Tools & Equipment We Use
Lasers, printers, supplies, software and shop gear that have actually spent time in the K&G shop. We would rather tell you what we use and why than throw a giant random list of products at you.
Lasers & Engravers
From full-size CO₂ workhorses to desktop lasers and hybrid metal-cutting machines.
AEON Nova Series
Our AEON Nova 14 is one of the big CO₂ workhorses in the shop. This is the machine category we lean on for larger MDF, birch and acrylic production work.
xTool Laser Ecosystem
We have used a bunch of xTool machines, including the P2/P2S, S1, F1/F1 Ultra and newer desktop systems. Great place to look if you want a smaller-footprint laser workflow.
OMTech Polar+
A desktop CO₂ option we have used in the shop. Good fit for makers who want CO₂ capability without committing to a giant floor-standing cabinet.
Gweike Cloud M Core
A hybrid machine we tested that combines CO₂ cutting with higher-powered fiber metal cutting. This is a very different class of machine than a typical desktop laser.
Printing & Production
UV printing, UV DTF, apparel printing and the tools we use when paint alone is not enough.
LogoJET UVx90R-SE
Our flatbed UV printer for full-color direct printing on signs, acrylic, awards, blanks and other hard goods.
Procolored UV DTF
UV DTF lets us add full-color artwork to hard surfaces without heat-pressing the actual product. We have used Procolored systems for this workflow.
eufyMake E1 UV Printer
Compact UV printing with jigs, alignment workflows and roll-to-roll capability. Another production path we use for personalized products and testing.
xTool Apparel Printer
The apparel workflow we have used for full-color shirts and merch when we want to move from design to finished garment fast.
Tilswall Hornet Paint Sprayer
A cordless sprayer we have used when a roller is not the right tool and we want to cover larger pieces or batch projects faster.
Materials, Adhesives & Shop Stuff
The consumables and everyday shop resources that keep all of those expensive machines from becoming furniture.
Houston Acrylic
Acrylic, specialty plastic and materials we have used in projects and material testing.
LoneStar Adhesive
A source we use for specialty adhesive products and materials, including products we have used in hat-patch workflows.
Our Amazon Storefront
The catch-all for small shop tools, gadgets, tape, jigs, accessories and the random things that are hard to justify giving their own page here.
Starbond Adhesives
CA glue, accelerator, debonder and epoxy are part of our normal assembly workflow, so we stock the stuff ourselves.
Foxy Hues Paint
The paint system we use for MDF and wood projects, normally with foam rollers instead of paint brushes.
Software, Design & Business Tools
The digital side of the shop matters just as much as the machines.
Laser Map Maker
One of the fastest ways we have found to turn real locations into laser-ready map artwork for signs, ornaments and local-business products.
Shopify
The ecommerce platform behind kandgmakeit.com. We use it for products, digital files, memberships, workshops and a pretty ridiculous number of moving parts.
LightBurn
A core part of our laser workflow for layout, settings, engraving and production work.
Adobe Illustrator
Where a lot of our vector cleanup, production file prep and design work happens before a project reaches the laser.
Free K&G Maker Tools
Before you buy another piece of software, check the tools we already built for you.
Maker Tools Hub
Pricing calculator, kerf calculator, SVG checker, resizer, nester, desktop laser splitter and more.
Laser Settings Database
Search starting settings by material, wattage and process, then test and tune for your own machine.
Test Cut Tuesday
Watch us test new projects, tools, techniques and materials live instead of pretending everything works perfectly the first time.