More on the Versalaser

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Posted by michael on Thursday October 23, 2003 @08:13AM from the keep-remaining-fingers-out-of-the-machine dept.

A random reader writes: "In an article at PCMag.com, Bill Machrone describes what has to be the coolest printer ever (or close to it). A company called Versalaser sells a printer which uses a laser and can cut/write on everything from paper to wood to stone. Available in 25-50 Watt models, starting at only US$10,000. Great for the geek who must have it all! Unfortunately, Windows drivers only at this time." We mentioned this wondertool before.

15 of 236 comments (clear)

AHA! by wizarddc · 2003-10-23 08:14 · Score: 4, Funny

So this is a self admitted repost, huh?! You doubly lazy slashdot editors.

--
Th
Glass laser printers by Trillan · 2003-10-23 08:16 · Score: 4, Interesting

Far cooler are glass (or is it crystal?) laser printers. I haven't seen them, but a coworker was telling me about seeing them at a big mall somewhere in Sacremento. You get modeled by a scan, then it curs your image into a block of glass -- in 3d.
1. Re:Glass laser printers by bravehamster · 2003-10-23 08:37 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  I bought something from one of these in Plano, Texas. (My mom just graduated from law school, and I bought her the scales of justice inside a crystal block.) Very, very cool to watch it done. From the way the guy running it explained it, it works by using two lasers. When the two lasers intersect, it gets hot enough to create a small fracture in the crystal at the exact point of intersection. From there it's pretty easy to see how it gets done, although the fractures do have to be done in a certain order, otherwise the previous fractures will difract the lasers.
  
  --
  ---- El diablo esta en mis pantalones! Mire, mire!
It had to be said... by Cyclopedian · 2003-10-23 08:18 · Score: 4, Funny

I want sharks with fricken Veralaser printers on their heads!!

Throw me a bone here, people!

-Cyc

--
/.'s 10 Millionth
Just don't share it. by nairnr · 2003-10-23 08:18 · Score: 5, Funny

Please for the love of god, don't set this up as a windows share. It is bad enough that we have people accidently printing email on our HP5000 4' plotters. No, you can print your email on wood!.
I suspect God may have had one of these for the tablets for Moses...
1. Re:Just don't share it. by MR.Gates · 2003-10-23 08:32 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  I accidently printed a win98 test page on a rather large HP plotter when I worked for FMC. Needless to say I am now the proud owner of a win98 poster size test page, D'OH!
  
  --
  
  A few hours grace before the madness begins again.
Someone had to try it... by keep_it_simple_stupi · 2003-10-23 08:18 · Score: 4, Funny

"Customers have also come up with some notably bad ideas, including engraving plastic butane lighters."

You know, it's amazing we've lasted this long.
Re:Surely by tsanth · 2003-10-23 08:18 · Score: 4, Insightful
I really don't understand why the price is that high either...
1. It's fairly unique.
2. It's for a niche market.
3. Supplies are limited (as in, one supplier makes it).
I'm sure I missed something.
Another use... by tomzyk · 2003-10-23 08:18 · Score: 4, Funny

Have your own tattoo parlor, right on your computer desktop!

(Caution: be sure to have plenty of gauze and ice, a phone, and be in a place where the EMTs can find you easily...)

--
Karma: NaN
1. Re:Another use... by John+M+Ford · 2003-10-23 08:49 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  I used to work with an 25W Epilog CO2 laser. While watching a coworker, I saw him place a plastic part to be cut in the machine. What I did not see was that the part was placed incorrectly. He then closed the lid and pressed the start button. When he realized the part was incorrectly placed, he opened the lid and reached to save the part without hitting stop. Usually this would not be a problem. Unfortunately for him, he had bypassed the safety switch early that day and had not reset it. It burned a nice little line all the way down and through his index fingernail and into the cuticle before he realized his error.
  
  While I have no doubt that it is possible to mark skin in decorative ways with this machine, I can assure you that it is not a painless process. :-)
  
  John
  
  --
  I may disagree with what you have to say, but I shall defend, to the death, your right to say it. jya.com/ap.htm
Re:Surely by vpetersen · 2003-10-23 08:19 · Score: 4, Insightful

What if you wanted to cut / print on two hundred stones plates (or tiles, glass sheets etc) and in larger volumes than a person can write, thousands a day, for several years? Surely, it's not worth $10,000 if you need just one printed item.

I guess it's the same reason we use regular printers and digital storage and not 16th century monks manually re-writing bibles, one book a year.

Unless I'm missing your point?
A Windows-only peripheral that literally smokes!? by Anonymous Coward · 2003-10-23 08:21 · Score: 5, Funny

I think I'd like to have one ... but not with my son in the house - he be testing whether it could print on "dog".
DANGER! DANGER! by HungWeiLo · 2003-10-23 08:25 · Score: 4, Funny

Disaster (serves 6)

1 tbsp. of laser that can cut anything
2 qts. of Windows drivers

Mix ingredients gently. Bake for 5 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Serve immediately.

--
There are a huge number of yeast infections in this county. Probably because we're downriver from the bread factory.
Re:view the thing by seriv · 2003-10-23 08:25 · Score: 5, Informative

or view images of what it can do Here.
-Seriv
The next generation of these . . . by StefanJ · 2003-10-23 08:40 · Score: 5, Funny

. . . will only cost $1000, and get bundled for free with new systems, but you'll need to buy $300 fusion plasma cartridges for them every few months that are designed to go critical and explode if you try to refill them.

For now, I'll stick with an X-Acto knife and that wood burning kit I got at a garage sale.

Stefan