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tool:laser_cutter:settings

VHS Laser Cutter Approved Materials

Only the following materials may be cut or engraved on the VHS Laser Cutter. If the material you wish to cut is not listed, please see: How do I get a new material approved?

Settings are provided here as a starting point. Always do test cuts to find optimal settings.

Papers

Material Mode Speed Power Corner Power Passes Notes
Card Stock Etch 35 10 10 1
Card Stock Cut 35 35 25 1
Heavy paper Cut 200 20 20 1 Worked barely; long straight cuts needed multiple passes, and a few corners were missed. Use lower speed
Picture Matting Cut 40 50 40 1
Corrugated Cardboard

Woods

Please avoid the use of woods with any water, sap, or a high proportion of glue. They quickly clog the filtration system and leave substantial residue on the laser cutter.

Material Mode Speed Power Corner Power Passes Notes
Plywood 1/4“ Birch Cut 40 50 45 2 From Home Depot ~$50 for 8'x4'
Plywood 1/8” Birch Cut 24 55 55 1 From Windsor Plywood ~$17 for 5'x5'
Plywood 1/8“ Maple Cut 24 55 55 1
Plywood 1/8” Birch Etch 80 28 28 1 Deep etching, excellent for countersinking screw holes
Plywood 4.2mm FSC Virola Cut 40 50 45 2 From Home Depot ~$20 for 8'x4' SKU 1000-125618 (Tom)
Plywood 1/4“ Flooring underlay Cut 12 60 60 1 From Home Depot ~$9 for 4'x4'

Plastics

Material Mode Speed Power Corner Power Passes Notes
Acrylic - 1/4” Cut 10 55 55 1
Acrylic - 1/16“ Cut 20 60 60 1
Acrylic - 4.5mm Cut 23 50 50 1
Polypropylene (0.75mm) Cut 30 50 45 1 From Yoko-yaya, ideal for painting stencils (John)
EVA Foam (very thin, < 4mm) Cut 1 Michaels
EVA Foam (thin, ~1/4”) Cut 1 Bought online, could not find locally
EVA Foam (thick, 1/2“ floor mats) Cut 30 50 50 1 Canadian Tire, Home Depot, etc.
PET/PETG (e.g. Mylar™ ) Cut 1
PET/PETG (1/16”) Cut 30 45 1 From Associated Plastics
Kapton Polyimide Film MSDS
Styrene - 2mm Cut 1 2mm white styrene sheet from hobby stores

Fabric

Material Mode Speed Power Corner Power Passes Notes
Leather (Vegetable Tanned) Cut 1
Felt Cut 100 25 1

Other

Material Mode Speed Power Corner Power Passes Notes
Application Tape Small amounts used for masking
Painters Tape Small amounts used for masking
Laserbond100 Marking Spray Aerosol propellants are nasty - ensure the coating has fully dried before lasering
Cermark 6000 Marking Spray Aerosol propellants are nasty - ensure the coating has fully dried before lasering

Etch Only

Material Mode Speed Power Corner Power Passes Notes
Anodized Aluminum Vector Etch 1

Banned Materials

The following is a non-exhaustive list of materials that must not be cut or engraved on the VHS Laser Cutter.

Material Reason
Wet or 'raw' wood Clogs up filter BADLY
MDF, HDF, Ply, and reconstructed wood Clogs up filter BADLY
Coroplast Clogs up filter BADLY
Lexan/Polycarbonate/Makrolon Dense black smoke and toxic fumes - bisphenol a (BPA), phenol, and more
ABS Dense black smoke and toxic fumes - cyanide and styrene gases
PVC, Vinyl Toxic and corrosive fumes - chlorine gas
Neoprene (polychloroprene) Toxic and corrosive fumes - chlorine gas
Foam core Dense black smoke and toxic fumes - styrene gas (carcinogenic, toxic to the nervous system and upper respiratory tract; classified as “very toxic”)
Delrin Toxic fumes - formaldehyde
Moleskine notebook covers Toxic fumes - chlorine - See Polymer burnination link at bottom
Carbon Fiber Hazardous dust
Fiberglass Hazardous dust
Printed Circuit board Hazardous dust
Chrome Tanned Leather Toxic/hazardous fumes

Provisionally Approved

The following materials have been provisionally approved by the Laser Cutter Committee for testing:

Material Mode Speed Power Corner Power Passes Notes
Cork Cut TBD TBD TBD TBD
Cork Etch TBD TBD TBD TBD

FURTHER INFORMATION

tool/laser_cutter/settings.txt · Last modified: 2022/09/27 01:05 by david_neufeld

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