Lasering through oak

[Conrad Fiore]

Can someone describe what the finish would be on the cut edge of a 3/8" thick white oak panel that has letters cut completely through.

Conrad

[Mike Null]

It is very likely that the edge will be charred--at the very least a dark brown.

If there is no finish on the wood I would mask it before cutting or you'll have some ugly clean up to do.

[Conrad Fiore]

Thanks Mike. I was curious about the insde cut not the surface because it was suggested that lasering might be an option and it was my belief that the insides of the letters would be charred and it would be an impossible task to try and clean up all the insides of the letters.

[Jiten Patel]

wouldnt the letters need tabs if you are cutting all the way through?

[Conrad Fiore]

The letter islands will be glued to the back panel along with the front panel

[Larry Bratton]

Conrad:
Have you ever tried cutting Oak? Don't know what kind of machine you have, but oak is extremely dense and difficult to cut. I foresee a lot of charring and multiple passes to get through it.

[Dan Hintz]

Can someone describe what the finish would be on the cut edge of a 3/8" thick white oak panel that has letters cut completely through.
Right out of the machine? Black... cleanup will be necessary. 3/8" is pretty tough, so I hope you're using something better than a small 30W.

[Michael Hunter]

Conrad :

You don't say what power your machine is - and it makes a big difference for jobs like this.

I have done a lot of 1/4" oak on my 60W machine. The cut edges come out dark brown and a bit "resiny", but not charred at all : easiliy cleaned up with spray-on furniture polish. I cut in one pass (in my experience, doing multiple passes guarantees that the cut edges will char).
Note that my oak was supplied dry and has been stored carefully : any dampness in the wood would make the cuts difficult and messy.

With "only" 60W, I would not expect to get such clean cuts in 3/8" oak, but I would expect any charring to be minimal.
Ideally you would want 90 to 120W for this thickness.
30 or 40W machines would not do a good job at all at this thickness as to get a clean cut you need to vapourise the wood, not burn your way through it.
High power, medium/low speed and lowish frequency is the way to go.

[Joe Pelonio]

I cut 1/4" Oak on my 45 watt and the edges are a pleasing brown, not really charred, which I think of as meaning black. If the face is to be left natural or have a clear finish, the darker edges provide a very nice contrast. In fact I'll often run on a slower speed to get a darker edge.