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Laser Cutting & Engraving Wood

Laser Cutting & Engraving Wood

yulin zhang |

Laser engraving & cutting for basswood,cherry wood,white walnut and other wood types!

Wood cutting and engraving are the two most popular applications of lasers because they can cover many different projects. From cabinets to picture frames to knife handles, Monport Laser systems are used in almost all woodworking categories you encounter. Whether you are using hardwood or softwood, you can use Monport laser system to carve extremely complex images. 

C02 lasers engraving machine love wood, but getting those beautiful results requires a bit of know-how. Consider the following tips to ensure you get the most out of your wood laser engraver.

Ⅰ.Choose Your Wood Wisely

Some woods respond to laser cutting and engraving better than others. Choosing the best wood will be based upon your end product goal. Both hardwoods and softwoods have the ability to engrave really well, some examples of ideal wood types for laser engraving are maple, cherry, birch and selected white pines. 

Many of the considerations around wood focus on its natural attributes like hardness, grain structure and knots. But plywood is a human-made wood, and as a result, it responds differently to laser etching and engraving.

Ⅱ. What Wood Is Good For Laser Cutting?

There are more than 50,000 kinds of wood in the world, but not every one is suitable for engraving. Even wood that grows well is not just used for engraving. Whether hardwood or softwood, the density of wood is directly proportional to its hardness.

wood

Note: Trees can be divided into two categories: hardwood trees (deciduous) are usually broad-leaved trees; softwood trees (evergreen) are usually coniferous trees. The "hardwood" and "softwood" here have no direct relationship with the hardness of the wood, they are just a classification of trees in natural science. The denser the wood, the harder it is and the harder it is to be carved. Wood suitable for engraving has a mass of 400 to 800 kilograms per cubic meter when it is dried to a moisture content of about 10%. Wood lighter than 400 kilograms per cubic meter is too soft, and it is easy to produce dents, which is not conducive to engraving details; Wood heavier than 800 kilograms per cubic meter is too hard and difficult to engrave.

Next, we will introduce some popular engraved woods with pictures. In this wood profile, it shows the effect of a layer of varnish.

Name

Density

(Kg/m³)

Heartwood color

Sapwood color

The difficulty of engraving

Basswood

416(261)

Milky white to light brown

Milky white

Easy

White walnut

432(27)

Golden brown

Cream color

Easy

Catalpa

464(29)

Gray-brown

Grayish yellow

Easy

Cherry wood

560(35)

Light reddish brown

Yellowish brown

Medium difficulty

Mahogany

560(35)

Deep reddish brown

Straw color

Medium difficulty

Walnut

577-609(36-38)

Chocolate color

Light cream

Harder

Birch

609-673(38-45)

Golden brown

Milky white

Harder

Maple

673-721(42-45)

Golden to brown

Cream color

Harder

If you are new to engraving, it is best to start with basswood or white walnut, and then try to engrave other types of wood after you are familiar with engraving techniques. A common mistake is to try wood that is difficult to engrave from the beginning. This frustrating experience makes it easy to give up engraving.

  • Basswood 
Basswood

As one of the most popular wood materials for engraving, basswood is easy to engrave, similar to the European linden tree. Because the wood grain of basswood is not very obvious, it is recommended to paint on its engraved works.

  • White walnut
White walnut

Like basswood, white walnut is also a popular engraving wood. Its wood grain is beautiful, and engravers usually don't choose to color it.

  • Catalpa wood
Catalpa_wood

The texture of most catalpa woods is similar to that of white walnut. The difference is that the texture of catalpa trees looks more obvious.

  • Cherry wood 
Cherry wood

Cherry wood has beautiful colors and beautiful wood grain, so its works generally do not need to be painted or treated. However, cherry wood is prone to burn marks when it is operated with electric tools, whether electric engraving tools or band saws used to process contours.

  • Maple wood 
Maple wood

Maple is another kind of wood that looks good but is difficult to engrave. It has tight wood grain and good material consistency, which is suitable for showing details. Because of its high density, sharp engraving tools are needed, and a mallet is very necessary when laser engraving. 

To save your time and energy, you must think about adding the best wood laser engraving machine to your tools. No matter if you need a laser engraver for your home or small business; Monport products can allow a smooth and perfect finish to your material. Monport laser engraver can meet all your demands.

Ⅲ. What can you create with a Monport laser?                           

From cabinets to picture frames to knife handles, Monport Laser systems are used in almost all types of woodworking projects. 

Photo engraving

Photo engraving

Photos record every precious moment in our life, engrave your memories on white walnut or natural basswood to commemorate the past in a perfect way.

Mosaic

monport-mosaic

By using the cutting and engraving functions of the Monport Laser system, make your own art works like Payment code, painting, toy gun, and more.

Model

monport-model

Everyone wants to find a way to relax in their free time at work. For example, I like to splice some wooden three-dimensional models, take down a set of ancient building templates little by little, and then put them together through my own imagination, and finally assemble a complete one. The model of the ancient tower was very proud and very happy when it was finally made. This kind of wooden DIY model is not resistant to most people, and it is an entertainment mode very suitable for home leisure. 

Wood Crafts 

Wood Crafts

Let your creativity be fully utilized, and strive to let your children live in an artistic atmosphere. We believe that all possibilities, with our CO2 engraver, the future will be filled with creativity and art.

Personalized Gifts 

Personalized Gifts

Monport laser system can customize products to create unique objects  meaningful. Whether it is children's graffiti or every burst of inspiration from a designer, or any other items can turn a beautiful work into a perfect wooden gift.

 

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