Designing for laser cutting

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NOTE: Needs to be merged with Laser Cutting Resources

Software Guides

Laser Cutter Software

LaserCut Software Guides (deprecated)

Since the change to the new controller we are running RDWorks and Lightburn laser cutting software so Lasercut Guides are no longer particularly useful.

• Nottingham Hackspace's Guide to using laser cut

RDWorks Software Guides

The RDWorks original manual suffers from rather poor translation in to English. Rabbit Laser USA have taken the manual and done their best to fix the duff English. It can be found on the Rabbit Laser website

https://rabbitlaserusa.com/Manuals/RDWorksV8_DetailedSoftwareInstallation.pdf

There is also a YouTube video about how to use RDWorks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RO7gBEn6TN0

2D Art and Design Software

Using Inkscape

• London Hackspace's guide to using inkscape to draw things for laser cutting
• Cambridge Makespace's advice on using inkscape with the laser cutter at their Makespace
• IMAL's Inkscape & Lasercutters

Box Making

• Makercase's laser cut case design generator
• Boxmaker at Connection Lab - Another box maker
• Make-a-Box - yet another box maker

Laser Cutting Design and Fabrication Techniques

• Defferred Procrastination's guide to designing laser cut clip together construction
• Makezine Magazine - Visual reference for laser cut joint designs
• Ponko's How to make interlocking wood designs

Minimizing Burning and Laser Associated Damage

• CutLaserCut's Advice on Minimising burn/heat marks
• Rowmark's Causes and Effects of Cracking
• CutLaserCut's "Everthing you need to know about acrylic" If you're having problems with cracking/crazing, this link might help explain why (extruded vs. cast)

Laser Engraving

• Epilog Laser's Engraving advice white paper (pdf)