Mini laser engraver

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Neededwill

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Jan 18, 2013
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Kensington, MD
So I decided to purchase a mini laser engraver today. Can't wait to get it and try it out. Will mainly use it for engraving a name on a pen, logo on a bottle stopper or some type of design on a floating wine bottle holder.

Will update once I get it and try it out.
 
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Just search benbox on Google, it's a mini laser engraver. Cost was $113 on sale. I saw one being used at a mall cell phone store, he was engraving someone phone case. I got close enough to see the name benbox on it, so I researched and found it.
 
I'd be interested in how that works too. I've had a lot of customers who ask me if I can do engraving (names mainly). Keep us posted and provide pics when you get some samples out.
 
So you have seen it work? I watched a video on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0UmMffg46E that made it look painfully slow just engraving paper. Software really looks odd. It looks like it uses a laser diode compared to a CO2 laser and lenses. How fine will it engrave? I can't see that there is any focus on it, so I wonder about how it will do when you add a pen. I use a v block in my laser to hold the pen. Think this will send it way out of focus? I'll watch to see how it works. Do they have a website? Couldn't find one on the Google search. I saw somewhere that these have 400 mw diode? That's less than 1 watt and my laser is considered a really small machine at 25 watts. Are you sure it will engrave wood? Sorry, lots of questions, but really cheap Chinese lasers were around $2,000. Now a $113 anything seems too good to be true.
 
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Rich, I understand your concern. I saw it work and it is slower than a $2000 laser but this is a hobbiest tool not a business for me. This stuff is my fun and stress relief. But as my dad always said to me "don't say can't till you try".

Once I get it and test it I will post what I find.
 
Could be fun to play with for not a lot of money. Just be careful. It's a relatively low power laser, but you don't want to take chances with your eyesight from reflected exposure. I would not let my kids, friends or spouses out in the shop to watch the thing work. I would consider building a protective enclosure with power venting to the outside. I would never leave the thing running unattended. But that's just me.

Have fun.

Ed
 
These small engravers travel on a two axis bed which is fine for engraving on boxes. A pen is a curved surface which implies the need to turn the cylinder shape at a rate conducive to the right to left movement of the engraving head. Even if it only does logos on boxes it's a real find. Good luck with it.
 
Seems like these are having lots of problems.. overheating being the #1 issue. Good luck and let us know how it goes!
 
Looking forward to hopefully your positive review. A low cost unit like this would certainly help many members get in the laser game without spending a small fortune. Expectations relative to cost for this unit should be set out accordingly.
 
The one video I watched on EBay, showed it firing to burn each pixel. That's going to be crazy slow. I know that everyone is excited about a sub $200 laser, but come on guys, let's not expect much. $200 barely buys the laser tube in what was the cheap Chinese lasers.
 
Just to explain, I will only be using this as a hobbyist having fun toy, not for a business. It may or may not work but it will be my fun. It's like buying my lathe I read and had so many turners saying buy this or that but you have to buy what makes you happy and what you can afford. Have fun and try something new is what I have learned from this hobby. And patience is needed when try some of our wood work, trial and error.
 
As far as I can tell you would have to make a flat on the pen and the body may be too thick. The white box has an adjustable head and focus but the pictures I've seen show it marking on the flat of a pencil. As you have to deal with a round object you would need some way to turn the pen to keep the laser in focus. Not impossible but tricky. My 2cents
 
I realize that this is an old thread, but someone posted pics on facebook of pens that he engraved with a similar, but slightly less powered 250mw hobby laser. His results looked pretty good.

A few things should be noted as they have been touched in in this thread. First, a rotary attachment is not necessary to engrave one line of text onto a pen barrel. The limited amount of curve is not an issue.

Second, the video that I saw of the laser burning out mentioned that he used the machine no-stop for thirty minutes when it burned out. Using it for that long is contrary to the manufacturer's recommendations. Based on the video, he was clearly running it way too slowly. For our purposes, it would never run for more than a minute at a time to burn a line of text into a pen barrel.

Third, focusing with a larger laser is achieved by raising and lowering the work surface to give you optimal distance. Many people will by or make a tool to allow them to quickly set it to the perfect distance. Instead of raising and lowering the bed, you raise and lower the laser head to maintain the optimal distance (although from the videos that I've seen, many people don't bother).
 
The video I watched about one of these machines, burned a single pixel at a time. I think you've under estimated the burn time at one minute. The smallest commercial laser engraver is 25 watts, that thing would be .25 watts. Could you post a link or screen shot of that sample? I thought these things were just diodes. Can you really focus one? Is there a lens at the end of a diode?
 
Generally speaking, the laser light is "filtered" through a special lasing lens that is mirrored all around and at both ends, with just a very very tiny hole dead center on each end and then passes through a special refraction lens that only allows light that is traveling perfectly straight and at the same frequency to pass out through the other side. This is true no matter what the source of the laser light is. Having a lens that focuses the laser beam is not necessary ... it should be very thin and highly focused anywhere between 1 inch from the beam aperture to wherever it hits this side of planet earth.


I'ld be interested in getting something like this, myself, for engraving work on my pens ...
 
Skie_M said:
Generally speaking, the laser light is "filtered" through a special lasing lens that is mirrored all around and at both ends, with just a very very tiny hole dead center on each end and then passes through a special refraction lens that only allows light that is traveling perfectly straight and at the same frequency to pass out through the other side. This is true no matter what the source of the laser light is. Having a lens that focuses the laser beam is not necessary ... it should be very thin and highly focused anywhere between 1 inch from the beam aperture to wherever it hits this side of planet earth.


I'ld be interested in getting something like this, myself, for engraving work on my pens ...
Click to expand...

Why does every laser engraver made have a lens that has to be a specific distance from the surface?
 
low_48 said:
Why does every laser engraver made have a lens that has to be a specific distance from the surface?
Click to expand...
Because (contrary to previous statements) laser tubes do not emit light collimated to pinpoint size. My laser engraver tube (60W) produces a beam about 1/8" diameter. At that size, it is barely energetic enough to burn paper. It certainly won't cut or engrave wood or plastic. The engraver has a series of mirrors that reflect the light down through a condensing lens that does focus the laser beam down to a dot tiny enough that I can set the engraver resolution to 500 DPI (although practically speaking, I usually engrave at 300 DPI).

The lens has a fixed focal length, meaning that the engraved surface should ideally be that distance from the lens. I am able to raise or lower the worktable so that the item I'm engraving is at the right height. The beam diverges above and below the focal point, but there is some leeway for curved surfaces. If I'm within about 1/8", I can still get good results engraving flat. For images that wrap around a pen barrel, however, I have to install a rotating fixture.

I hope that helps,
Eric
 
Thanks Eric, well said. I have an older ULS25 watt with rotary. I have two lenses, 1 1/2" and 2" that shoot a dot of .003" and .005". Pretty sure it won't hold that dot until it hits planet earth. I have trouble explaining the process, and was surprised with the previous comments. I've posted on here before about these tiny laser toys with the hopes that people understand just how far down the line of what is called a laser engraver, they really are. $150 is not a big deal for some to spend on an experiment, but I personally don't like throwing that kind of money away.
 
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Mmm ... true, with such meager power output, you need additional focus for pinpoint accuracy and energy transfer. The appropriate focal length should still be at least an inch long, with a few millimeters of extremely accurate focus. I assume it's this extremely accurate range you are wanting, for very precise image transfer onto a curved surface.


I've gotten too used to reading about ruby laser upgrades and such with 1000 watt lasers .... for deep well drilling. :)
 
so i recently bought the benbox mini laser engraver.
After doing some tests in scrap wood i can say i am pleased with the results i got in 2 pens i engraved.
Each pen takes about 10 minutes to be engraved.
 

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sbell111 said:
focusing with a larger laser is achieved by raising and lowering the work surface to give you optimal distance. Many people will by or make a tool to allow them to quickly set it to the perfect distance. Instead of raising and lowering the bed, you raise and lower the laser head to maintain the optimal distance (although from the videos that I've seen, many people don't bother).
Click to expand...

I know I'm picking this up from nearly two years ago, but it is very interesting that I found this.

I'm a very recent owner of a Neje 1000mW Laser Engraver and, just last night, ordered another one, for a spare.

I knew nothing of making vertical adjustments to the laser module, until yesterday, when I saw a YouTube video of someone doing that very thing. The instructions that came with my unit had NO mention of that. The only adjustment that had been touched on was within turning the focus ring to obtain a sharper dot.

So, now, I guess it is all about playing around with the vertical settings of the module.
 
larryc said:
Do you have a link to that YouTube?
Click to expand...

Hey Larry, I found that video. I don't have a link, to supply you, because of the manner by which I am viewing it. I'm on a Roku tethered tv, right now, but can give you what info was shown. It is as follows:

Neje DK-8-KZ 1000mw Laser Engraver Printer
By Game On
5 months ago
 
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My second one came in less than 7 calendar days. I order the replacement laser diode for my first Neje two days before ordering the second Neje and I still haven't received the diode. Funny.
 
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