The numbers behind a 3D printer and a laser cutter
16 calculators and 256 worked reference tables for benchtop 3D printing and desktop laser cutting. Every figure is labelled either a published standard or a community convention, and where no honest number exists, the tool says so instead of guessing.
3D printing
FDM and resin, from what a print costs to what a farm costs.
Laser cutting
Diode and CO2, from power and speed to duct sizing.
Reference tables
256 worked tables, calculated from the same material data the calculators use, so the two can never disagree.
- 3D printing · 40 tables
Filament cost by print weight and spool price
What a print of a given weight costs across the spool prices people actually pay.
- 3D printing · 36 tables
Print time by layer height and volume
How long a given volume takes at each common layer height.
- Laser · 36 tables
Engraving time by area and resolution
Raster engraving duration for each combination of panel size and line density.
- Laser · 30 tables
Laser settings by material and machine
Community starting points for power, speed and passes, per material and machine class.
- Laser · 24 tables
Duct size by airflow and run length
Which duct diameter suits a given extraction rate, and what the run costs you.
- 3D printing · 24 tables
Shrinkage compensation by material and size
How much to oversize a part so it lands on target after cooling.
- 3D printing · 18 tables
Nozzle size and layer height limits
The usable layer range for each nozzle, and what each material does with it.
- 3D printing · 16 tables
Resin volume and cost by model size
Resin use for common model sizes, with supports included.
- Laser · 12 tables
Focal length, spot size and depth of field
What each lens does to the beam, and which job it suits.
- 3D printing · 12 tables
Enclosure temperature by printer size
The chamber temperature a passive enclosure reaches, by machine and wall type.
- 3D printing · 8 tables
First layer settings by material
Bed temperature, surface and adhesive for every common filament.
Complete builds
Two separate ladders, because a printing bench and a laser bench are different purchases. Every item listed, a running total, and an explicit list of what to skip.
- Beginner · $239
A first 3D printing bench
Everything needed to start 3D printing and nothing else: machine, filament, adhesion, removal and measurement, with a running total and what to skip.
- Intermediate · $467
The buy once printing bench
A 3D printing bench that will not need replacing: a faster machine, two materials, drying, a spare plate and the nozzle set that unlocks the rest.
- Expert · $1885
A small print farm bench
The performance ceiling for desktop printing: a fast enclosed machine, engineering materials, drying, hardened spares and the extraction that ABS actually requires.
- Beginner · $295
A first laser bench
A first diode laser bench done safely: machine, wavelength matched eyewear, honeycomb bed, extraction, a fire extinguisher and material that is safe to cut.
- Intermediate · $803
The buy once laser bench
A diode laser bench that cuts properly: a more capable machine, air assist, a rotary attachment, real extraction and a wider material range.
- Expert · $1273
A CO2 laser bench
A desktop CO2 bench: the machine that cuts clear acrylic, CO2 rated eyewear, filtration, air assist and the material range a diode cannot reach.
Standards and conventions
A standard is a published specification, a material property or a physical relationship: PLA density is 1.24 g/cm3, a CO2 laser emits at 10.6 micrometres, airflow equals velocity times area. A convention is a widely used rule of thumb: layer height between a quarter and three quarters of the nozzle diameter, or a typical shrinkage percentage. Both are useful. Knowing which one you are relying on tells you what is safe to bend, which is why every page here says so.
Common questions
What does this site cover?
Desktop fabrication, meaning benchtop 3D printers in both FDM and resin, and desktop laser cutters in both diode and CO2. It covers the calculations, the settings tables and the equipment for both. It deliberately does not cover CNC routers, table saws or woodworking, which are a different workshop with different machines.
Why combine 3D printing and laser cutting?
Because they share a bench, a room and an extraction system, and the people who own one very often own both. They also solve opposite problems: a printer makes three dimensional shapes slowly, and a laser cuts flat material quickly. Treating them together means the ventilation, safety and workshop advice is written once and correctly.
Where do the numbers come from?
Material properties, published manufacturer specifications and physical relationships, all labelled as standards. Where a figure is a community rule of thumb instead, such as keeping layer height below three quarters of the nozzle diameter, it is labelled a convention. Where no defensible figure exists, the page says so rather than inventing one.
Do the calculators work without JavaScript?
Every calculator ships with a worked answer already in the page, using its default values, along with the formula it uses. JavaScript updates the result when you change an input and re-orders the product cards, which are all present in the HTML either way.
What is the single most important safety fact here?
Never put PVC or vinyl in a laser. Cutting it releases chlorine gas, which forms hydrochloric acid, corrodes the machine from the inside out and seriously harms the operator. Most cheap faux leather and most sign vinyl is PVC, and no power or speed setting makes it safe.