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Wood Laser Engraving: Best Way to Engrave Wood

Outline

Unlike the time-consuming and labor-intensive traditional wood engraving tools, lasers revolutionize woodworking products by delivering impressive results with high efficiency. The powerful laser wood engraver operates with precision, requiring only manual parameter settings to carry out the work.

So say goodbye to saws, planers, mills, drills, and chisels—no more tedious and risky manual carving! Wood Laser engraving will undoubtedly elevate your woodworking to a whole new level. Discover the surprising advantages it offers over traditional methods.

Why is laser better than other wood engraving methods?

Generally, we use CO2 laser machines for wood processing. Here are some of the key advantages of laser engraving wood:
Wood laser engraving allows you to revel in clean, burr-free edges and precisely customized engraving shapes. You can achieve these beautifully engraved wood in a very short time by lasers.
wooden engraving gift

What can you create?

- turning wood laser engraving ideas into reality
peakhandmade 3
wood photo engraving
engraving wood decoration
wood laser engraving bottle opener
wood laser engraving advertising sign
wood laser engraving gift

With a powerful wood engraving machine, you can easily complete a variety of creative wood laser engraving projects. Lasers can customize your everyday wooden items and carve intricate patterns and text on wood as art pieces or gifts. Discover the endless possibilities of wood laser engraving!

Wood etching vs wood engraving: What’s the difference?

Are Wood Etching and Wood Engraving the Same? You might confuse the usage and concepts of wood etching and wood engraving, but there are some subtle differences between them.

 

Laser etching is commonly used on most metal materials and typically utilizes fiber lasers. So, can wood etching also be done with fiber lasers? The answer is “NO”. Both wood etching and wood engraving are generally done using CO2 lasers for better results.

 

Wood etching employs low-power lasers and short focal lengths to rapidly ablate the wood surface, achieving high-resolution and intricate patterns. This method is ideal for designs rich in detail. Wood engraving, on the other hand, uses high-power lasers with longer focal lengths at lower speeds to create deeper carvings in the wood, enhancing the three-dimensional effect. By adjusting the laser power and speed, you can achieve different results for wood etching or engraving.

wood laser engraving etching

wood etching

wood laser engraving senta chris

wood engraving

Attention: Do not use fiber lasers for wood processing! It can easily ignite the wood, potentially causing a fire.

The best wood for laser engraving

The world of wood laser engraving opens up to a vast array of possibilities with hundreds of wood materials available in the market. A high-quality laser engraver for wood can work its magic on various materials, turning them into stunning creations. Among the commonly used materials in laser processing are plywood, solid wood boards, and medium-density fiberboard (MDF).

Plywood is the most commonly chosen and used wood in wood laser engraving, offering the advantages of high strength and resistance to breaking, shrinking, and warping.
Solid wood is made from whole logs, boasts high strength and hardness. Usually having a unique and beautiful wooden texture.
A pressed board made from a mixture of fibers and synthetic resin. It is more suitable than LDF and HDF for wood laser engraving due to its uniform structure, stable performance, and ease of processing.
wood laser engraving plywood map
plywood map engraving
engraving wood solid wood
solid wood tableware
engraving wood mdf menu board
mdf menu board
Choose the wood that best suits your project needs, and let it bring you unique processing results!

How to laser engrave wood by laser machine?

How does laser wood engraving work?

Laser engraving on wood works by focusing intense light energy onto the surface. This energy is absorbed, generating heat that vaporizes the wood material, leaving behind detailed markings depending on the laser settings used.
After importing the file and placing the material, the laser focus is adjusted to ensure the beam is accurately focused on the wood surface through mirrors and lenses. This allows precise control for detailed engraving.
The laser processes the wood according to the patterns and parameters set in the software. As the laser head moves along its path, it generates intense heat, causing the wood to vaporize and burn, removing material layer by layer to create the engraving effect.
Strong suction is used in the engraving area to remove debris and prevent flames, ensuring a clean engraving process.
wooden engraved gift

Basic Steps to engrave wood by lasers!

After cleaning the material surface and placing it on the work table, import the design into the software and adjust the position and settings.
Engrave a small portion or use scrap material for testing, then officially start the engraving. You can activate the dual air assist system to clear debris without interfering with the wood engraving quality.
Clean the engraved surface, and you can further process it with coloring or other treatments.

Should I sand wood before laser engraving?

The answer is “yes”. Flaws and rough surfaces can affect the accuracy of the engraving, so you need to sand the wood surface until it’s smooth and even before starting the engraving process. Generally, finer grit sandpaper can achieve a smoother finish, but you can also choose the type of sandpaper needed based on the wood type. After sanding, clean the wood to remove any dust or debris before beginning the engraving process.

How to darken laser engraving on wood?

You can darken engraving on wood by adjusting machine settings. First, you can increase the laser power and decrease the speed, generating higher power to burn the wood more deeply, thus darkening the engraving. Multiple passes, running the laser over the same area several times, can also deepen the engraving and make it darker.

Many auxiliary products can also achieve a darkening effect. Pre-Engraving Stain applied to the wood before engraving can lead to a darker finish. Be sure to let the stain dry completely before processing. Wood Filler or colored wax can be used after engraving; once dry and sanded, they reveal clean, dark engravings. Chemical Darkening Agents, such as a diluted solution of potassium permanganate, can also be used after engraving. These chemicals react with the wood to darken the engraved areas, but testing is necessary before use.

How to clean wood after wood laser engraving?

You may need to sand the surface after wood laser engraving. Grinding should be done lightly and do not use pressure down. The surface after the first grinding is slightly rough, but after the next grinding it becomes smooth, and the last grinding will remove the remaining rough traces.

First, using 3/0 sandpaper

Use rough sandpaper when grinding – for most wood, you want to use 3/0 sandpaper,

Second, using 4/0 sandpaper

For some very soft wood, such as pinewood or yellow wood, use 4/0 sandpaper.

Finally, using 5/0 or 6/0 sand paper

Gradually replace with 5/0 sandpapers, and finally use 6/0 sandpapers.

Although theoretically, the sandpaper is more thin, the surface of the grinding wood is smoother, but using too thin sandpaper will not only block the thin holes but also affect the effect of the paint. So, you may need to use different sand according to your need.

Choose the best laser wood engraver

It’s important for wood laser engraving to have an excellent laser machine that allows you to perform custom wood engraving more efficiently and with higher quality. We’d like to recommend our best wood engraving machine to you!
odinlaserengraver

Thunder Bolt Pro Engraver

Thunderlaserbolt

Thunder Bolt Desktop Engraver

thunder laser nova 51

Thunder Nova Cutter

Our top pick? The Thunder Bolt Pro Laser Engraver, a gateway to unparalleled artistry. Enter the realm of artistry with the Thunder Laser engraver for wood boasting speeds up to 2000mm/s. In just a matter of tens of minutes, you can witness the transformation of wood into a masterpiece.

 

Additionally, Thunder Bolt’s desktop size is suitable for those with limited space, bringing you high-precision wood laser engraving. The Thunder Nova series supports large-scale production with their expansive working areas, and features pass-through doors to accommodate oversized materials. You can choose the laser engraver for wood that suits your needs!

Parameters for wood laser engraving

The following parameters of basswood plywood on Thunder Laser Nova 35 are provided for reference. It’s advisable to conduct small-scale tests and adjust parameters accordingly for your specific needs. 

Named layersSpeed (mm/S)Power(%)DirectionLine Interval/DPIBlow TypeBlow Value
Shallow carving(image)50010Horizontal Double300weakbelow 0.1
Shallow carving(text)50010Horizontal Double300weakbelow 0.1
Shallow carving(label)5008Horizontal Double300weakbelow 0.1
Running a line405 (Corner power5)Horizontal Double weakbelow 0.1
Cutting4575 strong8

Tips and tricks you need to know

What is the role of blowing during wood laser engraving?

Air assist in laser machines serves several purposes:

1. Cool the material and the engraving area, reducing the risk of burning or charring.

2. Blow away smoke and debris, preventing contamination of the lens.

3. Remove molten material, leading to more accurate engravings and smoother edges.

How to reduce backside charring in wood laser engraving?

During wood laser engraving, the laser energy passes through the material and strikes the honeycomb platform. It is then reflected back onto the backside of the wood by a metal mesh, causing it to char and leaving unwanted and visible marks. These marks are a result of laser reflection, reducing them can be achieved by minimizing this reflection. Here are several methods to do so:

1. Optimize Processing Parameters. Increase the cutting speed and lower the laser power.

2. Elevate the Wood with a Nail Bed or Similar Tool. Raise the wood above the honeycomb platform for cutting, similar to using a nail bed.

3. Cut with a Knife Blade Beneath the Wood. Cutting with a knife blade beneath the wood, which is less dense than the honeycomb platform. However, it’s essential to cut from the inside out and this method may not be suitable for very small parts.

4. Cover the Backside with Decorative Paper. Place decorative paper on the backside of the wood, allowing it to absorb some of the reflected energy in place of the wood.

5. Enhance Ventilation. Improve the air assist and exhaust system to minimize the smoke and fumes between the wood and the platform.

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