Fiber Laser VS. 3D Prints, Rocks, Metal // EM-Smart Basic 1 Review

The EM-Smart Basic 1 was sent to my at no cost for the purpose of review, but as always my commitment is to provide you with my honest and unfiltered opinions! Use code 'Makeanything' for a $100 discount through the links below:

I finally got my hands on a fiber laser, capable of intricate marking on steel, ceramics, rocks, plastic, and more... Check out my experience with the EM-Smart Basic 1 20W machine in this deep dive!

𝐒𝐓𝐋 𝐅𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬

𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐭*

*Some of these links are connected to affiliate programs that give me a small commission on each sale at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting Make Anything!

Chapters:

00:00 Intro
01:14 Assembly
02:55 Software
03:32 Initial Tests
06:25 More Metal Marking
7:51 Rock Carving
14:50 Terra Cotta, Ceramics, Coated Materials
15:38 Calibration Grid
17:09 Plastics, 3D Prints
21:18 Troubleshooting + Maintenance
23:23 3D Metal Engraving
24:02 Unlimited Marking Height
25:23 Final Thoughts
25:55 Lasers are Weird!
27:57 Final Final Thoughts
30:25 Thanks Patrons! 😜💖

[nadmeldev]

Great video Devin. I could watch some of these marking jobs for hours on end. THANK YOU!

[wetryanycheesedotcom]

Awesome, thorough review! I always love seeing you add as new tool to your arsenal.

[richtheobald]

7:25 Man, I've been using these all wrong

[wolfblade]

Just be really careful to not do quartz. Look up Silicosis and you may decide to no do random rocks.

[nunopenaspt]

LOL at the sneaky spider that invaded your project at 10:40s

[SeanLumly]

I've been on the fence about this -- I know I'm going to get some type of laser engraver/cutter.

The area of this fibre laser is smaller, but the accuracy and being able to actually etch metal is SO desirable.

Great video! I think you made my mind up for me!

[pinmaker]

The "overcooked" rock engraving is the best looking thing you showed all video.
Man, that's cool.

[jemmonfoe]

I love how this is a video of Devin, finding any metal material in the house to start testing on.

[kuzeyd]

at 10:42 a little spider takes a closer look

[swissfreek]

Robert Cowan did a video where he experimented on lasering different 3D print materials, and had the same experience as you. Some colors worked awesome, others showed no results at all, and there didn’t seem to be any predictable rhyme or reason to which ones did or did not work well.

[georgeaura]

Man awesome video it definitely does some very cool work.

[terryclair]

Yes fiber lasers are not useful on organic materials. I use mine for 95% metal marking and engraving only but I'm 3D printing a new black phone case right now to try that. Great video as always!

[slinkytrips]

I wonder if the laser is breaking down the dye that colors the PLA, this could be why they all react differently. No doubt the color of the plastic and the wavelength on the laser also come into it.

[ScytheNoire]

This episode really did become "LASER ALL THE THINGS!"

[EricHanuise]

Bright pla parts and yellow overexposed ones hypothesis: on these samples the laser burnt the dyes so its natural pla color that shows. Blue pla might have more resistant dyes.

[johnathanclayton]

I've had good luck marking petg with a fiber, I wonder if it's significantly different than pla. But I got a really good gold marking on black hdpe after playing around with the speed and power for a while.

[gerGoPrintD]

Instead of a rotary unit, I think it would be enough if the device could change its focus motorically. I mean this would allow it to cover a little wider angle.

[ChaseFerg]

You should do more of the peg board thing

[FuuhiArchive]

moved to Sweden recently, and the scissors for the pizza make so much sense!!! :D

[lupuskproductions]

10:43 lol! a spider trying to get zapped