Thanks for the great video. My wife and I recently purchased a laser in hopes of starting a stable business that involved creating physical items. I think we are both a bit shell-shocked at this point as we can not seem to figure out the best direction to go in for our first products.
Thank you for making these videos. I bought a laser engraver just because and now I’m thinking of making some sort of side hustle with it as well. Thank you!
I have been trying to sell items for the last 6 onths with no success. Your video shows items that can easily be done and sold. I appreciate you sharing with us and I hope to finally have some success before I sell all my equipment.
I came across this video and I am so glad I did! I am new to using lasers and I am starting a business. This just what I was looking for. Can't wait to see what you have next.
I have had my laser for l15 years when they were still 20k plus machines. Best advice is the laser is a tool. I have tried all the things listed and most don't sell that well. And with the flood of cheap lasers everyone is doing it. So basically, it is a race to the bottom. Don't buy one thinking you are going to get rich quick. Your creativity is what is going to sell things. And the more you can hide the fact it was done with a laser the better. It takes a bit more work but looks way better.
Agreed. We had this problem when we were in the graphics business. The answer for us was, in part, to differentiate our products/designs from competitors. BUT, we liked to say we fished with a net, not a pole. In other words, we created a LOT of product listings. Not hundreds, but thousands. And with the right pricing, you'll get the sales. :)
Thanks for watching! We appreciate it! If you like what you see and would like to see more videos, please click the Like and Subscribe buttons. Plus, get access to the design files from this project and many others by becoming a Patron at: patreon.com/smedleyworks 😄
Thanks for this video. I received a xtool D laser engraver for my birthday. E are trying to start a business hoping to get a larger laser eventually. Thanks for all the ideas. We are still learning how to use it, hoping our business will be successful.
This was actually very helpful and concise. I feel like some "starter" ideas that some people give are unrealistic but this is doable and helps me focus a bit more. There's so many possibilities that it's hard to just pick something and start😅
I am thinking well more than thinking of starting a business with lasers. These ideas are very good and it is just now the middle of June and I have had folks tell me I am behind if I want to sell for the Chrisatmas season. I am alwaays behind i guess, thank you for sharing your ideas.
I just picked up a longer B1 to get me started. I am going to start small with Costers and ornaments for the holidays. What other things would you suggest for someone just getting started? This is not my primary W-2. I am going to use it for small increments of residual income on the side.
We use both Trotec and Universal lasers. I'm sorry, but our experience is with more industrial lasers. There are so many entry level hobby lasers now, I'd do some searches for entry level lasers on UA-cam to find some reviews.
There is a video showing a process to make Aluminum tags with painted covering etched with the laser and then etched with Ferric Chloride. And then clean off the paint and with powder coating and a heat gun treated then polished. Makes great tags
I got excited when I came across laser engraving online. I thought it would be a great side hustle so I jumped on and bought the Ortur 3 Pro,the cylinder holder, exhaust fans, honeycomb beds and the extension package to make the bed 24 x 48. I also picked up lots of items to engrave. I have had it all since November 2022 and not one item has been taken out of the box. I am seventy years old an even though I used computers for many years I am not confident in my abilities now. I wonder if I should just package it all up and offer a business in a box or should I try and set it up and learn it? If everything was plug and play I would be fine but so far I can’t grasp the changing power and speed idea and I’m afraid I won’t be able to learn Lightburn etc. Am I foolish or just chicken?
You're not foolish or chicken. It can be overwhelming when you get a new piece of equipment have have to not only learn how to use it, but software too. We have gone through the same issues in the past. We once had a new type of printer sit for weeks because we were overwhelmed with trying to run our existing business and learn the new technology and software at the same time. We finally said, let's try to print on X product, so what are the steps we need to do to accomplish this? Then we carved out a little time each day and worked through the steps. So, I guess the best advice I have is to give yourself a series of simple goals each day so you can make progress. Set up the laser. Install the software. Try to get something extremely basic output to the laser. Don't try to do everything at once. Walk before you can run. If you have someone else to help you, that can make a world of difference, as it really makes figuring out stuff easier. I hope this helps a little. :)
You have experience through prior computer learning. Yes, you can do it! One step at a time is how we learned computers back in the day. My mother (God rest her soul) was learning new technical things in her eighties when she made herself determined to do it. It is not too hard. You can do it. 😊
Hi! I have a question, I’m having trouble to engrave and cut white and black acrylic, is there any method to improve the cuts and engraved? Thanks so much in advanced 😊 great video
@@smedleyworks sure! I just bought an Xtool D1Pro 10W laser and started doing some test with some 2-3mm materials such as mdf, leather and acrylic. The mdf and leather cuts great but the acrylic not so much. The white acrylic at full power and low speeds barely leaves a dent with cut mode and not a single thing on engraving. And with the black acrylic a managed to get a clean cut after many many several attempts but it doesn’t engrave, it barely leaves a mark and it’s super fuzzy. I hope I was as detailed as posible haha, thanks so much for your help. Have a great day
We don't have experience using a lower powered laser like that, but I do have some guesses that might help you. If you haven't done it yet, and assuming the software you're using will allow it, run some squares using different line colors so you can set different speed settings (run at full power) to see cut differences between the speeds. At least this way you can see if you are getting a difference at each speed. Double-check your focus is correct and your optics are clean before you start any testing just in case. Is the acrylic you're using extruded? If so, it should cut ok, but you won't get a good engraving on it compared to cast acrylic (we'll actually be putting an acrylic video up in about a week or so). You also really need an exhaust and air assist when cutting acrylic. I don't know if any of that helps. It's hard to diagnose the issue without being there. :)
@@smedleyworks yes, I’ve tried different speeds and passes at full power and that’s how I got to the clean cut in the black, and I also have an air assist and exhaust for the fumes, buuuut I didn’t know there different types of acrylic, so I think that might be it. I will investigate more on the subject, thank so much for bringing that to my attention and for your help, I’ll try to run some more tests and buy different acrylic to see the difference. Thank you!! And I’ll stay tuned for the acrylic video 😄
I can't thank you enough for taking the time to create such a phenomenal channel. I don't watch too many shows, but I've been totally binge watching Smedley Works videos for the past few days. Lol. I recently purchased a laser, and am totally overwhelmed with where to start. When you're learning something new, finding a channel like yours is priceless. Thank you! Also... I'm starting to question whether or not I should have bought a co2 instead of a diode laser.... Do you have an thoughts on that? I have the xtool D1Pro 10w, and was considering purchasing the 20w module as well... but maybe I should just invest that money towards a Co2 instead? If there's any advice you can offer, it would be greatly appreciated. Again, I can't thank you enough for all your help.
We can see that diode lasers have become very popular, however we unfortunately do not have any experience with them, so we cannot offer any advice on them. In regards to purchasing a different laser, our advice to people when just starting out is always to prove you can make money with what you have before investing more and scaling up. That's just our two cents. :-)
Hi, thanks for the video. It definetly is useful. I have a question. Do you think making small things like bookmarks, key chains, coasters etc. is rentable if you can't offer a free shipping? Or it is betther to do bigger products, more expensive but with a free shipping?
We definitely think you can offer small and light products and charge for shipping. We've done it both ways over the years and there are pros and cons to both. We recommend that you watch our video on shipping here, which should hopefully answer a lot of your questions: ua-cam.com/video/j8EiMXXf4KI/v-deo.html
We really like using MDF, but you do have to be careful using it in applications where strength is needed. For example, if you make a keychain out of 1/8" MDF and put the hole too close to the edge, it might easily snap. We used to make keychains out of a maple veneered plywood (with an MDF core) that were very durable compared to straight MDF.
My wife and I just found your video. We want to start an Laser Engraving business to sell products locally and on ETSY. We really like your design ideas. We need to decide on which laser to purchase first. Which one would you recommend ? We're willing to invest $4k to $6k on our first laser. Thank you and we're looking forward to your future videos.
We only have experience with a few different laser brands, and nothing within that price range. We've heard good things about xTool, and Glowforge is obviously very popular, but we have not had first hand experience with either. Just know that any laser within that price range will likely be low powered and be slow 🐌, so depending on how quickly your business takes off and the type of lasering you'll be doing, you may outgrow it quickly and need to invest in something speedier. Sorry that we can't be of more help with this. Best of luck with your business! 😃
@@smedleyworks Thanks for your quick response. We agree that Time = Money so the faster and more efficient the equipment then the more profit you can make. So, out of the two brands that we noticed that you're using which brand do you like best and why. Trotec or Universal? Thanks in advance for your help and thanks for all your professional videos.
We like aspects of both. If you're considering a more industrial machine, we'd recommend getting in touch with a sales rep at Trotec, Universal and Epilog. You can explain your business plan or explain what you're looking for in a laser and choose the best machine to meet your needs and budget. When we started our current online business a few years ago, we knew we'd be making rubber stamps (you can see our products at snigglesloth.com), so we ended up going with Trotec. We already had experience with the Universal and another machine, but we went with the machine basically designed to make rubber stamps. The Universal we have is lower powered than the Trotec machines we use, but we only do light wood engraving with it and it works great for that. Universal's customer service has been very good -- when you call, you get ahold of someone right away. If we were to buy any new machines, we would strongly consider an Epilog based on their reputation and our future needs. So, long story short, we're not sure that we could really recommend one over the other, it really just depends on how you intend to use them. Sorry we couldn't give you a better answer than this.
@@smedleyworks Again, I appreciate your replies. You're correct in that the ultimate decision of which machine we should get will be up to us and our business plan. The info that you've kindly provided is very helpful. We're looking forward to more of your videos. Thank you!
We cut acrylic on both our Trotec 120w lasers and our Universal 75w laser. I would think you should be able to cut through at least thin acrylic with your laser.
A couple questions... Where do you buy the stock wood you use for the ornaments and such? Also, are you using a CNC routing machine in conjunction with the laser machine?
We get our wood (MDF and Baltic Birch) from a local supplier of hardwoods. It's the type of place that supplies contractors making cabinets and furniture. You should be able to find some of this at your local hardware store and online too. We do not have a CNC machine. It's all laser all the time. 🙂
You bought a universal laser and a trotec for which you paid about 50k USD, how many coasters and keyrings can you make to get the money out just for the investment in the two devices :))
Obviously, we didn't start off with a fleet of lasers, but added them on one at a time when demand warranted it. It's a numbers game. You need to get a lot of coaster, keychain, etc. designs out there. Price them right, and you'll get the order volume you'd need to pay off the laser(s).
The type of wood used and hole placement toward the edge of the tag would definitely have an impact on how sturdy they are. However, we sold tens of thousands of wood luggage tags over the years and breakage was not an issue. :-)
Thanks for the great video. My wife and I recently purchased a laser in hopes of starting a stable business that involved creating physical items. I think we are both a bit shell-shocked at this point as we can not seem to figure out the best direction to go in for our first products.
Wow, so much good info! Thanks. Now I just have to decide which one from hundreds laser cutters i have to get. Tuff decision
Thank you for making these videos. I bought a laser engraver just because and now I’m thinking of making some sort of side hustle with it as well. Thank you!
I have been trying to sell items for the last 6 onths with no success. Your video shows items that can easily be done and sold. I appreciate you sharing with us and I hope to finally have some success before I sell all my equipment.
I came across this video and I am so glad I did! I am new to using lasers and I am starting a business. This just what I was looking for. Can't wait to see what you have next.
All so adorable. Great videos
We just started our laser business thanks for the helpful video
I have had my laser for l15 years when they were still 20k plus machines. Best advice is the laser is a tool. I have tried all the things listed and most don't sell that well. And with the flood of cheap lasers everyone is doing it. So basically, it is a race to the bottom. Don't buy one thinking you are going to get rich quick.
Your creativity is what is going to sell things. And the more you can hide the fact it was done with a laser the better. It takes a bit more work but looks way better.
Agreed. We had this problem when we were in the graphics business. The answer for us was, in part, to differentiate our products/designs from competitors. BUT, we liked to say we fished with a net, not a pole. In other words, we created a LOT of product listings. Not hundreds, but thousands. And with the right pricing, you'll get the sales. :)
Thanks for watching! We appreciate it! If you like what you see and would like to see more videos, please click the Like and Subscribe buttons. Plus, get access to the design files from this project and many others by becoming a Patron at:
patreon.com/smedleyworks
😄
Thanks for this video. I received a xtool D laser engraver for my birthday. E are trying to start a business hoping to get a larger laser eventually. Thanks for all the ideas. We are still learning how to use it, hoping our business will be successful.
Great video and informative. At last a new spin on the hobby instead of the same old same old. Well Done
Thanks for all the wonderful info. I got a xtool for my birthday and am looking forward to selling some items. You have given such great suggestions
Nice info! I just got my Xtool d1 pro assembled and about to get started. Brand new at this.. Here I go! 😂
excellent. good information thank you very much
Thank you so much for this amazing video!
This was actually very helpful and concise. I feel like some "starter" ideas that some people give are unrealistic but this is doable and helps me focus a bit more. There's so many possibilities that it's hard to just pick something and start😅
Good day love it. Thanks for sharing. I love MDF but it seems most people think its bad quality
I am thinking well more than thinking of starting a business with lasers. These ideas are very good and it is just now the middle of June and I have had folks tell me I am behind if I want to sell for the Chrisatmas season. I am alwaays behind i guess, thank you for sharing your ideas.
what is the material that is over the black acrylic when you laser engrave it. Tape?
I just picked up a longer B1 to get me started. I am going to start small with Costers and ornaments for the holidays. What other things would you suggest for someone just getting started? This is not my primary W-2. I am going to use it for small increments of residual income on the side.
Wow, I just came across your channel and it is awesome! Thank you so much for sharing!
My daughters are starting a laser cutting/engraving business. Thanks for the video.
Really appreciate the starting help with the file. We are starting in Colombia
Products look nice. What do you say about teaching us how to sell?
We do plan to talk more about the selling side of the laser business in future videos. Stay tuned!
Thank you for the ideas. May I know what machine are you using? Or any brand would you suggest for beginners?
We use both Trotec and Universal lasers. I'm sorry, but our experience is with more industrial lasers. There are so many entry level hobby lasers now, I'd do some searches for entry level lasers on UA-cam to find some reviews.
There is a video showing a process to make Aluminum tags with painted covering etched with the laser and then etched with Ferric Chloride. And then clean off the paint and with powder coating and a heat gun treated then polished. Makes great tags
Great ideas
I want to start a laser business, but where do I get the designs from and do I need to make all of my own designs?
I want a trotec laser too 🙈
I would like to start a laser business. Do you offer a program?
If you mean do we offer a program for consulting on new laser businesses, we do not. Hope that answers your question! :-)
Dzięki za ciekawe inspiracje
I got excited when I came across laser engraving online. I thought it would be a great side hustle so I jumped on and bought the Ortur 3 Pro,the cylinder holder, exhaust fans, honeycomb beds and the extension package to make the bed 24 x 48. I also picked up lots of items to engrave. I have had it all since November 2022 and not one item has been taken out of the box. I am seventy years old an even though I used computers for many years I am not confident in my abilities now. I wonder if I should just package it all up and offer a business in a box or should I try and set it up and learn it? If everything was plug and play I would be fine but so far I can’t grasp the changing power and speed idea and I’m afraid I won’t be able to learn Lightburn etc. Am I foolish or just chicken?
You're not foolish or chicken. It can be overwhelming when you get a new piece of equipment have have to not only learn how to use it, but software too.
We have gone through the same issues in the past. We once had a new type of printer sit for weeks because we were overwhelmed with trying to run our existing business and learn the new technology and software at the same time. We finally said, let's try to print on X product, so what are the steps we need to do to accomplish this? Then we carved out a little time each day and worked through the steps.
So, I guess the best advice I have is to give yourself a series of simple goals each day so you can make progress. Set up the laser. Install the software. Try to get something extremely basic output to the laser. Don't try to do everything at once. Walk before you can run. If you have someone else to help you, that can make a world of difference, as it really makes figuring out stuff easier. I hope this helps a little. :)
You have experience through prior computer learning. Yes, you can do it!
One step at a time is how we learned computers back in the day.
My mother (God rest her soul) was learning new technical things in her eighties when she made herself determined to do it.
It is not too hard. You can do it. 😊
Hi! I have a question, I’m having trouble to engrave and cut white and black acrylic, is there any method to improve the cuts and engraved? Thanks so much in advanced 😊 great video
Can you provide a little more information about the specific issues you're having?
@@smedleyworks sure! I just bought an Xtool D1Pro 10W laser and started doing some test with some 2-3mm materials such as mdf, leather and acrylic. The mdf and leather cuts great but the acrylic not so much. The white acrylic at full power and low speeds barely leaves a dent with cut mode and not a single thing on engraving. And with the black acrylic a managed to get a clean cut after many many several attempts but it doesn’t engrave, it barely leaves a mark and it’s super fuzzy. I hope I was as detailed as posible haha, thanks so much for your help.
Have a great day
We don't have experience using a lower powered laser like that, but I do have some guesses that might help you.
If you haven't done it yet, and assuming the software you're using will allow it, run some squares using different line colors so you can set different speed settings (run at full power) to see cut differences between the speeds. At least this way you can see if you are getting a difference at each speed. Double-check your focus is correct and your optics are clean before you start any testing just in case.
Is the acrylic you're using extruded? If so, it should cut ok, but you won't get a good engraving on it compared to cast acrylic (we'll actually be putting an acrylic video up in about a week or so). You also really need an exhaust and air assist when cutting acrylic.
I don't know if any of that helps. It's hard to diagnose the issue without being there. :)
@@smedleyworks yes, I’ve tried different speeds and passes at full power and that’s how I got to the clean cut in the black, and I also have an air assist and exhaust for the fumes, buuuut I didn’t know there different types of acrylic, so I think that might be it. I will investigate more on the subject, thank so much for bringing that to my attention and for your help, I’ll try to run some more tests and buy different acrylic to see the difference.
Thank you!! And I’ll stay tuned for the acrylic video 😄
what laser machine are you using? Not a diode laser I hope.
I can't thank you enough for taking the time to create such a phenomenal channel. I don't watch too many shows, but I've been totally binge watching Smedley Works videos for the past few days. Lol. I recently purchased a laser, and am totally overwhelmed with where to start. When you're learning something new, finding a channel like yours is priceless. Thank you!
Also... I'm starting to question whether or not I should have bought a co2 instead of a diode laser.... Do you have an thoughts on that? I have the xtool D1Pro 10w, and was considering purchasing the 20w module as well... but maybe I should just invest that money towards a Co2 instead? If there's any advice you can offer, it would be greatly appreciated. Again, I can't thank you enough for all your help.
We can see that diode lasers have become very popular, however we unfortunately do not have any experience with them, so we cannot offer any advice on them. In regards to purchasing a different laser, our advice to people when just starting out is always to prove you can make money with what you have before investing more and scaling up. That's just our two cents. :-)
Hi, thanks for the video. It definetly is useful. I have a question. Do you think making small things like bookmarks, key chains, coasters etc. is rentable if you can't offer a free shipping? Or it is betther to do bigger products, more expensive but with a free shipping?
We definitely think you can offer small and light products and charge for shipping. We've done it both ways over the years and there are pros and cons to both.
We recommend that you watch our video on shipping here, which should hopefully answer a lot of your questions: ua-cam.com/video/j8EiMXXf4KI/v-deo.html
rent a keychain?
What acrylic did you use?
I believe all the acrylic used in the video was 1/8" cast (not extruded).
Great videos. I like your last couple involving MDF. Is there a item where you would not choose MDF and use plywood instead.
We really like using MDF, but you do have to be careful using it in applications where strength is needed. For example, if you make a keychain out of 1/8" MDF and put the hole too close to the edge, it might easily snap. We used to make keychains out of a maple veneered plywood (with an MDF core) that were very durable compared to straight MDF.
My wife and I just found your video. We want to start an Laser Engraving business to sell products locally and on ETSY. We really like your design ideas. We need to decide on which laser to purchase first. Which one would you recommend ? We're willing to invest $4k to $6k on our first laser.
Thank you and we're looking forward to your future videos.
We only have experience with a few different laser brands, and nothing within that price range. We've heard good things about xTool, and Glowforge is obviously very popular, but we have not had first hand experience with either. Just know that any laser within that price range will likely be low powered and be slow 🐌, so depending on how quickly your business takes off and the type of lasering you'll be doing, you may outgrow it quickly and need to invest in something speedier. Sorry that we can't be of more help with this. Best of luck with your business! 😃
@@smedleyworks Thanks for your quick response. We agree that Time = Money so the faster and more efficient the equipment then the more profit you can make.
So, out of the two brands that we noticed that you're using which brand do you like best and why. Trotec or Universal?
Thanks in advance for your help and thanks for all your professional videos.
We like aspects of both. If you're considering a more industrial machine, we'd recommend getting in touch with a sales rep at Trotec, Universal and Epilog. You can explain your business plan or explain what you're looking for in a laser and choose the best machine to meet your needs and budget. When we started our current online business a few years ago, we knew we'd be making rubber stamps (you can see our products at snigglesloth.com), so we ended up going with Trotec. We already had experience with the Universal and another machine, but we went with the machine basically designed to make rubber stamps. The Universal we have is lower powered than the Trotec machines we use, but we only do light wood engraving with it and it works great for that. Universal's customer service has been very good -- when you call, you get ahold of someone right away. If we were to buy any new machines, we would strongly consider an Epilog based on their reputation and our future needs. So, long story short, we're not sure that we could really recommend one over the other, it really just depends on how you intend to use them. Sorry we couldn't give you a better answer than this.
@@smedleyworks Again, I appreciate your replies. You're correct in that the ultimate decision of which machine we should get will be up to us and our business plan.
The info that you've kindly provided is very helpful.
We're looking forward to more of your videos.
Thank you!
@@smedleyworks Don't recommend a Glowforge because it's online only!
Great video 😀 do you do lightburn files for download ?
No, however you should be able to import other file types into LightBurn including the PDF files we're making available. 👍🏻
@@smedleyworks do you have a link ?
Thanks for the reply 👍
Please see the description for information on how to get our files.
What do you use to cut clear acrylic? I have the xtool 20W
We cut acrylic on both our Trotec 120w lasers and our Universal 75w laser. I would think you should be able to cut through at least thin acrylic with your laser.
can't cut clear with a diode laser, must use co2 laser like K40. Has to do with the wavelength of the laser light.
Good to know. Thanks for the info.
A couple questions... Where do you buy the stock wood you use for the ornaments and such? Also, are you using a CNC routing machine in conjunction with the laser machine?
We get our wood (MDF and Baltic Birch) from a local supplier of hardwoods. It's the type of place that supplies contractors making cabinets and furniture. You should be able to find some of this at your local hardware store and online too. We do not have a CNC machine. It's all laser all the time. 🙂
Wooden luggage tags will break quickly. Consider acrylic.
How do you use the pdf because it won’t download as a single item they all come up together
If you open the file in a vector based program like Coreldraw, Illustrator, etc, you should be able to work with them individually.
You bought a universal laser and a trotec for which you paid about 50k USD, how many coasters and keyrings can you make to get the money out just for the investment in the two devices :))
Obviously, we didn't start off with a fleet of lasers, but added them on one at a time when demand warranted it. It's a numbers game. You need to get a lot of coaster, keychain, etc. designs out there. Price them right, and you'll get the order volume you'd need to pay off the laser(s).
Okay, I only have a small 40w laser not a $5k r laser help
You should be able to make everything in the video on a 40W laser. Best of luck! :-)
password?
Please see the description for instructions on how to get the password.
@@smedleyworks Tell I already seen it.
Why would anyone want a wood luggage tag that is so easy to break?
The type of wood used and hole placement toward the edge of the tag would definitely have an impact on how sturdy they are. However, we sold tens of thousands of wood luggage tags over the years and breakage was not an issue. :-)
Why would anyone try to carry their luggage by the tag instead of the handles or strap? ;)