LaserUser.com Forum (formerly RDWorksLab)

I cut a lot of 1/8" solid and 1/4" mdf core plywood but I am not a woodworker by any stretch. Is there a species that is less dense than pine, I kinda need to cut 3/4" letters from something readily available at a reasonable price. I have HDU but that is too pricey for this fellow. I could cut with the CNC but there are a tonne of letters and I don't want to waste the rest of my lifeforce on this. Thanks Gene

Gene,

I would get some 3/8" Premium MDF and double it up. With your 130W you should have no problem with the 3/8" ( 9mm ).

I'm planning on that for some 'shelf stand' items for her. Haven't gotten quite that far trying the 2.5" lens on it with my 80W, but it is on the future project list.

Janka is a scale used to measure the hardness of woods - If you google "Basswood janka scale" you will get "Basswood has a Janka hardness rating of 410..."

Lots of folks like to carve basswood because it is soft and cuts clean - I have no idea how is cuts with a laser but it is softer than pine by 40% or so depending on the type of pine.

Good info, thank you Sir.

Not for this job @Gene maybe due to time/costs.

In the past I have made Balsa/Ply laminates using 1/8-1/4" Balsa skinned with 0.4 or 0.6mm ply. These were then used for lightweight bulkheads in R/C aircraft when glued together. Balsa BTW cuts great on a Laser but might be to soft for your needs. I also have some straight Poplar Laser ply (not just skinned in poplar) which cuts really well too 3mm on my little 40W runs easily.

So DIY your own laminates and play

Gene. I've cut 8mm Jelutong, which has similar qualities to basswood, for lightweight boxes (speed/power settings about the same as for 6mm acrylic) and it's a decent job. The wood's a bit bland but lacquers up nicely. Price in the UK £18.00 per square metre for that thickness and thicker planks are available. I assume it's available in the US.

I've done walnut, oak, pine, basswood, and balsa. I listed them in order, from hardest (walnut is a pain to cut) to softest (balsa cuts like butter).

Of course, with natural woods, the density is non-uniform - knots, etc. are much harder to cut. Also beware of the oils in the wood. Walnut leaves a terrible creosote residue after cutting - but simple masking tape (applied BEFORE cutting) takes care of the clean-up.