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Laser cut design is an innovation that uses laser technology in order to cut different shapes. It can be used in many fields including jewellery making, woodworking, leather working and other crafts. A laser cutter (or simply cutters) cuts a piece of any type of material through a controlled beam of laser light. Although laser cutters have been around for years, the advent of the Internet has made them more affordable and therefore available for home use.

Methods of Laser Cutting

The laser cut design is a contrived example of the method of laser engraving. Laser technology involves using a controlled beam of light to melt the material being cut. Once this happens, the piece of metal is then moved, with the laser, over the piece that was engraved, creating the exact shape and cut.

Types of Laser Cut Designs

There are two main types of laser cut designs.

1. One is a line laser cut design. In this case, the laser cut produces a straight line. A lot of this kind of laser cut designs are used in automobile body kits. In addition, they can also be used for other things, such as jewellery or signs, to create ornate patterns.
2. The other type of laser cut design is a thermograph-mable laser cut design. This is where the laser cut actually melts the material being cut. Because of this, it is often used to create logos, lettering, iconography, etc.

The process is very similar to that of a cookie cutter, where you place together two pieces of your target material (in this case, metal), outline them with stencils and then cut them out with the laser cut machine. However, this process allows the designer to control the depth of each individual piece, which results in a high level of precision.

Computer aided laser cut designs

Another way to cut using this technique is to do so with a machine that does the job at the same pace as your computer. Computer aided laser cut designs, or CADs, are becoming more popular because of the time savings they provide. Most metal fabrication shops use computers because they save on labor costs as well. By the same token, when you use the CAD program, the operator controlling the laser cut simply needs to make a few keystrokes, much like a typical pen and paper combination, to complete the design.

This type of cutting not only produces accurate, professional looking metal products, but they are also safe to work with. These cuts don't require cutting through the metal, which is typically what leads to contamination and safety issues. In fact, the only thing exposed during a CNC project is the thin sheet of metal underneath the designs. This is usually protected by a UV shield.

Advantages

• This process has many advantages over traditional techniques.
• For one, the products you can create using a CNC machine are far more consistent in their quality.
• Since every single piece is created precisely and carefully, it will be easy to see a unique product every time you look at it.
• You won't have to spend hours or days trying to perfect a single design.
• Each laser cut design is typically broken down into many small parts, which can be used to create many different products.

When you design with laser cut technology, it makes it easy to produce beautiful metal products from a computer. You can create many different products for your customers, or you can sell them as scrap metal. The choice is yours.

If you're interested in metal fabrication or in starting a business selling custom metal fabrication products, there is no reason why you shouldn't consider a CNC machine today. All you need is an interest in the subject and a few tools to get started.

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Outdoor fire pits are an almost universal symbol of fire and outdoor gatherings. From campfires to backyard barbecues to special parties, fire pits provide people with a sense of warmth and community. 

What is it about fire pits that people love so much?

It's not so much the warmth of the flames or the gathering around them - it's the simple act of gathering. And what are the benefits of a fire pit:

• It provides a pleasant party atmosphere
• Fire pits promote cuddling
• It can be used for cooking purposes.

Outdoor Fire Pits 

• They provide a direct heat source, often a gas flame, that gives off more heat than an oil flame from a fire pit burner. 
• Outdoors fire pits give off an even amount of heat without smoky ash or black smoke, often produced by propane or natural gas fireplaces. 
• Outdoor fire pits also make a great addition to any backyard, providing a place to gather with friends, family, and dogs under an attractive setting.

Uses of Fire Pits

Fire pits can be used almost anywhere. 

1. If you're looking to use one outside in your yard, you have to keep in mind where it will be placed - in a place where it won't obstruct views or cause a safety hazard.
2. Fire pits placed in a tree stand are usually fine, as long as you don't put them too close to street level. They must be at least 10 feet above the ground, and there should be an exact spot for walking around it.
3. Outdoor fire pits allow you to have a direct heat source and a great way to cook foods. 
4. Many people enjoy sitting around a fire pit and roasting marshmallows, barbecuing chicken, roasting hamburgers, hot dogs, or vegetables. 
5. The flames of a traditional fire pit to keep the fire small, which allows cooks to create small circles of food in one area. 
6. There's no smoke or ash, only hot embers

Practical Uses 

For one thing, they provide a steady supply of wood-burning fuel. Outdoor fire pits also burn fuel efficiently, allowing you to cook with less energy and save money on your monthly grocery bill. In the winter months, you can cook over an open fire, using less fuel than when you have a wood-burning stove to warm up your home.

Pros of Fire Pits

1. One of the pros is that it's easier to use than a wood-burning stove or other outdoor fire solution. When you're ready to get cooking, you turn on the gas and fire it up. It burns quite brightly and produces an excellent, consistent heat.
2. Many portable fire pits have adjustable temperature settings. If you want a specific temperature for your fire pit, you can easily place the outdoor thermometer on the surface of the fire pit. 

If you don't want to bother with these temperature settings, or if you'd like more control over the heat, you can purchase an outdoor thermostat. These units can be placed inside or outside of your home and adjusted depending on outside temperatures.

Safety Measures

There are some safety concerns to consider when using an outdoor fire pit in your backyard. Most pit users are outdoors, and most fire pits produce sparks that could create flammable objects falling onto the nearby people. Some pet owners try to place stakes around their property to discourage stray sparks from being directed at their yard.

Others place nets over their pits to try to catch sparks and keep them from falling. These safety measures are worth taking into consideration if you're concerned about the safety of others.

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How to get your fire burning

If you enjoy the challenge and ceremony of building and lighting a fire, then a traditional wood fire pit would definitely be the best choice for you.

Getting your fire burning is easy enough. All you need to start your fire is air, tinder, kindling wood, logs of wood and some fire starters.

Begin with placing tinder in a small pile at the bottom of the fire pit. Place a couple of firelighters on top of the tinder. Add a layer of kindling (some people like to form kindling into a teepee-like structure over the tinder pile).

Then light it up! Once the kindling is burning, start adding the logs of wood one at a time, with the necessary spacing and gaps which allows for proper airflow between the logs. 

If your logs of wood do not adequately light and begin to burn, add more tinder and kindling as needed. To keep your fire burning add logs when the fire begins to die down. Be careful when adding logs as logs in the fire can shift, embers and other burning debris can also be thrown outside the fire pit.

Now sit back and enjoy. There’s something incredibly relaxing and mesmerising about watching a fire burning in a fire pit.

What is Tinder?
Tinder is an easily lit and quick-burning fuel source that gets your kindling and then your logs burning. Tinder can be anything from newspaper to pine needles, tree bark and leaves etc., as long as it is dry so that it can burn.  

What is Kindling?
Kindling is the sticks and twigs that will burn longer than the tinder, and long enough to get your logs going.

It's really easy to make your own fire starters with common household items...

Dryer Lint & Egg Cartons
Place a wad of dryer lint in each empty storage department of a cardboard egg carton with melted wax or paraffin wax poured over the top. Wax and paraffin wax is highly flammable so don’t just throw a cube of it in a pot and heat it up. The safest way to melt it is by having a double burner ie: having the pot with the wax in it above another pot of water. The simmering water will melt the wax at a slower, safer rate. Melted wax is messy to clean up so it's a good idea to use an old can instead of a cooking pot to melt the wax in, so you don't ruin a good pot. You can even melt down any half-burned candles you have in your house. Sawdust, shredded paper and cut-up pieces of egg carton top can be used as a filler. You can also dip some pinecones or rolled up newspaper tied with string into the wax to make fire starters (but don’t use nylon string).

Charcoal in an Egg Carton
Place a chunk of charcoal in each section of cardboard egg carton and then light the carton. You can squeeze some hand sanitizer or bug repellent on it before lighting to help get it going.

Cotton Balls & Petroleum Jelly
Cotton balls & Petroleum Jelly make great firelighters. They're lightweight and when petroleum jelly is highly flammable when it's worked into the ball. You can even dip them in paraffin wax or melted petroleum jelly and store them in a Ziploc bag. You can even try using cotton ear bud tips and lip balm together.

Wax Paper & Dyer lint
Wax paper burns brilliantly on its own; but you can also wrap some dryer lint or sawdust on the paper, and twist both ends of the paper to hold the contents.
 
Hand Sanitizer
Squeeze a good amount of hand sanitizer on the wood. Make sure the hand sanitizer contains alcohol as this is what makes it burn.
 
Duct Tape
Duct Tape is highly flammable and burns for a while. Spray the tape with bug repellent or squeeze some hand sanitizer on it to get your fire burning.
 
Chips
Once you have the fire burning, you'll want to sit around and enjoy your favourite snack. Try using some of your chips to get the fire burning, the greasier the better. When your fire is burning, it's snack time!

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Fire Pit Safety Tips

Aussies love to socialize with family and friends, and we are increasingly adding fire pits to our outdoor areas. Fire pits are popular as they can be used at any get together at any time of year, whether it is hot or cold; however, you need to take fire safety seriously.

If you are thinking about getting a fire pit for your backyard, the things you need to think about first and foremost is safety, where you can place your firepit, how much you want to spend on a fire pit, and what fuel you want to use to burn your fires.

Check the wind direction before lighting your fire and avoid wearing anything loose or flammable such as nylon, as these can catch on fire easily.

Some soft wood can throw sparks and pop which is a risk of spreading fire or someone getting an injury. Try to avoid using soft wood, this includes woods such as cedar and pine.

It is very important to know how to put your fire out properly, as well as safe disposal of ashes.

So, while there is nothing better than a get together with your friends and family around a fire pit, always remember the use of a fire pit requires attention to safety.

It may be a good idea to check your household insurance policy in case you need to disclose that you have a fire pit as it could be one of their requirements.

It is important to check any codes and laws in your area as requirements regarding the use of fire pits can differ from place to place. Some communities do not permit to burn open fires so check prior to making plans of installing a fire pit.

Where to place your Fire Pit

Before you decide where you want to place your fire pit, you need to decide if you will be getting a permanent or a portable one. Consider also that permanent fire pits can require remodelling or renovation work prior to installing.

You will be spoilt for choice for both permanent and portable fire pits, and your budget and personal design preference may be a deciding factor. Once you have decided on a permanent or portable fire pit, you will need to decide where to place it.

The most important thing when deciding where to place your fire pit, is safety. You should place your fire pit at least ten feet away from your house and from surrounding neighbours’ yards. Your fire pit should also be positioned where there are no fire risks such as overhanging branches, fences, or other structures.

On top of deciding where to place your fire pit, you need to decide on the best surface to sit it on. The safest surfaces to sit your fire pit on are brick, stone, gravel, concrete, or other type of fire- resistant material.

You should never place your fire pit directly on any wooden decking as this is a serious fire hazard. If you want your fire pit on wooden decks you should place it on a heat-resistant tile and raise it on blocks between your decking and your fire pit.

Many of our fire pits come with their own base or stand to sit on, and you may think it is safe to place on wooden decking or non-heat resistant tiles. But you need to be aware that the bases and stands can give off enough residual heat to cause damage. Most fire pits are constructed on a gravel or stone base.

Types of Fuel

Gas and wood are the most common types of fuel for outdoor fire pits. If you are looking for a true-blue experience then wood would be your choice, however, requires supervision to keep the fire burning, as well as a good supply of firewood. You should never use flammable fluids such as gas or lighter fluid to light a wood fire.

Gas in another fuel option you could go for. Your fire will start instantly with a gas fire pit, but you don’t get the smoke and crackling sounds you get from a wood fire burning. You should only use gas in gas fire pits that have been built for it.

To give you the best of both worlds, there are even fire pits available that can be switched between wood and gas for burning a fire.

Then there's the environmentally friendly biofuel if you want to be mesmerized by the lively dancing flame that bio-ethanol produces. When you see the huge range of contemporary designs available to the Australian market, then you could be swayed toward an ethanol fire pit or burner.

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Need help choosing your fire pit?

There is nothing better than sitting outside under the stars, around an open fire pit. It truly is one of life’s pleasures to just sit back and relax with friends or family feeling the warmth from the flickering flames.

Having a fire pit is a great way to get the family outdoors together, away from the screens. The kids really enjoy hanging outside around the fire pit, especially if you toast some marshmallows with them.

You can cook your dinner on your fire pit for a lovely flame grilled smoky flavour. Sit back and cook it slowly while you enjoy your favourite beverage, it really doesn't get much better than that.

If you are thinking about setting up a fire pit or improving the one you’ve got, we’ve done a bit of a fire pit round-up to give you some ideas.

Bowl fire pits

Bowl fire pits are perfect for terraces and small yards, or if you only have a small space in your garden to accommodate a fire pit. Bowl fire pits are not too heavy so you can move it to suit your needs or store in the shed out of the weather.

If your fire pit space is close to your fence and neighbours, you can choose a fire pit that comes with a mesh cover to help contain the sparks and embers.

Ethanol Fire Burners

If you are one of the Eco-friendly among us, then the Ethanol fire burners would be a great option for you as it not harmful to the environment.

If the main purpose of your fire pit is for keeping you toasty warm and cozy then an ethanol fire pit could be ideal. It also offers the flexibility to be used both indoors and outdoors.

Gas fire pits

Gas fire pits are becoming more popular every day, and are a great choice if you are after a contemporary, minimalistic look.

If you’re wanting something quick and easy to light, then a gas fire pit is a good option as one of the greatest benefits of a gas fire pit is how easy they are to use.

Gas fire pits are smokeless and can be turned off instantly without having to get the hose out or wait for the fire to die down.

The downfall for choosing a gas fire pit is that it needs to be installed by a professional, so they can become more expensive than the wood-burning firepits.

Gas fire pits do not give off as much heat as a wood-burning fire pit and can be fuelled by natural or propane gas.

Chimineas

When it comes to safety, a chiminea may be a good choice. This is because the flames are directed up and out of the chiminea stack.

Chimineas has a fire bowl and stack, which was designed to keep the smoke away from people around it. As air comes in the front of the chiminea, it is pulled upwards and out through the stack. This creates a draft that also draws the smoke up and out.

Chimineas are a classic option chosen by many for a cozy outdoor setting.

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