RuwheiAnybody have a recommendation for a laser cutter -- that isn't a $6999 Glowforge, anyway? I'd like to cut up some acylic and balsa wood into pieces as well as maybe do some engraving, but I think $7k is a pretty steep price of entry.
Graham Sutherland / Polynomial@ruwhei yeah that's ridiculous pricing. a used Just Add Sharks Silvertail A0 should set you back a third of that or less. OMtech are also pretty cheap
Alastair McBain 
@gsuberland @ruwhei For $7k I'd just pay a tad more and get the entry-level Epilog... but I have other reasons to not like Glowforge. š
For just engraving and balsa, there's always the K40 home approach. Buy an aftermarket upgrade board or whatever for like $100 and away you go. (Not tried that personally though.)
Glen Akins@asmcbain @gsuberland @ruwhei Yeah, no way I'd drop $7k on something that requires a cloud connection to function at all. At that price point, spend the extra $ for the Epilog. Or get a Shopbot Desktop CNC.
@bikerglen @gsuberland @ruwhei Well looked up omtech. Apparently they "are" K40s. Just probably with better support. š
Though those are all sold out. They've only got the midrange big ones left, but hey, you never know just what you might decide to do later once you have a laser cutter...
I like my 2x1' working area and 60Ws. Watch out projects, all of you look like nails and I have a laser "hammer"!
The Lady Parabellum@ruwhei I have an xTool D1, it'll do all that, even engrave stone and glass. I have the true 20wt for $1400, but even the $700 10wt would meet your requirements. I've cut and/or engraved wood, stone, glass, acrylic, paper, done multilayer painted tile, scratch paper, ... I've had it a bit more than a year and it's been great. Lots of reviews out there on it, they're very popular in DIY.
About a 10min assembly too, good docs/videos.
Michael K Johnson@ruwhei If you want to know what it takes to make a K40-style laser into a complete system, multiple folks have contributed to the K40 Intro at Maker Forums.
You do not really need to upgrade the board anymore to get started. MeerK40t can control a K40 and can also act as a translation layer to let lightburn control a K40.
New to K40: Start Here
Is this you? Iām about to buy a K40! I just bought a K40! What should I look for/do/try/etc., etc.? Start learning here. What materials can a K40 engrave and/or cut? What materials should be avoided and why? In general, materials that absorb the deep infra-red beam (10um) that the CO2 laser puts out are most affected. Materials that reflect it are not very affected, and the reflected beam can be dangerous to eyes and skin, as well as damaging the laser lens. Organics such as paper, wood,...