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.
| 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 |
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' |
| 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 |
| Material | Mode | Speed | Power | Corner Power | Passes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leather (Vegetable Tanned) | Cut | 1 | ||||
| Felt | Cut | 100 | 25 | 1 |
| 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 |
| Material | Mode | Speed | Power | Corner Power | Passes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anodized Aluminum | Vector Etch | 1 |
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 |
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 |