my question is this. whatever watt diode Laser I’m using, to get the same result. If I’m using a 5 watt and a 20 watt and want to get same result. Do I, 1st say well the 5 watt is 1/4 the wattage of the 20 watt so I need to increase the power by 3/4 % and reduce speed by 3/4% and same passes
You will not get 1:1 results between a 5 and a 20 watt machine. The 5 watt laser will use a single diode and the 20 watt will use 4 diodes, this means that the beam can have slight convergence issues resulting in a different spot size.
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so which one should engrave better
Define better!
What is better?
How long is a string?
Some people want very small spot size for very fine detail.
Some people want larger spot to cover more area per pass, making faster jobs.
are you saying that 5 is finer than 20
Is that the difference
In general, yes. Specifically NO.
What do you want to do with the laser?
What is more important to you? Fine detail or depth of cut?
What material do you plan on engraving?
My crystal ball is broken. I have a lot of answers, but most won’t fit the question if I have to guess.
Help us help you.
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prolly be using pallet boards for a main resource
Pine wood is not particularly challenging to engrave. There has been a ton of great work done by 5w lasers, long before 10w and 20w and now even 40watt diodes were available. The higher power comes at a higher price. 5w setups are cheap as chips currently. I suggest you start with a 5w or maybe a 10w setup. Learn the craft before you dive headlong into an exotic setup.
Diode lasers are pretty effective on organic material. Wood, leather, etc.
This was done with a 5w laser and Ortur Afuero machine 
Be aware the pallet boards may be pressure treated. This means dangerous chemicals may be in the wood.
If you are going to sand the wood or run it through a planer, this can be another source of danger. Always use protective devices.
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