sjpiper145
commented
1 day ago Wow, thanks so much for your fantastic feedback, this is exactly what I was looking for! I've now updated the Laser Cutting skill tree with all your feedback and it's definitely a great improvement, especially in those early beginner tiles.
I really appreciate your help with this, and if you'd like one of the bug hunter stickers in the mail, just fill out this form: https://forms.office.com/r/eemK9VhJFm
Thanks again!
This is my Peer Review for the "lasercutting" section. Thank you, Steph, for your generosity with this documentation and in general, and for providing me this opportunity to give input. I am working with the physical "beta test" paper booklet I received around a year ago. It appears identical to the PDF I received though email recently.
The trees are modern, relevant and technically correct
I noticed that several tiles in this skill tree could be confusing or irrelevent, depending on what kind of laser you have access to while you are learning. I believe this is covered in how you specify and reiterate that these skill trees are flexible and adaptable, but I could see someone getting particularly confused about the difference between a diode and a C02 laser. I see that happening a lot right now because the hobby laser companies that have been selling C02 lasers are starting to sell Diode lasers, and they are not being clear about the (fairly vast) technical differences. There are pretty huge technical differences in types of lasers and that's where a lot of the learning curve is, and I don't see people talk about this enough, which is probably why I care so much about it here.
The "learn about diode lasers" tile is placed very early, and the "learn about C02 lasers" tile much later. I can kinda understand this logic, but I don't think it's realistic. I think I'd solve for this by adding a tile that says "Learn the difference between C02 and Diode lasers" as an early tile, and move the "use a diode laser" and "use a C02 laser" tiles closer together, further up from the "learn the difference" tile. I would also maybe even remove them, but that's up to you. I might also add "learn what kind of laser you are using" as a tile early on, because there is also a big difference between a modern hobby laser and a laser straight from china, and someone is fairly equally likely to encounter either.
Ordered correctly from basics at the base to advanced at the top & Tiles are not too specific and include more broad options for flexible interpretation (for example, rather than 'build a clock' it could be 'add electronics to a project'. & Weaker tiles that could be swapped for stronger tiles
I think the "Buy some good laser safety glasses" tile is too specific for how rarely it's needed these days, as is the "mount a fire extinguisher and fire blanket nearby" tile, and the "set up an enclosure" tile. I would swap all of those for something like one tile that says "make sure all recommended safety equipment for using your laser is in place".
The "set up an exhaust or air filtration system" tile IS extremely relevant because it is always needed, and always needed before your first cut, so that tile is perfect.
I might also add a tile early on that's something like "Get comfortable uploading a file to your laser interface" or "Upload a file to your laser interface and use it". The software that runs a laser is separate from the software used to make vector files, right? That's what I think should be referenced with this. And a lot of people use their laser interface software and maybe never even touch vector creation software, they just use files they find. So I think referencing that with this additional tile early on might help.
Several hobby lasers, these days, get people started by cutting out a ruler or something similar. Because of this I think you should move the "make a tool with lasercutting" tile to an earlier spot. It's very, very common for people to cut a tool early on, and simple tool files to cut on a laser are very easy to find.
I would add a tile early on that says something like "find a pre-made file online to use". In the last 5-ish years lasercutting files have become nearly as common as 3D printing files, and that's how a lot of people use their laser. Designing or customizing files often comes way later, and for some people not at all, so those are later skills.
I'd add a tile that says "use a material test file to test a new material" early on. Right next to "find perfect cut settings for a new material". Material test files are extremely common, and extremely commonly used in lasercutting.
I had not heard of "Marquetry", so I looked it up, and it made me notice another term that is pretty essential to lasercutting that is missing. You have a tile that says "find the perfect fit tolerances for your most used material". Right next to that, or possibly replacing it, I would add "learn the kerf settings for your laser".
One last note, for the tile that says "make a stencil (preferably in polypropylene)", I think I understand what you are trying to do with the material suggestion, but I would leave it out. Polypropylene can work differently in different lasers, and comes in different forms, and it is easy for someone to misunderstand that. I think you should just leave it as "make a stencil".
Ok! That's what I've got for now. If I come up with more later I'll add it in comments below.
Thanks again Steph! Best of luck!