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Beginner Laser Cutter Setup: What I Use With My Glowforge
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items My Glowforge is hands-down my favorite crafting tool, and after a lot of trial and error, these are the supplies that actually earn their spot in my craft room. This is the stuff I'd buy again: materials that cut cleanly, the venting and fire-safety ...
Sections
5
The Machine
Materials
Setup & Safety
Design Files
Finishing Touches
The Machine
My Glowforge referral link! Benable can't auto-affiliate Glowforge, but buying through this link earns me Glowforge credit, and I'm so grateful when you use it.
Glowforge (my referral link)
Materials
Basswood plywood is the best beginner material: cheap, light, and it cuts like butter. A big multi-pack means you can practice without stressing about ruining a pricey sheet.
Basswood Sheets 12x12x1/8, 26 Packs, 3mm
Colored cast acrylic for keychains, signs, and ornaments. Make sure it's cast, not extruded, since cast engraves with that pretty frosty white.
Deylixay 12-Pack 12x12in 3mm Colored Acrylic Sheets
Glitter acrylic is my weakness. It's perfect for name tags, cake toppers, and earrings that make little girls squeal.
Glitter Cast Acrylic, Purple Acrylic for Lasers, Glitter Acrylic Sheets
Setup & Safety
An inline booster fan helps pull smoke out on long vent runs. A quiet one makes a huge difference if your laser lives in the house.
AC Infinity CLOUDLINE A4 4” Inline Duct Fan
Four-inch aluminum duct with clamps for venting out a window. Keep the run as short and straight as you can.
VIVOSUN 4 in. x 25 ft. Aluminum Flexible Dryer Vent Hose with 2-Clamps for HVAC Ventilation (2-Pack) wal-306104-42C
This rechargeable BC extinguisher lives right next to my laser, within arm's reach, because you should never leave a cut running unattended! If you want to splurge, a CO2 extinguisher is the gold standard for lasers since it won't leave any residue i...
First Alert GARAGE10 Garage BC Rechargable Fire Extinguisher: Steel, 10-B:C UL Rating, 10-Year Warranty, 100 psi, Red
Honeycomb pins hold warped wood flat so your cuts actually go all the way through. They're a cheap fix for a super common frustration.
Thunder Bolt Laser Honeycomb Pins - Laser Hold Downs & Clamps
Wide paper transfer tape (masking) protects wood and acrylic from smoke marks. One big roll lasts forever.
TapeManBlue Paper Transfer Tape 12"x300'
Clean lenses mean clean cuts. Keep a box of lens wipes by the machine and wipe the lens and windows regularly.
Pre-Moistened Lens Wipes - 60ct - up&up™
Isopropyl alcohol cleans smoke residue off acrylic and wipes down the crumb tray area.
Isopropyl Alcohol 91% - 32fl oz - up&up™
Digital calipers measure material thickness so your settings (and slot-together projects) come out right the first time.
NEIKO 01407A 6-Inch Digital Caliper LCD
Design Files
A huge box bundle tested on a Glowforge Pro. Boxes make the best gifts, and having the files ready saves hours of designing.
72 Mega Box Bundle - Laser cut files
132 Christmas designs for a few dollars means my ornament and neighbor gift season is DONE.
Laser Cut Files Christmas Svg Bundle 132 designs, cnc files for wood, glowforge files, laser cut ornaments, snowflakes svg, covid christmas
Finishing Touches
Danish oil makes plain basswood glow and brings out the grain. Wipe on, wipe off, and it looks expensive.
Danish Oil - Solvent Based
POSCA paint pens are perfect for coloring in engraved details without a brush. They're my secret for crisp, colorful ornaments.
uni POSCA 8pk PC-3M Water Based Paint Markers Fine Tip 0.9 -1.3mm in Assorted Colors
A rolling cart keeps tape, pens, pins, and scrap pieces right by the laser and rolls out of the way when I'm done.
3 Tier Utility Cart White - Brightroom™: Portable Rolling Storage with Wheels, Universal Organization
Magazine files are an easy hack for storing 12x12 sheets upright, and you can see at a glance what you have left.
Plastic Magazine File Clear - Brightroom™: Acrylic File Organizer & Holder, 1 Compartment, 12" Height, No Assembly Required