Customer Introduction

Hi, I'm Sam Annable. Like many, the unique circumstances of 2020 led me to explore new avenues. With a young family and more time at home, I discovered the world of laser crafting. What began as a fun way to create small, personalized items for friends and family quickly sparked an entrepreneurial spirit. The desire to scale my creative vision and move beyond the limitations of my initial equipment ultimately led me to Thunder Laser, a decision that proved instrumental in transforming my side hobby into a full-fledged, successful business.

What inspired you to buy a laser?

In 2020, when we were all sent home and couldn’t go out, there wasn’t much to do—no sports to watch and almost nothing happening. My wife and I had just welcomed our first child, who was less than a year old, so our evenings were particularly uneventful. I’d always had ideas about starting a business but didn’t know what to do. Then I saw people on social media making small items with lasers, like keychains and other personalized products, and selling them. I told my wife, “I can do that,” which was something I often said.

So, we bought our first laser machine and started making things in the basement at night. I thought we should create a social media page to share our work with friends and family. That’s how it all began. I started making these small items, initially just for fun. Then someone asked, “Hey, can you make one for me?”

One day, I made my first 3D sign, which was about eight inches in diameter. I cut out all the small parts and hand-painted them. I was really proud of it. I posted it on social media, and someone commented, “I really love this. Can you make it bigger?” I didn’t know how to do that at the time, but I said yes anyway.

I bought some tools, moved out to the garage, and started learning how to model and create these pieces. That’s how it all started. I truly enjoyed the process. By the end of 2020, I knew I wanted to do this full-time. I quit my corporate job and decided to pursue this as a business starting January 1, 2021.

I rebranded the original business and created my social media page. In the beginning, I only showcased the finished products I made. At the time, most of the content on Instagram and Facebook was photos, with very few videos. As I grew, I started creating tutorial videos, and things have continued to evolve from there.

Why did you choose Thunder Laser?

When I began this journey, my first machine was the Glowforge, which was the only one I knew about at the time. Then, I purchased the Nova 35, and it completely changed the game. I realized how limited my understanding had been. Upgrading to a larger and faster machine revolutionized my workflow. Initially, I thought of keeping the Glowforge in case I couldn’t figure out how to use the Nova, but within less than a week of owning the Nova, I sold the Glowforge—it simply couldn’t compare.

Anything the Glowforge could do, the Nova could do faster and better. Later, I purchased the Bolt, so now I have both the Nova and the Bolt. The Bolt is my most recent acquisition, and I primarily use it for engraving. I divide my work between cutting and engraving, and the Bolt is undoubtedly the best machine I’ve come across for engraving on various materials. I’ve used it to create many insulated tumblers and recently started engraving on glass and acrylic. The results are flawless every time. These two machines are the ones I use most frequently.

How did Thunder Laser help you overcome those challenges?

I share everything I do on social media—how I do it, regardless of the machine or tools I use, including operational tips, setup instructions, and more. This has helped build a large community where people know they can come to me for advice and solutions. I’m constantly learning as well, and I don’t think I’ll ever stop, because there’s always something new to discover. I enjoy sharing what I learn with others.

When I first got my Nova 35, it was a 100-watt machine, and it opened a lot of doors for me because it was much larger than the Glowforge I had started with. The Glowforge was slow and had a small working area, but it’s a common starting point for many.

Once I got the Nova, I wanted to give back to the community. By that time, I had already found some motivation in sharing how to create certain things. I noticed that much of the content people shared was similar—basic projects like cutting wood. I thought, “Surely there are many more possibilities of what can be done with a laser machine.”

So, I decided to try something new every week and stuck to it for an entire year, sharing on Wednesdays. I posted power and speed settings, mostly using the Nova, and experimented with a variety of materials. I remember working with chocolate, fabric, even concrete. Every week, I’d walk around the house thinking, “What can I try today?” I committed to recording something every week on the same day. Sometimes I’d wake up and realize I hadn’t recorded anything yet, but I’d push myself to find something and follow through on my promise.

Over time, I developed a better understanding of settings for different materials. Although each material presented unique challenges, I became more skilled in handling both soft and hard materials. By the end of the year, I had learned so much. Many people started asking me, “Have you ever tried this material?” and I could proudly respond, “Yes, I did that 37 weeks ago.” I’d simply send them the video, complete with settings and instructions.

How has your business grown or life changed since buying a laser?

I’ve had several opportunities to work with large companies or take on some really cool projects. When I moved into this studio, I created items for a professional baseball team. More recently, I worked with a restaurant chain that was opening its 100th location. They wanted to commemorate the milestone and asked me to create a custom display piece. I ended up making multiple pieces for them to showcase in their corporate office and various locations.

I only made about 15 of these pieces, but I was able to produce them efficiently in batches. While I couldn’t fit all the materials and components into the laser machine at once, I could still streamline the process and create them in bulk—a feat that would have been impossible with smaller machines.

Projects like this have allowed me to make an impact on larger businesses and get my work seen by a wider audience. I’ve also created some incredibly significant or large custom pieces for customers, and I think those experiences have been truly rewarding for me.

What you like most about Thunder Laser?

I believe good support is crucial. If you need help, you can easily reach out to Thunder’s support team, send them an email, and receive a quick response. Some people have even told me they’ve received replies from Chris in the middle of the night. That kind of customer commitment is hard to find, especially with companies that operate entirely overseas. If I need support and don’t receive the best assistance, you’ll lose me as a customer because it’s such an essential aspect of the experience.

what advice would you give some who is wanting to start a laser?

I get this question almost every day. Many people are beginners or have been following me for a while, and they ask, "I really want to get into the laser industry and grow my business. Which machine should I buy?"

The first thing I do is ask them about their goals because asking "Which laser machine should I buy?" without providing any context doesn’t make sense.

I ask them questions like, "What do you want to create? What do you plan to do in the future? What is your budget? Is it fixed or flexible?" From there, we can start narrowing down the options.

If someone tells me their budget is a few thousand dollars and they don’t want to spend more, I’d recommend smaller laser machines like the Xtool. If their budget is around 4,000–5,000, I’d recommend the Bolt, as it’s the fastest and most accurate in that range. In my opinion, Thunder’s support is the best among all the brands I’ve worked with.

For those with a higher budget, I’d suggest the Nova series, which is an excellent choice. Over the past few years, I’ve been extremely satisfied with my Nova and have never encountered any major issues. The only time I reached out for support was for a USB cable issue, which was resolved quickly.