Hello Larry,

Thank you for contacting us.

Great question. In my opinion a CNC router would be much better for this application. Even a handheld router would be better. But the laser got the job done.

If you have any other questions, please chat, email, or call Customer Service. 

Sincerely,

Sarah
Wood Workers Guild of America Video Membership

Hello Tom,

Thank you for contacting us.

I’m not familiar with what options might be out there for high res laser engraving services. The unit that I used in this article is capable of 300 DPI. A lot of the challenge in getting a crisp image is not as much about the laser, but more related to the characteristics of the material being engraved. Softer materials tend to blur more, while harder materials can retain a higher level of detail.

If you have any other questions, please chat, email, or call Customer Service. 

Sincerely,
Sarah
Wood Workers Guild of America Video Membership

Hello Darrel,
Here’s what the experts had to say about your question:

Do any of these have the capacity to reproduce slope or topography of a carving?
(WWGOA) You could do that to an extent by modifying the intensity and speed of the laser, but your depth of cut would be limited to about 1/4″ with a 40 watt laser, and it is very slow to burn that deeply. You would be better off with a CNC router for that application.
When one burns the wood with a laser does the burnt wood odor become a problem?

(WWGOA) In my opinion it’s not too bad. My wife has a different opinion. :) I vent directly to outdoors so most of the odor goes with the exhaust. But, if I’m doing a heavy burn, particularly if I am cutting deeply enough to cut out coasters, the smell will linger for a day or so.

Sincerly,
Paul
Wood Workers Guild of America Expert

Hello Wayne,
Here’s what the experts had to say about your question:

I don’t know this market very well, but there is a huge range of pricing for this type of machine. Along that comes a big range of quality and support. I’d encourage you to do a lot of homework before making a decision.

Sincerely,
Paul
Wood Workers Guild of America Expert

Hello James,
Here’s what the experts had to say about your question:

You would need to get a laser engraver that has or supports a rotary attachment to rotate the item as the laser etches it. In the article you can see that I was able to etch a drinking glass, but only on an image area of up to 1″ wide. Beyond that the image would get distorted quickly unless you use a rotary attachment.

Sincerely,
Paul
Wood Workers Guild of America Expert

Hello Frank,
Here’s what the experts had to say about your question:

Great question. The PL 1220 laser actually has an open bottom design, so rather than fitting the wood in the laser, I set the laser on top of the wood.

Paul
Wood Workers Guild of America Expert