Just to see how the OMTech 60 W laser cuts wood:
From left to right:
- 5.3 mm oak plywood: 10 mm/s 70% (1/4 inch)
- 7.7 mm plywood: 6 mm/s 70% (from OMTech crate)
- 19 mm pine: 2 mm/s 70-80% (3/4 inch)
- 20 mm oak: 2 mm/s 70% (3/4 inch lovely wood)
- 19 mm maple: 2 mm/s 80% (3/4 inch shelving)
- 20 mm plywood: fail at 2 mm/s 90% two passes
I thought a pine plank would cut faster than oak, but they’re equally stubborn.
Maple requires slightly more power, with the glued butt joints between the slabs putting up a stiff resistance.
A sheet of 3 mm MDF cuts well at 20 mm/s 60% and I expect 3 mm plywood might need similar numbers.
A pervasive odor of burned wood seems to be the only downside; if you think a wood stove is a good idea, you’ll love laser cutting the stuff. Sanding the blackened perimeter and sealing the surface surely helps, but it’s feasible only for the kind of simple convex shapes you don’t really need a laser to cut.
The Smell of Molten Projects in the Morning 