Last week I went to The Print Show at the NEC in Birmingham just to look at UV printers… But I came home having accidentally ordered another laser cutter. An xTool F2 Ultra.
I must admit that I’d been dithering for about two years before then on whether to buy a metal-etching laser, but had always decided against it. There were many good reasons NOT to buy one:
- I already had 3 laser machines of my own, plus access to a couple more
- They are expensiiiiiiive
- Whenever I’d seen the xTool F2 Ultra machines being demonstrated on TikTok etc, I thought they’d all been speeded up and had had sound effects added. So that made me wonder if they were trustworthy.
But when I went to the Print Show I finally got to see all of their machines being demonstrated live. And that was when I discovered that their metal-etching/metal-cutting lasers ARE incredibly fast. And they DO make a cartoony electrical zapping sound as they’re etching or cutting. I’m used to laser machines only making motor noises, air-blower noises, and then beeping when they finish. And I’m used to them taking about three minutes to cut out a wooden bauble. The xTool F2 Ultra cut out (thin) metal right in front of me, in less than two seconds. What?!
Apart from that I was really impressed at the show by their whole setup, the quality of their machines, and the combined enthusiasm and professionalism of their demonstrators. So I was finally tipped over the edge and into making my second very big business investment in one month, let alone one year. Oops.
Anyway, it arrived yesterday and I set it up this afternoon:
And, so far, I am extremely impressed.
What is the xTool F2 Ultra Dual Laser?
It’s a desktop laser engraving and cutting machine, with the capability of etching and cutting not just wood but also (thin) metals. My other three lasers are CO₂ laser cutters, which use big long laser tubes (the Lotus Blu uses a glass tube, and I think the Epilog machines use metal tubes). That means that the machines take up quite a large “footprint” in my basement workshop. But this F2 Ultra is a dual laser machine, and neither of those lasers are CO₂. One is a 60 W MOPA infrared laser, and the other is a 40 W diode laser. The MOPA laser is particularly interesting to me because it can engrave metals including stainless steel, aluminium, brass, silver, gold and titanium. The diode laser extends the range into materials including wood, leather, paper and some acrylics.
Why did I buy it?
Because my existing laser machines are brilliant at cutting and engraving wood and acrylic, but I’ve wanted to expand what LaserSister can do with metal engraving and metal cutting. The F2 Ultra can etch many different metals and can even cut thin sheet metal, and I have lots of ideas about how I’d like to use that capability. It can also even create coloured markings on some metals, byvarying the laser settings. That feels like sci-fi, to me. It’s bonkers.
Setting up the xTool F2 Ultra
This was another area where xTool really impressed me. There was a very clear video showing how to unpack the machine and get it ready for its first use, and the software then walked me through the initial setup and calibration step by step.
They even force you to watch a safety training video. You can’t even skip through it. (Or at least I couldn’t, despite giving it a good go.) It is quite boring. The F2 Ultra is a Class 4 laser containing a 60 W infrared laser and a 40 W diode laser, so forcing excited new owners to sit through a whole pigging safety video is probably a very sensible idea. And anyway, I generally quite like good-practice health and safety advice. Maybe as a result of being in the Tufty Club when I was a kid in the 1970s.
My first test of the xTool
For my first proper test I used one of the metal business card blanks that came with the machine. I engraved it with my name and the LaserSister logo.
…or I should say: LaserSister® logo. Because as of last month, LaserSister is now a registered trade mark. Mainly because I sell things through Amazon Handmade, and they were making it frustrating and difficult for me to sell things without getting the trade mark.
So that makes this little test piece particularly significant. Because as well as being the first-ever thing I etched with this machine, it’s the first thing I’ve ever made bearing the trademarked name:
The engraving came out really well for a first attempt.
xTool customer service: another pleasant surprise!
I’ve already had to contact xTool customer support. It was after 6pm on a Friday evening, and I still managed to get help from an actual human being. Wow.
What next?
I’m thinking coins. And jewellery. And Christmas decorations.
Oh, and don’t forget I just bought a UV printer as well. So I might be able to combine the two machines to produce some really special artworks and products.
I’ll add more information as I learn what the xTool F2 Ultra can do in a real small craft business.
For now, though: LaserSister® has a metal laser.
This is going to be fun.