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Elevating the wood also helps to determine whether the laser has passed completely through since the
cut pieces will fall through to the table when cutting is finished. Also, set up the drawing so that the inner
pieces of the drawing are cut first, otherwise pieces may fall through at the wrong time.
Not all wood finishes are created equal. When ordering wood from a supplier, be sure to specify that it is
being used for laser engraving. Some finishes cannot handle the heat from the laser and will bubble,
blister, and possibly turn white. For engraving softer woods such as pine or balsa, reduce the power
settings to acquire the best depth. Engraving too deep on soft woods will reduce quality. Every type of
wood will engrave differently. It is better to engrave woods that are finished. If engraving unfinished
wood and it is not masked with transfer tape, the smoke residue tends to embed in the wood and is
impossible to remove without sanding. To prevent this, mask all unfinished wood with transfer tape.
Create a drawing with no outlines, only filled areas. Engrave the filled areas almost as deep as the
thickness of the veneer (usually about .003 inches (.1 mm) or less). With some water and a nylon brush,
remove all residue from the engraved area. When cutting veneers make sure they are lying absolutely
flat. In the drawing, give the objects an outline of .001 inches (.1 mm) and remove the fill. Adjust the
power so that there is just enough power to cut completely through the veneer. Overpowering the cut will
cause too much material removal and the fit will not be snug. Some software programs allow outline
offsetting to compensate for the thickness of the beam called contouring. Usually, a contour to the
outside of the vector line of .006 inches provides a tight fit. Remember if using more power to cut through
the veneer, compensate for the thicker width of the laser cut by contouring a little further to the outside.
Another method is to first create your graphic and fill it with the color black. Then give it a white outline of
.012 inches (.3 mm). If you look at the graphic when you add the outline, you will see that it appears to
shrink. Now raster engrave the graphic to a depth slightly shallower than the thickness of the veneer.
When the engraving is finished, place the veneer into the laser system. Remove the black fill and change
the outline to a different color. Cut out the veneer with the laser system, add glue to the veneer, and
apply the veneer into the engraved area of the other piece of wood and let dry. After the glue has
thoroughly dried, sand the veneer until it is flush with the base wood. A good veneer to use is one with an
adhesive backing. Once cut, place the veneer into its proper place on the engraved wood block and with
a clothes iron, and iron the veneer into the engraved wood. This melts the glue and causes the veneer to
stick to the engraved area. Finish the wood as you desire and the finished product will look fantastic. The
veneer can now be sanded flush with the surface and a finish coat applied.
LASER ENGRAVING OR CUTTING WOOD CAN IGNITE THE MATERIAL.
Never leave the laser system running unattended for any reason.
MATERIAL SETTINGS GUIDE
WOOD INLAYS - VENEERS
Section 5-23
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