CO2 laser cutter

The DIY CNC milling machine is nice, but working with plating requires different tooling. Why not build a laser cutter myselfs?

After reading a couple of blogs about creating a DIY laser tube, that seems to be too much work, while still generating an unreliable max.40 Watt laser beam. Still very cool, but actually I want to use a laser cutter.

So time to buy one. There are plenty offerings, especially overseas. I also read a lot of complains about broken laser tubes etc. So time to make a wish list:

• At least 60W laser.
• Big working area, so standard sized plates could be used.
• Mid range budget.

A bigger laser (+100 Watt) would be nice, being able to cut thin metal sheets, but this is getting out of my budget.

MetaQuip

I ended up, buying a laser cutter: MetaQuip-Lite. It was one of the earlier models, with a working space of 40x40 cm & 40 Watt tube.

Since there was a lot of space inside the metal cabine, I gambled on the idea to enlarge this space, so a standard 61 cm width plate could be cutted. A lot of laser cutters having a metal tube sticking out of the machine, so longer laser tubes could be installed. So why not improve this machine too?

Contacted the supplier and asked for a bigger laser tube and he was willing to make this change and so I bought this first Lite-60W modified machine:

Time to do some laser experiences and measured the whole machine and do some back-wards engineering. Shifted a couple of things and finally it was just possible to create a 61x42 cm working area.

Together with MetaQuip, we moved a coupling of things inside the laser cutter, although warrenty was gone by now.

Results:

• Finally the bigger work area,
• Created a larger bed myselfs.
• Added a diode pointer, going along with laser line, which is very handy.

Some upgrades & random projects

CO2 laser tube specifications

Getting a bit of insides about different laser tube specifications & settings:

Rated power:	Length [mm]:	Diameter [mm]:	Recommended operating current [mA]:	Max. current [mA]:
40W	700	50	10-13	15-20
50W	800-1000	50	12-15	18-22
60W	1200-1250	50-55	15-18	20-24
80W	1250-1600	60-80	20-25	28-30

• Operating vs. Max Current: To maximize tube lifespan, avoid running at the maximum current supported by the power supply.
• Physical Fit: My laser could use 40W to 60W laser tubes:
  • max. diameter 50 [mm] &
  • max. tube length: 1250 [mm].
• Cooling: Tubes 60W and above generate significant heat and typically require a dedicated refrigerated water chiller rather than a simple submersible pump.

Tube replacements

• 2015: Bought this MetaQuip-Lite 60W laser cutter.
  Replacement tubes: 40W: 300 euro; 60W: 520 euro. (2026 Q1)
• 2021: Winter started early and so did the freezing temperatures in the garage.
  Maybe the heater was at too low setpoint, so I guess this was the cause of the broken laser tube inside the machine.
  • 2021 May: "VEVOR CO2, 60W 1000mm"; 150 euro.
    Was broken when arrived, luckily I got my money back.
  • 2021 May: "Cloudray CR serie CR50 50-70W lengte 1000 mm dia. 50 mm"; 150 euro + 60 euro packaging.
    Great packaging and worked for a while.
• 2025 summer: The laser tube lost its power to cut. So it's again time, buying another laser tube:
  • 2026 Feb.: Ordered "Sihao CO2 Lasertube, 50W 800mm"; 77 euro.
    Great packaging and seems to work. Looking to the length of tube, I guess it's a 40W, but at least the laser is working again.

Conclusion

Slowly increasing the amount of tools (cnc mill, 3d printers), the laser cutter seems to be used most.

I like the simplicity of designing something 2D and the speed of creating large parts. It's so much faster then 3d printing.
So every new DIY part needed, is first passing the least-amount-of-effort method: → "How could I create this, using the laser?"...