Thickness Chart (wood specially)

[Carlos Chiossone]

Hi everyone, after hours of reading this forum I still can't find my answers. But found a ton of great information.

Does anyone have a chart or ideas of what are the thicknesses that lasers can cut. I know different powers will change this, so for a 35W, 45W, etc. what has been your thickes cut that works ok. Also materials will vary, my main interest is woods but would like to learn in other materials as well.

I am specially looking to see a deep can a 35W laser cut pine. I am looking into buying a laser to make small toys, which I know CNC route, but it takes forever and for production I hear using a laser is best.

So can anyone please help me by telling me something like:

35W Pine - 1 inch
35W Balsa - 2 inches
45W balsa ......

Also, when you cut with the laser, can you do multiple passes. If the 35W can not cut 1 inch, can I do 4 passes at 1/4 inch? Epilog or ULS better for these?

I want to be sure I am getting into the right machine.

Thanks all,
Carlos

[Joe Pelonio]

It doesn't quite work that way. The laser beam cuts farther as the beam first hits than at the end. Like the bottom half of an hourglass where the center, smallest area is the focus point as it hits the wood. So, the cuts are at a slight angle. The deeper the cut the more severe the angle, and that could cause you issues when gluing together toys.

So if you have 45 watts and can cut 1/4", and you cut 1/2" in two passes, refocus to the center for the 2nd pass, then what you get is a
double tapering on the edge. For acrylic and other plastics it may even leave a fine ridge all the way around. I'd never try to cut more than two passes to make up for lack of power.

You are better off buying a laser with more power than needed. For example if you have enough power to cut 1" and use it on 1/2" you will minimize that problem. Unfortunately it will be very expensive.

[Mike Hood]

Also... if you're CUTTING 1" pine... you're likely not using the best tool for the job. Thick material like that would be most economic to use a bandsaw or the likes.

I think the laser's greatest attribute is the ability to etch and cut thinner materials in ways other tool processes can't.

[Dave Jones]

I've cut 1/2" baltic birch 9-ply plywood with my epilog Mini-24, 45 watt. It took 100% power and 2% speed at 500 freq.

[Rodne Gold]

If you want to cut thickish wood without charring etc you are going to need 200-500 watts especially if you are going to be doing production.
An overhead gantry type router is much better for wood than a laser and I would suggest you go that route. I use a Tekcel with a3 kw high speed spindle for this and its a ton quicker than trying to use a low power laser.

[Jerry Allen]

Other?
As if many members don't use GCC/Laserpro/Pinnacle?
But of course, Trotec should be in there...
Who devised this poll?

[Rodne Gold]

I actually don't see what the poll has to do with the topic anyway?
I didnt dignify the poll with a vote cos I don't think it deserves one.....

[Mike Hood]

Pinnacle ZX 40W :)

[Carlos Chiossone]

You are right Jerry, the issue is that those are the 2 main desktop lasers that I have found. Trotec seems to be a great product and the reason I am trying to compare it to the other 2. Sharp's units are also great but also well reviewed as well as other manufacturer's Trotec seems somewhat unknown. I hope this answers your question.

:-)

I have gotten some great answers like from Keith Outten who made me understand that the because pine is soft is not neccessarily easier to cut, due to its pitch. So while I thought pine would be a good soft wood to cut, I was wrong.

I will chart this territory and perhaps we can make a sticky with all of our findings so we can all use it, specially to newbies like me in the laser. I love my Roland CNC routers and I thought laser would be the next step, uhmmm, maybe is not, but we still have a need for it in rapid prototyping.

Thanks to all.
c

Rodne a poll is just a question, answers give us all information that we can share. Definately not related to the topic but important in the decision of bauying a machine.

[Lee DeRaud]

Rodne a poll is just a question, answers give us all information that we can share. Definately not related to the topic but important in the decision of bauying a machine.Only if you're trying to find out which brand sells better, based on the rather limited sample of laser users. A very small fraction of the SMC laserheads own more than one brand of machine or have used multiple brands enough to have a valid opinion. For most of us, our "favorite" will be the one sitting in the shop.

[Rodne Gold]

The Rolands are by no means machinery you can use in production in any meaningful way , thats why you struggle with them.
Sharp make a Co2 cutting laser?

[Carlos Chiossone]

While demoing a ULS M-300 in Long Island, by the way fully recommend Vince Scardato to sell you a machine, he seems to know his business...

Sorry side tracked there. I got some of the answers I needed about cutting different woods.

Using a M-360 and a 30W laser we were able to cut Granadillo (Cocobolo) 0.215 inch pretty dense very hard wood at the following. pass number 1 cut 0.107 the second pass went down to 0.13 the third pass to 0.16 the fourth pass to 0.20 and finally the fifth pass went through. The power was set to 100% and speed to 5% to minimize flare-up. But it did it!

Then we used thick basswood, 0.38 inch. It went through it also, at the same 100% power 5% speed, in 5 passes also.

While it would be nice to do it in 1 pass, I wonder if the wood would just burn. When we took the machine down to 2% speed, flares were all over.

Hope this will help someone some day. When I get the machine I will definately make a chart and perhaps have it stick somewhere here for all newbies reference.

c

[Mike Mackenzie]

Carlos,

You absolutely need to run air assist when cutting that wood the more oil the more flame to get rid of the flame use air assist. You should be able to cut that in one pass with air.