Laser Experts Reveal the 10 Best Selling Products to Jumpstart Your Business - Design File Available
Рет қаралды 69,383
Жыл бұрынWe show you 10 easy products you can make to kickstart your laser business, whether you own a Glowforge, xTool, Trotec or any other hobby or professional laser machine. Plus we give you some business and laser tips based on our many years of experience in this industry.
Check out our AWESOME Laser Engraving merch!
smedleyworks.myspreadshop.com
****DESIGN FILE AVAILABLE****
Get access to the design files from this project and many others by becoming a Patron at:
/ 20220715-10-top-74487798
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Items used in this video*:
1/8" MDF Sheets - 12" x 19" (10 Pack)
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1/8" Baltic Birch Sheets - 12" x 12" (6 Pack)
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1/8" Maple Sheets - 12" x 12" (3 Pack)
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1/8" Walnut Sheets - 12" x 12" (6 Pack)
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1/8" Black Cast Acrylic - 12" x 12" (1 Piece)
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1/8" White Cast Acrylic - 12" x 12" (2 Pack)
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1/8" Clear Cast Acrylic - 12" x 12" (5 Pack)
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1/8" Mirror Acrylic - 12" x 12" (1 Piece)
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Application Tape 6" x 100'
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Application Tape 12" x 100'
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Application Tape 24" x 100'
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Items used in our projects*:
Sili The Complete Silicone Glue Kit
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WORKPRO Bar Clamps for Woodworking
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Clamps
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Binder Clips for Clamping (medium and large work best)
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E6000 Craft Adhesive
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Professional Grade Aluminum Foil Tape
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ScotchBlue Original Painters Tape
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Titebond 5003 II Premium Wood Glue
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Precision Screwdriver Kit
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Castle Art Supplies 12 Large Acrylic 75ml Paint Tubes Set
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Acrylic Paints by Artist's Loft Fundamentals
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DecoArt Dazzling Metallics Acrylic Paint 2oz-Bright Bass
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Royal Brush Manufacturing Royal and Langnickel Zip N' Close 12-Piece Brush Set
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*As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
#smedleyworks
@mystoller 8 ай бұрын
Thanks for the great video. My wife and I recently purchased a laser in hopes of starting a stable business that involved creating physical items. I think we are both a bit shell-shocked at this point as we can not seem to figure out the best direction to go in for our first products.
@sylviamacdonald6682 Жыл бұрын
Wow, I just came across your channel and it is awesome! Thank you so much for sharing!
@anthonyscira2511 Жыл бұрын
I have had my laser for l15 years when they were still 20k plus machines. Best advice is the laser is a tool. I have tried all the things listed and most don't sell that well. And with the flood of cheap lasers everyone is doing it. So basically, it is a race to the bottom. Don't buy one thinking you are going to get rich quick. Your creativity is what is going to sell things. And the more you can hide the fact it was done with a laser the better. It takes a bit more work but looks way better.
@smedleyworks Жыл бұрын
Agreed. We had this problem when we were in the graphics business. The answer for us was, in part, to differentiate our products/designs from competitors. BUT, we liked to say we fished with a net, not a pole. In other words, we created a LOT of product listings. Not hundreds, but thousands. And with the right pricing, you'll get the sales. :)
@sherryrobinson5462 Жыл бұрын
I came across this video and I am so glad I did! I am new to using lasers and I am starting a business. This just what I was looking for. Can't wait to see what you have next.
@chasrobinson1240 Жыл бұрын
Great video and informative. At last a new spin on the hobby instead of the same old same old. Well Done
@iamdaspeed Жыл бұрын
Thanks for all the wonderful info. I got a xtool for my birthday and am looking forward to selling some items. You have given such great suggestions
@hmanohar7634 Жыл бұрын
excellent. good information thank you very much
@fridman1433 Жыл бұрын
Thank you so much for this amazing video!
@Truecrimequeen68 3 ай бұрын
All so adorable. Great videos
@iamdaspeed Жыл бұрын
Thanks for this video. I received a xtool D laser engraver for my birthday. E are trying to start a business hoping to get a larger laser eventually. Thanks for all the ideas. We are still learning how to use it, hoping our business will be successful.
@atbvip Жыл бұрын
This was actually very helpful and concise. I feel like some "starter" ideas that some people give are unrealistic but this is doable and helps me focus a bit more. There's so many possibilities that it's hard to just pick something and start😅
@darrenpearson7097 Жыл бұрын
My daughters are starting a laser cutting/engraving business. Thanks for the video.
@williambailey9012 2 ай бұрын
Thank you for making these videos. I bought a laser engraver just because and now I’m thinking of making some sort of side hustle with it as well. Thank you!
@chrisoliver3851 4 ай бұрын
We just started our laser business thanks for the helpful video
@007donj 10 ай бұрын
Great ideas
@jasne2992 6 ай бұрын
Wow, so much good info! Thanks. Now I just have to decide which one from hundreds laser cutters i have to get. Tuff decision
@markknoedler4562 Жыл бұрын
I have been trying to sell items for the last 6 onths with no success. Your video shows items that can easily be done and sold. I appreciate you sharing with us and I hope to finally have some success before I sell all my equipment.
@JoeyMcNew-Drummer Жыл бұрын
Nice info! I just got my Xtool d1 pro assembled and about to get started. Brand new at this.. Here I go! 😂
@exequtor7991 Жыл бұрын
Dzięki za ciekawe inspiracje
@bigirish4886 2 ай бұрын
There is a video showing a process to make Aluminum tags with painted covering etched with the laser and then etched with Ferric Chloride. And then clean off the paint and with powder coating and a heat gun treated then polished. Makes great tags
@13hubi13 Жыл бұрын
I want a trotec laser too 🙈
@lylebrown6132 11 ай бұрын
I am thinking well more than thinking of starting a business with lasers. These ideas are very good and it is just now the middle of June and I have had folks tell me I am behind if I want to sell for the Chrisatmas season. I am alwaays behind i guess, thank you for sharing your ideas.
@everythingjustincox7467 Жыл бұрын
Really appreciate the starting help with the file. We are starting in Colombia
@natashastruwig8063 7 ай бұрын
Good day love it. Thanks for sharing. I love MDF but it seems most people think its bad quality
@smedleyworks Жыл бұрын
Thanks for watching! We appreciate it! If you like what you see and would like to see more videos, please click the Like and Subscribe buttons. Plus, get access to the design files from this project and many others by becoming a Patron at: patreon.com/smedleyworks 😄
@rosariosorbello306 Жыл бұрын
I can't thank you enough for taking the time to create such a phenomenal channel. I don't watch too many shows, but I've been totally binge watching Smedley Works videos for the past few days. Lol. I recently purchased a laser, and am totally overwhelmed with where to start. When you're learning something new, finding a channel like yours is priceless. Thank you! Also... I'm starting to question whether or not I should have bought a co2 instead of a diode laser.... Do you have an thoughts on that? I have the xtool D1Pro 10w, and was considering purchasing the 20w module as well... but maybe I should just invest that money towards a Co2 instead? If there's any advice you can offer, it would be greatly appreciated. Again, I can't thank you enough for all your help.
@smedleyworks Жыл бұрын
We can see that diode lasers have become very popular, however we unfortunately do not have any experience with them, so we cannot offer any advice on them. In regards to purchasing a different laser, our advice to people when just starting out is always to prove you can make money with what you have before investing more and scaling up. That's just our two cents. :-)
@NateBaldwin_TheBeMoreGroup 8 ай бұрын
I just picked up a longer B1 to get me started. I am going to start small with Costers and ornaments for the holidays. What other things would you suggest for someone just getting started? This is not my primary W-2. I am going to use it for small increments of residual income on the side.
@GarlandFarms 3 ай бұрын
Wooden luggage tags will break quickly. Consider acrylic.
@chrissingleton5697 Жыл бұрын
Great videos. I like your last couple involving MDF. Is there a item where you would not choose MDF and use plywood instead.
@smedleyworks Жыл бұрын
We really like using MDF, but you do have to be careful using it in applications where strength is needed. For example, if you make a keychain out of 1/8" MDF and put the hole too close to the edge, it might easily snap. We used to make keychains out of a maple veneered plywood (with an MDF core) that were very durable compared to straight MDF.
@newrunning 5 ай бұрын
what is the material that is over the black acrylic when you laser engrave it. Tape?
@quinnaverett1544 Жыл бұрын
A couple questions... Where do you buy the stock wood you use for the ornaments and such? Also, are you using a CNC routing machine in conjunction with the laser machine?
@smedleyworks Жыл бұрын
We get our wood (MDF and Baltic Birch) from a local supplier of hardwoods. It's the type of place that supplies contractors making cabinets and furniture. You should be able to find some of this at your local hardware store and online too. We do not have a CNC machine. It's all laser all the time. 🙂
@tanyatancheva9739 Жыл бұрын
Hi, thanks for the video. It definetly is useful. I have a question. Do you think making small things like bookmarks, key chains, coasters etc. is rentable if you can't offer a free shipping? Or it is betther to do bigger products, more expensive but with a free shipping?
@smedleyworks Жыл бұрын
We definitely think you can offer small and light products and charge for shipping. We've done it both ways over the years and there are pros and cons to both. We recommend that you watch our video on shipping here, which should hopefully answer a lot of your questions: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/oJ51nLCJvcyYe30.html
@TheUnofficialMaker Жыл бұрын
rent a keychain?
@a1kz43 Жыл бұрын
Thank you for the ideas. May I know what machine are you using? Or any brand would you suggest for beginners?
@smedleyworks Жыл бұрын
We use both Trotec and Universal lasers. I'm sorry, but our experience is with more industrial lasers. There are so many entry level hobby lasers now, I'd do some searches for entry level lasers on KZfaq to find some reviews.
@super_smash965 Жыл бұрын
I want to start a laser business, but where do I get the designs from and do I need to make all of my own designs?
@ChrisRivelLife Жыл бұрын
Hi! I have a question, I’m having trouble to engrave and cut white and black acrylic, is there any method to improve the cuts and engraved? Thanks so much in advanced 😊 great video
@smedleyworks Жыл бұрын
Can you provide a little more information about the specific issues you're having?
@ChrisRivelLife Жыл бұрын
@@smedleyworks sure! I just bought an Xtool D1Pro 10W laser and started doing some test with some 2-3mm materials such as mdf, leather and acrylic. The mdf and leather cuts great but the acrylic not so much. The white acrylic at full power and low speeds barely leaves a dent with cut mode and not a single thing on engraving. And with the black acrylic a managed to get a clean cut after many many several attempts but it doesn’t engrave, it barely leaves a mark and it’s super fuzzy. I hope I was as detailed as posible haha, thanks so much for your help. Have a great day
@smedleyworks Жыл бұрын
We don't have experience using a lower powered laser like that, but I do have some guesses that might help you. If you haven't done it yet, and assuming the software you're using will allow it, run some squares using different line colors so you can set different speed settings (run at full power) to see cut differences between the speeds. At least this way you can see if you are getting a difference at each speed. Double-check your focus is correct and your optics are clean before you start any testing just in case. Is the acrylic you're using extruded? If so, it should cut ok, but you won't get a good engraving on it compared to cast acrylic (we'll actually be putting an acrylic video up in about a week or so). You also really need an exhaust and air assist when cutting acrylic. I don't know if any of that helps. It's hard to diagnose the issue without being there. :)
@ChrisRivelLife Жыл бұрын
@@smedleyworks yes, I’ve tried different speeds and passes at full power and that’s how I got to the clean cut in the black, and I also have an air assist and exhaust for the fumes, buuuut I didn’t know there different types of acrylic, so I think that might be it. I will investigate more on the subject, thank so much for bringing that to my attention and for your help, I’ll try to run some more tests and buy different acrylic to see the difference. Thank you!! And I’ll stay tuned for the acrylic video 😄
@TheUnofficialMaker Жыл бұрын
what laser machine are you using? Not a diode laser I hope.
@grahambinnion9686 Жыл бұрын
Great video 😀 do you do lightburn files for download ?
@smedleyworks Жыл бұрын
No, however you should be able to import other file types into LightBurn including the PDF files we're making available. 👍🏻
@grahambinnion9686 Жыл бұрын
@@smedleyworks do you have a link ? Thanks for the reply 👍
@smedleyworks Жыл бұрын
Please see the description for information on how to get our files.
@sherryleggett1612 Жыл бұрын
I got excited when I came across laser engraving online. I thought it would be a great side hustle so I jumped on and bought the Ortur 3 Pro,the cylinder holder, exhaust fans, honeycomb beds and the extension package to make the bed 24 x 48. I also picked up lots of items to engrave. I have had it all since November 2022 and not one item has been taken out of the box. I am seventy years old an even though I used computers for many years I am not confident in my abilities now. I wonder if I should just package it all up and offer a business in a box or should I try and set it up and learn it? If everything was plug and play I would be fine but so far I can’t grasp the changing power and speed idea and I’m afraid I won’t be able to learn Lightburn etc. Am I foolish or just chicken?
@smedleyworks Жыл бұрын
You're not foolish or chicken. It can be overwhelming when you get a new piece of equipment have have to not only learn how to use it, but software too. We have gone through the same issues in the past. We once had a new type of printer sit for weeks because we were overwhelmed with trying to run our existing business and learn the new technology and software at the same time. We finally said, let's try to print on X product, so what are the steps we need to do to accomplish this? Then we carved out a little time each day and worked through the steps. So, I guess the best advice I have is to give yourself a series of simple goals each day so you can make progress. Set up the laser. Install the software. Try to get something extremely basic output to the laser. Don't try to do everything at once. Walk before you can run. If you have someone else to help you, that can make a world of difference, as it really makes figuring out stuff easier. I hope this helps a little. :)
@testingperson8413 Жыл бұрын
You have experience through prior computer learning. Yes, you can do it! One step at a time is how we learned computers back in the day. My mother (God rest her soul) was learning new technical things in her eighties when she made herself determined to do it. It is not too hard. You can do it. 😊
@testingperson8413 Жыл бұрын
Products look nice. What do you say about teaching us how to sell?
@smedleyworks Жыл бұрын
We do plan to talk more about the selling side of the laser business in future videos. Stay tuned!
@barrycree2203 Жыл бұрын
I would like to start a laser business. Do you offer a program?
@smedleyworks Жыл бұрын
If you mean do we offer a program for consulting on new laser businesses, we do not. Hope that answers your question! :-)
@gaWalt Жыл бұрын
My wife and I just found your video. We want to start an Laser Engraving business to sell products locally and on ETSY. We really like your design ideas. We need to decide on which laser to purchase first. Which one would you recommend ? We're willing to invest $4k to $6k on our first laser. Thank you and we're looking forward to your future videos.
@smedleyworks Жыл бұрын
We only have experience with a few different laser brands, and nothing within that price range. We've heard good things about xTool, and Glowforge is obviously very popular, but we have not had first hand experience with either. Just know that any laser within that price range will likely be low powered and be slow 🐌, so depending on how quickly your business takes off and the type of lasering you'll be doing, you may outgrow it quickly and need to invest in something speedier. Sorry that we can't be of more help with this. Best of luck with your business! 😃
@gaWalt Жыл бұрын
@@smedleyworks Thanks for your quick response. We agree that Time = Money so the faster and more efficient the equipment then the more profit you can make. So, out of the two brands that we noticed that you're using which brand do you like best and why. Trotec or Universal? Thanks in advance for your help and thanks for all your professional videos.
@smedleyworks Жыл бұрын
We like aspects of both. If you're considering a more industrial machine, we'd recommend getting in touch with a sales rep at Trotec, Universal and Epilog. You can explain your business plan or explain what you're looking for in a laser and choose the best machine to meet your needs and budget. When we started our current online business a few years ago, we knew we'd be making rubber stamps (you can see our products at snigglesloth.com), so we ended up going with Trotec. We already had experience with the Universal and another machine, but we went with the machine basically designed to make rubber stamps. The Universal we have is lower powered than the Trotec machines we use, but we only do light wood engraving with it and it works great for that. Universal's customer service has been very good -- when you call, you get ahold of someone right away. If we were to buy any new machines, we would strongly consider an Epilog based on their reputation and our future needs. So, long story short, we're not sure that we could really recommend one over the other, it really just depends on how you intend to use them. Sorry we couldn't give you a better answer than this.
@gaWalt Жыл бұрын
@@smedleyworks Again, I appreciate your replies. You're correct in that the ultimate decision of which machine we should get will be up to us and our business plan. The info that you've kindly provided is very helpful. We're looking forward to more of your videos. Thank you!
@TheUnofficialMaker Жыл бұрын
@@smedleyworks Don't recommend a Glowforge because it's online only!
@pennypontillo5017 Жыл бұрын
What acrylic did you use?
@smedleyworks Жыл бұрын
I believe all the acrylic used in the video was 1/8" cast (not extruded).
@tampajeeper Жыл бұрын
What do you use to cut clear acrylic? I have the xtool 20W
@smedleyworks Жыл бұрын
We cut acrylic on both our Trotec 120w lasers and our Universal 75w laser. I would think you should be able to cut through at least thin acrylic with your laser.
@TheUnofficialMaker Жыл бұрын
can't cut clear with a diode laser, must use co2 laser like K40. Has to do with the wavelength of the laser light.
@smedleyworks Жыл бұрын
Good to know. Thanks for the info.
@johanavelasquez316 Жыл бұрын
How do you use the pdf because it won’t download as a single item they all come up together
@smedleyworks Жыл бұрын
If you open the file in a vector based program like Coreldraw, Illustrator, etc, you should be able to work with them individually.
@nosferatuera Жыл бұрын
You bought a universal laser and a trotec for which you paid about 50k USD, how many coasters and keyrings can you make to get the money out just for the investment in the two devices :))
@smedleyworks Жыл бұрын
Obviously, we didn't start off with a fleet of lasers, but added them on one at a time when demand warranted it. It's a numbers game. You need to get a lot of coaster, keychain, etc. designs out there. Price them right, and you'll get the order volume you'd need to pay off the laser(s).
@stephensurowitz331 Жыл бұрын
Okay, I only have a small 40w laser not a $5k r laser help
@smedleyworks Жыл бұрын
You should be able to make everything in the video on a 40W laser. Best of luck! :-)
@zeeshanrana9143 Жыл бұрын
password?
@smedleyworks Жыл бұрын
Please see the description for instructions on how to get the password.
@zeeshanrana9143 Жыл бұрын
@@smedleyworks Tell I already seen it.
@patrickmichaels1362 Жыл бұрын
Why would anyone want a wood luggage tag that is so easy to break?
@smedleyworks Жыл бұрын
The type of wood used and hole placement toward the edge of the tag would definitely have an impact on how sturdy they are. However, we sold tens of thousands of wood luggage tags over the years and breakage was not an issue. :-)
@testingperson8413 Жыл бұрын
Why would anyone try to carry their luggage by the tag instead of the handles or strap? ;)
@lifes0a0bitch Жыл бұрын
hey I've just got a new laser that will actually cut now, but I seem to be getting a lot of soot on the edges of my wooden projects, haven't tried other materials till I get a handle on the settings, this adds a lot of time to makes as I either need to sand or wipe the edges to ensure no contamination to anything they touch. do you have any advice? is this something you've found? thank you
@smedleyworks Жыл бұрын
My guess is that you're going too slow to get through your material, so it's getting that sooty edge. Can you tell us what material and thickness you're trying to cut and your laser's max power?
@lifes0a0bitch Жыл бұрын
@@smedleyworks hey thanks for responding, im just starting so only trying to cut 3mm plywood, my program is suggesting 65% power going at 2mm/min for 1 pass. i didnt find this to cut though so did i think 6 passes, but still some of the pieces werent cut through, some fell out some needed a light tap but i would say about half didnt cut through. thanks
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