DIYbanter - View Single Post

wrote:
Contractors have been getting ripped off for years now by a
conspiracy. The only thing that's generally available to us today are
devices that spin things like carbide-tipped saw blades with big
motors.

But what do you think cuts the saw blade itself? That's right, a
laser! Have you seen the kerf on the anti-vibration cut-outs in the
Freud? Astoundingly clean, accurate, lightning fast, with a .5mm
kerf.

So, take that new miter saw with the laser sight. All they need to do
is get rid of the motor and the blade and boost the laser power. How
hard can that be? I just did all the design work right there.

* Never needs sharpening!
* Totally quiet... no moving parts!
* No sawdust... just a little puff of smoke.

The laser could even match the color mark of the manufacturer
(e.g. yellow for dewalt, red for milwaukee, green for hitachi)

Well, you can see how this would kill lots of industries overnight, so
they'll never let us have them.

I'll bite.

Cutting wood by essentially burning it away is a bit different to cutting
metal... I guess for studwork a bit of scorching wouldn't matter so much,
but for fine furniture? No thanks.

Also, the systems I've looked at in a quick google (up to 450W CO2 Lasers)
can only cut a max of 1" thickness. And a 450W laser is a hefty bit of kit
with a hefty price tag. Although I see EBay has a 3500W laser setup on
Buy-it-now for only $249,995.

Not to mention that saw cutting is only dangerous to people within reach of
the blade plus a bit for kickback. A high powered cutting laser would be a
danger to anyone in a pretty wide range, even if it was initially contained
inside the workshop. Want your dozy neghbour to have one?