Which means, we are using it for something that isn’t it’s intended use – but it’s not like that’s stopped wargamers before!īasically, it’s a crapshoot when you purchase one of these – and that’s something you need to be aware of before reading any further. The legend goes that these Laser Cutters were originally created for engraving Japanese Hanko stamps ( A rubber seal that is used in place of a signiture in Japan, of which the average person has four different ones – Ginkōin (銀行印), Jitsuin (実印), Mitomein (認印) and Sanmonban (三文判) depending on the purpose), which is why they have an incredibly tiny clamp in them that is useless for absolutely anything except this purpose. There is no single manufacturer or official design spec for these, and they are all slightly different, but work on the same or at least very similar principles, a blue sheet metal box, containing an (allegedly) 40 watt laser (but usually closer to 30 watts), using roughly similar controls (some are analogue, some are digital), and with roughly similar connections. So what is a K40 Laser Cutter/Engraver? The “K40” Laser is a catch all term for the blue (and sometimes red), water cooled Chinese made lasers you find for around $300-400 USD on Amazon and Ebay.
If you see something that should be changed, improved or updated, feel free to email me or comment at the bottom of the page. I’ll aim to keep it updated as I learn more, things go wrong, things get fixed and things get upgraded, as is usually the case with these cheaper Chinese made products.
Hopefully this will become the essential resource or wargamers who are looking to purchase a K40 style laser cutter with everything all in one place. It’s been a massive learning curve, and there’s plenty of things that I wish I knew going in, things I would have done differently, and other tips and tricks that I’ll aim to put together in one resource to make it easier for those who are looking to add a laser cutter to their list of toys (in addition to FDM and Resin 3D printers) for miniature and tabletop wargaming. A month of so ago I purchased myself one of these big blue “K40” style Chinese laser cutters from Ebay, and over the last few weeks I’ve been working towards getting it usable for cutting and engraving MDF and Acrylic plastic for a wide variety of miniature wargames products: from Tokens and Templates to Terrain. Tested and ready g-codes for your engraving frame ( GRBL 1.1H firmware).As an Amazon Associate will earn from qualifying purchases.
G-code samples, images suitable for laser cutting/engraving, and a video guide of how to prepare g-code.
We have some hex files (firmware) in our download center > It is important to know that GRBL has to be configured properly to be able to move motors at the required speed and keep correct sizes and proportions. There could be some speed limitations for cutting and engraving that are also saved in GRBL settings. It depends on the parameters of the GRBL.
It could be M103/M105 or it could be M03/M05. It is important to know that some machines and frames have slightly different commands for turning on / off the laser. Marlin firmware is usually used on many open-source and cheap 3D printers like Anet, Anycubic, Wanhao, and others… GRBL is mostly used on such frames as Eleksmaker, Sainsmart, CNCC LaserAxe, WainLux, Neje, Ortur, Atom, and similar machines. The most popular firmware now is GRBL, Marlin and others. To run the g-code you have to have special firmware on your board. G-code instructions are provided to a machine controller (industrial computer) that tells the motors where to move, how fast to move, and what path to follow. G-code (also RS-274) is the most widely used computer numerical control (CNC) programming language. Library of images and g-codes for laser cutting or engraving.