SUGGESTED POWER SETTINGS FOR LASERCUTTER.....  orig. by Saul Griffith and John DiFrancesco, expanded by others

 THIS FILE IS USER EDITABLE!

Please ADD your settings to this file, DO NOT DELETE THIS FILE!!!  This is a resource for everyone. Try to keep things in an organized fashion please.

WARNINGS:

•	STYRENE BASED MATERIALS (POLYSTYRENE) WILL OFF-GAS STYRENE - IT IS A TERATOGEN - IT WILL EAT YOUR BRAIN
		(styrofoam, foamcore)
•	CHLORINE BASED MATERIALS (PVC PET-G etc.) OFFGAS CHLORINE - MAJOR RESPIRATORY AND REPRODUCTIVE AND DERMATOLOGICAL TOXIN
•	POLYCARBONATE WILL CHAR OR BURN, NOT RECOMMENDED FOR THIS MACHINE - USE WATERJET
•	Clean the lens before you use the laser cutter.

SUGGESTIONS:

•	ROUGH CUT IN CARDBOARD FIRST.
•	DO YOU REALLY NEED ACRYLIC??  IT WILL SPEND A MILLION YEARS IN LANDFILL WHEN YOU ARE DONE!!
•	THE LASER CUTTER IS IDEAL FOR PLYWOOD AND CARDBOARD AND OTHER BIODEGRADABLE MATERIALS!!
•	THE WATERJET IS MORE SUITABLE FOR THE FOLLOWING MATERIALS:  
		ALL METALS, PVC, POLYCARBONATE, NYLON, PP, HDPE, LDPE, PE, PTFE
•	There is a file on the desktop:  parametersettings.cdr it has all of the colours set and can be used to optimise your cut.

PPI is pulses per inch.
Power is % of 100Watt available laser power
Speed is % of maximum traversing speed.
VECTOR is a line following cut (printed line must be ~0.01mm thick to work).
RASTER is a raster etch (back and forth) good for fill or blocks.
SKIP!  skip this color - useful for working lines that you dont want cut.
For very thick cuts the 4.0 lens is more suitable as the depth of focus is longer.  It will give you a cleaner cut with straighter sidewalls.
The laser's "toolwidth" is approx 0.5mm in diameter (0.006"). If you're doing fine work, plan accordingly.

SETTINGS ASSUME THAT YOU HAVE USED THE FOCUS TOOL!!

ACRYLIC
MATERIAL:		LENS:	THICKNESS:	PPI: 	POWER (%):	SPEED (%):	EFFECT (cut/etch)
ACRYLIC (clear)		2	1/16"		1000	100%		7		CUT - rough edges
ACRYLIC (clear)		2	1/16"		1000	20%		1		CUT - smoother edges..

ACRYLIC (clear)		2	1/8"		1000	100%		4.2		CUT single pass
ACRYLIC (coloured)	2	1/8"		1000	100%		4.6		CUT single pass
ACRYLIC (colored)	2	1/8"		1000	50%		2.5%		slower cut, cleaner edges. one

ACRYLIC (fluoro/clear)	2	3/16"		800	100%		3.5		CUT - single

ACRYLIC (colored)	2	.221"		800	30		0.8		through

ACRYLIC (clear)	(tinted)	2	1/4"		500	100%		1.4		CUT single pass.
ACRYLIC (coloured)	2	1/4"		500	100%		1.6		CUT - single
ACRYLIC (white)	2	1/4"		500	100%		1.0		CUT - single

ACRYLIC(clear)		2	0.354""		500	100%		1.2		CUT - single

ACYRLIC (clear)		2	1/2"		500	100%		1.1		CUT - single pass through.
ACRYLIC (clear)		2	1/2"		500	100%		0.8		CUT single pass (long cuts cause material to bend).
ACRYLIC (clear)		2	1/2"		250	92%		0.7		CUT single pass (long cuts cause material to bend).
ACRYLIC (clear)		2	1/2"		500	80%		50		RASTOR, 1/32 inch

ACRYLIC (clear)		2	3/4"		500	100%		0.4		CUT single pass (long cuts cause material to bend).

WOOD
MATERIAL:		LENS:	THICKNESS:	PPI: 	POWER (%):	SPEED (%):	EFFECT (cut/etch)
cherry			2	n/a		500	15%		60		lighter raster
cherry			2	n/a		500	20%		60		heavier raster
cherry			2	n/a		500	20%		45-55		even heavier raster
cherry			2	1/8"		1000	20%		2.6		cut

mat board		2	n/a		1000	5%		20		moderate depth raster for text (no fill)
mat board		2	n/a		1000	6%		40		light raster for text (no fill)
mat board		2	1/16"		900	30%		20		CUT single pass

aircraft plywood		2	3/16"		300	30%		3%		cut
aircraft plywood		2	1/8"		500	35%		2%		cut (doesn't always clear, esp near edges)
aircraft plywood		2	1/8"		500	15%		80%		raster
aircraft plywood		2	1/16"		300	30%		5%		cut
3-ply+2x veneer		2	1/8"		100	25%		1.5%		ideal cut

Lite Ply (poplar ply)	2	1/8"		500	100%		8%		cut through (lite ply burns off faster, so can cut faster)
Lite Ply			2	1/4"		500	100%		5%

plywood (.209")		3	.209		100	60%		0.6%		adequate
plywood (.197")		2	.197		100	52%		2.5%		adequate
plywood (.326")		2	.326"		100	50%		0.5%		perfect
plywood (.486")		2	.486"		100	70%		0.3%		perfect

Balsa Wood		2	1/4"		500	15%		60		raster
baltic birch		2	0.205'		500	100%		4%		single pass
baltic birch		2	1/4''		1000	100%		0.85%		cut	
baltic birch		2	1/4''		500	15%		60%		raster
MDF			2	1/4"		500	100%		2%		single pass cut
MDF			2	1/16"		500	30%		3.5%		single pass cut

luan (.109")		2	.109"		500	90%		15%		

Bass Wood		2	1/16"		500	97%		6.5%		cut
Bass Wood		2	1/8"		500	100%		4%		cut			

CARDBOARD (4in lens does not work well with cardboard)
MATERIAL:		LENS:	THICKNESS:	PPI: 	POWER (%):	SPEED (%):	EFFECT (cut/etch)
cardboard		2	any		250	 60%		15		light raster (for pictures)

cardboard:		2	0.166"		100	40		50		hinge cut through top layer, but not bottom
cardboard:		2	0.166"		100	100%		60%		only superficial;
cardboard:		2	0.166"		100	100%		30%		mostly through.
cardboard:		2	0.166"		100	92%		15%		clear through -- feedback: smokey, should try lower power
cardboard:		2	0.166"		100	75%		15%		clear through 
cardboard		2	0.166"		100	65%		15%		clean cut (nice and pretty), skips out sometimes
cardboard		2	0.166"		100	70%		12%		clean cut (nice and pretty), skips out sometimes
cardboard         		2          0.25"                 250      40%                	10%                  less smoke, smoother flavor

MISCELLANEOUS 
MATERIAL:		LENS:	THICKNESS:	PPI: 	POWER (%):	SPEED (%):	EFFECT (cut/etch)
Glass etch		2	NA		200	40-60%		60		Etch, for wineglasses:  Note instructions on page size!!!
METAL ENGRAVE	2	n/a		400	50%		10		(Vector) Engraves into most sheet metals.
MacBook Pro Metal	2	n/a		600	20%		60		Nice clean etch, handles 2-3 tone gray-scale well (petron)
KAPTON FILM		2	0.001"	     	1000	5%		5%		CUT
Phenolic Paper		2	0.016"		500	100%		30%		Clean cut 

NOTES:
ABS Plastic		2	1/16		150	100%		2.4		Cut
ABS Plastic		2	1/4		150	100%		1.8		Cut
signmaterial		2	1/16		500	11%		60
(rowmark lasermark)			
delrin                            2           1/4"                 200       100%                0.7                    cut

paper			2	n/a		1000	11%		60		light raster (for pictures)
craft paper		2	n/a		250	55%		45%		Cut
	
plywood "3/16"  
0.200" (measured)
4 inch lens
		power	speed
		100%	5%	score deep for folding
		100%	2%	cut

		Power	Speed	PPI	Result
2 inch lens	92%	3%	100	mostly through
2 inch lens	92%	2%	100	75% through.  some snags, e.g. mitered corners
2 inch lens	92%	2%	200	75% through.  some snags, e.g. mitered corners

Canson paper    30% 75% speed, 250dpi cuts circles well on canson paper
                        30% 70% speed,             more complex shapes

Bristol paper	60% power 65% speed 350dpi (cut through)

Thick paper	55% 45% speed, 250dpi cuts through 

Canvas fabric	45 	40

Cardboard, 0.166", corrugated (6/23/10) --- precise focus is required, otherwise the cut will not be clean
cardboard	55%	15%	100	cuts almost cleanly through. requires minimal
cardboard	65%	15%	100	clean cut
cardboard	75%	15%	100	overkill
cardboard	85%	15%	100	overkill
cardboard	92%	15%	100	overkill (lots of smoke)

wood: birch plywood, 1/8"
90% power, 20% speed, 250 PPI, raster = approx 2<->3/32"   great for binding channels on guitars

MATERIAL:		LENS:	THICKNESS:	PPI: 	POWER (%):	SPEED (%):	EFFECT (cut/etch)
RUBBER-Neoprene	2	1.5mm		500	100%		4		CUT - single pass - very messy if thicker
RUBBER-EPDM	2	2.5mm		500	100%		4		CUT single pass
RUBBER-Santoprene	2	2.5mm		500	100%		5		CUT single pass - cuts very clean
RUBBER-Hypalon	2	2.5mm		500	100%		4		CUT single pass
RUBBER-ECH		2	2.5mm		500	100%		4		CUT single pass

ACRYLIC 		2	3/4"		1000	100%		1.2		cut - 2 PASSES

Silicone (Sylgard 184)	2	1/8"		90	60%		5.3		perforated cut

DRAFT FILM
.005"	Power:50%	Speed:80%	PPI:500 (doesn't really matter much)	THRU-CUT
.005"	Power:10%	Speed:80%	PPI:500 (doesn't really matter much)	Etch

masonite		2	3/16in		500	35%		5%		CUT single pass