Laser Cutter
The Octavia Lab has a 30 watt CO2 Laser Cutter from Universal Laser Systems. The laser cutter can accommodate material up to 16” long and 12” wide. The laser cutter may be used for a single two-hour session each day. Equipment is available on a first-come, first serve-basis. Lab members may make reservations up to one week in advance. Reservations are done in person or over the phone at (213) 228-7150.
How does it work?
As a DIY Makerspace, we expect that most members have a passing knowledge of how some of the software/equipment/tools works. For those members who do not have any experience with our offerings, the Octavia Lab provides the perfect venue for self-guided learning. Lab members will have access to a small library of instructional materials such as books, in-software tutorials, as well as online classes through LinkedIn Learning and NicheAcademy. Be advised that lab staff do not provide one-on-one instruction. However, they will set-up, maintain, and troubleshoot lab equipment.
Laser cutting requires that you create a design in vector software such as Adobe Illustrator, CorelDraw, or Inkscape. You may use the laser cutter computer to create your design but this will reduce the amount of time you have to actually cut. Your design will need to follow certain guidelines for the laser cutter to know whether to cut, score, or engrave certain design elements.
How much does it cost?
The equipment, software, and tools needed to do a laser cutting project are absolutely free. However, you will need to purchase your own project materials.
What do I need to bring?
In order to use the laser cutter, you will need to provide your own material. Not all materials can, or should be used on the laser cutter. So all materials must be approved by lab staff.
The following materials may be used for cutting (while the laser cutter can cut up to ¼ inch, ⅛ inch thick material is better):
- Acrylic/Lucite
- Plexiglas
- Plywood (from craft store, not Home Depot)
- Hardwoods
- Card stock
- Grip tape
- Balsa wood
- Cork
- Anodized aluminum
- Adobe Illustrator
- CorelDRAW
- Inkscape
- VLS
- Photoshop
- InDesign
- Premiere Pro
- Premiere Rush
- After Effects
- Lightroom
- And more…
- Lenovo Tower
- GeForce RTX 4090 Graphics
- USB: 4 ports
- Universal Laser Systems 30W CO2 Laser
The following materials may be used for engraving only:
If you have questions regarding any material that is not on this list, give us a call at (213) 228-7150 before purchasing. We wouldn't want you to purchase material that can't be used.