Woodworkers review of 3 laser engravers! China Tools Ep.38
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- čas přidán 18. 10. 2022
- In-Depth reviews of woodworking products from China. In this episode: Three laser engravers from Atomstack and Enjoywood are capable of cutting wood!
If you want to see a ranking among all the products I tested over the last three years, visit my site: hookedonwood.online/China-Too.... Here, you can find my shop improvement series with free plans as well! hookedonwood.online/Shop-Impr... Here are all the direct links to the products in this video.
Enjoywood 10 Watt laser
www.banggood.com/custlink/3vG...
www.amazon.com/dp/B0B17QVPZZ?..."
Enjoywood 20 Watt laser
www.banggood.com/custlink/K3v...
Atomstack 20 Watt laser
www.banggood.com/custlink/3vK...
Coupon Code: BG5a5c10
With the coupon code the price is $ 989. Exp. November 30
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My Personal Banggood favorites all time!
1. Hongdui Edge Trimmer
www.banggood.com/custlink/GGK...
2. Doweling Jig / Multi-row puncher
www.banggood.com/custlink/KDv...
3. Kerfmaker
www.banggood.com/custlink/vDD...
4. Drill guide cabinet jig
www.banggood.com/custlink/KDD...
5. T-ruler
www.banggood.com/custlink/3GG...
6. Precision square
www.banggood.com/custlink/DKv...
7. Miter square
www.banggood.com/custlink/GmG...
8. Miter square brass
www.banggood.com/custlink/vmG...
9. Height gauge
www.banggood.com/custlink/KGG...
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My name is Dennis and I am from Hooked on Wood.
Subscribe to my channel!
czcams.com/channels/uvj.html...
My CZcams channel is a hobby. This means I try to upload 1 a 2 video's a month. But this is not at a specific schedule. So If you do not want to miss my videos. Subscribe and click the notification.
Products I use in my workshop
Table saw with dust system:
Felder 740S Slider
Felder 140
Workbench:
Incra master-R-router lift
AEG 1400w router
Incra 25" SL positioner with Wonder Fence
Drill press: Jet JDP 15B
Miter saw: Festool Kapex 60
Different links to products I use
Clamps:
Axminster trade hold down clamps
Piher Rail guide clamps
Micro Jig dovetail clamps
Bessey parallel clamps
Axminster trade parallel clamps
Push blocks
Micro Jig Gripper
Incra Push block
Thank you for viewing.
Best regards,
Dennis - Jak na to + styl
As always your review is well worth the time to watch. Thank you.
I am a big fan.Thanks a lot!!!
GREAT review Dennis. Your points are always "on point"! !! !!!
Ontdekt dit nu deze week. Echt goed voor houtbewerkers.
Fantastic review and comparison, Dennis! Really impressive machines! 😃
Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊
I think your reviews, particularly these laser ones, are pretty good. I like that you are more focused on 'what you can do with this' than 'you MUST have this and I'll only show projects that require this product' which sadly seems to be more the case on other YT channels. One thing that might be worth exploring is how well these 'entry level' lasers go with marking 3D objects like bowls and carvings with either a maker's or owner's mark, there is a difference between 'focused' and 'collimated' in lasers, collimated beams hold their sharpness over a greater distance range but need complex optics.
Thanks again Dennis, another great review!!
Great review as always.kind regards Shane 👍
Dennis thanks. I appreciate the info you give us. it is a big help when buying.
Love the channel Dennis.
I've had a home made Co2 Y400 built from Further Fabrications plans.
It's a beast at 400mm x 600mm so not for a small shop.
So much more difficult to set up too.
For me these desktop machines are absolute game changers in ease of use.
Great review. I bought the Atomstack 20W some months ago and it arrived two weeks ago. Soon I will unbox, assemble and start playing with it. In all honesty, I was waiting for your review so I could avoid some assembly pitfalls, but you made it look so simple that I am sad that I've waited so long. 😁
Assembly is too easy. I did not pay too much attention to it in this video because that would sort of look a bit boring. You will make it through :-) Have fun with the laser.
Thank you for this video. Lasers are wonderful additions to a shop. You are correct just need to know the limits of each one to ensure it will do what you expect. I recently purchased a CNC machine that has both router and laser capabilities. I did not get the laser yet as want to master the router portion first. Looking forward to the next video. Stay safe happy and healthy from Henrico County Virginia
Great video. I have the xTool 10watt and I love it. The last year, the diode laser industry has exploded and when you want to look for maybe a newer one, it can be overwhelming with so many different ones.
Hi Dennis, thanks for your useful reviews. I’m trying to recreate your x20 mdf cutting results. What’s your unit of speed?
Dennis, great review on the laser engravers. Always excited to see the content you come out with. I plan on purchasing my first laser engraver soon and was hoping to see if you designed a box for your engraver. If so I would love to see a video on your building process for constructing the box to house your engraver. I know the look (fit & finish) is on another level. All the best to you my friend. Keep up the excellent work
Also Dennis. I was wondering what you think about placing the laser on a drawer slide for a laser enclosure. So when you open a front facing lid you could slide the laser out. Would having the laser on a drawer cause accuracy issues for the laser?
Great Review. Thanks
Hello Dennis, Great video as usual always inspired by your content. Could you tell me how you get the shapes you want to cut out into Lightburn ?
I will show it in a future video
Great video!!
Great video Dennis.
Keep 'er lit Bro!
Mooi reviews, vraag hoe is de kwaliteit van het graveren. Wil graag afbeelding graveren op berken mulitplex.
Groet Ruurd
Hello Dennis . Fascinating to watch this edition . Is it possible you could do a video on the the programme you use on the computer to do all your designs and how you do them . I'm seriously considering getting a 20w laser but the computer side of it scares me a bit . Keep up the good work . Bill in uk
Hi, I can understand your fear. I had the same. This is what holds me back for CNC cutting. But Lightburn works pretty easily, and there is a very informative site with video episodes that guide you through the basics. Things like simple forms, text adding photos, or what I made with this insert are pretty straightforward and should not be a reason to hold you down. But there is some learning curve to finding the right settings and learning what the program can do. I think I know just 30% of the possibilities of this program, but that is for knowing enough to make these simple things.
I use LightBurn software and there is a CZcams channel called Louisiana Hobby Guy and in his videos he will teach you everything you need to know about the software and lasers in general.
@@gregj2647 wow thanks Greg I appreciate the info , I will certainly venture over to CZcams and give it a look 👍
@@HookedonWood It would be nice to see how you programed the bird you used on the box. I have to admit, it's the software that's holding me back
@@HookedonWood I was scared of CNC but if you look into Easel by Inventables it’s pretty easy. You don’t have to use an Inventables machine either. Personally I’ve moved on from Easel but it’s a great starting point.
Hi Dennis, are you using any additional glasses or are you just trusting the protection shield? I'm still looking for a decent one so if you are using one maybe you can share some details :) thanks and keep on the good work!
Good question. At this moment I do have a CO2 laser and I am searching for the right solutions also.
Great video! I know if I get a 10 watt I’ll kick myself for not getting a 20 but that is a bit pricey for me just messing around. Love the China tools videos and the score card is a great idea.
Thx Dennis. I just bought the AtomStack 10 W laser, based on your earlier video. I bought it mainly for cutting templates. But the engraving has added some nice possibilities that I’m really enjoying. I’m not a production shop so it’s a perfect fit for me. For those thinking about it and are worried about computer skills needed, don’t worry lots of youtube videos to show you what to do. There are two main programs LaserGRBL (free, best for engraving images) and LightBurn (purchase, best for design, cutting). One thing that I use my laser for that I haven’t seen yet is to make MFT/track saw guides/tools. There some really nice, accurate aluminum tools offered out there to allow you to dial in off nominal angles. I have a project every once in a while that ends up with something weird. I was thinking of buying this specialty tool but couldn’t spend $300 for a tool I might only use a few times. So i did it the manual way which is harder and takes a lot time and figuring to get right. After I got my laser I though I could make a template with dog holes on one side to align an fix the template to the mft, and the unusual angle on the other side to align the track. I tried it. Worked great. Now I have other ideas for those once in awhile alignment jigs/tools. The accuracy of the laser for this application is perfect.
Hi, I agree with you on the alignment jigs. And I also wanted to integrate it in this video. But, although the laser is very accurate, due to the structure of the wood, there can be some deviation. You also have to keep the kerf in mind when you design jigs. So, I hoped it would cut Acryl better because I think that is more constant made. But the edges became too rough for good use of templates. However, I expect a CO2 laser in the near future and hope this will cut accurate Acrylic templates. This will not say you can not use it for the purpose you mentioned, but I did not want to highlight it because there are some things to consider, and depending on the wood, it will not 100% accurate.
@@HookedonWood I used mdf which seems to cut pretty consistently. The 20mm dogs holes were spot on. So far so good for me.
What is the airassist that goes with it? I can't find it...
Awesome video
Hi Dennis, I have a question. I saw you built an enclosure for your laser with (I think) an orange tinted window. Did you use something designed specifically for protection of eyes against laser light and if so, could you explain what? Or did you use 'regular colored acrylic' and if so, how would you rate that as far as protecting your eyes goes?
Good question. I just used regular Acrylic. I do not know about safety. But the reflection of blue light is gone and it looks much more convenient to watch to the laser point. Off course you should not do that too often, but It does not give my eyes stress when I do. Without this acrylic this is a complete other story. So, I think it works great.
Great video! 👍 Would be interesting to see a review of the Shaper Tools Origin portable CNC if possible.
Yes, I can understand. I will think about it.
Hi, for 3 mm birch plywood what is the power and speed and passes with air assist? thank you!
Great video! Undoubtly the 20W ones are more fascinating, even if they are not cheap at all...
Hey Dennis, ik vroeg me af hoe je de vorm van de tools inleest om ze exact te kunnen laseren.
How do you draw a tool's shape for a drawer organizer?
I will show it in the near future. Will test a new interesting laser and then I will show you this process!
Hallo Dennis. een vraag, als ik de natuurlijke kant van een eiken schaadeel zou willen graveren zou dat kunnen met de 10 of 20 wat versie. Het hout golft als ware onder de laser dus verschillende afstanden tot de laser. Ik hoor graag hoe je hier over denkt of je mischien andere opties kent. Verder goede uitleg en duidelijke video!. Groet, Nick
Er komen nu lasers die dit kunnen scannen. Krijg er binnenkort 1 binnen. Die passen automatisch de hoogte aan. Dan krijg je een mooie egale print
@@HookedonWood Bedankt voor het andwoord, Hopelijk doe je er een review over. Ik kijk er zeker naar uit.
Fascinating review. For the air assist, what’s the rating on your aquarium pump? I’m trying to decide if the one I have moves enough air. Thanks 👍
That is 57 liters per minute. I consider that enough! The air pumps in this review have 30 liters. You can see in the test results that with a 100% setting (around 30 liters) there is not that much improvement left. So, I think between 20-60 liters is going to work.
Great review as always Dennis, the 10 Watt Price range is probably more realistic for the "hobbyist / enthusiast" based on how many templates are likely to be produced.
I wondered in terms of making Templates alone (not engraving or cutting), what would be your choice in terms of Lazer, 3D Printer or Entry Level CNC ??
Having used all three, I can say that the is not a simple question.
laser will give you the tightest corners, but is limited to 2D space.
With CNC, you add another dimension, which you will eventually want to explore as you get comfortable, and will open up many other income avenues.
3D printers are great for prototyping, but finish is fairly rough, printing is time intensive, and final product is generally not very strong
@@kevinkidderphotographer Yes, I imagine they all have their pros and cons depending on what you are trying to achieve, thanks for your reply.
I think there might be a spelling mistake in the label of your calipers in the drawer, you have Mitotoya rather than Mitutoyo
yeah, you are right, I did correct that in the mean time :-)
Great video as always. Do you have any shelf pin jigs? Peter Millard (10minute workshop) has just made one of his own incorporating benchdogs rule and a router. Would be great to see what you have.
No, I use one I got from Banggood for that. I will watch the video of Peter. Curious about what he made of it.
@@HookedonWood let me know if you can’t fine it. He made a great jig but ofcource if something similar from banggood is available and at a fraction of the price then that wins 😊
Great video, can you share the plans?
Hi Dennis, enjoyed the video. In episode 32 you reviewed the Neje 10W laser and I was really thinking about buying one. How does it compare with the Atomstack and Enjoywood 10W machines? I am just going to be using them for making templates to use with my router table etc... Is the Neje still a good option compared to these two? These are about Au$200 more than the Neje. Looking forward to what you think?
The Neje is a 10 watt laser and the performance is comparable with the 10w enjoywood. They are both capable of cutting templates. It cost me some time to get the Neje accurate because the frame is fragile. For Enjoywood this is not a problem because the frame is very sturdy. When you screw the Neje on a platform, this is no problem otherwise, only based on this I would choose the Enjoywood. Apart from this I lean towards the Enjoywood Atmostack as my favorite, but this has nothing to do
With performance, more that I think it is a bit
More practical and I like the design better.
TLDR at the bottom.
I usually really like your videos but I'd like to add a couple of comments to this one for safety.
Since these machines are geared towards beginners I would highly suggest adding a serious safety segment to videos like this since the can be dangerous and beginners are clueless to a lot of safety issues that come with these machines.
You mentioned laser cutting/engraving leather and I would like to mention that not just any leather is safe to use with a laser, in fact a lot of materials could be very harmful and people should always look into what they're engraving/cutting and if it is safe.
Sometimes a person might buy a purse or wallet and end up trying to engrave it but can the tags on those items be trusted?
So stay safe when it comes to the materials you pick!
Another thing was air assist, air assist does make your cuts cleaner and might even help you cut more materials since it can also clear away any debris that's in the way but a big advantage that comes with air assist when it comes to safety is it can stop fires from happening.
If someone walks away from their laser while it's doing it's job and something catches on fire an air assist will help, sometimes at least so never leave it unattended.
Then there's the fumes, you mentioned some thing about it but in my opinion a laser should not be used without fume extraction. Some materials are straight up toxic and like I said, since the machines are geared towards beginners they probably don't know about this.
Last but not least is the obvious one which you also mentioned, protection in case the laser bounces somewhere it wasn't supposed to, now laser specific safety are great but an enclosure is a must to protect yourself properly, there's a reason why laser cutters/engravers at higher price points come with big enclosures.
TLDR:
An enclosure, fume extraction and air assist are must have safety features to protect yourself and others from the potential dangers of a laser cutter/engraver.
Material knowledge is also a must in order to make sure that you are staying safe even with those protections mentioned in place.
Thanks for all this information. I will look into it and see if I can make a video about it
Safety glasses are a must. I don’t trust the glasses that came with my laser so I purchased glasses rated by an independent company
@@HookedonWood I'll be looking forward to it! The safety aspect of these lasers doesn't get talked about very often so I'd love to see it.
@@gregj2647 Glasses are certainly better than nothing and it's good you went the independent way if the original supplier isn't trustworthy but sadly it doesn't prevent anybody from getting hurt in other places or even setting something on fire in the worst case scenario.
I think the fume aspect is very important, the fumes are super nasty, I don't think people appreciate how bad they are and how much nasty particulate also comes out of it.
Hi Dennis, Another great video. A 20W laser is definitely on my Christmas list. Instead of making an enclosure, couldn't someone run the unit near a window, where a powerful box window fan shooting all the smoke outside? Brad in North Carolina
I would definitely recommend a box. You should be aware of toxic smoke.
Pro tip: never leave a laser cutter/engraver unattended while it's working, and have a fire extinguisher close by.
Agree
Nice work, Dennis :)
Now all I need is a bigger workshop to fit the laser in.
I am curious to know how you created the files for your drawer inserts. I imagine getting those shapes right was the most work. Did you work based off of photos?
Yes, I will show it in my next video
Same question 🤔
Hi Dennis. Interesting video again. In episode 32 you mentioned that the lasermodule on the Atomstack is not realy sturdy/solid mounted on the rails compared to the Neje.
How is this on the 20W version?
Do you prefer a 20W laser with smaller working area or 10W laser with larger working area?
Thanks
Really love this review - thank you for posting! I am wondering if any of these lasers would be suitable for this scenario: I have some 6mm thick flat steel tools with a painted surface. I'd like to laser off the paint with some logo designs to expose the steel underneath. I don't need to remove any of the steel material, just the paint. The details would be quite intricate - lines that are maybe 2mm thick in some cases. Can lasers get that intricate? Would a higher wattage be required to get fine detail like this? Thanks in advance.
Also worth mentioning these are small tools - less than 200x200mm in area
Sorry for my late answer. But this is no problem and will not ask to many from a laser. My first laser review of a 4 watt laser I show an example of this. So, this works great with almost every laser
@@HookedonWood thank you! I appreciate all of your reviews, especially the china tools component as I'm in Australia and a lot of the brand name stuff I see on American woodworking channels are not available here (but China ships everywhere 😁). Thank you again!
@@HookedonWood Hi Dennis - I was looking for your review of the 4W laser but it doesn't seem to be on your channel. Could you please provide a link or video title? Thank you so much!
You really should have added the Xtool D1 to your review. It is a great machine. Regardless, I love your channel and reviews.
Denis you are a bad man... I had to go get one to play with! I had a couple of questions 1. What is the device you had below the workpiece, looks a bit like a down draft table? 2. I'm curious if you had any experience engraving brass with it. Looking at the banggood and other sites it appears like metal engraving shouldn't be an issue but wanted to check. Enjoy these videos, thanks!
Thanks for the interesting video! The software is not uninteresting either. Is there anything else you would like to say about this?😊
I will think about it for a future video
Can you drop a link for the links for the air assists? Does the 10watt come with air assist too?
Bought it, can't even connect to my computer (not a newbie to that kind of stuff). Banggood support is really bad.
Leuke video. Misschien nog eens een tutorial in het Nederlands over het maken en uitsnijden van templates in lightburn of grbl?
Hi Dennis, you made a small mistake! its Mitutoyo instead off Mitutoya!
Hello and thank you for the video. I cannot find the Enjoywood Air Assist Unit - where can I buy it?
Surprised you didn't talk about them having homing switches. Some lasers don't have them and this causes them to crash when you hit the home button in Lightburn.
Good point. Yes, I am aware of it, maybe I forgot it because it is not an issue with this laser. Maybe I will tell something about it in my next video.
Hello, what is the black material you are engraving?
Until you get a better answer, I can chime in. MDF (medium density fiberboard) can come in different densities and sometimes with a different glue/epoxy that is moisture-resistent. This black MDF is one of those types. In some countries, the HDMR (high density moisture resistent, I think) material can be green as well as black. Dennis has commented before on this material, and I think it might be available in special markets in the US.
Gee, I guess that kills my plans for a hand-made wooden box business… and could never convince my wife it’s a good investment to make laser boxes instead 😅
Air assist is almost a must, much cleaner results and keeps the lens cleaner as well. Also keep in mind to VENTILATE, the fumes are toxic, you are basically vaporizing the material you are “cutting”, breathing in the fumes is not healthy. Save your lungs and your health, don’t underestimate the toxicity .
Of our city, of our ciiiiityyyy
Who actually makes this engraver ? Is it the Atomstack 20 with your brand on it?
To be clear, it is not my brand! Atomstack makes these engravers.
🤩🤩🤩🤩
Interesting that in your review you mention how clearly written the manual is yet, the reviews on Amazon all speak to them being terrible...
Agree, saw those reviews also. But the manual I got in all the machines are perfect. They even numbers all the screws you needed in every step written in the manual. I think does where pre-production items and the manual was not ready. Also even without manual this will take 1 hour instead of 6 or something someone noted.
spelfout het is geen mitutoya maar mitutoyo
Hoi Dennis, ik zou graag een zero clearance insert fence en insert bottom plate bij jou willen bestellen voor mijn ks60... heb dit al een keer via jouw website geprobeerd, maar volgens mij is er iets verkeerd gegaan.. zou je mij kunnen contacten?
Ik moet even kijken of ik ze nog ga maken. Ben nu ook met iets bezig dat al beter alternatief dienen. Moet even kijken hoe dat loopt. Probleem is dat het erg arbeidsintensief is om een serie te maken en het moet heel nauwkeurig anders past het niet lekker!
@@HookedonWood mocht de serie of de verbeterde versie wel weer leverbaar zijn dan hoor ik het graag. Is er een manier om in contact te komen hierover?
first i like your vids. but i have a question supporting a country that is supporting russia is ageainst EU en the NATO how do you think about that?
I do not like it.
@@HookedonWood I understand that
At -9:21 minutes...karton, he means cardboard....lol
Finger weg von Enjoywood Lasern! Meiner (20 Watt) war wegen Überhitzung schnell defekt - bringt nicht mehr die volle Leistung. ERSATZTEILE bekommt man keine!!!!!!!!
Let me guess… 5-star rating?
Some
you seriously label all your cutouts for your tools I think you need to get some help.
😀😀