Laser Source

The crew celebrates Matt’s birthday with a mix of good-natured chaos and real laser talk. Alex breaks news that WeCreat finally pushed a long-overdue software update adding bidirectional scanning to the Lumos — prompting rants, rewrites, and a little redemption. From there, conversation swings through teardown photos for the Ultimate Guide to Laser Processing, building a universal laser test bench, the pros and cons of diode galvos, and even cutting aluminum on a fiber. Between tech tangents and trash talk, they manage to land on something deeper: using the right laser for the job, taking safety seriously, and remembering why maker education matters.

Learn to Laser Everything™ with new episodes of the Laser Source Podcast EVERY WEEK. We cover laser parameters, settings, techniques and more for CO2, Fiber, Diode and UV Lasers! We believe in free and open maker resources. Check out some of ours below:

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The crew digs into the messy truth about material safety—how to really research what’s safe to laser and what can gas you (or your machine). Alex walks through the process step-by-step: using CAS registry numbers, reading modern SDS sheets, and understanding decomposition products instead of online hearsay. They talk about why “no data available” isn’t the same as “safe,” how to tell when a material’s dangerous even without a fire, and how to talk to customers who bring in mystery items. Between the chemistry talk, they also update listeners on Laser Everything’s channel lineup, the Ultimate Guide to Laser Processing series, and a fresh CO₂ Galvo material library update.

Learn to Laser Everything™ with new episodes of the Laser Source Podcast EVERY WEEK. We cover laser parameters, settings, techniques and more for CO2, Fiber, Diode and UV Lasers! We believe in free and open maker resources. Check out some of ours below:

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Alex and Kyle reveal the next evolution of Laser Everything’s educational content: the Ultimate Laser Processing Guide. They discuss why it’s replacing the original LightBurn Crash Course, what new topics it covers—from safety and workspace prep to identifying your laser source—and how they’re rebuilding it into 126 short, focused lessons. The conversation expands into practical talk about beam alignment, dot size, and why short videos beat hour-long deep dives. Plus, they demo the new MakeArmy.io SVG nesting tool and tackle audience questions about UV lasers, photo engraving, and beam expanders.

Learn to Laser Everything™ with new episodes of the Laser Source Podcast EVERY WEEK. We cover laser parameters, settings, techniques and more for CO2, Fiber, Diode and UV Lasers! We believe in free and open maker resources. Check out some of ours below:

Check out the NEW MakeArmy Maker Dashboard!

The Laser Database: https://makearmy.io

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Between sickness, chaos, and way too many lasers on the way, Alex, Kyle, and Rheannon hold down the fort for a laid-back but productive episode. Rhiannon teases her new travel-accessory video featuring Johnson Plastics Plus leatherette gear (with a Dragonite passport cover for Japan), Alex previews his upcoming community-building talk for JP+ Fest, and the crew outlines their next major project: LightBurn Crash Course 2.0. They dive into the flood of new machines arriving for review, talk shop about the Index X rotary setup, and debate the terrifying joy of using UV lasers. It’s an episode packed with updates, planning, and the usual dose of maker mayhem.

Learn to Laser Everything™ with new episodes of the Laser Source Podcast EVERY WEEK. We cover laser parameters, settings, techniques and more for CO2, Fiber, Diode and UV Lasers! We believe in free and open maker resources. Check out some of ours below:

Check out the NEW MakeArmy Maker Dashboard!

The Laser Database: https://makearmy.io

Even more of our FREE resources:

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The guys kick back for a fun, tool-packed episode full of maker updates and new toys. Between sick kids, glass jobs, and holiday prep chaos, they dive into easy-win UV products, quick-selling ornaments, and the classic “make something for the school principal” marketing trick. Alex shows off the all-new Laser Toolkit—a collection of shop calculators for overlap, pulse width, and job timing—plus the debut of a web-based background remover that’s free, fast, and wildly useful for photo engraving. It’s equal parts community catch-up and nerdy deep dive, wrapped in real shop talk and a lot of laughs.

Learn to Laser Everything™ with new episodes of the Laser Source Podcast EVERY WEEK. We cover laser parameters, settings, techniques and more for CO2, Fiber, Diode and UV Lasers! We believe in free and open maker resources. Check out some of ours below:

Check out the NEW MakeArmy Maker Dashboard!

The Laser Database: https://makearmy.io

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The guys dive into one of the wildest “why does this even exist?” releases yet — a massive 4×8-foot hybrid diode/CNC machine from ER that’s equal parts intriguing and absurd. They break down why multi-purpose machines rarely excel at any one task, how scale turns convenience into chaos, and what kind of maker could actually use something that big. That leads into a grounded comparison with the new Monport Reno 65 W CO₂ laser Alex just uncrated - a reminder that sometimes “simple and fixable” beats “feature-stuffed and fragile.” Along the way: real-world CO₂ vs diode fire safety, frame rigidity, Kickstarter red flags, and a few laughs about girthy gear, winches, and cabinet engraving no one asked for.

Learn to Laser Everything™ with new episodes of the Laser Source Podcast EVERY WEEK. We cover laser parameters, settings, techniques and more for CO2, Fiber, Diode and UV Lasers! We believe in free and open maker resources. Check out some of ours below:

Check out the NEW MakeArmy Maker Dashboard!

The Laser Database: https://makearmy.io

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Alex spends the week wrestling with an impossible rotary setup—wrong pins, hot glue, and a $700 lesson in EasyCAD board compatibility—while the crew swaps their own horror stories about problem clients, endless revisions, and knowing when to walk away. Between broken boards and champagne-flute drama, they talk deposits, boundaries, and time management as small shop owners. Things lighten up with a look at the surprisingly powerful new Algo Laser Pixie, and how tiny, travel-ready lasers might change how makers sell on the go.

Learn to Laser Everything™ with new episodes of the Laser Source Podcast EVERY WEEK. We cover laser parameters, settings, techniques and more for CO2, Fiber, Diode and UV Lasers! We believe in free and open maker resources. Check out some of ours below:

Check out the NEW MakeArmy Maker Dashboard!

The Laser Database: https://makearmy.io

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The guys catch up after travel, cat rescues, and kid chaos before diving into a deep (and sometimes teeth-on-wire) discussion about WeCreate’s new Lumos laser. It’s gorgeous, powerful, and loaded with features - but hamstrung by missing bi-directional scanning. What follows is equal parts love letter and intervention as Alex and Kyle break down why half-speed engraving matters, how galvo timing really works, and what WeCreate could fix in one update. They also hit on event safety, live-engraving rules, and when an LLC actually makes sense for small laser businesses.

Learn to Laser Everything™ with new episodes of the Laser Source Podcast EVERY WEEK. We cover laser parameters, settings, techniques and more for CO2, Fiber, Diode and UV Lasers! We believe in free and open maker resources. Check out some of ours below:

Check out the NEW MakeArmy Maker Dashboard!

The Laser Database: https://makearmy.io

Even more of our FREE resources:

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Alex and Kyle go deep on the unglamorous but essential side of running lasers: keeping them clean and cool. From the brand-new Laser Everything Buying Guide launch to the split of the Laser Source YouTube channel, they roll into a hands-on chat about airflow, dust, humidity, condensation, and why every laser deserves maintenance love. The conversation ranges from practical shop tips to UV and CO₂ quirks, blown-out chillers, unsafe enclosures, and some tortilla-filled PlayStation chaos—plus updates on new episodes, database tools, and why an enclosure isn’t just for fumes but for safety.

Learn to Laser Everything™ with new episodes of the Laser Source Podcast EVERY WEEK. We cover laser parameters, settings, techniques and more for CO2, Fiber, Diode and UV Lasers! We believe in free and open maker resources. Check out some of ours below:

Check out the NEW MakeArmy Maker Dashboard!

The Laser Database: https://makearmy.io

Even more of our FREE resources:

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This week is all about two things: a practical invite to the Maker’s Momentum Summit and a clear plan for the Laser Source podcast edits moving to their own YouTube channel. We explain why the split helps your feed make sense again, what you get for nine dollars, when VIP access is worth it, and how our community talk fits into the summit’s bigger lineup.

Learn to Laser Everything™ with new episodes of the Laser Source Podcast EVERY WEEK. We cover laser parameters, settings, techniques and more for CO2, Fiber, Diode and UV Lasers! We believe in free and open maker resources. Check out some of ours below:

Check out the NEW MakeArmy Maker Dashboard!

The Laser Database: https://makearmy.io

Even more of our FREE resources:

Support Our Show, Sites, Services, and Videos: