ChrisTaylor

For context: I'm still building my first model ship (Artesania's viking ship) and I'm designing my first unambitious original model ... but I know a thing or two about laser cutters. Just a thing or two, mind -- I make no claims at expertise. I'm a teacher and have an Emblaser 2 in my classroom. The (primary) students and I use InkScape to design things, and then cut them out of laser-grade plywood. Some thoughts: - Everything everyone else said is true; - I think InkScape (open source/free) will do the job, but be prepared to learn it -- and the cutting process itself -- through trial and error; - Cardstock is a nice way to trial cuts without wasting expensive plywood; - Desktop units, including my Emblaser, have limitations (the thicknesses of materials, the kinds of materials, etc) you'll need to work within; - The very young students and I learnt through play, and you'll need to do the same -- as with kits, at some point you need to stop reading advice and just get stuck in. In short, it's a commitment unto itself, above and beyond designing and assembling the model. If you're into that kind of thing -- and I am -- it's an enjoyable journey. If computers are a means to an end, you may be better off buying a scroll saw. EDIT In addition to the above, I think the best way to learn about laser cutters is trial and error. I encourage children to learn that way, as it's how I learn. For instance, in the past few days I cut some pieces for the model I've designed. I learnt a few things: the order in which you cut pieces matters a great deal. I mean, on some level that's obvious ... but for what I was doing, it wasn't obvious to my inexperienced brain. I also made the pieces a bit too thin. That's probably less to do with laser cutting and more to do with my lack of experience using store-bought kits ... but, still, the measurements on screen seemed okay, but the finished product was more fragile than what I hoped for. These mistakes are easy to correct in InkScape, but nonetheless chewed up a few sheets of plywood. You'll also want to think about ventilation. The Emblaser comes with a hose you poke out the window, but if you're in some high-rise apartment building or somewhere bitterly cold you might need to pay for a filtration unit. I'm unfamiliar with other laser cutters, but I can't imagine they'd work any differently. One other thing that's cool, I guess, is you can cut other materials. For context, the model I'm making is a replica of my brother-in-law's fishing boat (an unambitious subject, but accessible ... and if it turns out half-way decent I'll pass the model onto him). The actual boat has carpeted flooring. The Emblaser is very happy to cut out felt. Now, a pair of scissors can do that, but there's no way my scissor-work will match the accuracy and low-effort-to-reward ratio of what the laser cutter can do in about two minutes. I can use the same image I made of the 'upper deck' (or whatever it'd be called on such a small craft) to cut out a 'carpet' that's precisely the same size.