Remember when a desktop 3D printer was such a mindblowing idea? Yeah, that was just a few years ago. In the time since, we’ve seen desktop versions of CNC machines, laser cutters, and other fabrication devices. This time around, we’re getting a desktop-sized waterjet cutter in the form of Wazer.
Unlike traditional waterjet cutters that stretch several feet in length, this one is sized for hobbyist workshops, with dimensions more comparable to a pair of consumer 3D printers at 34 x 24 x 21 inches. While that, of course, limits the size of objects you can cut, it’s just as powerful as its industrial counterparts, allowing it to cut through steel, titanium, granite, marble, and other objects traditionally out of reach for most hobby-grade cutting tools.
Wazer works much like any waterjet machine, combining garnet particles with a high-pressure water stream to smoothly cut into any object you place inside. It has a cutting area measuring 12 x 18 inches, although you’re restricted to cutting into objects an inch thick or less. To use, simply hook up the device to your PC, upload any DXF or SVG file to the accompanying software (Windows and Mac), and put it to work.
It comes with a pump that pressurizes the water, by the way, which can either be placed next to the machine or, preferably, in another area since it’s very noisy. While designed to be set down on a tabletop, it also comes with optional tall legs that you can use to equip it as a freestanding unit.
A Kickstarter campaign is currently running for Wazer. Pledges to reserve a unit starts at $3,999.