I’ve been eyeballing the pro for quite some time just haven’t pulled the trigger yet (need to finish my shop first, but I’m approaching the home stretch). I’d mostly use it for larger parts (bumpers, racks, signs etc) but my wife does a bunch of jewelry work out of copper that she cuts out by hand. I’d like to see if anyone is cutting small parts, ~1" x 1" or smaller, or parts with fine details. Maybe for her stuff a small lazer cutter would be better suited?
Thanks!
1"x1" would be fine if you’re cutting shapes. Circles, rectangles, stars, etc. If you’re looking for lettering then NO. Smallest with lettering would be around a bottle opener size. If you are looking for smaller you need a laser
It would be but make sure it’s the right kind of laser. Most small lasers are CO2 lasers which won’t cut metal. (And copper is nearly perfectly reflective to the CO2 laser beam and will flash it back to the lens and destroy it.)
You’ll want to find a fiber laser to cut metal but that’s going to be a fairly steep price point.
Almost better to look into cnc router. The stronger built ones can cut metal…better on soft metals but can deliver detail on the small range. Definitely cheaper than laser. If production/ business…make the investment in laser but hobby/ small sales look at cnc router.
You may want to see if the Carbide 3D Nomad will suit your needs…if machining small parts is your goal. I have their wood router (Shapeoko XXL) and can cut limited metal if I needed to. But their Nomad is designed specifically for machining metal.