#laser engraving

#laser engraving

The idea of a personal fabrication lab, a complete suite of tools for digitizing and creating physical objects, was once the stuff of university research departments and well-funded makerspaces. It meant having separate, expensive machines for additive and subtractive manufacturing, plus another complex setup for 3D scanning. Bringing that entire workflow into a home workshop or a small business was a multi-thousand dollar proposition, placing it well out of reach for most enthusiasts and entrepreneurs.

Laser engravers come in all kinds of shapes and sizes but, for the most part, tend towards the larger, so I was very curious to try the Longer Nano, which is more diminutive in stature but promises to be just as capable as some other options out there, with a couple of clever tricks up its sleeve. I've owned and tested many laser engravers over the years, from the Glowforge to the AlgoLaser Pixi, concluding that price doesn't always equate to the capabilities,