Their tube had failed at its output lens cooling cap, a component that is glued onto the end of the tube rather than bonded, and which had snapped off. Replacing a laser tube might be a routine component change for some readers, but it’s still worth looking at in some detail. Tokyo Hackerspace have one, but sadly their laser tube failed after relatively little use. The K40 laser cutter has become ubiquitous in hackerspaces and well-equipped home workshops over the past few years, as a relatively inexpensive introduction to laser cutting and a machine that is readily hackable.

Posted in Laser Hacks Tagged K40, K40 laser cutter, laser cutter That’s not including the scavenged K40, but that’s still an amazing price for a very capable laser cutter. The total cost for this build was under €500. It’s a relatively powerful laser cutter capable of most hobby work, and it was cheap. All of this was tied up in a box with acrylic panels, and went together as easily as any other CNC machine. A few parts had to be custom made, including a few stepper motor mounts and something to hold the laser tube. The build began by scavenging the K40 laser cutter for the electronics and laser tube, then building a new frame out of aluminum extrusion. He’s calling it the Layzor, and it has a huge 600×400 mm bed area, a feed-through slot for even wider workpieces, and fancy technology is calling an ‘E-stop’. recently upgraded his K40 to something great. It has a small bed, and it doesn’t have the latest technology like ‘switches’ that turn off the laser when you open the door. Unfortunately, the K40 laser cutter is lacking. It’s ubiquitous, it’s cheap, and there’s a vast community out there that will help you support any issue you could have. The K40 laser cutter is an excellent option if you need to laze some plywood or acrylic.

Cohesion3d k40