tool:laser_cutter:settings
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Table of Contents
Laser Cutter Materials
Don't see what you're looking for here? Check out: How do I get a new material approved?
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/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 |
Approved Materials
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 | 16 | 55 | 55 | 1 | From Windsor Plywood ~$17 for 5'x5' |
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' (John) |
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 | |
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 | Cut | 1 | ||||
Kapton Polyimide Film | MSDS |
Other
Material | Mode | Speed | Power | Corner Power | Passes | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Leather | Cut | 1 | Leather from Dressew scrap bin (Paul) | |||
Styrene - 2mm | Cut | 1 | 2mm white styrene sheet from hobby stores |
FURTHER INFORMATION
- 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.1501551675.txt.gz · Last modified: 2017/08/01 01:41 by lbuchy