NYC Resistor

The rumor is true, NYC Resistor has a laser! Want to get in on the laser cutting action? You can take a class to learn to operate the laser yourself, or send us your design and have us cut it for you while you wait.

Laser Class

Laser classes are generally from time to time, usually once a month.  Check http://nycresistor.eventbrite.com/ for a schedule.  In this two hour class, we’ll walk through all the steps from idea to pressing the “go” button on the laser. We’ll cover safety and basic design skills in Inkscape and you’ll learn how to do a burninate test to find out if something is laserable. After the two hours, you’ll have time to prototype something of your own! Bagels and cream cheese are even provided.

Lasering Service

If you haven’t taken the class, no problem. We can run things for you. Send us an email with the file you’d like to cut, the time you’d like to come in, and a note about what material you’d like to use. Someone will get back to you to set everything up.

Set up a time

We laser 7 days a week, but prefer not to run the laser cutter during events such as classes and craft night. We now host Laser Night, every Monday starting around 7pm. Members of the public are free to come in on Laser Night and laser things! If you can’t make it on Monday, you can set up an appointment for another day; send us an email with a time that works for you. If you’re flexible, including a few different times will make it easier for us to schedule!

Pricing

The basic rate for a laser operator to help you is $50 per hour + $2 per minute for running the laser. If you have taken the laser class and are operating the laser yourself, there are no additional operator fees!
Certain items are a flat fee, regardless of time:

• Laptop etchings – $100
• Netbook (10″ display or less) – $75
• iPod or iPhone etchings – $20

Materials

We have a limited supply of materials available for sale at NYC Resistor. You’re also welcome to bring your own. If you plan on buying materials from us, please email us ahead of time so we can make sure we have it in stock. Here are some examples of what we’ll cut on the laser:

• Acrylic up to 1/4 inch
• Wood (not pressure treated)
• Aluminum (etch only)
• Paper/Cardboard

Some materials can’t be cut or etched on the laser, for reasons of safety, physics, or both. Here’s a partial list of what we can’t do:

• Anything containing chlorine. This includes vinyl and many plastics, as well as Moleskine notebooks. If you’re not sure whether what you’ve got contains chlorine, you can do a burn test to check.
• Metal
• Glass cutting. It etches OK, but we can’t cut it.

If you have a material you’re not sure about, email us and we’ll let you know whether we can cut it.