Laser Wood Setting

[Braeden Ducharme]

Using the laser today I and had some issues getting the wood to "vector cut" completely through without burning it somehow. Does anyone have any recommended settings to fix this? I have seen pieces of wood cut to near perfect shape in the room that are close to 1/2". The wood was 3/16", but the wood I want to use for the final pieces will be walnut, so I want the settings to be perfect! 

Setting questions are for POWER, SPEED, AND PASSES?

Any and all info would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks  

[Braeden Ducharme]

Also focus, I typically do 73, but I am wondering if I need to be closer...?

[Scott Hill]

I don’t have any specific settings, it all depends on material and the result you’re looking for. Here are the general guidelines I use any time I’m cutting on the laser:

Buy good quality material. This is most important with plywood — cheap plywood tends to cut poorly. Avoid exterior-grade plywood, the glue is very hard to cut. Same with aircraft plywood, the glue in that is flame resistant, which doesn’t play well with fire-based cutting processes!

I personally avoid MDF like the plague. It’s all glue, which cuts like crap, and leaves soot all over the laser optics.

Always run some test cuts first. Make sure you’ve got some extra material to test with, especially if you’ve never used the material before. If you switch suppliers, re-test.

I always use the 73mm ruler for focus. The shorter ruler puts a wider spot on the material, which means less power delivered to the top of the material. You have to cut through the top to get to the inside, so it’s inefficient. The short focus rulers can be handy if you’re doing multiple passes — run one pass at 73mm focus, then refocus with the short ruler and run again.

The best quality cuts come at lower power and speed settings. If you’re looking for really clean cuts you may need to make multiple passes. Another option is to use masking tape to protect the surface, just cut through the tape.

If the burn marks are showing on the back of the material, put some (laser-safe!) shims under the material. They don’t have to be very thick, I’ve had success with scrap 1/8” plywood. Raising the material off the bed of the laser keeps the reflections off the honeycomb from marking the back of your material.

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