Free Laser Cutting Demo...Participate and Learn

At our shop, we have laser cutter machines that can cut/engrave materials like wood, plastic, textiles, and paper among other things, and it can be used on a huge variety of projects. We've used our lasers to cut parts for devices, engrave on glassware or wood, make quick work of fabric cutting, and produce art pieces.

How does it work? It's easier than you might think. We design a vector graphics file in a graphic design program, upload it to the laser machine, and set some cutting parameters. The material is placed flat in the machine and is then cut precisely with a powerful laser that follows the dimensions in the design exactly.

This meetup will involve demonstrations of the lasers' capabilities, a brief background in graphic designing for lasers, and will allow participants to design some customized object for our lasers (we'll operate the machine, however). Total novices welcome. As an example of what we've done with our machines, check out this artist's laser cut installation (http://www.lauriefrick.com/quantify-me/), which was cut in our shop in Tempe.

Ultimately, our goal is to make sharks with laser beams coming out of their heads (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bh7bYNAHXxw). But until then, we'll stick with mundane projects like making parts for wood boxes.