build one, than it is to just buy something pre-made off the shelf.

Taking that one prototype/proof of concept into production, whether it’s limited low volume production or mass production, is a whole other ball game and not for the faint of heart.

10

Maybe some day with things like FDM, SLA, and :tada: glowforge :glowforge: every build only one can become as cheap as many. Give me my star trek replicator now!

2 Likes