Any woods that lasers just won't cut?

[Mitchell Andrus]

I'm just wondering - BEFORE I order a machine - are there any common and maybe not so common woods that you just can't get through. I'm planning on a 60W Spirit.

My style of furniture calls for perforations at times. I figure on thinning the area from the rear via hogging to get the thickness down to 1/4 inch, then cutting patterns from the front.

I'll also need to cut 1/16 to 1/20 veneer for inlay work.

white oak
mahogany
hard maple
walnut
lemonwood
ebony
elm burl
sapeli

Thanks.

Mitch

[Lee DeRaud]

I've found a few things (like rosewood and purpleheart) that I can't cut at 1/4"...but that's with a 25W machine. With 60W, I doubt you'll have any trouble getting through it. What might be an issue is the amount of burning at the edges for oily woods.

[Aaron Koehl]

I couldn't cut purpleheart with a 35W machine either. So much resin, it looks like welding arcs ;)

[Mitchell Andrus]

Thanks. My new Spirit 60W will be set up in about two weeks. I'll let you know...

Mitch

[George M. Perzel]

Hi Mitch;
I have a 60 watt Mercury and primarily cut wood-many kinds and thicknesses up to 1/2" depending on the variety.
Toughest to cut is ebony-tough to cut 1/16" thick even at slowest speed. Ebony burns with a lot of flame (melted my focus probe once). best to cut at higher speed in two passes -seems to work OK.
Definitely need air assist and a good exhaust no matter what wood you cut.
Rosewood and purpleheart are also tough but can get through 1/4" with 60 watts and slow speed.
Good Luck
George

[Mitchell Andrus]

Thanks, George.

It's likely that I'll be at 1/16" or less. Shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Mitch