In this post we’re going to be going through our review of the Creality Falcon 2 (22w) laser engraving and cutting machine. We’ll be going through some of the features we didn’t get to in Part 1 and also testing a wide range of materials and detailing the settings that we used with this laser engraving machine.
Full disclosure…we did receive this machine from Creality to review but as always our reviews are always totally unbiased.
In Part 1 we showed a quick unboxing, putting the machine together, running a test grid and creating our first project.
So in this post we will also cover some of the other features of this machine that we didn’t cover in our first post. We really like everything about this machine from the easy set up to the way it performs.
Buying Guide
- Creative Reality Falcon 2 (22w) Laser Machine
- Note: Please use coupon code FALCON to receive a discount of $50.00 off your purchase.
So let’s take a look at what we did to laser engrave and cut a variety of materials.
Watch the Video below or scroll down for more info and detailed settings
Materials Tested
Just before we get into it, I want to mention that we generally don’t use air assist when we engrave and we always engrave before cutting.
MDF Coaster
So let’s start by testing some MDF and I love using MDF as everything always seems to come out really well. I know it’s not a long lasting material and will fall apart if it gets wet, but I generally make fun novelty items and if they disintegrate, well I can always make some more.
The first thing to do is to measure the size of the coaster, and adjust the size in Lightburn. This is all covered in the video.
Settings
- Mode – Fill
- Speed – 6000
- Power – 25%
- Air Assist – Unchecked
- Approx time – 8 mins
File – Creative Fabrica –
MDF Sign
Since the engraving on the MDF came out so well, we wanted to cut out this name plate. We have used this pattern previously for Paula’s niece and we both think it’s super cute.
It’s something I have been wanting to cut for a while now and as my great granddaughter’s 2nd birthday is coming up I thought now would be a good a time as any to do it. Her parents can colour the design to suit the child’s room or even cover it in multi-colored scrap booking paper.
Settings
- MDF – 3mm
- Mode – Line
- Speed – 550
- Power – 100%
- Air Assist – On
- approx 6.5mins
For our first attempt at cutting out this design we used speed 850 and power 100% and the laser didn’t cut all the way through. Once we dropped the speed, the machine cut out the design beautifully.
File – Creative Fabrica –
Aluminium Plate
Now, we always like to test on some aluminium plates so we downloaded a file from LoveSVG. It’s a free file and the link is below.
I always like working with aluminium. It’s a bit like MDF – every thing seems to turn out great, as you can see here.
Settings
- Mode – Fill
- Speed – 6000
- Power – 30%
- approx. time – 4mins 6sec
File – Love SVG –
Aluminium Plate – Negative Space
We also wanted to try engraving a photo by using the NEGATIVE option in Lightburn.
This was kind of a test so we didn’t take the time to size it properly. Ultimately we want to engrave the image so that it completely covers the aluminium plate.
It came out okay but I think we still need to do a little work on the settings for this.
Settings
- Mode – Fill
- Speed – 6000
- Power – 30%
- approx. time – 4mins 6sec
File – Pixabay – Cat Face – Negative Image
Card Stock
I like making greeting cards, journals and working with other paper crafts so I always like to test each engraving machine we get with a few pieces of card stock.
I find that the darker colors always work the best so I chose a navy blue for the first test and we used red for the second test.
I wanted to make a birthday card for my great grandson who is into fishing so we downloaded a file from Creative Fabrica and I got Paula to edit the file to add his name.
It came out great as you can see here but I didn’t notice until later that she had spelled his name with an ‘E’ instead of an ‘O’. So I will be doing this again but this gives you an idea of what you can do.
You’ll notice that we also cut around the shape because I want to create a 3D effect on his birthday card.
So that was how it looked in blue and then we repeated it with the red and I think the red came out a lot better.
You will see a bit of soot on the surface but it wipes off with a dry cloth.
We also cut around the the fish design again but this time we cut the inside pieces as well. This is a really nice effect but it does take a bit of time to weed out all those little pieces. However, I know the paper crafters out there won’t be fazed by that, it’s all part of the creative process.
The final result is worth it I think, but as I said, I will be doing this again to get his name right.
Settings
For the first project we just engraved the image onto the card stock.
- Mode – Fill (engraved only)
- Speed – 6000
- Power – 8%
- approx time – 13 mins
File – Creative Fabrica –
For the second project we engraved the image and then cut it out.
- Mode – Fill
- Speed – 6000
- Power – 8%
- approx – mins
- Mode – Line
- Speed – 2000
- Power – 30%
- approx – 13mins
On our first attempt at cutting out the image we used speed 4000 and power 30% but we found that this didn’t cut completely so we dropped the speed and the result was much better.
Metal Bottle Opener
We picked up a couple of bottle openers at the local $2 shop. We are always looking for things to engrave these days.
We had no idea what sort of metal it is so we just went with the brushed stainless settings that are available on the Creality website.
After we had done it, we realised we had chosen the settings for the 40w machine instead of the 22w, so our mistake. If we had chosen the right settings, we would have definitely gotten a better result.
It’s not terrible but I would have liked it a little more intense.
Settings
- Mode – Fill
- Speed – 6000
- Power – 40%
- approx – 4mins
File – We combined 2 files from Creative Fabric to make this design – and the steins came from this file –
Leather
I think this is the first time we have tested a piece of leather. We picked up a bag of scrap leather from a local craft store. So we were interested to see how it would go. There are so many great designs that can be used to make leather labels and tags for hats etc.
Settings
- Mode – Fill
- Speed – 3000
- Power – 100%
- approx – 7 mins
File – Love SVG –
Slate Coaster
And of course we always like to test out a design on a slate coaster. Coasters are always handy to have on hand at a barbeque, party or to give as gifts. Tie a ribbon or string around a set of four and you have a lovely, personalised gift to give.
Settings
- Mode – Fill
- Speed – 6000
- Power – 25%
- approx – 8mins
File – Creative Fabrica –
Herb Tags
I always like to keep a stock of these on hand. These are great to pop in the garden when you are planting out new herbs or seedlings so that you can keep track of where you have planted them.
They are made using popsicle sticks which we buy from the local craft store. For this project we just used text to write the name of the herb on the stick.
Settings
- Mode – Fill
- Font – American Typewriter
- Speed – 6000
- Power – 25
Safety Features of the Creality Falcon2
Well I have to say that this machine has a lot going for it. Let’s take a look at the safety features, and there are many.
Firstly, the triple monitoring system monitors the status of the air assist, the lens and also checks for flames.
When you turn on the machine you will see the three lights on the laser module light up. These lights will show different colours depending on the situation of your machine.
For example, if the air assist is not working the Air Assist will flash red. If it is orange it means a moderate amount of air is running through the pump and if it is green a large amount of air is running through the pump.
And by the way, you can adjust the amount of air running through the pump by turning the dial on the side of the machine.
The machine also has an automatic stop if the machine is tilted. In hindsight, we probably should have tilted it from the side to demonstrate this but fortunately the machine does what it is meant to and turned off before we had any issues.
You also have the option to manually turn off the machine at any point by pressing down on the STOP button. This is a really handy option to have in an emergency.
The key that turns the machine off and on is another nice safety feature. You don’t have to use it but if you have kids that might want to use your laser machine when you are not there then you might want to lock it. So removing the key from the machine will stop them from turning it on.
Offline Creating
Another great feature is that you can use this machine offline. You just need to load a GCode file onto a TF card and insert it into the side of the machine.
Then click the Framing button to see where it will engrave or cut.
You can also use the UP or DOWN arrows to nudge the laser module around the material and you can click on the HOME button to home the machine.
Holes to Position the Feet
And one final feature that I love is the number of feet holes on this machine. There are three positions and it’s a great idea for those with a limited work area. This allows you to attach the feet in a position on the machine so that it sits nice and sturdy on your workspace.
Final Thoughts
Well, this is an awesome machine with so many features. It has so much going for it and I have to say that it is one of our favourite laser machines so far, and bear in mind that we have 10 of them at this stage.
The fact that it comes pre-built is a huge plus. This makes it super fast to get up and running and for a beginner it reduces the initial stress of trying to figure out how to build a machine.
The air assist comes standard which you don’t always find in most machines. Usually you have to purchase it as an optional accessory.
And the safety features and the use of indicator lights makes it easy to monitor your machine for any issues.
Creality have done an awesome job with the machine and we would like to thank them for giving us the opportunity to review and test the Falcon 2.
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