Laser Cutting Bicycle Rubber - howto?

Anyone know if I can modify the darwin bot to cut bicycle rubber?

If so what kind of laser would I need and how would I go about doing this?

[Edit: I split this fascinating question off from another thread - Sebastien]

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/19/2010 11:32PM by SebastienBailard.

Hi Beamer,

as bicycle rubber is black and so very good absorpting, you can cut it with a 'weak' pigtailed diode-laser of maybe 1 Watt and a single focussing lens - higher powers and/or a CO2-laser will do better and much faster.

But you have to filter and exhaust the smoke, as it's corrosive and highly toxic!

And again - don't work with or use lasers with this powers without proper laser-goggles and safety precautions!

Viktor

Beamer, you may want to just try to find a friendly hackerspace/fablab with an commercially made laser cutter to begin with. Or find a commercial shop in the yellow pages. You could be making your stuff within a day.

Unless you're in for a research project.

This laser will do, for sure

cutting by laser