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