How deep to burn and what percentage to use

I would like to laser burn some coasters and I would like to do an epoxy overlay. What percentage with my 10 W laser would I need to use to burn an 1/8 inch deep lines so the resin will stay in the lines?

That is exactly the question the Material Test answers:

It’s the only way to get a meaningful answer for your material with your laser in your machine. :grin:

With that in mind, burning a clean 3 mm deep trench with a 10 W diode laser will probably require several passes and enough assist air to blow debris out of the cut.

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This sounds really interesting. Please post some images of your results.

Just refrain from lasing the epoxy.


The quote comes from the site with the link.

Specifically, epoxy is an aliphatic resin which can thermally decompose and emit HCN (hydrogen cynanide) gas when burned with a laser cutter. It will also make a mess. For this reason, you should avoid trying to cut or engrave certain composites, like fiberglass, which are composed of a thermoset polymer and epoxy resin.

Ditto :tada:

:smile_cat:

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Thank you folks for your responses! I will give it a try and post my completed project! Thank you again!

What material are you engraving into? I run a 10w Ortur laser on my flat setup. Acacia wood takes the laser a lot better than the MDF I have been making earrings with.

For acacia wood, i would start at about 2400 mm/m and 65% power for 2 passes. Air assist with decent cross draft will be beneficial if you want to achieve dramatic depth with one or two passes.

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