Christmas ornaments for example, kerf so tight, having to manually push out most small pieces. So I decided to raise laser height off work, thereby making a wider beam thus wider kerf. As I understood the kerf offset, it just moves the cut, not widening it. I am buring through on multiple passes, work looks great, just not seperating like I want. Is this the way to solve that problem? I realize it is not utilizing the laser focus efficently.
Thanks
Greg
Parts not dropping out is likely not an issue of kerf width. It’s more likely that it’s just not cut all the way through on certain areas. You could have an extremely thin kerf and have parts fall out as long as you were getting a complete cut.
Check the underside of the cut and try to identify areas that are not completely cut through, then devise a way of overcoming those issues. Or post some photos here.
I am using 3/16 luan plywood, bottom is cut through cleanly after 4 passes, 1500/95 light black edges, so not charred. Possible inner layers not cutting cleanly?? I know I should actually be lowering the beam to the middle of the ply for most efficiency, but…
Using air assist?
You should experiment with that. I’ve found that theory and practice don’t always equate. It also depends on what you want the entry and exit cuts to look like so aiming focus at the middle of the material isn’t a unversal truth.
When you push through the pieces for those that don’t drop out, what do the sides and bottom edges look like?
The only situation where I could potentially see kerf being a factor in fallout is if cutting the material somehow relieved stress and allowed the material to expand toward the gap. However, I’ve never seen any form of plywood behave that way although I’m not familiar specifically with lauan.
I am using air assist, bottom is cut through and clean. I did go to 1300/95 and it is better. Learning speed and power make a great difference.
Thanks for yalls help.
Greg
Tab option turn on?
No, but thanks for telling me about that feature, useful for some lettering.
With how many dozens of 4x8 luan Ive burnt through Id consider myself an expert…its terrible to cut. Grab a ply/mdf core material and watch your life change for the better. On luan, there are sometimes these tiny hairs that get left, or stray pieces of glue, which somehow provide just enough grab to act like a tab. It really is a pain. Your settings should be set for a clean drop out. Keep slowing it down and upping power to the max safe limit until they drop clean. Small details are sometimes difficult because the heat concentration.
Good luck!
Try 210 mm/min @ 97.5%. This is my personal one cut one pass drop out setting for luan on my 20w diode.
What kind and thickness plywood and mdf do you use? I have used 1100/95on the 3/16 luan, drops perfect MOST of the time, still experiencing what you told me about. So drop all the way to 210 on my Sculpfun 30 , 20 watt? Will try your suggested materials.
Thanks again
Greg
Now that I have co2 I can tackle 5.2mm maple ply/MDF core.
Surprised you were able to get through it at 1100 spees…oh. but that was five passes right? I have no patience for that due to mechanical repeatability issues that I solved literally a week before I got a co2.
210 mm/min @ 97.5% power…one pass drop out setting every time…unless it has glue then it requires hobby knife/exacto. This setting reveals defects in the luan if it doesnt drop down.