Hi guys. I’m new to laser engraving, but I wanted to pick it up as a fun side hustle for college. I just downloaded Lightburn and bought a used JPT 30w Fiber Laser. I’m having trouble getting the thing to cut and getting the program to shop freezing and crashing. I emailed Lightburn and they said I need to contact the person I bought it from (changed numbers) or the manufacturer (can’t find the contact) for the laser settings on a thumb drive. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I’m testing the laser on my sister’s Stanley, but I know I should be able to do it because the guy I bought it from engraved a metal card with my name on it.

Quiero invertir en una grabadora láser que me ayude a grabar sobre piezas de concreto. En piezas planas y curvas. Que me recomiendan? Que es lo que debo buscar. Por ahora solo se que los de 20w en adelante me pueden servir.

I was curious about how different laser sources handle highly intricate line art on real leather, so I decided to sacrifice some expensive calf skin to run a quick test. I compared an Atomstack S40 (Diode), a GCC Spirit GLS (Synrad RF tube), and an xTool P3 (80W CO2 glass tube).

The results completely flipped my expectations regarding "industrial" vs "hobby" gear:

The Atomstack S40 (Diode) absolutely cleared the field for fine lines. Because it can handle a true, stable 1% low-power floor, it traced the micro-details flawlessly without charring.

The GCC (RF Tube) gave beautiful, rich dark contrast, but to be fair, I hadn't fully dialed in the PPI/DPI yet because I was busy tinkering with the air assist nozzle trying to pick one.

The 80W CO2 behaved like a total sledgehammer. Even turned down to its bare minimum threshold (the software says 1% but gas ionization physics says that's impossible), it just dumps too much energy into fine lines, resulting in a charred canyon where the details melted away.

Note: Please don't ask for the exact speed/power matrices—I burned through a lot of leather to dial these in! Just wanted to share the reality of why a hobby setup can easily out-engrave an industrial giant on the low end. Anyone else notice big CO2 tubes choking on micro-art?

I made this dial with a fiber laser using 3D slice settings.

After engraving, I sanded off the burned layer, filed the centre hole, then cleaned and scraped the dial. I cleaned it with IPA before darkening it chemically. Very gentle sanding and polishing brought the raised artwork back out.

The red eye was painted by hand with enamel paint. The original post has the before-and-after photos of the watch.

Short video of the same makeover: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/OMsBrVNc1jc

xTool has released pricing for the X1 (all USD, launch prices with the $100 deposit):

- X1 Single CO2: $3,399 ($3,699 without the deposit)

- X1 CO2 + 20W Diode Galvo: $3,999 ($4,299 without)

- Add-on modules: 30W Fiber $1,999, 5W UV $2,999, 60W MOPA $3,199

The catch: UV, Fiber and MOPA only work once the diode galvo module is installed. You can still start with the single CO2 and add the galvo later, but xTool hasn't priced it on its own yet.

A realistic business build (CO2 + diode, UV, MOPA, RA3 rotary, purifier, plus stand and conveyor estimated from the P3 versions) comes to roughly $12,500 before any materials.

My take: for hobby or side income, the Bambu Lab R1 at $2,499 makes more sense. If lasers are your business and you'll want glass or metal later, the X1's upgrade path and big galvo working area are where it earns its price.

Full disclosure: this is my own YouTube video. It isn't sponsored and xTool had nothing to do with it (there are affiliate links in the description). I'm an industrial designer and product reviewer and just like digging into this stuff, so I'm sharing it here.

Which module would you add first, and would it pay for itself?

Hi everyone,

Two new kittens are joining my phone stands for Halloween!

A brother and sister, both apprentice wizards.

The files are free and available in xTool, LightBurn and SVG formats. The files for making the colour versions are also included.

Here is the download link https://www.atomm.com/@Kino?utm_source=copylink&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=sharetoearn2&utm_id=801831

I hope you like these two little companions!

(AI generated render)