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When choosing a laser cutter for schools or education, it’s essential to take into account the substantial wear and tear from students’ experimentation and learning in a shared environment.
We often see educational institutions opting for budget-friendly hobby lasers without giving adequate thought to issues that occur during the full lifespan of the machine. Although these hobby laser machines may suffice for minor craft projects, their capabilities are severely restricted, and customer support is often hidden behind endless support articles and chatbots. Additionally, parts for these hobby machines can be hard to find, often shipped from the US or overseas, with the added burden of extra customs fees.
At Thunder Laser Canada we offer laser cutter and engraver machines that prioritize safety, reliability, and ease of maintenance with parts shipped from our headquarters in Calgary, Alberta. Most importantly, if you ever need help, you’ll speak with a real person – a certified laser nerd from our support team.
Our most affordable desktop model packs a lot of durability, and versatility into a compact machine. The C02 RF tube makes for super precise engraving and there’s no special electrical wiring or chiller required! Great for beginners all the way up to expert makers.
Our Nova 35 is a ‘next level’ machine with extra power and increased bed space allowing for more flexibility in terms of project size and height. The C02 Glass tube laser is a reliable and durable workhorse designed for an extra long lifespan. Ideal for those who want to level up their maker skills and create larger more complex projects.
Wood
Glass
Acrylic
Stone
Fabric
Ceramic
Foam
Leatherette
We are piloting a new program where schools can finance their laser with a fundraiser.
We are still working out the details but please apply and we will get back to you soon with more information!
Our customer service stands out above other laser companies-you’ll talk to real person when you reach out to us who is a certified ‘laser nerd’
Affordable -Our machines are reliable and durable with a quality usually only found in more expensive industrial laser machines.
Easy to replace parts- Thunder Laser machines are deliberately designed to use off-the-shelf components. This means you don’t have to buy parts from us.. although we’d love it if you did! We stock most parts and can get the right part to you quickly and can provide instructions for installing them.
Shipped from within Canada-our machines are shipped from our warehouse in Vancouver or our head office in Calgary. No waiting for customs or extra fees!
High Quality- our manufacturer tests our tube for 24 hours before they ship. We’ve been to their factory and can testify these machines are legit and built to last.
No Setup- “Ready to Go” with very minimal setup straight out of the box.
Our Online Community is awesome- 67% of online community members found the help they were looking for 90-100% of the time,15% of members found help they needed 80-90% of the time and 8% found what they were looking for by searching the existing posts in the group.
We’re makers and educators too- our headquarters are based out of Calgary’s Fuse 33 Makerspace and have an additional demo center at the Toronto Tool Library.
Read more about us in the blog: The Story of Thunder Laser Canada>>
Shannon is an innovator in the area of Maker Education, having co-founded Endeavour Arts and Events Space, Calgary Maker Faire and Make Fashion Edu.
As manager of Fuse33 Makerspace
Shannon regularly runs workshops and programming for entrepreneurs, tradespeople and artists to learn about lasers and other maker tools to enhance their skill sets.
In 2013, Shannon (along with his wife Maria) was voted part of the Top 40 Under 40 for his contributions to arts, education and community building in the city of Calgary.
Zee is a Maker Educator and Head Imaginarium of Magic Trout Imaginarium Needle Felting Co and Curio Cabin home decor. Over the past 15 years Zee has spearheaded the Maker Education Initiative in Vancouver, built 2 mobile maker classrooms, co-created the ITA Youth Maker Club Playbook for grade 5-8 trades in the classroom and led Makers Making Change a social impact program that pairs people with disabilities with volunteer makers to create customized low cost assistive technology.
Zee’s projects have been featured in UBC’s Teacher Education program curriculum EDCP: Creativity and Learning in a New Tonality
In our full day teacher trainings, we will teach you how the basics of how to maintain your laser cutter, design cutting and engraving files and connect you with tons of resources that will help you and your students get the most out of your machine.
How does a laser cutter work?
-Machine operation and basic components
-Troubleshooting and maintenance
-Safety Precautions and Guidelines
Design
-Using your own files vs online files
-Designing in Lightburn
-File types and how to design for a laser
-Opening a file, using live tracing features
-Grouping and ungrouping
-Boolean operations/merging shapes
-Speed Power/general settings
-Cutting and Engraving
-Sending the file to the laser
-Setting an origin, framing your project
-Cutting/post cutting treatments
-Example of Materials Tests to choose settings
-Quirks of different materials and settings
-Prototyping: Jigs, and bulk production
-Tips and Techniques for 2D and 3D design
-Curricular tie ins
-Handy tools to have on hand
-Project examples
-Where to buy supplies
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