tool:laser_cutter:settings
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Table of Contents
Laser Cutter Awesomeness Ingredients!
| Behaviour | Description |
|---|---|
| Cut | Mode=Cut in software, will pierce material |
| Etch | Mode=Cut in software, will mark material |
| Raster | Mode=Etch in software, will mark material |
This is fairly outdated and shouldn't be taken as gospel, but it is a good starting point.
Banned Materials
| 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 | 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 |
Approved and Successful Material Settings
* = Please avoid the use of woods with any water, sap, or a high proportion of glue. We're re-evaluating their use due to severely and VERY quickly clogging the filtration system and substantial residue being left on the laser cutter.
| Material | Mode | Speed | Power | Corner Power | Passes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Card Stock | Etch | 35 | 10 | 10 | 1 | N/A |
| Card Stock | Cut | 35 | 35 | 25 | 1 | N/A |
| Card Stock | Raster | ??? | ??? | ??? | 1 | N/A |
| 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 | N/A |
| Acrylic - 1/4“ | Cut | 7 | 55 | 55 | 1 | N/A |
| Acrylic - 1/16” | Cut | 7 | 100 | 100 | 1 | N/A |
| Acrylic - 1/16“ | Cut | 55 | 100 | 100 | 1 | This will etch fast without cutting |
| Acrylic - 1/16” | Cut | 25 | 25 | 25 | 1 | This will etch fast without cutting (same as the 55x100x100 better on coners) |
| Leather | Cut | 50 | 35 | 100 | 1 | Leather from Dressew scrap bin (Paul) |
| Polypropylene (0.75mm) | Cut | 30 | 50 | 45 | 1 | From Yoko-yaya, ideal for painting stencils (John) |
| Plywood 1/4“ Birch | Cut | 40 | 50 | 45 | 2 | From Home Depot ~$50 for 8'x4' |
| Plywood 1/8” Birch | Cut | 16 | 55 | 55 | 1 | From Windsor Plywood ~$17 for 5'x5' |
| Plywood 1/8“ Birch | Engrave | 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 | 7 | 80 | 75 | 1 | From Home Depot ~$9 for 4'x4' (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 | ??? | ??? | ??? | 1 | Canadian Tire, Home Depot, etc. |
Failed Settings
| Material | Mode | Speed | Power | Corner Power | Passes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acrylic - 1/16“ | Cut | 25 | 15 | 15 | 1 | Trying to etch with the cut setting. The outline is visible but not great. |
FURTHER INFORMATION
- Burnination method for identifying unknown polymers - READ THIS BEFORE CUTTING UNKNOWN MATERIALS
- Pololu banned materials list - Some of their allowable settings are different because they have a different(read: expensive) fume/ventilation system
tool/laser_cutter/settings.1410371127.txt.gz · Last modified: 2015/12/12 14:31 (external edit)