6 Safety Tips for Using Wood Laser Engraver
Posted by Joey Weng on
Diode laser machines are popular for their affordability and precision, but safety is critical. This blog, enriched with insights from Reddit, YouTube, and Facebook communities, outlines seven essential tips for safe diode laser operation.
1. Wear Proper Protective Gear
During laser engraving and cutting, the intense laser beam may cause permanent damage to the eyes. Therefore, be sure to wear special laser protective glasses to ensure eye safety.
2. Secure the Work Area
Avoid placing paper, cloth or other flammable items in the work area to prevent them from being ignited by the laser. Smoke may be generated during processing so please use a fume extractor or work in a well-ventilated area, as emphasized in Facebook laser groups. Make sure the working area is well ventilated so smoke can escape.
3. Wear a mask
Some materials release gases during the laser cutting process. Before laser cutting and engraving, you should take appropriate protective measures, such as wearing a gas mask that can filter gases. Even you already use some fume extractors, it is recommended to wear a gas mask that can effectively filter solid and liquid aerosols and some steam.
4. Have fire extinguisher ready
Since the laser machine may produce sparks and fire caused by high temperature when working, youshould choose a fire extinguisher that can quickly extinguish such fires. Such as dry powder fire extinguishers, carbon dioxide fire extinguishers. In addition, if there are people around, make sure that using a carbon dioxide fire extinguisher will not cause harm to people. It is best to learn basic burn and fume inhalation treatment. And it’s best to clean your laser machine regularly to prevent fires caused by dust and dirt buildup.
5. Cleaning your lens regularly
The lens is affected by smoke and slag in the working environment, and dust easily adheres to the focusing lens. If the cleaning work is not done well, the lens will be burned or even damaged. At the same time,the laser lens will also be affected by the processing accuracy of the lens, so please clean the lens regularly.
6. Read the manual of the equipment carefully before use.
Diode lasers (usually 5W-40W) have specific requirements. You need to know its laser strength and the materials it can be used for. There are some materials, especially plastics, that you should never try to cut on a desktop laser. Polyvinyl chloride and polycarbonate will produce toxic gases under the action of laser. This can damage your laser cutter and your lungs! So before cutting and engraving, you can search on Google first to make sure your material are secure that can be cut and engrave. In addition, you need to be familiar with the emergency stop button.
These six diode laser safety tips, backed by Reddit, YouTube, and Facebook insights, protect you and your equipment. Prioritize safety for worry-free creativity.