Who needs a home laser welder?
~$2400 base and it goes up from there.
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Who doesn’t? 
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I’m certain if I have it, my husband will lose a few fingers. Is it really safe enough to use without gloves but can still cut through metal??
Also…everything I watched it do in the video left my mind the moment I saw the guy playing a tiny accordion. I hardly ever see full-sized accordions, he had a tiny one. I had a child-sized one recently that I took to the school for our music teacher. It was so hard to play.
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Looks like it would be really handy! My husband would kill me!
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Haha I have to admit I watched the video because of this comment.
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Same here. I think we have that toy accordion. 
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I have a small laser welder (700w) but would not use it without gloves. I use tig welding gloves as they’re thinner than most welding gloves so they’re more flexible. While the metal doesn’t get as hot as mig or gas welding it is still very hot. Remember, you have to melt the metal to join pieces. You don’t have to worry about spatter though.
The other reason I use gloves (& long sleeves) is skin protection. This is very very bright light which with other electric arc based welding can result in skin burns so skin protection is a good thing.
One thing to consider is you’re not done when getting the laser units, you’ll want a gas supply. While you can use compressed air for the cleaning function you’ll need inert gas like argon or nitrogen for quality welds. That means you’ll need to find a gas supplier, rent or buy a bottle, buy a regulator speced for the gas you’re using, get the plumbing parts (hoses, quick connects) required to go from the regulator to the welder. That’s a few hundred dollars more.
Laser welding is much faster but is limited by power. My 700W unit will handle 1/8” steel but anything more requires more passes, sometimes a lot more passes. It’s not different from our GF laser experience 
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I was more amazed that they had it sitting in their living room while they sat on the couch. 
@CMadok - we have a good friend who plays accordian professionally. She even played all the music for our daughter’s wedding years ago. She’s Basque and plays all over the country and over in in Europe as well. She taught her daughter to play also. We have a CD she gave us years ago, I don’t know if she ever put out more than the one, but it’s very good. She really gave me an appreciation for accordion music.
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I don’t care what anybody says if you are welding you are melting metal and if you are melting metal you are making a LOT of heat. those bare fingers holding the metal?
nothing says diy like a welding unit sitting around in your living room.
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Pretty sure I do. Even if I don’t, I do.
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From their KS page:
Works in Any Environment
Underwater?
In a vacuum?
Microgravity?
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Underwater yes. I know lasers work in a vacuum…but that would be a stretch. Microgravity…no clue!
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microgravity would not affect the laser beam. the problem is the metal puddle from the weld would bits float off?
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When I’m wrong, I’m wrong…
According to a quick séance with Gemini in research mode:
Laser welding is not only feasible in space but is currently the leading technology for in-situ repair and construction. Recent experiments have confirmed that while your concern about “blowing away” (spatter) is real, it can be controlled through precise laser power management.
• The Vacuum Advantage: Unlike Earth-based welding, a vacuum actually improves laser welding in some ways. It eliminates the “plasma plume” that usually blocks the laser, allowing for deeper and more efficient penetration. It also assists in “degassing,” which helps prevent the internal bubbles (porosity) you might expect.
• Managing Outgassing & Spatter: Your intuition is correct—metal vaporizes more easily in a vacuum. This creates recoil pressure that can kick molten metal out of the joint. However, in microgravity, surface tension becomes the dominant force, helping to pull the molten “puddle” back together unless the laser power is too high.
• Proof of Success: In August 2024, a combined team from NASA, AFRL, and Ohio State conducted 70 laser welds in a vacuum chamber during microgravity parabolic flights. They achieved a 98.5% success rate (69 out of 70 welds), proving the process is robust for orbital use.
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