Can Glowforge cut metal? (Best tips 2023)

If you are thinking about cutting or engraving metal but you are not sure if your Glowforge can do it, don't worry, because I'm going to tell you everything you have to know about it. As you know this type of laser printer has a wide variety of applications: you can paint, cut, engrave and above all create your designs on the vast majority of organic surfaces, such as leather, wood, and even metal surfaces. It is one of the best options there are today because you can design the cover of a laptop for jewelry, sandals, wallets, cup holders, and even prosthetics (if you are interested in the field of medicine). So I advise you to awaken all your creativity and exploit all your ideas with Glowforge, as it has great versatility to do everything you want. You can also choose pre-designed templates that come in the app, so you can simply choose what kind of design you want to make. So, can Glowforge cut metal? The answer is yes, but you have to take certain precautions to do so and I will talk about it below.

Cut Metal with Glowforge (DIY tutorial)

As I was saying before, I will tell you all about what you can make with a Glowforge and everything you need to know about the materials you can work with. To tell you a little bit more about the previous question, ("Can Glowforge cut metal?"), what you need to know is that you can't cut metal without previous treatment. After all, you have to be careful with the materials you put in the tray because you can damage the machine itself or even yourself. Especially metals need special treatment, as the reflections can damage the machine or cause damage to your eyes (eyes are really very sensitive, so you really have to be very careful). The Glowforge CO2 laser can engrave metals such as aluminum. But it requires treating it with a special varnish beforehand. What is usually done is a marking solution is applied (such as CerMark, Enduramark, and LaserBond) then wait for it to dry after that engrave and/or cut as normal. The heat from the laser adheres the solution to the metal resulting in a permanent black, silver, or glitter mark from the use of the 3D laser machine. Now I will show you the method you can use with LaserBond spray.

Glowforge metal engraving:

To engrave a logo on metal with your Glowforge, first, you have to shake your Laserbond spray for 60 seconds and then spray it on your object before putting it in the printer.
Then you go to your computer and choose the type of lettering or drawing you want to apply to the metal, in this case, we will choose a stainless steel bottle.
After that set the speed at which you are going to do the engraving, I will choose 250 speed per 100 power and 75 lines per centimeter, you can also put 3 or 4 millimeters; everything will depend on the thickness of the metal you are using (in my case it will be 3 millimeters because that is what stainless steel requires).
As a next step, you put the drawing or logo inside the area you want to engrave, make sure you place it well, and adjust it to the proportions you want.
Once you have your design ready, you can press the printer button and wait for the magic to happen.When it's ready, you can run it through water and check how your logo looks. It is sure to look amazing and with spectacular detail and depth!

Click here to watch a video of the Glowforge metal engraving tutorial. Those are the advantages of using a machine like the Glowforge, you can leave your logos perfect and use a great variety of "Glowforge materials", also your design will remain permanent, that is to say, that it will resist intact over time and will not be damaged by temperature issues (but always try not to put it in places with high humidity, because the whole object can rust). And there you have it! Can Glowforge cut metal? Yes and yes, in a super easy and fast way! You just have to get the right aerosol and configure it according to the material you use. Always remember that you choose the design from the computer and it is sent directly to the machine, which will do the job after detecting the material you want to work with. Just try to be as creative as possible and think about the ideal sizes of your logo according to the object you want to make your Glowforge metal engraving. This machine is amazing because you can generate engravings and cuts in series, so you can even develop an economic enterprise. You can create and sell for example lamps, toys, labels, and all kinds of diverse objects. From my point of view, it is an excellent opportunity for a start-up, since you only need the 3D printer that will do most of the work for you. I hope this article will be of great help to you and that you can use it in all your ideas and ventures that you can think of. It is always a pleasure for me to create this type of content for you to apply it quickly in everything you want. The goal is always that you can achieve and encourage yourself to experiment by yourself with the materials you want and in the most diverse ways. In the specific case of Glowforge, you can encourage yourself to search and explore the different templates it offers and also explore the different configurations. Have happy crafting! Enjoy everything you create! See you in the next tutorial!