So you just ordered an X700-type laser cutter. Congratulations! You are embarking on (or taking the next step in) a journey of learning and creativity. X700s provide incredible value and it's truly amazing what you can create. That said, it is not the premium option. There will be maintenance, repairs, and upgrades that will be necessary. The good news is that this site and our Facebook group are here to help you along the way.

Before your laser arrives there are some things you can do to prepare.

• You will need a space for the machine. The footprint of the machine is about the size of an executive office desk.
• You'll want to have access to at least one grounded power outlet but two grounded outlets on separate circuits is ideal.
• You should get about 5 gallons of distilled water. Not purified water, not spring water, not mineral water, but distilled water. This will be used for cooling your laser tube.
• If your laser didn't come with a chiller and you didn't purchase one separately, get two empty gallon jugs, fill them 3/4 full with water and freeze them.
• Consider ordering eye protection if you don't have it.
• Buy or acquire some material for your first projects. Cardboard, paper, cast acrylic, and plywood are good options.

The laser is water cooled, so you need a chiller or at least a bucket with ice water.

The pump that comes with it will probably be a submersible one that will sit in the water bucket.

It connects to the water inlet on the machine and will have a return line that goes back into the bucket.

You'll want to secure all the water connections with zip ties and be alert when you first turn on the pump for any leaks.

There will also be an air pump that connects in the back near the water lines. This provides air to the nozzle on the laser head and prevents soot from getting on the lens and also assists in cutting.

There are power outlets on the back. You should not use these unless you rewire the machine, but even then, you're better off using a separate wall outlet for the accessory components because they can introduce noise into your system otherwise.

There is an exhaust fan that comes with the machine. The machine should come with a hose but I don't think they include clamps, so you may need to buy some large hose clamps.

The exhaust fan will suck the smoke and fumes from the cutting area and take it to the outside.

You want the fan as close as possible to the outside so that the house is under negative pressure in your work area. Otherwise, if there's a small leak, it will be pushing fumes out into your work area.

You also need to have a way for fresh air to enter your workspace because the fan will not be able to just continually suck air out of the room without some new air replacing it.

The software that the machine uses is called RD Works. You can install it off the cd or download it from rd-acs.com.

Lightburn is a better software for this machine but runs around $80 last I checked. It has a free 30 day trial though.