Going from Diode to CO2: Rebuilding My Laser Enclosure for the Monport Reno 65w Pro

I get a lot of requests to review lasers, and most of the time my answer is a polite “no.” Not because I don’t love lasers, I do. They’re one of the most useful tools in my shop, but let’s be honest…laser review videos are usually pretty boring.

So when Monport reached out and said, “Hey, want to try our largest desktop laser?”, I was ready to pass. But then I realised it was a CO₂ laser, not another diode, and suddenly my interest was piqued.

There are projects I’ve wanted to tackle for nearly a year, but couldn’t because my diode laser simply can’t cut certain materials. A CO₂ laser changes that completely, so I jumped at the chance to learn something new.

This series isn’t a review, it’s about what I discover moving from years of diode-laser use into the world of CO₂, the setup, the learning curve, and all that. All while working on a few projects that I know you guys have been asking me to revisit. But before I can dig into any of that, I needed to rebuild my laser cart and enclosure, because the new machine simply doesn’t fit.

This video covers that process: giving the Monport Reno 65 Pro a proper home and laying the groundwork for the projects to come.

A huge thanks to @VipunEnvisageDesigns for the help behind the scenes. Go check out his channel and show some love to a fellow Aussie maker. TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 - Intro.

0:30 - Lasers are boring.

3:24 - Upgrading the enclosure.

7:44 - It's important to have friends.

9:57 - Enclosure.

12:00 - Dealing with the door and windows.

14:25 - Finishing touches.

15:21 - Wrapping up the enclosure build.

15:53 - Are CO2 lasers an out of the box experience?

19:07 - 1. Cooling. Very important.

21:45 - 2. Software .

25:23 - Welcome new channel members.