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Thread: Cutting 8oz leather or thicker

  1. #1

    Cutting 8oz leather or thicker

    I have an Epilog 75 Watt Ext and have had no trouble cutting thinner leathers. I have read a few threads on what speeds and power work for others and have tried all of those settings and making slight adjustments for my wattage with less than ok results. I have yet to cut through an 8oz piece without at least 10 passes. Can anyone help me narrow down the proper speed, power and frequency for my machine? Thanks in advance for any light you can shed on my issue!

  2. #2
    What type of leather. I cant help with your machine but with my 60watt rabbit I cut 8-9 oz veg tan at 65% pwr and 10mmps. One pass, then if I try cutting oil tanned its much harder to cut 3 or 4 passes at 85% pwr 10mmps spd
    So the type of leather is a huge factor in what setting to use.
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  3. #3
    I engrave a lot of leather, but I know zilch about the dynamics of treatments and all that...

    Not too long ago my customer supplied me with some black leather, I didn't know it was any different than the 'normal' black stuff I'd been getting, BUT- the normal stuff would engrave nicely with 25 watts of power and, rough guessing my old ULS speed, say 500mm/second, the engraving, once cleaned off with an air hose, was a nice high-contrasting tan color. I've since been doing the black in my Triumph, at 20% power and 500mm/sec.

    However, at those settings, the new batch barely showed a mark on first pass. So I raised the power. Then slowed the machine. At more than double the power and slower speed, this stuff just goes a different shade of black! And, where the 'normal' stuff and original settings would 'erase' the leather's pattern, my 80w Triumph will barely start erasing the pattern at full power and 300mm/sec. Oh- and it smells BAAADDD when hit with the laser, and only gets worse with more power...

    I have no idea why it's so resistant to the laser, how it's been treated, etc... It's seems so tough that it wouldn't surprise me if 1/2" thick piece of the stuff would stop a bullet! (Although it seems a knife goes thru it okay!)

    Anyway-- this whole story is just to say: Maybe your problem is the leather?

    (Bert beat me to it)
    ========================================
    ELEVEN - rotary cutter tool machines
    FOUR - CO2 lasers
    THREE- make that FOUR now - fiber lasers
    ONE - vinyl cutter
    CASmate, Corel, Gravostyle


  4. #4
    Try wetting thicker leathers before vector cutting...it can cut down on charring.
    Epilog Legend 36EXT ~35W
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  5. #5
    This is what I can't wrap my head around, the settings you are using and actually getting thru the leather. I did your same settings and it doesn't even remotely look like it will cut thru in 15 passes. How can the power range so much between machines? Shouldn't a 75 watt cut easier than a 60watt? When I read people with 35 and 45 watt laser are getting thru how is this possible? The leather is 8 oz natural hide from tandy leather so I don't see it being anything different than normal 8 oz leather.

  6. #6
    Water soaks into veg tan leather and will cause the leather to darken and harden slightly after it drys, also you will need more power and or slower speeds to cut thru it. Leather that is chrome tanned or other types of tanning that make the leather water resistant really won't make much difference as far as charring is concerned. The water will just bead up and sit on top and get blown around by your air.

    Quote Originally Posted by Chris DeGerolamo View Post
    Try wetting thicker leathers before vector cutting...it can cut down on charring.
    If the Help and advice you received here was of any VALUE to you PLEASE! Become a Contributor
    Rabbit RL_XX_6040-60 watt Laser engraving/cutting machine Oh wait its a 3D Printer my bad LOL
    Lasercut 5.3
    CorelDraw X5

    10" Miter Saw with slide
    10" Table Saw
    8" bench mount 5 speed Drill Press
    Dremel, 3x21 Belt Sander


  7. #7
    so, how thick is 8oz leather? The stuff I have here is around 1/8" thick, maybe a bit less- used to make motorcycle seats... I have scraps in about a half dozen varieties, I think I'll experiment. If what I have isn't 8oz, supposed I could double it up...

    >edit< -- ok, so not 1/8" thick, closer to 1/16" thick-- I was in the middle of cowbells and to do this I just put the leather across the clamp and let it dangle- made one try that barely caught the edge, then a second pass-
    I ran this at full power and 50mm/sec with a 3" lens, and where it got close to in focus, it made it thru. With a 2" lens it would likely go thru at 70 or 80mm/second...
    not sure this is of any help ...

    DSC05601.jpgDSC05599.jpgDSC05600.jpg

    >edit 2< just googled and found out 8oz is approx. twice as thick as this... I need to try a double up piece with my 2"...
    Last edited by Kev Williams; 10-25-2016 at 11:32 AM.
    ========================================
    ELEVEN - rotary cutter tool machines
    FOUR - CO2 lasers
    THREE- make that FOUR now - fiber lasers
    ONE - vinyl cutter
    CASmate, Corel, Gravostyle


  8. #8
    Interesting-- glad I don't cut leather on a regular basis-- -- FWIW, this is the first time I've ever tried cutting leather, at all...

    This is some of the 'normal' black I mentioned previously. It measures just under .100" thick. I stacked two pieces and changed over to the 2" lens...

    --I assumed I would at least get thru the first layer like I did the brown.

    Nope. After a couple of passes, and pretty much nothing happening other than flames & smoke, I cleaned the lens and turned the speed way down to 15mm/sec.

    The laser just barely got thru one layer (and not quite all the way thru around the top) and only 'scuffed' the second layer. Different leather, and completely different results.

    DSC05602.jpg
    ========================================
    ELEVEN - rotary cutter tool machines
    FOUR - CO2 lasers
    THREE- make that FOUR now - fiber lasers
    ONE - vinyl cutter
    CASmate, Corel, Gravostyle


  9. #9
    That leather is not Veg tanned leather, looks to be an embossed upholstery leather.
    Leather is approx 1/64" thick per oz so 8oz leather is about 1/8" thick. 8 oz upholstery leather will be harder to cut then Veg Tan leather.
    Quote Originally Posted by Kev Williams View Post
    Interesting-- glad I don't cut leather on a regular basis-- -- FWIW, this is the first time I've ever tried cutting leather, at all...

    This is some of the 'normal' black I mentioned previously. It measures just under .100" thick. I stacked two pieces and changed over to the 2" lens...

    --I assumed I would at least get thru the first layer like I did the brown.

    Nope. After a couple of passes, and pretty much nothing happening other than flames & smoke, I cleaned the lens and turned the speed way down to 15mm/sec.

    The laser just barely got thru one layer (and not quite all the way thru around the top) and only 'scuffed' the second layer. Different leather, and completely different results.

    DSC05602.jpg
    If the Help and advice you received here was of any VALUE to you PLEASE! Become a Contributor
    Rabbit RL_XX_6040-60 watt Laser engraving/cutting machine Oh wait its a 3D Printer my bad LOL
    Lasercut 5.3
    CorelDraw X5

    10" Miter Saw with slide
    10" Table Saw
    8" bench mount 5 speed Drill Press
    Dremel, 3x21 Belt Sander


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