Htpowlasers's blog
The Ortur Laser Master 3 laser cutter and engraver features a 10W diode laser that can engrave at speeds up to 20,000mm/min and cut wood up to 19mm thick. It has built-in WiFi and a powerful smartphone app to create and wirelessly send custom projects directly to the engraver.
I'll go over all of its features and thoroughly test Orturs' claims to see if this is the right laser engraver for you. If you haven't learned about this technology, please take a look at my previous article introducing this technology to help you quickly understand.
My box arrived a bit worn out but everything inside was well protected. Basic assembly is required, but should take no more than 30 minutes to assemble. I don't recommend using the supplied user manual - the illustrations are too small - go to the Ortur website and find a link to a YouTube video of the assembly, or check out the manual online so you can at least zoom in to take a closer look at the more tedious steps.
You can see everything that comes in the box, which includes some safety specs and a handy little storage box with tools and parts. There are also some wood, acrylic and metal samples to test the engraver.
The easiest way is to start assembly from the top down. Thread the Y-axis motor cable through the left Y-axis, then connect the left and right Y-axis with one bolt. The frame of the router is not a standard aluminum extrusion - Ortur makes custom parts that are well machined and lock precisely into place, ensuring the frame is square.
Once the Y axis is in place, you can slide over the already assembled X axis. Then mount the straps on both sides, which you need to blindly hook onto the pulleys inside the back assembly. It's a bit of a hassle, but if you're really stuck, you can remove the end cap so you can see what you're doing.
Then you need to attach the idler. Fit them loosely and loop the straps around them. Set its position with the included set screw to set the belt tension. There is a marker showing their best position. You can then screw the pulleys into place. If the strap is too loose or too tight, you can loosen these bolts and adjust the set screws.
You can then use the single bolt again on both sides to attach the front assembly. Connect the motherboard connector on the connector and connect the Y-axis cable that was pulled earlier. This was the most troublesome bit for me - it was very difficult to plug in the little connector.
You can then connect the other end of the connector to the X-axis motor and use the provided zip ties to loosely hold this rather bulky cable in place. Then connect the laser's cable to the socket marked "L" and secure loosely in place with a zip tie.
The laser module is already equipped with an air-assisted nozzle and a laser shield. It slides onto the X-axis using a dovetail mechanism and can be locked into its vertical position with a thumbscrew.
Plug the laser cable into the laser module using the keyed 5-pin connector. It's all very neat, making the laser module very easy to remove to clean the lens, remove the air assist nozzle, or replace another laser module in the future.
You can then install two stop bolts to the front of the engraver to prevent the laser head from hitting the front assembly. Slide the X axis onto these stop bolts, then slide the belts on both sides into the toothed belt grooves so everything is square. Screw on the WiFi antenna to complete the assembly.
This is the smartest engraver I've ever seen, and it's well made and solid.
My only two real criticisms are the rotary scroll wheel switch, which, while useful, is rather exposed and looks a bit cheap. What's more, the bulky wiring machine lacks any cable management.
It's easy to get caught in things, so I 3D printed a small zip tie base and taped it to the side of the router with double sided tape, which helps keep things organized.
It's a very low-profile machine, for reasons I'll get to later, but you'll still need quite a bit of room. Above you can see the required working space for the machine. The dimensions listed on the Ortur website seem to be a bit off. But if you want to move it around, it's pretty light at 4.3kg.
The top of the front assembly has a power button that requires a long press to turn on and off, and a multi-color LED ring that glows to indicate its status. Then there is a barrel lock with key provided and emergency stop button. Keyed locks are a welcome feature if you have young children around or want to use them at a school or makerspace. You will need to make sure the lock is in the open position and reset the position by turning the emergency stop button clockwise to open the machine.
Behind the front assembly is a microSD card slot in a rather awkward position, with a reset and boot switch next to it.
On the left side of the front assembly are the USB port for connecting to a computer, the DC jack for connecting an AC adapter, and the WiFi antenna.
The Y-axis switch on the back needs to be in the Y-motor position, unless you're using the rotary wheel that connects to the port below the switch.
The OLM3 features a 10W laser module combined with two 5.5W laser diodes. It has a 0.05 x 0.1mm focal spot and an 8mm depth of field, providing a good combination of engraving and cutting performance. Its 400mm x 400mm capacity is average for an open diode laser machine of this type, but smaller than the TwoTrees TS2 I saw last month.
Its biggest selling point is speed. Ortur cites an engraving speed of 20,000 mm/min, twice the engraving speed of a typical 10W laser. It achieves this through its low profile design and relatively compact and light laser module. But this low-profile design does mean that you'll need to lift the router to machine thicker items, especially if you're using a honeycomb cutting table. Ortur does sell foldable feet to increase its height, but I haven't received any to try.
Before I go on to discuss testing, if you're new to all this, be sure to see my previous article covering laser safety. The article also covers the basics of laser engraving and cutting, and the basics of using software like Lightburn which I will be using with OLM3. At least from a safety standpoint, you must wear the included laser safety glasses.
The Ortur does have some extra security features along with the key lock and panic button I mentioned earlier. It has tilt protection, which turns off the laser if the machine falls off the table, and it has exposure duration detection in case the motor stops moving for any reason. If the laser is left on at the same location, it may cause a fire.
Before you can turn on the laser engraver, you will need to install a microSD card - the engraver will not work without it. Be careful not to miss the microSD slot and slide it into the front assembly frame. I then connected the Ortur to my computer with the provided USB cable. You will be able to view the contents of the microSD card through this USB connection.
Unusually, this is a USB-A to USB-A cable, rather than a typical printer cable that has a square USB-B connector on the other end. In Lightburn you can also use the free LaserGRBL, add the engraver manually and select the GRBL with USB connection and set the size to 400mm x 400mm. The home position is on the front left, and you can disable auto-homing, as it will do it anyway. The laser has a focal length of 50mm and the laser module has a convenient spread out arm to set the correct height above the workpiece.
I found the extension arm to be a little flimsy, and it didn't lock into place. The adjustment changes slightly as you tighten the thumbscrew, so it takes some practice to get this right. I prefer the motorized automatic height adjustment feature on the Two Trees TS2, which also lets you automatically lower the Z height when making multiple cuts.
I wanted to test the high-speed claim first, so I engraved a grayscale photo of this cork coaster. I'm using 20,000mm/min, 0.1mm line spacing, 100% power, it's too dark as you can see. In Lightburn you can adjust the speed and power during printing, I ended up with 50% power for the last third of the engraving and it looks about the same. Printing takes approximately 8 minutes.
Ortur provides helpful guidelines for engraving and cutting various materials on the included microSD card. This is a good starting point, but I recommend using the material testing functionality in Lightburn to fine-tune your setup for best results.
For Basswood plywood, Ortur recommends 15,000 mm/min at 100% power. Using the Lightburn material test, I engraved this test image, which I would say is about correct, but I darkened it a bit and engraved the same image again at 12,500 mm/s.
I also tried engraving these coated aluminum business cards and after a little rubbing with isopropyl alcohol it worked really well. I again used Ortur's recommended settings: 3000 mm/min at 25% power. Although these coatings do give off some nasty smoke, even when extracted.
The 10W laser is even powerful enough to engrave stainless steel. You don't need to apply any coatings, and the little name tag performed really well at Ortur's recommended 2000mm/min and 100% power - even though my text did get a bit off center.
I cut and engraved a small tag out of leather less than 2mm thick and it came out perfectly - even the small holes were precise and rounded, which is a challenge for these belt driven machines.
When cutting, you can use the built-in air-assisted nozzle, but you'll need to provide your own pump. I tried it with a cheap pump from Fox Alien, but it was actually worse than no pump at all, as you can see below.
With the fan turned on along with the laser, the laser module itself seems to generate enough air for lighter cuts.
For deeper cuts, I used the main compressor with its digital regulator set to 15 PSI, which did give sharper results.
Ortur does offer some additional fittings to work with the air supply hose, but I just used a 3D printed adapter to connect it directly to my compressor hose. The hose fits directly into the laser module. It's a bit of a hassle, but you need to push down on this black collar to retract the little barb that grabs the hose to insert and release the hose. I attached it loosely to the router to keep it tidy and keep it from getting tangled.
The air nozzle can be easily removed when engraving. Just squeeze the laser shield lightly and unscrew the nozzle. This is a very clever design.
Like all of these diode laser makers, Ortur has some bold claims to make when it comes to cutting. According to their website, this 10W module has a maximum cutting depth of 30mm. Although looking more closely at their materials chart, this is using black acrylic, 17 passes at 100mm/min and 100% power, so you don't want to do this too often, even if possible.
But the more typical, stronger birch plywood was more of a challenge. With the air assist from the compressor I can cut 100% at 200mm/min most of the time. But the 10W TwoTrees TS2 can cut the same sheet at 300mm/min.
Jog the laser into position using the app with WiFi
The OLM3 also has built-in WiFi, and you can easily connect to the machine using the free Laser Explorer app. The app does far more than I expected. You can select an image or text to engrave, create barcodes and QR codes, but what I find most useful is using it to precisely nudge the position of the laser. The machine doesn't have a built-in LCD screen to control the engraver, but the app is a useful substitute. I would be a little wary of using it for sculpting, though. When I turn on the laser to line up jobs, it sets the power at 4%, which is way too high and starts burning a spot on the material if you're not careful. I can't get it lower than 1% - in Lightburn I use 0.25%, which is enough to see the laser dot.
Connect Wirelessly to Your Engraver Using Lightburn
I still prefer to use Lightburn to send jobs, and I did find the app disconnect a few times while testing. You can also access Engraver's own server via the IP address visible in the app. I was able to connect to Lightburn's engraver from a computer connected via ethernet. I just added another device and selected ethernet. Using this machine wirelessly is convenient, but I haven't had 100% success with it, with a few prints randomly aborting during printing.
The laser engraver is completely silent when not engraving. The fan is only turned off when the laser is on, when the laser is off the fan turns itself off after a few seconds. The fan is loud when running, but the motor runs very quietly. You can hear it in action in the accompanying video. The overall feeling is that of a very refined carver.
The Ortur Laser Master 3 is a very well designed machine that delivers some really good results. Its engraving performance is particularly impressive, with its high speed and fine laser spot. Setup is super easy, and I especially like how the belt and pulleys hide dirt and grime.
The integrated WiFi is a great feature, not only for use with the smartphone app, but also for wireless printing from the Lightburn, even if I didn't get 100% reliable results in my testing.
The Laserpecker L1 Pro is a laser engraver that anyone can use. It requires minimal technical knowledge and is controlled via a feature-rich smartphone app that is intuitive to use. A great machine to start your laser engraving journey, make personalized gifts or add your personal touch to your products.
The Laserpecker L1 Pro is quite different from the other laser engravers we've tested so far. This is a mini laser engraver that can be controlled via Bluetooth using a smartphone app. You don't need a PC to control this router. The maximum engraving area of this laser is 10cm*10cm.
We've tested the Laserpecker L1 Pro Suite, which comes with an autofocus mount that really takes it to the next level.
The laser diode is a 500mW diode with a nominal 1500mW output power. It's a bit of an odd spec, but from the tests we've done, we think the optical laser power should be closer to 1.5W than 0.5W because it engraves well.
This laser machine has no moving parts, it deflects the laser beam internally while the head remains stationary. looks cool.
I also recommend getting more quality protection googles with OD6+ protection. You only have one pair of eyes. protect them! These lasers work in the visible spectrum, and even reflections can be extremely damaging to your eyes!
The Laserpecker L1 Pro has a focal length of 20 cm, which is exactly the length of the included ruler. This means you need to position the laser head 20 cm above the surface of the object.
With the autofocus stand, it's very easy, you just place the autofocus paper over the subject and press the focus button. The stand raises the laser head to the desired distance.
Using a tripod to focus the standard Laserpecker L1 Pro takes more time because of the repeated adjustments to the length of the tripod legs.
The benefit of using a tripod is that you can also tilt the laser head sideways and engrave on large objects. You can also place the tripod directly on a large object like a table or bench and sculpt directly on the surface below.
With the Laserpecker L1 Pro Suite package you get two versions of the stand.
A special feature of Laserpecker is a feature-rich smartphone app that comes with a large number of example designs in the library. It also has a lot of material presets. Just a little fine-tuning of the parameters is all it takes to get the perfect engraving.
The L1 Pro is definitely the easiest laser engraver to use.
As mentioned earlier, the Laserpecker L1 Pro is controlled by a smartphone app.
The app has tons of presets for a variety of materials, and with a little tweaking you can get the settings just right and produce perfect engravings.
These are the main options:
Text engraving
Finger painting
photo engraving
QR code and barcode generation
The most impressive thing is the photo engraving. It's surprisingly fast. You take a photo, then apply a filter to get the desired effect. Some editing and erasing is also possible. It turned out great!
Cutting and engraving different materials
Engraving: wood, leather, cotton (clothes), rubber, paper, fruit, foam, felt, plastic, peel, etc...
This machine is not a laser cutter, so it can't cut much. The thickest thing it can cut is paper or masking tape.
Always use the machine in a well-ventilated area.
The QR code is etched into a piece of poplar plywood. The woodblock prints came out very well.
I also had a logo engraved on the leather wallet and the engraving was perfect! This is a great idea for a personalized gift that will last!
The Laserpecker L1 Pro is an excellent choice for anyone who wants to get into the world of laser engraving but doesn't want to overcomplicate things. Simple to use and controllable via smartphone - The Laserpecker L1 Pro is a great option for someone who is not tech savvy but just wants to add a personal touch to their product or craft, or wants to give a personalized gift or just wants to have something fun s things.
Other Brand: atomstack , sculpfun , twotrees
Buying a leather engraving machine is not an easy task. That's mostly because there are so many options available, and it's easy to get lost in the technical aspects of these machines.
If you can't find the right engraving machine or tools, I have some suggestions. Drawing insights from my years of leather engraving experience, I can suggest some options to help you personalize your leather at home.
Some people believe that engraving or needling can damage the leather. While this technique is vital, no damage can be done by engraving on leather. That's because you worked on the surface and removed minute amounts of material to design.
When you slide the tool across the leather surface, it forges the leather surface and leaves a design behind.
Can I laser engrave leather?
Yes, you can laser engrave leather with a laser engraver.
These machines use high-energy laser beams to create precise and detailed patterns on the surface of the leather. The laser beam acts as a chisel for engraving the design. The top layer burns when it hits the surface, turning into smoke. The result is a dark cut that looks elegant and authentic.
The best types of leather for engraving are full grain leather and top grain leather. While you can also use it for suede and faux leather, it won't have the same quality.
Just like there are different types of leather, there are different types of lasers. CO2 laser machines are best for engraving leather. But they are not cost-effective and can only be used for industrial purposes. For DIY projects, you should consider UV lasers and diode lasers.
Loved by professionals and beginners alike, the A5 is the perfect laser engraver for both functionality and safety.
The newest addition to this laser engraver is a new eye protection design hood. It filters out 97% of UV rays. You can look directly at the laser while operating it without goggles.
The machine provides a laser between 5-5.5W, enough to engrave any thickness of leather. You can adjust it to suit thickness and type. The engraving accuracy is about 0.01 mm, which can be called highly accurate. In addition to accuracy, the contrast ratio also stands out due to its high power.
A5 is compatible with two leading engraving software LaserGRBL and LightBurn. Connect the machine to your PC or laptop, load the design onto the software, and engrave it on the leather. It's that simple.
The brand Atomstack is involved in the research and development of laser equipment. So when you buy an atomstack a5 pro , you're getting the latest in laser technology.
Easy to assemble and use, you'll love this laser engraver.
This entry-level laser engraver is designed for beginners and hobbyists.
The main problem for beginners is assembling the machine. But this laser engraver comes pretty much pre-assembled. All you have to do is connect to your computer and start carving leather.
It also has wide software compatibility, which means less research is required to find the right software. It is compatible with all three leading operating systems (Windows, Mac and Linux) as well as LaserGRBL.
To ensure your safety while working, this machine has four protection systems. One is active position protection, which stops operation if the position deviates. This is followed by a laser beam safety guard that intervenes if the signal transmission fails.
The third and fourth are exposure duration detection and power control systems.
The results produced by this machine are impressive. It has a focal spot of 0.07 X 0.06 mm, which is ideal for engraving high-precision designs on leather. But you can use it for other materials like cardboard, stainless steel and stone.
Weighing less than 7 pounds, this leather router is very portable. You can easily bring it to a friend's house or art club.
The L1 is a high-end high-power laser engraving machine from LaserPecker, a well-known brand in this field. It comes with many accessories and everything is packed in a carrying case, making it easier for you to carry the machine.
The machine has a unique design with a tripod and motorized stand. Once you're set up -- which shouldn't take long -- you need to connect to the mobile app and start engraving on the leather. You can engrave any picture on your phone. The results are very accurate, with a high level of detail.
It has blue filter protective goggles to protect your eyes from harmful radiation. Additional security features include motion detection shutdown, thermal shutdown, and password lock.
Longer Ray5 laser engraving machine has built-in 3.5 inch touch screen, TF card slot and built-in WiFi. Plus, it has a built-in controller that eliminates the need for a computer to be constantly connected to the laser engraver. Ray5 can be used for engraving or cutting.
Touch Screen and Offline Engraving: The Longer RAY5 10W laser engraving machine has a built-in 3.5-inch touch screen and a friendly user interface. This allows us to cut multiple pieces of plywood or an image to be engraved without taking up your computer to run it. Longer Ray5 has a built-in controller, no need to connect the laser engraving machine with a computer all the time. Save your files to TF card and use it to run Ray5 for engraving or cutting.
Ultra-Fine Laser Spot and Powerful Laser Module: This laser engraving machine adopts the latest FAC laser technology for compressing the laser spot, the spot size is 0.08*0.08mm; the smaller the spot size, the more concentrated the energy. This makes engraving or cutting much stronger. The output power of the laser module reaches 5-5.5W.
32-bit chipset and WIFI connection: RAY5 is built with ESP32 chipset, including WIFI connection for engraving machine and router. This 32-bit chipset runs at 240MHz. This means it is faster and more powerful than comparable machines with 8-bit chipsets. As a bonus, RAY5 supports WIFI connection via web page or App to control engraving or cutting.
Safety Protection: Longer RAY5 is designed with movement protection and thermal protection. If the machine moves during use, the mobile protection will initiate an automatic shutdown to ensure personal safety. Thermal protection initiates an automatic shutdown if a flame is detected or if the engraving area is overheated.
Compatible with Windows/MAC/Linux systems: Longer RAY5 5W is compatible with free engraving software LaserGRBL and paid LightBurn software. Supports importing BMP, JPG, PNG, DXF, AI, SVG and other file formats.
Power Button & Eye Protection: The engraving machine has a power switch for turning the power on or off. The laser module has an acrylic cover. This shields the laser to help protect the eyes. You will also need to wear goggles for laser light scattering.
The Longer Ray5 laser engraver is made from a material that feels like aluminum. It's lightweight but strong. Assembly is required, but is easy. There is a shield over the laser and it contains shadows. Also includes a USB micro SD card and adapter. USB cable and Allen key to tighten the screws.
The first step is to assemble the router. It's easy as long as you take your time. The instructions in the manual aren't great, but there are also instructional videos on the included micro SD card. However, I don't need video.
Once the engraver was assembled, I used the micro SD card that came with the USB adapter to test the unit. The card comes with 3 sample files for engraving. Additional software is also on the memory card, including manuals, firmware, instructional assembly videos, and 2 design applications.
Once the height is set, it's time to insert the micro SD card and start engraving. A USB cable is included if you want to use an external hard drive or connect directly to your PC.
Watching the Longer Ray5 20W laser engraver is as much a pleasure as I am watching a 3D printer print. However, this device produces quite a bit of smoke and of course the smell of the material you are carving. If you want to see the laser to see what it's doing, you'll have to use the shade that comes with it. I recommend using it outdoors or at least in the workshop. Also, I didn't test the cutting ability as I currently don't have a suitable surface to place underneath the material I'm cutting. The device would be better if it included a case and some material to limit the depth of the laser. The way the engraver works is that you can choose how many times you want to engrave while engraving, and each time you engrave, it will cut deeper. I have to assume it would take hours to cut open the 1" think board I used for testing. Overall, this is still a very good engraver with a large print area and a wide range of uses.
I must say that I really like the quality of the Longer laser engraver, its relatively quiet operation, and the quality of the engravings it produces. Since it's not enclosed, in the future I'll have to use it outdoors, maybe in my garage. There will be quite a bit of smoke when carving, and if it is carved from material, there will also be a smell of burnt wood. I tested it indoors and the smoke was the offending part. However, the experience was great for me, and this carver is very capable, especially because of its larger build area. I give it a job well done!
