Laser settings for various materials? Anyone have a cheat sheet?

[trrubicon06]

I just dropped my down payment for a Thunder Laser Nova35 100w machine last week. This will be my first laser and the first I'll have used. Just trying to learn more about settings for different materials and best way to test. Thanks

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[Jorge-D-Fuentes]

Congrats on your 100W (I only have a 20W so my options are fewer than yours).

I suppose I should ask, what is your design intent?
Some materials can have a number of procedures performed unto them, while others cannot.

Do you want to:
-Engrave (removes some of the surface)
-Anneal (changes the structure of the surface or oxidizes it at times, creating a different shade without removing material)
-Foam (material heats and bubbles outwards, creating a raised surface)
-Frost (some materials get a change in their surface that resembles a soft-sanded look)
-Cut (cut through a material's thickness entirely)

Perhaps you should provide the materials you're intending to work on?

I can probably tell you some settings, though as I said, my machine is lighter on the watts in comparison to yours.

[trrubicon06]

Well, My plan is to cut/engrave acrylic, wood, and leather. Thermark/cermark to mark metals, laser mask for sand blasting, and anything else that I learn to do new. Also plan to use it to make woodworking templates and jigs. I have a lot of plans and it's hard to pinpoint one curtain area.

[Jorge-D-Fuentes]

Oh okay.

At where I work, I engrave and cut Jewelry in precious and some non-precious metals.
As such, I do not have experience with wood, and leather. Sorry!
Best of luck, though! I'm sure people here will be able to help.

[bsm2003]

I just dropped my down payment for a Thunder Laser Nova35 100w machine last week. This will be my first laser and the first I'll have used. Just trying to learn more about settings for different materials and best way to test. Thanks

Take these with a grain of salt so to speak. But should get you within the ball park. May be out field but somewhere inside.

[P dogg]

There is no sure easy shortcut because every machine is different even the same exact models of machine will both have slightly different settings because every tube has slightly differing power and each tube changes and relaxes power over time so even settings that you start out with may be different in a year. The best advise is to keep a log book of settings and practice as much as you can on different scrap materials.

[vrc321]

P Dogg is right. Every laser will vary.

http://www.rabbitlaserusa.com/Manual...dsFeeds_RL.pdf

Welcome to Laser Settings

This is FSL but might be useful for 40/30w lasers:
Inventables Blog: Introducing The Laser Cutter Settings Calculator

[trrubicon06]

Thanks guys. Like I said, this is my first machine and have much to learn. This alone has helped me out by not trying to search too much for settings and to just test.

[P dogg]

As a general rule, when cutting use full power and adjust speed from slower to faster to find fastest cut speed, and when engraving start with fastest speed and adjust power up from lower to higher until you find desired depth/effect.
Hope this helps.

[jeepers94]

Very seldom do I use full power to cut on a 100w laser! There are power and density test files included with most lasers. Run these files, and see where you get the best results.
I found cut and engrave charts from other vendors to be of little use. Boss has a chart that if I use, it is way too much power. Like was stated, test the materials on your laser and keep notes on what works for you!

[trrubicon06]

I can see there's definitely gonna be a learning curve when it comes to materials.

[jfong]

I keep a log book of every material I cut. Looking back at the entries, I can make a good guess on feed/power for similar materials. I never use full power, it decreases tube life. 75% is the most I use. Tubes are expensive to replace. If you are making lots of money with your laser then of course time is money. Use full power if you want since then a new tube change will be easily paid off.

[P dogg]

jfong, you are correct, that's good advice if you have a glass tube laser, or you can set you max MA to a safe number then when you use full power it's not going to fry your tube, when I made my suggestion to was based on my ULS Metal tube. I cut lot's of Acrylic and wood so even with my 120 watt metal tube I start at full power that way I'm always cutting at max speed.

[jfong]

P dogg,

Yes I keep forgetting about high end lasers that use different types of tubes. I just have a cheap Chinese 40 watt CO2. Probably really only 30watts if that.

[nivlek]

Is it better to do this
"As a general rule, when cutting use full power and adjust speed from slower to faster to find fastest cut speed"

or
use 30% power and a slower speed rate.

I ask this as this is what I do. (Less power and a slow feed rate)

Generally, I do not stand there and wait for the laser to finish cutting. I am busy doing other things so the time is not so important to me.

but is the time or the power the thing, that can save the laser tube ??

I also note that this is with the water temperate at less then 30C degrees.. Once over 30C degrees, I boost up to 40%


Regards
Kel

[trrubicon06]

Hoping I can get a list of good starting settings from Thunder Laser, once I get the machine. Experimenting is useful once I start using the machine and understand various settings and materials. But starting off I'd like to have a better idea, then to guess. That would put me off on my $8000 investment quickly lol.

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