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GUEST CONTRIBUTOR: Summer I'm Sooooo

In the midst of one of the hottest summers on record, we are not the only ones suffering through the heat and trying to do our best to stay cool. While we can crank up the air conditioning, turn up the fans and let the cool breeze pass over us, our lasers depend on us to make sure they have the air flow that they need to stay cool. That may seem like it’s out of our control but I am here today to tell you how to get just a bit more breeze for your faithful crafting companion

Luckily, some of the laser companies have made the air intake on their lasers easily accessible Others, like the tabletop laser makers, not so much. We are going to address those tabletop lasers today and help alleviate some of the fear of the dreaded orange button of doom.

For the majority of tabletop lasers available today, the air intake is on the bottom right of the machine This leaves less than a half inch of clearance between the table surface and the intake to move the air needed to cool your laser cutter There are a few simple things that can help increase the air flow and keep your tabletop laser cool and working its best in the hot summer months.

First, lifting and leveling your laser make a huge difference. For this, I recommend two to three pieces of wood or metal that can be placed under your laser to give lift. I use three 1x3 pieces of wood placed evenly spaced under the laser, making sure to lea e at least 4 inches on each end of cuts can be off and your frustration will be hotter than the mercury in the thermometer.

To level your laser, you will need a level with a bubble large enough to see and shims Shims can either be purchased at any home improvement store or, if you’re feeling creative, can be made out of your pile of scraps that you pretend not to notice growing in the corner. With the level