So… Today I was enthusiastically going for some 8mm black MDF on my G·Weike Cloud CO² Laser…
Opened LightBurn, entered some numbers into the Material Test and had an absolute nope at it…
Essentially, I must have picked up what appears to be AdaMDFtium because sure enough as I was staring down on it after it finished the first 5mm/s row at up to full power it stared back up to me like: “Watup man?”
Slightly miffed I made a single Square on the regular Workspace with just 1mm/s and it was still going like: “Still feelin’ nuffin’…”
I mean in all seriousness the MDF is essentially toast all around the Cut but actually Cut it is not - Am I missing something? Am I looking at something like Charcoal having been mixed into the MDF to make it black causing the MDF to resist the Cut or what’s going on?
Have you cut MDF before and this is just uniquely difficult? Or is this your first experience with MDF?
If the latter, MDF can be surprisingly difficult to cut cleanly. It’s seemingly more glue than wood and very dense. There is certainly variation within MDF varieties as well. Some people love cutting MDF but I’m not one of them. It’s certainly very consistent but I find it messy and unpleasant.
…here, I’m one of them
I work a lot with MDF and HDF because it is a cheap material that gets almost welded edges during laser processing. I have used it to make gears and other mechanical parts that must have a smooth surface with strong mechanical properties.
It smells and steams during processing, but with proper extraction it is fine. After processing, I wipe the items with normal household alcohol - works very well for me.
In addition to its mechanical properties, I think very well about the even and always similar process values for processing, the problems that are often found with plywood, uneven distribution of glue or glue pockets, I never have with MDF, HDF.
It was my first attempt at MDF after Paper, Cardboard and Acrylic ( so far, up to 6mm ).
Will probably give the MDF that came with the Laser a shot just to see how things in general stand
Shape and Color reminds me of a Pinecone - Very nide indeed!
I too had to get creative when I needed a Lamp for my Dining Room as I was literally sitting in the dark for like 2 years when I moved in because I couldn’t find anything in Stores I’d have liked so I took matters into my own hands and 3D Printed myself one: https://i.imgur.com/kAef3af.jpeg
It’s a 4-Sided Pyramid where the Edges from the lower Section flow through the Cables into the upper Section - Build log of it.
“Aight’… Time for ze Big Boy…” 
