LaserUser.com Forum (formerly RDWorksLab)

I ordered this lens from Cloudray thru Amazon [$34.50 on Amazon, $27+ shipping on CR] and received it in 11 days.
The lens is opaque so you cannot check the focal length by shining a light thru it but I marked the lens on the outside of the tube and did a few test burns and the 2.5" FL appears right on where I expected it. I burned my way thru a piece of 3/4" pine board this weekend and it cut but looked like it was done with a acetylene cutting torch- this lens did a nice clean job at twice the speed. Very impressed so far.

Ok- I have been playing with this all week and it is a great cutting lens. The picture is a sample piece I give out [and people love] the left hand sample is done with a normal 2" lens and the middle and right were done with the GaAs lens- the two thin ones are 1/8" birch plywood and the 3/4" is a piece of Basswood that I ordered in- it is the lightest and softest wood I could get easily. I love designing and lasering wood toys and miniature chairs, and furniture. I ordered the Basswood from Ocooch hardwoods in .25, .375, .5, and .75 just for lasering.