Gallery: From Food to Furniture: 10 Dazzling Laser-Cutter Projects
01design-9
3-D printers are an exciting technology, but another hot new tool may have just as significant of an impact in real-world projects. Laser cutters were invented almost 50 years ago, but only became part of the home workshop in the past few years. In that short time, however, the maker community has embraced the machines with creative enthusiasm. While these 2-D cutters don't produce sweet [3-D Yoda](http://www.thingiverse.com/search?q=yoda&sa=) heads at the push of a button, they do bring impressive versatility to a wide range of applications. If makers want to experiment with creative ideas that need to be produced with engineering-grade plastics, wood, leather, metal, or even food, laser cutters are often the only appropriate tool. Most laser cutters, and their beefy plasma cutter brethren, can produce objects much larger than standard 3-D prints in a much shorter time, and usually for a significantly lower cost. One [forward-thinking cafe in Japan](http://www.fabcafe.com/) has even installed a cutting system so makers can laser cut parts while sipping a latte — whereas waiting for a 3-D printout would require a seven-course meal.  *Laser cutters can produce parts cheaply and quickly enough to fit in at this Japanese coffee shop.* Photo: [FabCafe](http://www.fabcafe.com/) Lasers haven't sparked so much creative thinking since Luke Skywalker inspired a generation of kids to pretend that broomsticks could be lightsabers. These following 10 examples show some of the many ways lasers are being used in new ways on DIY projects. __Above:__ Architecture ------------ One of biggest difference between lasers and 3-D printers is, well, bigness. 3-D printers can produce amazingly detailed sculptures, but most max out at objects the size of a loaf of bread. When architectural fabrication firm [Eventscape](http://www.eventscape.net/index.php/projects_/projects_single/kimc) needed to fill out an office lobby with panels of custom paneling, lasers were the smart, scalable solution. Many laser cutters can cut square feet of material in the time it takes a 3-D printer's build platform to warm up. *Photo: [Eventscape](http://www.eventscape.net/index.php/projects_/projects_single/kimc)*
02sushi-2
Laser Sushi ----------- Unlike 3-D printers that use nasty chemicals and "it's probably safe" plastics, lasers bring designs to life using heat — which makes them the most impressive, overpowered, and expensive kitchen gadgets imaginable. Hungry hackers have used lasers to make [Spirograph pancakes](http://www.flickr.com/photos/cutlasercut/sets/72157629415761513/), [perfectly prepared bacon](http://4volt.com/Blog/archive/2009/05/06/laser-cooked-bacon.aspx), and even [etched eggplants](http://www.inventinginteractive.com/2010/07/02/cooking-dinner-and-project-oasis/). To a laser, the only difference between fabricating a brace for a new Subaru and customizing a sheet of seaweed is Otaku bragging rights. *Photo: [I&S BBDO](http://www.isbbdo.co.jp/#/showcase/0)*
03fashion-2
Fashion ------- Alexander McQueen was the most avant of avant-garde fashion designers before his untimely passing in 2010, but the house that bears his name has been able to spark creativity in mass market (or, the portion of the mass market that can pay $5,000 for a dress) by leveraging industrial laser cutters. McQueen's team isn't alone; laser-cut garments are becoming a fixture in runway shows and have been featured in collections of high-end couturiers like [John Galliano](http://www.fashioningtech.com/profiles/blogs/friday-roundup-laser-cut-fashi) and [John Paul Gaultier](http://blog.ponoko.com/2010/03/04/cutting-cloth-since-oh-six/), as well as more humble, ready-to-wear offerings from brands like [Burberry](http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/burberry-laser-cut-pump/3035479?pprd=0). *Photo: [Matches Fashion](http://www.matchesfashion.com/product/101450)*
04furniture
Furniture --------- Lasers can cut through wood, metal, fabrics, and often multiple materials at once. This light fixture was created by cutting a bespoke material made from a 2-millimeter-thick walnut veneer bonded to a fabric substrate. The laser was able to cut cleanly through both materials where light was intended to pass, while just cutting the wood layer elsewhere. This allowed the slightly singed fabric to be folded up like a piece of origami while the wood panel provided structure. [Horm](http://www.horm.it/eng/prodotti_di_design/steven-holl/collezione-steven-holl-foto.php?id=131), the firm that manufactured the lamp, was even able to get a patent based on the novelty of the approach. *Photo: [Horm](http://www.horm.it/eng/prodotti_di_design/steven-holl/collezione-steven-holl-foto.php?id=131)*
05light
Light ----- The ability of laser cutters to work at a large scale and with a variety of materials gives designers the flexibility to impact an environment in bright new ways. This table pairs translucent acrylic sheets and an opaque plastic barrier to create a surface that interacts with a light source in a stunning fashion. Other designers have taken advantage of "edge lighting" to create an [illusion of depth](https://www.adafruit.com/blog/2012/06/11/creating-illuminated-3d-objects-with-a-laser-cutter/) or added an [interactive element](http://www.behance.net/gallery/In-Transit-NYC/762017) to their projects. *Photo: [CutLaserCut](http://www.cutlasercut.com/showcase/laser-cut-furniture-alex-hammond)*
06housings
Electronic Housings ------------------- Lasers will never be able to produce parts that mimic the sinuous curves of an Yves Behar industrial design, but these high-temp cutting tools do give hackers a tremendous amount of flexibility to create enclosures for their projects in a way that off-the-shelf solutions never could. They may not be the prettiest, but they're perfectly suited solutions that can be produced in short sessions. *Photo: [Crash Space](http://www.flickr.com/photos/crashspacela/5429597307/sizes/o/)*
07classic-tech
Reviving Old Technology ----------------------- Wood block printing is as charming as it is expensive. As cool as it looks, hand-carving fonts from blocks of wood to capture a rustic vibe doesn't make a lot of economic sense in the world of Photoshop filters. However, modern designers paired with high-tech tools can inexpensively revive a pioneer-era process. Fabrication consultancy [CutLaserCut](http://www.cutlasercut.com/showcase/bodoni-laser-cut-typeface) fed graphics files that would normally drive a laser printer to a laser cutter, cost-effectively carved new fonts, and easily dropped them in to an antique press. *Photo [CutLaserCut](http://www.cutlasercut.com/showcase/bodoni-laser-cut-typeface)*
08art-2
Art --- Laser cutters provide the control the most obsessive designers crave, the freedom to experiment with materials, and the capability to manufacture art in one high-wattage package. In this case, cunning cartographers made multi-level models of ocean typography by cutting wood profiles, added color for effect, and produced artwork that would impress the saltiest of sea captains and cruelest critics alike. *Photo: [Below the Boat](http://www.belowtheboat.com/collections/frontpage/products/nantucket)*
09architecture
Architectural Models -------------------- Architectural modeling is still an important part of the building process even in an age of omnipresent CAD software. The computer models that architects produce can be 3-D printed, but the laser allows creators to work with multiple materials, that can better approximate the actual elements that will be used in the structure. This is an especially important consideration when optical properties are in play. The quick turn nature of lasers and the use of standard sheet materials in the construction also make it easier for designers to tweak designs quickly, without having to reprint an entire model. The process is like sketching, but using an overpowered death ray instead of a pencil. *Photo: [Addie Wagenknecht](http://www.flickr.com/photos/girlontheles/7250384248/sizes/c/in/photostream/)*
10embellishments
Product Embellishment --------------------- Laser etching is an industrial process used in high-volume manufacturing processes for products like Dyson's new faucet/hand dryer. What makes lasers great is that the complexity of the design is basically "free," so whether it's etching a simple sans serif logo or a [Mary Blair](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Blair)-inspired pattern, designers can experiment with designs and customize offerings without incurring additional cost. *Photo: [CutLaserCut](http://cutlasercut.tumblr.com/post/31458528057/beautiful-iphone-and-ipad-laser-engraved-engraved)*
